Buona Beef Restaurant

i love the beef and frie's,it looks like it's made to go hand n hand

Just stop right here and go down the street to Portillo's, take a right onto Ogden and do yourself a favor or if you feel like driving, go to Patio (you'll spend less at Portillo's for the same fare and less at Patio with a slightly nicer dining experience,....both places have better food to offer).

Still with me?, I haven't been to Buona Beef in a long time, mostly because their food didn't impress me when I went a few years ago. Fast forward 2-3 years and I remember why.

The beef sandwich (it looked anorexic) wasn't packed, the place looks like it's falling apart and the entrance way smells like zombie....look outside and you see parts of the building falling off and ripped seat cushions inside. You have a great location and you could be doing so much with it. The inside was also dead when we went and it was dinner time (that's always a warning).

Also, you're charged for food that would be amazingly better down the street with what I think is better bread, more meat and better fries. The food wasn't overwhelmingly bad, but being so close to better food at lower prices and the fact that myself and the person I went with couldn't stop encountering things wrong with this place left us with a bad taste and depressive experience. I think I feel worse for the employees, there were no patrons so all they could do was walk around and clean/put chairs away.

This is a perfect example of what happens when a restaurant is not managed very well.

I am a big fan of Buona Beef and have been for many years! I love both the Italian beef sandwich and the burger, so I don't venture into their menu beyond that, because that more than satisfies me.

I am also pleased that the prices here are pretty reasonable. It's a nice place to eat and when I lived in Illinois I ate here all the time! I miss Buona Beef and can't wait until the next time I get to visit!