After my first run in with Buona Beef, I was hesitant to give them a second chance. However, seeing as we are now new neighbors since I have recently moved to Hoffman Estates, their location was extremely convenient for a 9PM food run on a Sunday.
I ordered the turkey club panini... it was large and in charge and filled with delicious amounts of meats and veggies. The sauce they use in the panini was very flavorful.
However, the other items were slightly less than average. I ordered the pasta salad and instantly remembered why I wasn't a fan. The noodles had a weird flavor, and the dressing was tart. The fries did not seem fresh since they had no crisp to the bite.
I would try them again for their burgers or other sandwiches.
I'll give this place a nod over their store that I typically visit on North Ave in Oak Park. Nice ambiance for a fast food place and it seemed to be setup in a way that was very organized.
Had a 10" combo, fries and a drink for $10 - OK price I guess. I do feel that Portillo's Italian Sausage might have a little more flavor to it though.
The place is close to a food pantry where I volunteer, so I'm sure I'll be back. Overall, pretty good.
This is simply the best Italian Beef sandwich in the suburbs, providing you order it with Giardiniera. Â The sides are somtimes imaginative - try the Pasta Salad. Â Sometimes, though, the "Chips" can be a letdown. Â Salads and individual Pizzas are also surprisingly creative and great values at about $7.50 each.
Review Source:I went here for dinner tonight with my family. This place is for fatasses; the portions are very big. As a side dish, I ordered the parmesan chips with my Buona Beef and Italian Sausage Sandwich. The sandwich was ok and the chips were not very good. In fact, I ended up asking the waitress if it was possible for me to switch out the chips for french fries. Service-wise, this restaurant is very good. The staff is friendly and attends to your concerns pretty well. One offputting thing about this restaurant is that you have to clean up after yourself! Please beware -- come to this restaurant very hungry and with the desire to clean your own dishes!
Review Source:I've been to Buona several times in the past & have enjoyed myself each time. Â It's not on my top 5 list of go-to places for some grub but it hasn't disappointed yet. Â I was in the area & was on my way to Garibaldi's but decided against it as soon as I saw Buona. Â Their menu is very extensive & has something for everyone so it took a minute to figure out what I wanted, but I went with an angus cheeseburger with fries. Â Surprisingly, they don't have any meal deals, I swore they used to but now everything is a la carte so you need to order everything separately. Â When I ordered a cup of water, I was given the largest free water cup ever, must've been at least 12oz, so bonus points for that. Â The burger tasted a lot better than the last time I had one, which was more than a year ago, but the fries could've been hotter. Â My previous visit, I had the Quattro Formaggi pizza & it was one of the best personal pizza's I've ever had, so fresh, so good & so much to eat, just go already!
Review Source:The food here is very good we had beef sandwiches, sausage and a kids hot dog. My only drawback was the expense. Three of us dined for $28 and one of those meals was a $5 kids meal. They charged extra for every little thing. For example the hot and sweet peppers were extra. But still, it added up fast. Even the cashier agreed with me about the expense. Â I'm glad the whole family wasn't there it would've cost me an arm and a leg.
Review Source:Coupons arrived in the mailer the other day. I think we were first to redeem one. The teen behind the counter had a lot of questions about processing it on his register.
For $6.50, it included a 7" beef, a choice of side (fries, cheese fries, parmesan chips, cup of soup, small Caesar, house, pasta or fresh fruit salad) and a refillable Pepsi drink. LImit 2 worked in our favor! A 7" just about costs this much on its own.
It's a notch up from Portillos. The ambience is a bit more grown up too.
WOW! I've been driving by these things for a year and never realized the great value they had! I went a bit looser on the wallet so that might explain why, but the food is awesome! First off, in a taste scale, I like things generally more plain and not too saucy. So what did I try...
The soup. It was a potato soup that was the special for the day. I got a small bowl while I had a cold and it definitely hit the spot! It wasn't TOO creamy, but there were a lot of good potato chunks and a couple of pieces of either chicken or bacon in there. It's one of those nice (not too chunky) soups that you'd eat during a cold rainy day and you want to offset a bad mood.
The Italian beef (I already forgot what it was called) but it was fantastic! I got the largest size thinking (go big or go home!) and the 9" sandwich really hit the spot. I asked for mozarella cheese on it and for sweet peppers because I don't like spicy peppers. The sweet peppers were slightly overcooked but they provided enough texture in the sandwich that it wasn't just a beef tasting Italian Beef. I love their bread as it's soft but not too soggy. It's definitely something you want to eat immediately because I can see the bread getting soggy after awhile. The mozarella cheese definitely gives it a cheesy flavor which I loved! The beef is so tender and juicy that it goes so well with the bread, peppers, and cheese!!
The location itself is very busy during the lunch hour. It's even difficult to find a good table to eat at. But they are pretty good at getting your food within ten minutes and it's a hustling and bustling place that there are all sorts of conversations going on.
I'd recommend going here. I remember Portillo's Italian beef having tougher beef and tougher bread which I wasn't a fan of. But it's been awhile. Give it a shot!
I can't believe it took me so long to try this place for the first time! Â But now that I have, I cannot wait to go back!
My family met my parents here for lunch one Saturday afternoon. Â It was fairly busy, but not so busy that we couldn't easily find a table for the six of us!
So you go up and you order your delicious food, they give you a number, and then they bring it out when it's ready. Â Side note, the lady that was bussing tables/delivering food/etc was amazing!!! Â She was helpful without being obtrusive, and she brought my kids cookies for free because they were "being so well-behaved" (there's a first time for everything! LOL) She was awesome, I gotta say!
But in any case, the food was delicious. Â It was filling without being too greasy, and their menu has a million choices, it's not just beef. Â There are pizzas, burgers, fries, sandwiches, salads, etc. Â They really have more of an expansive menu than I thought! Â I got the chardog with fries, and my daughter ordered the "kids" pizza. Â And the "kids" is in quotes because this thing was HUGE! Â She could only eat two bites of it (don't worry, I helped her out!)
My mom's beef sandwich was delicious, and my dad's burger was also really good! Â the fries were piping hot and fluffy on the inside, and their house salad dressing was delicious on my side salad.
they also have catering and a drive thru, although I haven't used either of these services...YET!
I will definitely be back for the yummy food and fantastic service!
Their jumbo hot dog was really good. It was so juicy and all the toppings added were perfect.
I also tried their thin crust pizza before which was delightful as well. I am a big fan of thin crust when done right like Pizano's or Viccino's are two of my favs.
Always got friendly and prompt service. Seating usually plentiful when we would go on a Sunday lunchtime. They have high chairs and kids menus/crayons for those with kids. This location is clean but in quite a bit of a deserted area, that's just the feel I get with the vast spans of empty asphalt space even though there are a few restaurants nearby.
What happens when your coworkers make you go to an Italian beef restaurant when you really don't eat red meat? Â You get the margherita pizza. Â Mouthwatering. Â Huge chunks of mozzarella and tomatoes, real basil, piping fresh from the oven, so crispy and gooey you want to abscond with it and go off to a tropical island together. Â That's what I'm talking about!
Review Source:I always enjoy eating at Buona Beef. Â There's a good variey of items on the menu and I haven't come close to trying them all, but what I've had have been quite good. Â The Italian Beef is good. Â Different than Portillo's, but just as good, although not quite as good as Galto's. Â I also like their "Italiano" sandwich. Â What I really like here is their Angus beef hamburger. Â I think I'm going to step out on a limb and say it's my favorite hamburger in the area.
Review Source:The beef & giardiniera pizza is the most crucial item on the menu. Â I haven't tried most items, but this pizza is the bomb! Â It's topped with the gooey type of cheese that stretches and forces you to cut the cheese rope. Â Between that and the crispy thin crust are thin slices of italian beef and fresh giardiniera (w/ green olives). Â All the gardeniere oil does make eating the pizza a bit messy, but it's definitely worth all the napkins. Â The 9" pizza is more than enough for one person and well worth the money. Â I always tell myself I'll try something new the next time, but I can't resist the beef & giardiniera.
Review Source:I really wanted to like this place. Â I have driven past this place for years and finally decided to stop in. Â Walking in its your typical I really lunch joint, nothing to impressive. Â Average lunch crowd. Â The line moved pretty quick which was nice because the line was just about out the door when i got there. Â
One thing that bugs me is that most joints like this all of there food is ala carte. Â You can make any sandwich a meal for 3.25 but i would still like the option for some lunch specials. Â
I thought for sure i would be blown away by the beef, since that is what they are known for. Â I did not think it was anything special. Â I ordered the BBQ beef sandwich combo with a fry. Â I was definitely not impressed with the BBQ sauce. Â In fact, i prefer the sauce on the mcrib over buona's. Â
I do not want to completely bad mouth the place, because i am sure other things on the menu are very good. Â A guy sitting next to me had a salad that looked pretty good.
Believe it or not, I have never been to a Buona Beef. Only had their beef from the taste, which I thought was mediocre because it was too damn dry. I like when they dip the whole thing in the jus and put it in a plastic bag Portillo's style.
So we didn't have a whole lot of time to eat and this was right by the bar we were going to for this benefit. I ordered the beef anyways, with a side of red sauce and dipped. They didn't really dip the whole thing, but it was still kinda juicy, and the sauce was great. Delish.
My boyfriend got the pizza, which I thought was kinda odd. Who gets pizza at a beef place??
Well apparently he knows better then me. This brick oven style pizza came out super hot, with delicious sausage and sauce. I might actually order it next time, it was that good.
I am a big fan, and the closest one to me is on 22nd and Wolf, which is still far.If I'm ever in the Oakbrook area, I'll have to definitely stop in.
I come here on my way from O'Hare to Elgin every time I come. Â I actually choose my flight time so I can get there for lunch or dinner. Â I LOVE their ceasar side salad - oh man...my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Â Nowadays I always do the Italian beef (feeding my inner Midwestern child). But man-oh-man - the beef with a ceasar side is freakin awesome. Â They have a good variety of food and multiple side dishes to choose from. Â I'm not too keen on the desserts but by the time I've had a beef, salad and soda, I'm good. Â I had their lemon cookies last time and they were aweful. Â They offer wine but I thought it was a little pricey considering what I'm eating with it. Â It's a very casual place, kid friendly and good for groups. Â It's my favorite Italian Beef place.
Review Source:This place understandably gets a bit crowded during lunch. It's conveniently located to many businesses and has a drive-thru. The individual pan pizza with a buttery, yellow is tasty, but I very much recommend the beef. If you are on a budget or not extremely hungry, the kids Italian beef meal is actually very good. You get a much smaller beef sandwich and portion of fries with a drink. After that, you might even have saved room for their gelato. I recommend the spumoni.
Review Source:BB has some great dishes, and they all taste pretty freakin great. I did not give 4 star rating becuase the service was sub-par and it seemed like they really didn't care about their jobs. However, it wasn't totally portrayed in the food, so a 3 star is appropriate. T
he dogs and the beef sandwiches are awesome, though they dont' compare with Al's, they have given a valiant effort.
WHERE'S THE BEEF?
Right here my friend...and it's pretty damn tasty. Â I usually stick with the Italian beef which is piled high on crusty bread and topped with hot giardiniera peppers. Â The salads are also good, but I have to admit that in the Italian beef vs. salad showdown, the salad doesn't often win.
They have a pretty large menu, but stick to the Italian Beef sandwiches, Vienna hot dogs, and Maxwell St. Polish sausages. Â I like this location, although it does get crowded with families on weekends. Â Yeah... whenever I see an insane amount of kids in there, I just take my order to-go.
Like any good Italian Beef restaurant, they offer the beef & sausage combo and even pepper & egg sandwiches on Fridays. Â And I'm always a fan of a place that serves double dogs, because apparently I can't have too much MEAT. Â
Buona Beef is a small, 11-store chain found soley in the 'burbs. Â I've been to a couple locations, but the one in Hoffman Estates is a decent store.
My first taste of an Italian Beef sandwich and I'm hooked! Â This is so much better than a French dip sandwich... it's lean, hot, and tasty! Â I had a lunch special which consisted of 1/2 of an Italian beef sandwich with Swiss cheese and jalapenos, a side (I had the homemade chips), and a soda - all for $8.54 - or something like that.
Can't wait to return to Chicago to try the 'dawgs'!
Been going to this place for 3 years now because its just a hop, skip, and a jump from my place of work. Their little miniature pizzas are excellent-- specifically the Margherita pizza! But what you really need to get is their version of italian beef... entitled so appropriately: Buona Beef. And of course add mozz! Oh and their fries are oh so good too... Definitely recommend this place if you want some great food with a nice atmosphere... Basically an upscale fastfood place similar to Portillo's.
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