Average Beef. Under New Management, Not the same!
As a self proclaimed beef connoisseur, I am a bit of a snob. Â Also, I grew up on the old Roma's Italian Beef & Sausage. Â So, I do not have an unbiased opinion towards Italian beef. That being said, the following is a review solely on the beef.
Ron the old owner had a signature recipe, which died when he sold the establishment. The building might have been worth $270,000 but that signature Au jus sauce and seasoning is priceless. Fred (who seemed like the current owner) told me: we don't plan on changing the old menu, just adding to it. I want to keep the old, old and just add new. ..
This apparently is not the case because; I don't see any essence of the original sandwich in the current version. Â Don't get me wrong it is an O.K. Beef. Not even close to what it once was. The pure fact that it motivated me, to write my first Yelp review, should speak volumes. Â I will not be returning purely as homage to my favorite childhood restaurant.
Something is very different about Romas and I mean that in a good way. I ate here more than a few times. Beef and fries were good, just always seemed expensive, which you recieved with a smug attitude. The beefs and fries are taste the same but without that attitude. They also added new items to the menu witch is not a suprise since the old menu was very minimal before.
Review Source:Very expensive and not good food. Â I ordered a special which the sign said sweet and hot peppers. Â Which would mean it's included however I was charged 69 cents for peppers. Â When I brought it to their attention he said he would take it off the sign immediately. Â I bet it's still there
Review Source:This place used to be good but hasn't been in a couple of years. Â This is Chicago and a Chicago style hot dog has tomatoes on it. Â I ordered a couple to go, got them home and guess what, no tomatoes! Â I should know better as the last time I ordered to hot dogs with everything they came with NOTHING on, just a dog on a bun. Â Shame on me for going back. Â After today's experience I called to complain and was told that the tomatoes "were extra, and you had to pay for them." Â Well, why not post that on the menu, or mention it to the customer in advance. Â The help is rude and when I called back I didn't even get an apology for not getting what I ordered. Â If the owner doesn't care anymore about his customers he should close the business.
Review Source:I probably keep going back for the nostalgia, although every once and a while I get a sandwich that reminds me of why I loved the place. But too often the beef is skimpy, or dry, or both. The fries have always been meh. The hot dog is probably your best bet on the menu nowadays, which is disappointing for what used to be a very solid beef place, though in fairness the hot dog is pretty good.
In their defense, I've found the service/cleanliness to be exactly in line with other neighborhood grills, contra some of the other reviews, and have never had a problem with either. Your mileage may very, or course.
This is a typical neighborhood hot dog/beef place. Roma's happens to have friendly staff but a small menu.
I've had mozzarella sticks, they were pretty good. I think they also have really good chili cheese fries (waaaay better than Susie's!!).
Not everything is good though, I've also had the watermelon italian ice and it was way too sweet and gross, I didn't eat but a few bites.
Nothing to look at, the stools have tape holding them together, etc. but in places like this there is no ambience-at least it is clean.
The best beef in Chicago, Romas should be mentioned along with the places down town that get all the press. Nothing they do is any better than Romas,...Great Fries and  and Gardinaria. The place is an institution in that area and has been there forever, it the first place I ever had a beef and it is the sandwich that I judge all other by. Years ago we moved to Michigan and would comeback to the area and fill a cooler with beefs to freeze and eat throughout the year. Plus Dont miss the Green River  the way it was meant to be non carbonated in the drink machine! I would go just for that.
Review Source:My family has been going to Roma's ever since I can remember. This is the first place I tried my first beef at, and I've been coming here ever since.
Before I start, I'd like to mention this is a dive. It isn't a place to eat at and expect any type of service or cleanliness. You get in, shoot the sh*t with the owner, (he's actually a pretty cool dude if he gets to know you) eat your food, clean up after yourself, and eat.
I'll get right down to it. The beef is delicious, and while their homemade giardiniera lacks peppers and heat, it's fresh and crunchy and definitely compliments the meat. I love the au jus at Roma's. They don't soak the beef like they do at Al's or Pop's, but they get it just juicy enough to really go with the beef. The fries are a little soggy for my taste, but you get a good amount of them. Their italian ice isn't bad either. People complain about the owner, but he's just a loud dude who treats you well if he knows you.
Roma's is a great place to stop by if you're around the area, and a good place to try if you love Italian beef. I give it a 5/5 because I've been coming here ever since I was a kid.
I wish I'd liked this place better. Â It's convenient to my doctor's office and has a couple of tables set up outside so it's reasonably pleasant to eat on site. Â Alas, my first experience with Roma's is likely to be my last unless I start feeling more charitable. Â (I feel crumby today so take all this with a big grain of salt.)
I ordered a hot dog and fries and to be honest, for what I paid, I expected a lot better. Â I don't really know how they managed to make a Vienna hot dog with all the trimmings so completely tasteless. Â The onions, the relish, the dill pickle... nothing. Â They all smelled right but were beyond bland. Â And the hot peppers? Â If I hadn't seen them on the dog, I wouldn't have known they were there. Â No heat, no flavor.
The french fries looked good; I like skin-on fries. Â But again, there was virtually no flavor to them. Â It took a lot of salt and ketchup to make them interesting enough to eat, and by that point I figured "Why bother?"
I can't say the place was any cleaner or dirtier than any other fast food stand I've been to, and I can't say the people were unfriendly. Â I can't say they were friendly either, so make of that what you will.
Given that people are raving about their beef, I might be persuaded to try it someday, but I'll tell you this: Â When I come out of a place wishing I'd just walked up to Mickey D's. or stopped at iHop, you know there's something missing.
I been to Roma's a few times. Everytime I went, I was not that impressed.
The beef sandwiches are good, but there is a lack of beef put on the sandwich. Sandwich in all tasted very plain, even with the hot peppers put on it. Fries were ok, they were the tradional fresh cut if I remember right.
I wish I could give this place Zero stars.
Start with the service maybe the worst and most miserable people I have ever seen.  Told the girl my friend said they had good beef sandwiches and she just stared at me.  Ok.... The owner didn't even aknowledge me...Jack A$s im spending money in your empty sandwich shop your old you suck.  Ordered a Combo fries and drink  $10.06 pretty expensive so I was expecting something pretty good. Â
When I first picked up the sandwich I thought there was nothing in it just a piece of bread.  Opened it and there was almost no beef in it.. I was immediately disapointed.  The taste was decent not bad beef but whatever.  Then I ordered a refill.  27cents she tells me.  I laughed but she was not kidding I asked her for half a refill for 13 cents she  told me no and the owner just stared at me like I was doing something wrong.
Your beef stand is terrible I hope that he is debt on it and it goes belly up becuase it does not deserve to stay in business and the girl at the counter seriously smile life is to short and you are ugly enough that you shouldn't frown all day... I will never go back there and I hope no one else ever goes back there either so bad.
The beef isn't *bad.* Â It's not the worst. Â You could actually kinda-sorta get a craving for it. Â I'll give them that. Â However, it leaves a horrible stench on your hands that does not go away for hours, though. Â Washing your hands will not take it away either. Â They should be handing out latex gloves with the beefs.
Also, quintessential for a good beef is good giardiniera. Â The giardiniera they serve is nothing but celery and a *few* hot peppers. Â Probably a 5:2 ratio. Â The fries are greasy and not good. Â It's pointless to eat an order of french fries that you know is not good for you if they don't taste good.
The workers are miserable. Â The owner is a really big jag-off. Â It's extremely dirty and unsanitary, I'm not sure how they pass Chicago City inspection.
People will probably say "Yeah, it has character though." Â No. Â Superdawg has character. Â Hot Doug's has character. Â Kuma's Corner has character. Â Billy Goat is dripping with Chicago spirit. Â Roma's is just a dive. Â I'm sorry, but unsanitary conditions, miserable looking employees, and a straight up mean owner is not character. Â You can be funny/entertaining rude (a-la Weiners Circle), but that's not the case here.
The only way I can see having any sort of sentiment from this place is if you went there when you were a kid and it was cleaner and things were different.
I was starving and looking for a place to eat.
I was walking and stopped in to Roma's. Â I don't eat meat... So I guess you could say I was in the wrong place. Â
Before scanning the menu I simply asked could I get a Veggie Sub... "We don't have subs" was the response. Â "Okay Can I get a Sandwich with Vegetables?" Â No, We don't have Vegetables here, everything is meat. Â At which point the old guy behind the counter yells at me, "you're in the wrong place buddy, we don't have anything here for you"
I laughed and said you can't just make something up that doesn't have meet on it... "NO!" was the response. Â "We don't have anything for people like you" Â people like me? you mean healthy white males that walk on Cicero, i thought to myself.
I looked at the staff, they all looking miserable!
I left....
Italian Beef Crawl Stop #4: Roma's Italian Beef (2:52PM)
Roma's was the only place on the Italian Beef Crawl that couldn't fit our literal bus load of people. The rambunctiousness cranked up a notch while beef was procured. People chain smoked outside the bus and had trouble staying in the bus. The noise level went up as incoherency took over, Since Roma's was not very fast, the bus went off to the next bar Sidekicks down the street while we waited for our beef delivery.
The sandwiches arrived and we all hastily distributed the goods. All Italian beef sandwiches were wrapped with some dipped. The greasiness was pervasive and we all split up the haul from Roma's. Biting into the sandwich, it was almost universally agreed that the hot giardiniera was just too hot! A good number of people were shaking their heads and gulping an extra sip of beer due to the beef's heat. The meat was good and the sandwich bread wet, but the heat was just too overwhelming. We tallied up our votes and read the reviews but this dragon beef was just too spicy for me!
I'm from the city, not imported. So we have developed the supernatural ability to distinguish the real from the fake. This place is iconic for beefs in Chicago, everyone who knows beefs knows Roma's. I moved to other cities in the states, and when I come back to visit fams and friends, this is one place I have to eat at. The meat here is so soft and juicy, man it is simply the best. Yeah the price is a bit steep, but you'll have the privilage of enjoying a Roma's beef, which sets the high standard.
Review Source:Last week my wife had a taste for a beef  sandwich, but I wasn't too hungry. She ordered a beef with sweet peppers (++.49) OK!
I ordered A polish sausage on french bread. (++ .49) Â SINCE WHEN DOES FRENCH BREAD COST .49 MORE THAN A BUN ANYWHERE?? I was not informed of this until AFTER I paid and saw the receipt. I will not partake in the owners scams anymore!
I love this place but only for their roast italian beef with loaded moza cheese! yum. That's the only thing I will ever order here. Very tiny little place but it's good and fast. The men who work there always make me laugh very nice guys and previous employees that i've seen were good looking always a plus
Review Source:I stopped in here one cold afternoon after shopping at the Jewel @ Belle Plaine and Kilpatrick. I ordered two italian beefs hot and wet, and an order of french fries.
The beefs were good. The fries held up also.
I really can't give it the fourth star because I believe it overcharges for some menu items, including the peppers for your beef sandwich.
You actually believe here has outdoor seating? Try occupying it this month.
Fries, HORRIBLE and always cold
Beef, dry, flavorless, blah
service, BAD once the pig working by the fryer dropped my pizza puff that I had to wait 5 minutes for turned around to see if I noticed her drop it  grrrrrrrr then asked me if I wanted to wait another 5 minutes for her to make another one  ( I really think she was going to try and get away with serving me that )  I said NO and asked for my money back.. she had to get her cocky asshole boss to give me my money back.
I still go there and get a beef once in a while, cause if I put enough cheese on it and add my own hot peppers, its pretty tasty..  their prices are freaking crazy, and my kids never ask to stop there when we pass it, they rather eat at Taco bell across the street  NOW that's bad.  My biggest problem with this place is the owner.... he is one cocky asshole and I would love to see someone knock his lights out someday :)  GET SOME HOT PEPPERS INSTEAD OF CHUCKS OF CELERY!  TYVM!
Driving in the neighborhood and I am starving. Â Where should I go? Notice Roma's on the next block and decide it has a Yelpish looking atmosphere and I have to try it. Â Usually, I yelp first then eat. Â Today? I'm eating then I'll yelp.
Dive? Yup. Â Locals? Yup. Â Check Board of Health Notice? Yup. (it cautions on eating meat that has been cooked inadequately - NOT a citation - good). Combo beef and sausage? Yup. Â Mouthwatering flavor? NO! It's just kinda dull. Â The anticipation was killing me and what a letdown. Â Edible? Yeah, but nondescript. I ate my meal and left Roma's never to return
I really only ever have a hotdog here, but I have had the beefs before. Â Not bad, but even the 'dry' beefs turn out with soggy bread if you're taking it home. Â I think you have to go in just knowing that this is a greasy hotdog joint, and it is what it is. Â I will say, it isn't the cleanest looking of places, but I've never gotten sick or anything from here.
For the quality and the price, its totally worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood, but I wouldn't make a special trip.
This is my FAVORITE beef of all time. I heart all beefs. Â It's an illness for me. Seriously. Like I will eat them if I'm not hungry and just had three meals. Â It's that good. Â
It's the same workers, same vibe, same location since I was little. Â It's awesome. Â I stick to the tried and true, juicy beef hot. Â Easy and great. Enjoy.
This is a gem of a greasy beef and dog joint on Cicero Ave, and has been around since I was a kid. It's always nice to see things go on for years and find that the quality and original concept remains, isn't it?
Great italian beef sandwedges (call them "beefs"), dipped in au jus ("juicy") or not, topped with mozzarella cheese ("motz") or not. Great meatball sammidges too. Very generous portions. I think their hand-cut fries are cooked in peanut oil, which is why they are my new religion.
Bonus: watermelon or lemon italian ices are a chill summer treat!
If you're in the area, this is a great place to stop for a beef. Â The Beef's good, and the place has neighborhood history and is considered the best around. Â Â
I've learned that the fries aren't my thing- they're skin-on, which I like, but they tend to be little tiny slivers, few long ones. Â I haven't figured out what they're doing to make them- you always have to wait for the fries, but they're never hot, what's up with that?
One more gripe- it's always sweltering inside this place and I feel sorry for them and mildly disgusted watching the employees sweat buckets.
But alright- it's the best beef in the neighborhood, I'll keep eatin' it, and you might want to too!
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