This is a good spot for a classic Chicago beef and cheese fries. The value is great, but this location was a bit disheveled. I imagine that it's downtown location earns it some extra foot traffic. The patio seating was a bonus. Our order took a while to come out but everything was super fresh and the fries were hot and crispy which made it worth the wait. read more

Buona - Cheese Fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place was really close to our hotel, so we gave it a shot. I wanted to dislike it based on the fast food vibes, but honestly I liked it. Seems like the purists take fault with certain aspects of it, but my beef was wet without being soaked and the fries were decent (needed salt) tho. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place was clean and they clear your table as quickly as you eat.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] There are certainly places with more character, but for a quick fix you can't really go too wrong. read more

Buona - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Thanks Isabella good food not my first time here pizza is banging... yes far girl vibes ... oh well yes I ate ate all ... fat girl vibes read more

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The sausage is way better than the Italian beef although we didn't get it "dipped" and I'm not a connoisseur. I was a little disappointed as the night before I had taken my out of town and out of country family to Pequod's Chicago Pizza instead of something stupid like Pizzeria Uno. I tried to one up myself, but ran out of time and locations and ended up what seems to be a fast food chain - That butchers what Chicagoan's would think of "real" Italian beef and sausage. However, the sausage was decent even if the beef lacked flavor flavoring, we all thought. Reasonably enough priced for Chicago in this area. read more

Buona - Combo with cheese i - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

[[HIGHLIGHT]]This place feels very "fast food".[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Especially since you order on a kiosk thing. We had to remind the guy to give us the beer we ordered. Then the italian beef was bland. The onion rings were tasty though. But for italian beef, go literally anywhere else. read more

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This location is good but they don't listen if you order through Door Dash. This is the second time this has happened ordering from this location! If I ask for it to be baptized, please baptize it! My beef was soaked at all! It was very much lightly dipped. read more

Buona - Buona Beef (Large) - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was just OK. A little dry and the bread didn't seem fresh on the Italian beef sandwich. I came to Chicago thinking it would be top notch and my local Portillo's in Minneapolis has better Italian Beef. Service was fast and friendly and prices were reasonable. Just ok/good but not great. read more

Buona - Italian Beef Sandwich - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a convenient and close place to get to during rainy weather from the Wade hotel. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Interior is clean and modern with self order kiosks and staff readily nearby in case you need help.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food came out quickly. I ordered on first visit an Italian beef sandwich dipped Chicago way with a house garden salad on side with balsamic vinaigrette, all to to. I dined in and ordered one minestrone soup on second visit ($6 total). I enjoyed what I ordered and was grateful for the option for quick, satisfying hot food nearby. read more

Buona - Dining area 2 of 2 - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Dine takeout last night fries were so cold I thought they were frozen beef no flavor and skimpy.

Food is always great, staff is usually helpful and nice. Usually order takeout and it's done in a reasonable amount of time.

I've been a loyal fan of Buona Beef's honey mustard chicken salad for years and order it at least twice a week. Unfortunately, the chicken has recently changed--and not for the better. It's no longer the high-quality breaded chicken they used before, but a much lower-quality option with an unpleasant taste and texture. It was bad enough that it actually made my husband sick. This was a disappointing decision. Please bring back the original chicken--it's what made this salad worth coming back for. read more

I purchased their Italian beef bucket from jewels and it tasted like crap . The meat was all shredded and greasy. Totally not worth the $25 I paid. Wish could return this crap or throw it in the CEO of the company face to see if they'll eat this horrible product. read more

Buona - Terrible - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Used to be a fan but they actually charge you for giardenera. Are you kidding me? Plus the rewards program will try to scam you out of every point. Really? I won't get a free sandwich in three years? Go someplace else. Lots of solid beef in Chicago. read more

Johnnie's is greater than Portillo's and Portillo's is greater than Buona. But i'll be back its the only italian beef in the area!

We were looking for a spot to grab a quick and easy dinner, specifically an Italian Beef and saw that a Buona location was in walking distance of the hotel so we made our way out. Took us about 5 minutes and it wasn't too busy for a Sunday night around 8. We tried ordering on the self checkout screens when you walk in next to a couple of guys but we all had issues so after 10 minutes we had to order with the person packing up the food. We ordered the Beef Bites, and two Regular Italian Beefs, dipped, with sweet peppers and mozzarella cheese. Found an empty pretty quickly and the food came out very fast. The beef bites were basically arancini filled with beef, gravy, cheese, and peppers with marinara and it was hot and crispy. A really great, heavy snack. The sandwiches got devoured. They were seasoned really well, nice and peppery and had a good amount of meat. The regular didn't feel too big but maybe just cause I crushed mine very quickly and I was hungry. Overall a great quick service to pick up some food in Streeterville. They just need to fix those kiosks to speed things up. read more

Buona - Regular Dipped Buona Beef w/sweet peppers and mozzarella - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Buona's is a family-owned Italian beef restaurant that has been passed down for generations. I've been to the streeterville location several times and they have always blown me away with their food. The Italian beef classics are well seasoned and super juicy. You really can't ask for much more. As a bonus, the portions are generally pretty large and the food is good value for what you pay. Service has always been pretty quick. If you've never been before I recommend the Big Joey's, extra beef, baptized with gravy. read more

Buona - Big Joey's Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Really strong Italian beef. I'm not an expert in Italian beef sandwiches, being from NYC. But man, I really enjoyed Buona. The hot giardiniera really makes the sandwich, and it was super juicy. Came back for a second the day after I had this. Highly recommend. read more

First review of 2024, and it's a let down I cannot genuinely feel like this deserves 5 stars. So, first day back to work for many and this place was actually hopping around lunchtime. Nice to see. I had gotten their gift card deal: Buy $75 or $100 ( I forget which amount) & get $25 free. Worth it. Bonus cards, like for LEYE and the Evie , must be used Jan 2 to a date in April. I ordered a combo sandwich and thought I'd try their potato salad. So, either my tastebuds changed at the stroke of midnight into the new year, or the sandwich and potato salad were displeasing. I love Buona, and usually get their kids beef sandwich but today I had a "hankerin" for the combo. My tastebuds said, "'Big mistake!" Disappointing. I asked for no au jus on it just side cup... sandwich was soggy by time I got home. The green peppers on the side had a GREEN OLIVE in it. Why? I don't know, but it was definitely unexpected and an odd finding!! The potato salad left me unfulfilled. Big serving for under $3 and it was fresh, but the flavor was lackluster. I tossed it . I would never get a combo ever again. I have been told their hamburgers are completely awesome, so that could be next. The service was fine, and although the order was to go, that was not a reflection on the ambiance. We've eaten there many times and it's very clean and comfortable. I'll let you know how that hamburger thingy goes on my next visit! read more

This place and this location in particular is great!! Fast fresh food and courteous service!!

Visiting from Boston and staying nearby, I HAD to try a Chicago Italian Beef. I went to Buona on Easter as the family shopped and it was incredible!!! I asked for it Extra Juicy with Sweet and Hot Peppers. It came out quick, hot and was not soggy at all. So much flavor!!! I read a lot about other Italian Beef places but do NOT sleep on Buonas, awesome! read more

Buona - Buona Beef (Large) - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I haven't had one bad item on this menu. From top to bottom, they use the best ingredients for a fast casual restaurant! Yes the beef is delicious but so are their burgers, chicken sandwiches, and salads - please add a chicken caesar wrap to the menu! read more

WOW!!!!!!!!!!! I'm almost speechless after this meal. I googled vegan Italian Beef in Chicago, and Buona Streeterville was the first thing to come up! Man! They absolutely nailed it!!!! I can't even describe how good this was!!!! The service was extremely fast and friendly! Fun quick dining atmosphere! read more

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First Italian beef and Chicagoland hot dog. Pretty good. Beef sandwich was the best. The bread and the juicy filling hit the spot for our last breakfast. Hot dog was just average. I could go without all the extra stuff. I couldn't taste the dog. Overall, glad we could fit it in! read more

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Easy ordering via touchscreen, and the food was delivered quickly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Fairly sizeable dining room for this part of town.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Italian beef was good. The bun was a little different than most places, more flavorful. I especially appreciate that the giardiniera was actually spicy. read more

Buona - Italian beef with hot giardiniera, dipped. - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Chicago cheesy beef was excellent. So good I came back 2 days later. Service was great, [[HIGHLIGHT]]it was clean and friendly environment.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Buona - Cheesy beef partially eaten, sorry! Not sorry. Cheesy Beef Cheesy Beef Cheesy Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I will admit that I was getting a little burned out on Italian Beef. I tried it for the first time a decade ago on a trip to Chicago and I loved it. I returned home to Seattle and there was not a single place I could find that carried it. I enjoyed it during subsequent trips to AZ, CA and even NY but then I moved to las Vegas, which has a significant number of Chicago ex-pats and I may have overdone it. My wife had never been to Chicago so we booked a getaway right before Christmas. On our first day, we were meeting up with some friends and I wanted to grab a hot dog before we headed out. Buona was right around the corner from our hotel so we headed in for a quick bite. I'll never get sick of Chicago dogs so I ordered a couple and my wife ordered a standard Italian Beef. I pounded my dogs, which were excellent and then my wife tapped out and offered me the other half of her sandwich, which she said was outstanding. I didn't want food to go to waste and I had some room left so I ate it and my love of the beef was rekindled on the spot. It was one of the best I'd had. The service and the restaurant were all great and we'll be back for sure. I've even had a couple since returning home to LV. Great stuff! read more

Buona - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Buona in Chicago is perfect for a quick bite. The food is tasty and satisfying, making it a great spot for a convenient meal. Highly recommend! read more

Buona - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I lived in Chicago maybe 20+ years ago & had never eaten at Buona Beef. Now that I'm vegan & visiting Chicago for the first time in 7 years, I was excited to see a vegan option! Without the real thing to compare it to, I can't say how it stacks up but it was delicious! Messy but delicious! The cheese was a little salty (which the sandwich didn't need more of) and not really melted on the sandwich (which I wished for). I didn't need the side of sweet peppers but the hot giardiniera was fantastic. Service was quick & helpful. Not much "ambience" but there's plenty of seating inside & plenty of napkins (you're going to need them!). This place will definitely be on my list the next time I'm in town. read more

I got a Chicago dog and an Italian beef. Their Chicago dog was nice, but I found their Italian beef sandwich rather dry.

I am always greeted with fast, prompt and polite service here. I find their Italian Beef and gravy superior to other, larger beef purveyors. I also eat their Pizzas as well. I often obtain a Sausage pizza and pile on all of the complimentary additional toppings and it makes for a large lunch, or a great afternoon snack for 2. The people working here are always genuine and kind. I always feel welcome. There is a TV often with sports, and ample charging stations for cell phone or lap top. read more

Stopped at Buona in Streeterville and decided to order something besides the Italian beef. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger to go with a small fries. The fries were very good but the burger was a different story. I should mention that I live about 1/2 block from the store. The burger was cold and the cheese was not melted. In addition there was no bacon. I was hungry and felt totally ripped off. If you order to go, make sure you check your order before leaving the store! read more

Affordable and tasty ravioli. Great location with great service. Will come back for the staple. read more

Buona - Milkshake - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A review by a vegetarian...the plant based Italian beef is amazing! Crinkle cut, hot, salty fries are at the top of chain fries. They people who work there are friendly and helpful, with a smile. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The patio is a good spot to sit back and enjoy this sandwich![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Chicago dog was absolutely delicious Restaurant manager was so nice, she was very friendly and helpful with our order. I'd definitely recommend this location to anyone Family friendly read more

Typically a Portillo's person for a quick Italian beef, but walked across this spot on the way back to my hotel so decided to give it a try. Pleasantly surprised. The sandwich was perfect - meat had a good amount of flavor/seasoning and just enough gravy that it wasn't swimming in sauce (I don't like a dipped sandwich). The French fries were cooked to a perfect crisp, and also have the potato salad a try - which was great as well. Service was a little eh, reason for 4/5 stars, but it's not something to expect at a fast casual spot. Sat outside, which was nice - they could do a better job keeping tables sipped down (especially since it was slow). But, would still recommend friends to give them a try when around. read more

Buona - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wandered over here for dinner after walking around Navy Pier. I ordered the Italian Sausage; was a bit disappointed to receive a relatively small sandwich that consisted only of bread and sausage. The flavor was pretty good though! read more

Buona - Sausag Charbroiled Italian Sausage - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good location! Fast service and good food, the pasta is really fresh it always has fresh herbs on top. The outside is a nice area to sit. It happened to rain today so it wasn't as popular outside but we cleared off some chairs and we're fine there. I recommend for a solid fast bite to eat! Also not pictured but their brownies are awesome. read more

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Oh boy, oh boy. Beef, it's what's for dinner. On trip to Chicago, I was told there were 3 things I had to try: 1. Italian Beef Sandwich, 2. Chicago Hot Dog and 3. an official Deep Dish Pizza. On the menu for this night was Italian Beef. Buona Restaurant was a couple blocks from the hotel and was first on my list of must do's. It was a smallish restaurant with helpful staff. Sandwiches can have both hot and sweet peppers or no peppers at all. My sandwich also had some mozzarella (I could have had more). The small is about 6" and tasty to the last bite. Menu describes it as "Tender Italian-style beef on a toasted garlic Italian roll with sweet peppers, spicy giardiniera and a cup of beef jus." My dinner did not come with a side of au jus. It did, however, have sufficient au jus on the sandwich that a side was not really necessary. Delicious. Going to Chicago? Buona was a great place for a bite to eat. It's not a fancy restaurant, but it was a busy neighborhood place with happy staff and customers. read more

Buona - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We were looking for one of the best Chicago style hot dogs since we aren't from here and this place was suggested to us on Reddit. The hot dog was great! Not sure if it's "the best" or not, but it sure tasted good. read more

Buona - Hot dog - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Consistent, fast service with surprisingly one of the best burgers in Chicago. Of course, you can always stick with the Italian beef as I have done, its delicious too! If you get the onion rings, request extra crispy. read more