Despite hometown pride, I have to cast my vote with the overrated camp. They lean towards healthy and organic or whatever or at least try to show themselves that way to justify their prices. Cheese fries and beef sandwiches were both great growing up. Now I am grossed out by the cafeteria cheese and would rather have a sandwich with Arby's sauce or horsey sauce if I'm already dealing with whatever tragedy drove me there. I usually get the Santa Fe chicken salad. It's good, but expensive. McDonald's salads were good and healthier because they made you choose the dressing and I'd be guilted into the vinegarette. I forgot the Green River cola! Even though it dates me and was never at this location, it was half of what made this place special to me. read more

Don't bother...advertised corn beef for sandwich...St Patrick's Day through end of month. Actually ran out that day and unavailable now, March 21. Dishonorable business. Take your $ somewhere else. read more

It was a very late lunch for me 4pm. It was very slow with lots of associates standing up front when I walked in talking but I was helped right away and food came up fast and hot read more

Beef-a-Roo - Very late lunch it was very slow, lots of associates up front I was helped right away food was fresh and hot! - Burgers Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

Good milkshakes! The Carmel salted milkshake was really good and the baked potatoes were good as well. The restaurant was clean and good looking too. The service was fast and the employees were helpful. read more

Ah, everytime I head to my hometown, I gotta make a stop at one of my favorite places of all time: Beef-A-Roo. Fortunately, there are several locations so no matter who I'm visiting in Rockford, I can get my hands on some beef and cheese fries relatively easily. This one is all decked out like a warehouse (they're all themed, which is fun in and of itself!) Beef sandwich? Check! LARGE cheese fries? Check! (I used to go for the small ones but now since I rarely get my hands on that fantastic core of cheese, I have to go all out. Furthermore, since I was already wearing the dress I had gone carb-free to officially fit into, I was entitled to a large!) Smiling faces and an Andes mint at the end? CHECK! Props to the powers that be at B-A-R that now finally allow the lady-employees to wear pants. If you're in Rockford, look one of these places up. You will not be disappointed, I promise! read more

I have to give this place 5 stars. I've been told by various people from Rockford that if i gave it any less, bad things would happen to me. That being said, it was very good (4.5 stars, if I could). I had the beef n' chedder sandwich (which is basically like an Arby's, but good), and large cheese fries. At first I was disappointed in the amount of cheese drizzled on top of the fries. Little did I know of the suprsise core waiting for me just below the surface. The food was very good. In fact, Face and I were so into the food, we got T shirts. read more

You know, I usually wouldn't rate a fast food chain, but this is a little bit of a smaller type chain, and one I was not aware of, until recommended to try it by a friend who was born and raised in the area. Plus, it's really pretty good. As in, I want these open near me. I could characterize this as an up-scale Arby's? Maybe? I had a roast beef with mushroom, swiss, and onion straws. The beef was plentiful and tasty (not so thin as to be tasteless), the mushrooms were good, and the onion straws were really nice and crispy. Plus all of this on a nice tender ciabatta roll. Really nice step up from a normal fast food sandwich. The sammich, fries (also good - crispy, salty, not too oily) and drink was just over $7. Location Location Location - it's Rockford vs. Chicago, but that's under my unofficial lunchtime limit, and includes the drink, which I don't buy out when I'm in Chicago for lunch. All in all - would totally go back. Would probably detour out of my way for this. Unfortunately...would not detour all the way from Aurora to Rockford. But if I'm driving west... read more

Name one thing that can make a gorgeous day on the links just a little better, Give up? The prospect of Beef-A-Roo afterward. Like the snow cone at the end of a t-ball game, like the cigarette after a long romp under the covers, Beef-A-Roo was the right reward to top off the experience. I think I build this place up to be better than it actually is, and I'm okay with that. It's basically high-quality fast food. The menu isn't as large as, say, Portillo's, but the food is on par. The roast beef club on a pretzel roll was the choice for me, and it was fantastic. As was the hand-made chocolate shake. The fries are pretty good too, they remind me of BK's fries from like 10 years ago. Thank you, Beef-A-Roo, for being the cherry on top of the sundae. read more

It was pretty quiet for lunch, the facility was clean and the cashier's were very polite and tentative. I ordered the Big Beef and cheese burger with there locally famous cheese fries. If you've never been there, the cheese fries are worth it and there seasoning salt is great too. Overall, it's a great Rockford area staple. read more

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I've heard many wonderful things about how Beef-A-Roo is the Greatest Restaurant Ever. This isn't the greatest restaurant in Rockford, IL, much less the entire free world. One of the main problems is that there is just too much salt on some of the food items, such as the fries and onion rings. I nearly got sick about halfway through a serving of a large fries because instead of making good fries, Beef-A-Roo got lazy and just decided to add lots of salt. Salt is fine in moderation, but I felt I was eating out of a jar of Morton's. The funny thing is, the items that needed the salt, such as their bland hamburgers, lacked any. Their milkshakes were not much better - all I tasted was the milk! Beef-A-Roo also cuts corners by serving Pepsi instead of Coke as well as not accepting American Express cards as payment. I can forgive the former, but I have a fundamental opposition to businesses who do not take AMEX. Sorry, Beef-A-Roo. Your service was very friendly but that doesn't make up for the other inadequacies your restaurants have. read more

I love Beef-a-Roo! But I am originally from Rockford, so obviously I would. You can't try to compare it to another fast food place because Beef-a-Roo will always have something that's better. They have a great menu with a variety of burgers and tons of different sandwiches. I would say they have the best sandwich selection of any fast food place. They also change their sandwiches and salads seasonally. You have to get their cheddar fries! It's not Beef-a-Roo experience without them! read more

The girl that took our order today was the rudest I've ever encountered at a drive-through. Kept cutting my mom off when she was trying to order. Made a sarcastic comment when my mom said she already ordered. Then had to repeat the order multiple times. My mom was gonna order more stuff and she was cut off again with the total so we pulled around. Order was still wrong when we pulled up. read more

Beef-A-Roo is a local fast food chain in the Rockford metro area. Each location are themed restaurants Expectation level is a fast food restaurant, and will not compare to Portillos in terms of overall quality, but will easily beat a McDonalds, Burger King, and maybe even Arbys Pros -Fries are exceptionally good due to the unique onion salt they have there. Cheddar fries are a common favorite -Best items besides fries tend to be roast beef sandwiches and large variety of milkshakes -Better service and cleaner facilities than most fast food joints Cons -All food is ala carte. Lack of value meals will be annoying to some -As stated earlier, some expectations are inflated on the negative reviews. Expecting Portillos level food will result in disappointment Bottom line: Beef-a-Roo gets the 5 star because I do not know of a better local fast food establishement, so they are one of the best in their category read more

I love Beef-a-Roo. We ate here again the other night and it is fast food perfection. I had the hot ham and cheese sandwich and some onion rings. They grill the ham a little bit before they put it on the sesame seed bun. They also give you a choice of several different kinds of cheese. I chose Swiss this time. My fiance got the tuna steak sandwich. Who would guess that a fast food place would actually have tuna steak? But they do. It's excellent, too. They also have a good selection of salads and a LOT of other kinds of sandwiches. I really like their frosted brownie, but they were out of them the other night, which makes me sad. I guess other people like that brownie, too. The service is just regular fast food type service. You order at the counter and when they call your number, you go get your food. The restaurant is pretty large and comfortable. The restroom is always clean. Overall, I love this place! read more

since moving from rockford to chicago almost 2 years ago, i am still suffering from cheese fries withdrawal. often beef a roo is my first stop once i get back in the area (even before heading home to see mom). I've never had anything there that i didnt love. Try the mint chocolate shake! YUM! read more

Good food, great atmosphere, they keep the place clean, and the best part is that they serve after eat treats.

I like to try to eat local when I can, and I love that I don't have to compromise for a chain restaurant when I want fast food. Even better, I much prefer Beef-a-Roo to your normal garden-variety fast food places. I'm personally a fan of salads, wraps, potatoes, etc...when I eat fast food, so I really can't comment much on their sandwiches or burgers. What I do like is that there is a large variety of menu options for people with a similar palate. My favorite is the Chicken Bruschetta Wrap. You also can't go wrong with a chocolate malt...but beware, the large is REALLY large. Don't try to tackle this one unless you're really up for it. It will sit like concrete in your stomach for hours. That being said...it's kinda worth it anyway. I also think that the service is great; staff has always been friendly and I feel like they go an extra step farther than any of the chain fast-food restaurants. It's "famously delicious" for a reason. read more

I overall satisfied with my visits, however some employees could work on their customer service skills. I was placing my order through the drive through like I normally do. She apparently couldn't hear what I was saying, which is understandable. However we, she proceeded to just skip to telling me my total. I get the the window, because I have a feeling that something was off. Turns out she didn't even bother to repeat my order, instead she just said she guessed after I asked her, because she didn't WANT to repeat my order. I read more

Staff very curious ..food freshly cooked and very tasty ! Would recommend this restaurant for any occasion ..

Is it bad that I dream of their food in my sleep??? Say what you want...blah blah...it's like Arby's...its just a fast food joint...but their food is delicious! Their cheddar roast beef with horseradish makes me drool just thinking about it. The french fries...oh the french fries!! Fried perfectly with a dash of their seasoning salt. Quite possibly are the only french fries that taste good even when cold! I always recommend to people visiting Rockford...go to Beef-A-Roo....easy on the wallet and always great food! read more

We just moved here and we saw the different themed Beef A Roo's around town. With such cute exteriors my son and I went to the one with the Cabin in the woods style. Sorry but Yuck! A year later we decided to try the one in Roscoe. It looked like an elegant bank. While standing at the counter we felt very odd as the workers just stared at us with no expression... I asked what's the Chicago hot dog? She said "It's an Oscar Mayer hot dog". That is something I wouldn't even make at home and so Not Chicago style! As they continued to stare us as tho they were all on some sort of depresent we ordered a chicken sandwich, pulled pork with coleslaw on top and cheddar fries. What the heck was that cheese sludge anyway? Sorry again, we tried as hard as we could to finish it. The atmosphere made us feel like we walked into an alien holding station and found it hard to believe that people were in there eating, yet same as the workers the customers were comatose as well. More like Beef A Poo. If you want to go to a really gross fast food place this is a gem and we had a good laugh anyway. read more

A good place, with very nice service for a good Sammy.

This is the best fast food I have ever had. I grew up in Rockford, which is a small city an hour and a half west of Chicago. Beef-A-Roo was one of the best highlights. Each has it's own theme, and this one is a firehouse theme. The ambiance is great, like a little diner. The food is amazing for fast food. Their Cheese fries are addicting, and that is mostly in part to the seasoned salt. But shh... the seasoned salt is so good, it is worth stealing. It goes well on everything, it makes everything taste much better. I won't ruin the surprise of what is in it, but one taste and you will see why this is the best fast food restaurant that I have ever been to. This makes it worth a trip to Rockford... um... well, I wouldn't quite go that far. read more

This place is good for what it is, which is a restaurant that has a decent variety of food (burgers, sandwiches, salads, soups, desserts, etc.) with quality that's a step or two above a typical fast food chain restaurant. For my meal, I had the Western Cheeseburger + the cheese fries. The cheeseburger was good, albeit overly greasy and the the bacon was decent quality, but extremely salty. The cheese fries were about the same quality (and fry type) as a Steak 'n Shake type offering...so nothing really to write home about. read more

Beefaroo is my favorite fast food chain. Period. Best cheese fries & roast beef sandwiches. Every time I come home I have to have it. I like how they have healthier options as well.. My friend got steamed broccoli.. What other fast food place offers that? Wishing I could have Beefaroo right now.. read more

Had the crispy chicken sandwich. Really not good. Very dry and no flavor. This is the 2nd disappointment at Beefaroo

I've eaten here numerous times and only because my friends wanted me to. The food is better than let's say McDonalds or Burger King, but not much. The beef sandwich's are saltier than need to be and that's their namesake. Another case of place that used to be amazing and went cheap once they hooked enough people. read more

Basically Macdonald's food, but with an industrial ambiance and cleaner bathrooms. I ordered a veggie burger and had to return it because it was as hard as a rock. Got the turkey avocado jack sandwich instead and that was okay. At least the associate at the front was very apologetic and friendly. Shakes were okay. read more

Hometown franchise in Rockford moderately priced. Summer special bratwurst not so great, overcooked hard.

I hate not going to school in Rockford simply cause I miss my weekly Beef-a-Roo fix. I love their roast beef sandwiches, and their Chedder Fries are to die for. I always accompany my meal with a mint shake. Well worth it every time. read more

What a wonderful chain fast food place located only in Rockford, IL. We had never heard of one of these until visiting this city. Now we want it everytime. This is way better than a Mc'Donalds, Burger King, Wendy's kind of places. Not even in the same category. This would be somewhat comparison to a Culver's...... Clean building, friendly staff, great food and desserts. I would recommend trying the large cheese fries with some of thier special seasoning salt shaken on them. They come in a cup with hot cheese sauce drizzled over them. Best to eat these bad boys with a fork. My favorite sandwhich is called an Ultimate Chicken or thier huge Pork Tenderloin. Build your sandwiches the way you like to eat them. My wife loves thier bacon cheeseburgers and chocolate shakes. Onion rings really good too. And if you dine in the resturant when they come to take your food tray they offer you your choice of a mint to finish your meal. I always go for the Andes mint. My favorite! read more

I love the harvest chicken salad. But today when i got my salad there was what i think was "brown sugar" on my salad. Yeah its different and its the "caramel apple" season, but i don't think that the "brown sugar" don't belong in the salad. read more

The brownies are so darn good.. Burger was little cold but still yummy.. Would Def go again if i had more time

Fries are great.....when they season them. Sometimes they do...sometimes they don't. Seems to be an issue at most of their stores. Today there was no seasoning read more

Ordered a burger and the burger was ice cold. I took two bites and there was no way that I could finish it. I think it was precooked and then microwaved and it didn't get heated all the way through. The burger was cooked, just ice cold. I brought it back to get my money back. I used to go here, but never again. They do have good salads though. read more

Get the turkey avocado bacon jack wrap, some sweet potato fries and a shake. Can't go wrong. Everything else is OK, ESPECIALLY if you love salt. This place salts the bejesus out of everything. read more

Came for a quick bite to eat. The experience was sub-par at best, and the only good thing about this place is the pop and the lack of wait to order food. We ordered a beef sandwich and a couple of hot dogs based on someone's suggestion. Let's just say we were horribly let down by the lack of food quality and will not be back. I could have spent the same amount on this meal at Portillo's across the street and had a much better meal. How this place survives with Portillo's across the street amazes me. read more

Probably one of the worst hamburgers I have ever eaten. Ground beef with a lot of bone chips mixed in... Plus, it was cold. Not very appetizing. Needless to say I am one-and-done with Beef-A-Roo!! read more

Let's face it. Beef-A-Roo has a horrible name. But anyone from Rockford knows that this place is the hidden fast food gem of north central Illinois. Their cheese fries are to die for. One time I went here on a first date, and ended up spilling the cheese fries all over my shirt. Whoops. Your probably wondering who would take a girl to a fast food place on a date. Me i guess. Anyways, there are 5 or 6 of them and they all have cool themes like an oldies theme, a firefighter theme, a northwoods theme. You have to try them all, except for the one on the west side. Unless you are interested in the drug deals going on across the street. read more

Nothing here is bad, but nothing is outstanding either. If you are from Chicago DO NOT go here looking for a Beef Sandwich. It is like Arby's, not like a Chicago area Italian Beef. This place should not even be mentioned in the same review as Portillo's, the difference is night and day. read more