This is a tough review to leave because I really wanted to like this place, I'm a local and I see how much love this place gets from the community. The fact is that, relatively, the pizza could be much better. It has a very buttery finish and not enough sauce leaving the cheese a bit rubbery and each bite on the dry, blander side. As an aside, we ordered two pizzas and they got almost everything wrong in the order: ordered half cheese w/ garlic and half pepperoncini with extra sauce throughout (got half cheese w/ garlic and half pepperoni with a very minimal amount of sauce) and a Small BLT pizza, they gave us a large BLT pizza (a good problem to have if the pizza was as good as we were hoping for!). I would like to give Buffos a chance again in the future because I get such a great vibe from this place. read more

I'm so sorry to be disappointed with Buffo's, but it just didn't meet expectations. I kind of felt like I was in a cafeteria line when ordering. The pizza's are kind of small for the price that you pay, and the quality isn't much better than what I could by in the freezer section of my local Mariano's. We ordered fried mushrooms and they were overly fried with little taste and while the serving was fairly generous, the ranch dressing came in a very small cup and there was barely enough for the large order. I'm not sure what the hype is, but it didn't deliver. read more

Good pizza for when you're looking for something quick. Delicious and tasty. There's a sit down area as well

Came here because the hubby was feeling nostalgic - his school used to cater from here for pizza parties. the pizza is tasty but pretty standard. the sauce is acidic and the crust is nice and crunchy, kind of like a cracker. the also have local beers - we got the ravinia one which was tasty and slightly hoppy. you order at the counter and they have plenty of seating outside. read more

I grew up playing arcade games and eating their pizza. Every time I come home I have to have Buffos. Best pizza. Ever.

I really enjoy the pizza and wings. The pizza is great because it's so thin and crispy. I live that it's made to order so you can add whatever you want and wait like 10 mins. The wings are good because the buffalo sauce has just the right amount of heat to create a sniffle but not a stomach ache. read more

Sorry Buffo's, I have read the articles, heard good things, finally stopped in and...meh. I like the venue itself, but after ordering the fried mushrooms and the buffo special thin crust, the honest truth is I have had better, way better. Sorry Buffo, but I will not be back, it was on par with a frozen pizza. read more

Buffos is an institution in Highwood, with a mostly local clientele. I am sure that years ago, when the food was made fresh in-house, the reputation was warranted. These days, the food is average - reminiscent of Sysco ready-made dishes. I cannot speak for the pizza, but the other apps and dishes are nothing to write home about. With so many food choices around, we will not be back. read more

Today was my birthday, was not in the mood and instead preferred to order some pizza and relax at home with my family. After I had called to place an order they told me the food would arrive at 5:00 pm. The delivery guy showed up 45 minutes late and with the wrong pizza... the only reason I'm giving this 2 stars instead of 1 is because the driver genuinely seemed and said he was sorry for being late. This was my first time ordering here and it'll probably be my last. read more

We are locals. Often go for a casual lunch or dinner. The pizza, Italian beef, fried chicken dinner and tortelacci are my favorites. Anytime out of town family comes in, they always want Buffo's pizza. Lenny and his staff are always warm and welcoming. read more

Buffo's definitely deserves some love, maybe even some bonus points for nostalgia. Before you yell at me, "Hey, brah, you are not entitled to be giving out bonus points for nostalgia," you should realize 3 things. First, I'm not your brah. Second, you are yelling at your computer screen, and I cannot hear you. Third, I have mad credentials to talk about Buffo's. What credentials? I am glad you asked. I have been coming to Buffo's since I was 5 years old. There was a 12 year period where my dad and I went to Buffo's every Saturday, meaning I have been there at least 600 times in my life. I had high scores on NBA Jam PE, Cruis'n USA, Cruis'n World, Cruis'n Exotica, and Galaga. Let's just say Buffo's and I go way back (and I crushed their arcade games). When you go to Buffo's, it is best to follow my simple instructions. Your order should consist of at least two of these items: pizza (always thin crust, the deep dish kinda sucks), Italian beef (one of the best beefs I have had -- get it juicy with giardiniera), hot wings, and cheese fries. Correction: always, always get the cheese fries. Big, hot, and crunchy fries come with a tub or two of Kurdt's delicious molten cheddar. These are not your grandma's terrible cheese fries (she makes delicious pie, though) with that nasty, synthetic "cheese." If you are going to venture out, the burgers are flame-grilled and decent, the hot dogs are ok too, and mostly everything else on the menu is fried, so you can't go wrong with that. Seriously, though, avoid the deep dish pizza. If you want a true absurdly-too-many-visits-to-count inside tip, here it is: when you order the thin crust pizza, never get an ingredient on half the pizza. It takes the taste down a full notch because it is not cooked evenly. Get whatever toppings you want across the whole thing and bask in the deliciousness. The atmosphere here is what you would expect from a neighborhood pizza place. Friendly service, relaxed atmosphere, and a staff willing to put whatever game you want to watch on one of the tvs. Head over there, grab a beer or a Dr. Pepper, have some pizza and cheese fries, and enjoy a game. Don't forget to get an amazing chocolate chip cookie on your way out. read more

A great gathering place for friends and family. It's not gourmet pizza, and you have to ask for plates, and more napkins (maybe more than once), but the truth is there is something that makes me come back here. Is it tradition? Is it the fact that it feels so small town? Is it the fact that they have Pacman in the back? Pizza is reasonably priced here. Not a ton of pepperoni on top, but the truth is there is something old school about it. I love that you can get a pitcher of pop, which reminds me of being a kid at a local pizza parlor at birthday time. Did you know they have car shows here? It's not on a regular basis, but if you're lucky you'll catch it. Again, leading to the fact that this place is about good old family fun time. Come for the gathering, don't worry about the everything else. Just have fun! read more

Waiting for the daughter to call to see if we're going to Buffo's for some food and football. Other times it's with the son. All good times. This place has stood the test of a long time relationship. But memories do not mean great food now. So what's the food story review? Excellent. Details: fries (excellent)/side of cheese (excellent, sometimes only good); pizza (always thin crust) (excellent); beef with gardiniera (excellent). We've had the wings and burgers before but not recently. Top notch. Games on t.v.--if you want to see a game and need a switch from what's on--just ask, they'll be more than happy to do it. Great, friendly crew from bus-person to owner. I need to find some bad places. My yelp rankings are getting too high, but this place is one that deserves the praise--Drat! read more

Left a 2 star review awhile ago but now i'm giving it 1 star. Food was terrible. Pizza was ok at best. Fries were soggy. Service was not great read more

The pizza was extremely average... way way way too much cheese and very little of the toppings you pay extra for. It was ok... like if a pizza was made by a 12 year old boy who likes cheese. read more

Worst chicken wings I have ever eaten....oh wait I stopped eating after the first wing. I really wanted to like them because I wanted to support a local business but I couldn't. read more

Extremely disappointed. Saw this place advertised on a media program and it sparked my curiosity as a pizza lover. I tried the double decker Buffo's Special and on a scale of ( 1 bad - 10 superb) I give it a "4". It look better than it taste- go figure. The staff are NOT welcoming and the vibes were negative energy. Definitely won't return. read more

Buffo's - Buffo's Special - Pizza Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

This place is surprisingly large. It has a great hometown feel. My Buffo's special pizza -- sausage, green peppers, mushrooms -- was delicious! The crust is surprisingly crunchy for being so thick. The sweet potato shoestring fries were the perfect app. read more

Buffo's - Pizza Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

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I live in California now and the ONLY thing I miss about Illinois is this pizza. It is hands down, the freshest, best pizza ever. Their pasta is incredible too. Honestly everything here is awesome including the staff and owner. Don't think of it as just a pizza place, it's SO MUCH more. read more

I've never in my life had better pizza. My boo told me he heard about Buffo's on Chicago's Best Pizza and that it was voted one of the best double decker pizzas in Chicago, if not the best. On our way back from the botanic gardens, we were really hungry and remembered that Highwood is less than a ten minute car ride from Glencoe. Since the pizza takes a while to make, we called in advance and ordered a double decker pizza with garlic and spinach in one layer and cheese on top. The lady who took our order told us it would take about forty minutes to cook. We started driving, Buffo is in a small city of Lake County but super charming and amiable. It is what you think of when you think of small town America, rooted in tradition and proud. There was a carnival that day and although parking was limited, Buffo provided parking to its customers about less than two blocks away. It was not difficult to find Buffo's, it's on the main street and pretty hard to miss. Buffo's was not that packed that day because of the carnival but they still had a significant crowd seated inside (it was hot outside) and they had plenty of patio seating available as well. We waited about ten minutes for our pizza and then our pizza was packed to go for us. I really loved that they didn't use the standard pizza boxes but instead the old fashioned European way, a paper bag over the pizza. The pizza smelled so good that we couldn't wait to just dig in! We wanted to eat next to beach so we drove to highland beach and the pizza was still warm and the smell radiated through the car during our short drive. First of all, talk about pizza overload!! First thing I noticed, none of the cheese "slid" off as can happen with pizzas, everything stayed in place and the cheese did not get stuck to the top of the pizza bag. Since it's a double decker, there is plenty of cheese to go around. You could tell by the texture, shape and crunchiness of the crust that the dough was made from scratch and that it was made fresh that day. You could also tell by the color and texture of your finger tips that this was made from a specific type of fire just for pizzas. The first layer had the vegetables and I really appreciated that they weren't too sautéed because I think it would have taken away from the flavor of the pizza. We are garlic lovers so we were extra excited that the smell of garlic overpowered the smell of the pizza. However, the garlic wasn't overwhelming in taste, the pizza maker added just the right amount of vegetables without taking away from the cheesiness. The pizza sauce was not too saucey but just enough. The cheese was not sliding off due to sauce overload. I love pizza and this pizza was a pizza lovers dream! If you're on a diet, this is not the pizza to eat because once you've had it, you can never go back! I had one slice and couldn't eat more but my boo had two slices and he was stuffed. We ordered a fourteen inch pizza but we had plenty of leftovers to take home. It is finger licking good and is served best with chilled soda. read more

Buffo's - Double decker cheese pizza with garlic, onions, spinach and peppers - Pizza Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

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Very disappointing, been going to this place for years & the prices only go up & up for the same shit. Got a hot dog, 2 orders of fries & 2 domestic beers & I almost fell over when this was $25.00. I used to get a tall glass of domestic beer for $3.00, now I pay $5.00 to get less & the food seems to be getting worse. Now I noticed that JUST a beef sandwich that includes nothing else went up to $10.00. TOTAL RIPOFF, ZERO STARS read more

We ordered catering from Buffo's for a recent party and it was really excellent. Italian beef sandwiches with all the trimmings - perfect for a crock pot on our buffet. We also ordered a huge tray of baby back ribs which were excellent as well. Everyone had a blast and loved the food. Thanks Buffo's!!! Also - we live in the area and have been going here since we were kids. Now we bring our own kids. Always fun, super family friendly, and everyone can always find something they really want to eat. The old arcade games have been and will always be a big hit with the kiddos. Italian beef, pizza, burgers/hot dogs, pasta, sandwiches, ribs...etc etc...it's all good and a good value. Great selection of beers, all served in the proper respective glasses. Bonus - they deliver!!!!!! read more

I was excited to try this place as I saw it on the Food Network . I ordered the Double decker "the special " pizza - it looks delicious the only downfall was it was extremely salty . And we ordered a half order of the fried vegetables. They were not good tasting at all . You can tell they were frozen and not a good brand for them to use. Unfortunately I am will never go back . I live in Chicago and since we were out in Highwood thought this was a great place to try . Sorry save your money and go some here else. read more

Definitely not running back. We've tried this Highwood staple SO many times, because others told us the pizza (double decker) is amazing or their chicken is good, etc. nope. Never once has it been. Great, awesome or amazing. The double decker pizza is a lot of dough/crust..a mess of a pizza...and just ok. Not horrible..just not good. And the chicken is always dry, like it's being reheated..wings taste frozen & salads are meh. Fresh is not the key here. Try for yourself. Good luck. read more

During this recent visit home last week, my sisters and our kids decided to grab lunch at Buffo's. The last time I was here I was ten years-old and bugging my parents for quarters. Let me tell you... NOTHING has changed. I spent $10 trying to catch my son a $0.50 stuffed animal in that dumb machine. Why do I always fall for those?! Their pizza is good, but the other menu options are great. A great choice if you're with a large group too. read more

For what it is, it's ok. Just ok. Seems to be a popular institution in Highwood, but who likes institutions? They do have some great picture of old Highwood businesses on the walls that are very interesting. Walk in and up to the counter to order. Pretty good size menu. Pizza is mediocre at best. Scanty amount of toppings. Burgers are ok, fries fair, italian beef below average very few beers/wines to choose from. Have kids and want an inexpensive place to take them? This is the place. I don't have kids, so it's really not for me. Sorry, but I'm not in their target market. read more

Ok. I think I might be kicked out of a Highwood for giving Buffo's 2 stars. I tried to like it. I did. I really really did. It's a Highwood institution. But I...just...can't. I like good food. That's why I go out to eat. For better quality or similar quality to what I can make at home. I just can't get that at Buffo's. Now I will state, to be fair, that I am a vegetarian. The options for vegetarians are very very very slim. Otherwise, they have a very large menu with lots of options. The salads are brutal. It's iceberg lettuce. That's about it. I have even had the iceberg lettuce with signs of being frozen. Ugh! The pizza is ok. I will be honest it is eatable, but I never take home the leftovers. Lots of other great places for pizza in Highwood where you'd have to beat my leftovers away from me. When I was working hard at liking them, I even took a chance with their grilled "melted" cheese sandwich. It is just that. American cheese on a bun. Hmmmm. Enough said. My husband does think the Italian beef sandwich is "decent" from a carnivore perspective. That's all he was getting when we'd go. The prices are decent, but for the quality of food I wouldn't say it's worth it. There is street parking usually and a parking lot across the street. They have a nice outdoor area in the warmer months. Service is ok. The register people aren't always so chipper. It's a great place to see other Highwood local, but sadly, I am not in the cool club. read more

Great thin crust pizza. My favorites are pepperoni and cajun chicken. Their onion rings, chicken sandwich, and burgers are also a solid choice. read more

What makes a restaurant great? Definitely the food, the quality, the atmosphere, the service and the owner...this place most definitely has it all! Every time I come here to eat I feel like I'm the king of the world, they make you feel so great here, the most friendly staff around, and the pizza is out of this world. read more

Buffo's - Pizza Near Me - Highwood, Illinois

We've been in Lake Forest for over 20 yrs but tried Buffo's for the first time a few months ago. Twice actual. Both times we ordered pizza to be delivered. It arrived on time. I like a thin crust, which it was but both times the edges were burned. Yuck! No more Buffo's for us. read more

Definitely below average. The guy taking our order had zero personality. Just collecting a pay check. The food is mediocre at best. Terrible onion rings. I seriously think you can make frozen bagged rings from your local grocer freezer section taste better. Wings pretty gross. So confused on many levels where the 5 stars are coming from. They need some serious overhaul on the customer service and quality of food. Take a pass on this place. read more

Food was good, but terrible service. Don't label something as a starter if it's going to come out 15 minutes after my meal. Oh, I also had to work to prove I paid for said starter. Watch out for how they pour your glass of wine as well, $6 for 3 oz. not worth it. I attempted to speak with management over bad service and was told "it happens, we are busy". Being busy isn't my problem, staff appropriately. read more

Have loved this place for years and it continues to stay consistent , if there's something on the menu that you think you're going to like, go for it, it will exceed your expectations ! My favorite things have stayed consistent over the years , but now I especially love their gluten free pizza , turkey burgers and all of their chicken breast sandwiches, especially the Teriyaki chicken breast sandwich , very tender and tasty !, I have brought many friends here and no one has ever been dissatisfied from double decker pizza to old standards, Lenny and his dedicated crew will not let you down. Last, I have loved the casual comfort of their outdoor seating , you order and pay inside and they give you a number and a server brings it to your table promptly, It's a casual,inexpensive , but quality place! I'm Sean Logan and I approve this message, there is much that I'm leaving out here about their beer, salads and homemade sauces, but, you get the idea! read more

I don't understand the ratings that gave this place 5 stars, stating good and great food. This place has been around a long time and don't understand how it survived. Onion rings, French fries and wings were subpar along with the burgers and chicken sandwich. So many better places then this. read more

I had great memories of this place but recently went for lunch and was very turned off by the frozen food that was heated in the kitchen. The pizza isn't good and the wings/onion rings were a huge disappointment. Maybe the most disturbing aspect was the curmudgeonly owner/manager that couldn't be bothered to take our order and later, openly berated an employee, in a manner that appeared he was putting on a show for his customers. I'd eat at one of the many competing restaurants in Highland Park, before giving this clown your business. Good luck, Buffo. read more

Buffo's makes a decent thin crust pizza with fresh ingredients....I will start there, and have to end there only to update later because this was the only thing I ordered. I had a small sausage and onion for take out on the way to my buddy's place last night. So what annoyed me a bit were the young group of 12-13 yr old boys in front of me in line when I got there. They took SOOOO long to order and were asking the clerk obnoxious questions about the kids menu and making him list off all the items, etc, etc. Buffos, do you guys have a take out counter or area that doesn't have to bottle neck the restaurant right next to the entrance?!?! It really bothers me when restaurants do not have a decently laid out system for being able to separate dine-in guests from take-out orders. There's a big difference between people who don't know what they want when they come to dine in and people who already figured that out and called ahead in an attempt to get in and get out!!!! UGH As a result, I waited longer than I needed to, because when it was finally my turn at the counter, I paid and the clerk immediately reached into the warm storage box and handed me my pizza. The ingredients were definitely fresh and tasty, but as others point out, you need to add some seasoning whether it be oregano, red pepper flakes or parm cheese. If a pizza is truly good enough, you don't really need these items. Also, I'd like to note that I thought the crust was crispy in the sense that it was hard, but it was just a tad bit too thick for my liking. I go more for the cracker crust that breaks off cleanly. This crust was definitely thicker and less crispy than what I am normally accustomed to. So, long story short, I wanted to like Buffo's more than I ended up liking after my first trip there. But, after experiencing Alex Washington Gardens last week, I've gotta say I'd choose their thin crust over Buffo's. read more

A good option for pizza, not so much for pasta. We ordered a small pepperoni pie and a full order of the mostaccioli with meat sauce. The pizza had a thinner version of a Domino's crust, crispier than you'd get from Domino's, but unmistakably similar flavor with cornmeal on the bottom. The pepperoni were under the cheese, so they weren't crispy, but they had good flavor. The sauce was great. That's the real show stopper, subtle and simple. Nothing super spicy or oregano-heavy, just a well-balanced sauce tying it all together. The mostaccioli was overcooked, with a bland meat sauce. Here the spice is needed! Otherwise you're left with a pile of chewy pasta and some granularized hamburger meat all coated in what was basically tomato juice. Just not enough going on in the meal to make it worth ~$10. TL;DR:. Pizza was good, pasta was not. read more

I saw this restaurant on a food show and their double decker pizza was all the rave. So I drove up to this adorable little town of Highwood last night only to find a man named Lenny, the owner of Buffo's to be an arrogant, rude, unappreciative person. Our pizza came out burnt and we were supposed to have pepperoni on the pizza. Our pizza had sausage instead. Lenny told us that the sausage was fantastic and that we should just eat it anyways. When we insisted that we wanted the pepperoni, he grabbed our pizza and said "that's fine, it's going to take about 45 minutes because we have other orders in front of you. That's when we demanded a refund (which he also argued). When we left, we asked a man on the sidewalk for a good recommendation for a pizza. He pointed us to a place called "Washington Gardens", telling us that Lenny has always had a bad attitude. Washington Gardens pizza was fantastic and the people there were really friendly read more

I have passed this place many , many times over the years and never stopped in. Came here with a few friends yesterday. Waited for a few minutes at the counter while the employees stood talking to the manager , even after having made eye contact but not having acknowledged our presence (4 people) The experience overall was completely "meh" , service poor and food good. Would I give them a second try if I was in the area? Don't think so. Ordered a pizza and then we sat down. It was in a tight corner table and when I asked if we could move to a different area of the restaurant that had bigger tables, a guy who I'm assuming is the manager literally says to me "No, you're going to stay here." That was it. After that, he stood and yelled at one of his employees about something in view of customers on the customer side of the counter up front. Our server at one point was even arguing with the manager and walked away from him and out loud said "Jesus f*** christ. Highly professional.. They bring you your pizza or what you ordered, but it's on you to get up and get paper products, plates, condiments, spices and dressings. Oh.. and beverages. So you're paying what you'd pay at a decent sit-down pizza restaurant, for essentially a cafeteria type setting. The pizza was pretty good, can't really complain there. Would I give them a second try if I was in the area? I don't think so. Anyone who is willing to scream at and berate their employees within earshot and eyesight of the paying customers and isn't willing to make accomodation for a group of people isn't worth my money again. read more

We have been coming here for years. The food is always hot and fresh. Staff is always friendly. Whether you're ordering pizza, sandwiches or salads, you will not be disappointed. Buffo's beer in a frosty mug hits the spot, too! read more

Buffo's - What's not to love about this Italian Beef with hot giardinara, fried mushrooms and a cold beer? - Pizza Near Me - Highwood, Illinois