I happen to be passing by this place and my stomach was all like "I'm hungry!" Â It makes me a little nervous when I didn't Yelp prior to trying a new place, but you gotta take chances. Â So I turned around and went back. Â If I could go back in time, I would have just kept driving. Â However, I wasn't driving a Delorean and this is what transpired. Â
They have a small parking lot, but there were plenty of spots open. Â I went inside to examine the menu in front of the counter, at an obvious menu-examining distance. Â The guy behind the counter stared me down and I felt the pressure. Â I thought I would make it explicit, "I'm going to need a minute." Â He just stared back blankly and I returned to looking at their menu. Â There were tons of options and they all sounded good. Â When I was ready, I stepped up and ordered a "famous" (most likely self proclaimed) cheezy beef sandwich (with a z...should have know better) and a cup of water. Â But they didn't have water or maybe they didn't have a cup...or maybe they suck and want me to overpay for water in a bottle. Â Well I never. Â
The "famous" cheezy beef turned out to be a bust. Â Dry and bland. Â How can something covered in juice be so dry? Â By this time, my stomach was like "I'm sorry, please don't make me eat anymore, I can wait until I get home!" Â Such a brat. Â I admired all the Bears memorabilia that's been put up around the restaurant and was trying to pretend the guy hadn't just come out from behind the counter, crossed his arms, and was starting at me. Â Creepy. Â Time to make like a football and...kickoff.
The only reason I'm not giving this 1 star is because I signed up for it (being tempted by visions of cheese and beef) and the place was clean... and they get a 1.x stars for tons of Bears memorabilia.
The restaurant is clean and nice. Â Bathrooms are a little awkward.
The owner was working the register when I came in (this can be a bad thing, but you don't know till you leave). Â My party ordered a famous cheezzzy beef and a gyro - add cheese. Â Price was not great, and no tap water is served here... $ bottled only. Â Fair enough - hoping for a big portion. Â We needed a minute and were given an "OK" - but more like "OK... I've got better things to do but I'm going to wait for you" in the way that makes you feel rushed.
Order came up - beef was not super cheezy, ok flavor, plenty of moisture... but for the price seemed lacking in something (size being the easiest measure). Â The cheese I ordered on my gyro was a slice of american (Velveeta) placed on it just before serving. Â For $0.45c I kind of expected nacho or provolone or something nicer (I guess I've been spoiled). Â The price of the single gyro was a little high... the plate would be more reasonable but I didn't have the ability to transport leftovers.
There were no napkins on the tray and none to be found out - so when I asked I was a bit surprised to see (again, the owner) 4 napkins counted out for me. Â We are talking dairy queen sized disintegrating napkins - not gonna cut it for a beef. Â Yes, I hate when you ask for a packet of katsup and wind up with a handful, but just put out a darn napkin dispenser!
There are signs all over the restaurant saying the usual funnies about how your mom doesn't work there and clean up after yourself. Â While I always clean up after myself and would normally take these light hearted I think they were truth-forward (and ergo took them as a negative) based on the vibes I was getting. Â Trust me guy, the sign isn't going to stop anybody.
I headed to the bathroom to wash up and when I came back the owner was hanging out and asked nicely if we needed anything else, but apparently he stared down my girlfriend the whole time I was in the bathroom and I took it more like "are you done yet? Â I wanna leave".
I was having a good day, but both my girlfriend and I were put off by the attitude. Â Something like we should be so lucky to enjoy the slightly overpriced very mediocre food. Â Nothing blatantly negative, but not a single reason for me to go back.
I had chosen this location to go to for Free Gyro day but they were no very nice at all. I don't know about the food because I didn't get to try any. Â My coupon was not in color so they would not accept it. Â It didn't even say anything on the coupon that it had to be in color. Â I don't think I will be going there again. It is to far and not worth the time.
Review Source:Best italian beef ever! No joke. Portillo's dipped beef comes in second, but Portillos beefs sometimes have that old meat taste that bad beefs have. There is no third. I have never had a good beef besides these two places - the famous Johnny's in Elmwood Park was garbage in comparison.
I once bought a bucket of Papa G's beef and brought it down to St. Louis to share with my friends there that have never had a beef (Italian beef is a Chicago thing). They acted like they were eating gold. They begged me to bring back more.
Thank you Chicago Italians for the Italian beef and Papa G's for perfecting it. Cheesy beef is great; but you may regret it later if your plumbing works like mine does. Fries are good too. Service feels more east coast, but these guys serve factory and service workers day in and out so it fits. What it comes down to is 5 stars just for the beef - the beef standard.
Awesome cheezy beef! I love the greek salad with the feta cheese. The place is always EXTREMELY clean.
Prices are reasonable. Portions are good.
Great soups when the weather is cold, the chilli is tasty. Get a garlic toast while you are at it!
The owner, George, very friendly. A touch you dont see much in small stablishments like this one.
There are a million hot dog and gyro places in the Chicagoland area, and most of them aren't very good. Â Papa G's, on the other hand, really does a great job. Â
Their food is always prepared very well, the restaurant is clean, and the people that work there are great. Â Also, they have a lot of Bears memorabilia in the restaurant if you like that sort of thing (which I do).
So after reading the other 3 reviews on here...that was before the 1star one was here, I decided to go and eat at Papa G's. Â I always remember passing by it, but never really paid attention to what kind of place it was. Â
I had to have the famous Cheezzzy Beef...and it was pretty good. Â The actual beef itself wasn't exactly the best I ever had, but it was pretty decent. Â Their beef is a little different from other beef's I'm used to.
All I'm saying is try it...you might really like it!
Skip the fries, cuz I wasn't impressed...but order the short ribs! Tender and bbqy...if that's even a word. Â
All in all it was a nice change from chain fast food and mexican food in Atown!
Greasy mushy burgers.  Italian beef with no flavor and weird texture, on a mushy bun.  Greasy beef  "juice" with no discernable beef flavor or seasonings.  And $1.99 for some lame crinkle cuts out of a freezer bag.  What a disappointment.  YUCK.
And they won't give you a glass of water. Â No, they'll only sell you a bottle. Â Even though you're also purchasing soft drinks. Â
And if you want a squirt of BBQ sauce for your fries instead of  catsup, well they charge extra.  A regular drink, beef (not cheeezy) with peppers, and a large (or so they said) fry brings you to about $10. Â
And the men's bathroom is out of order, too. Â Something's not quite right in Aurora tonight.
Oh how I miss Pappa G's! Are there better Italian Beef Sandwiches? Sure, but in Aurora, it's all about da cheezzzzey beef from Pappa G's. The giardinera is spicy and the garlic bread is good and the sammiches are freakin' huge. Fries are good, everything is good. I find myself wistfully fantisizing about visiting Aurora again just for one of dem beefs.
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