This place has been on my list for several months now so I stopped at the Buona in Murfreesboro on the way home from Cookeville. To give them a fair shake at a comparison to Chicago, I ordered two iconic Chicago staples, an Italian Beef and a Chicago Dog. First the beef, I ordered it with hot giardiniera and dipped. The beef was tender, flavorful and the peppers packed a pleasant heat. The bread was sturdy had a good flavor as well. Considering we are outside of Chicago, I'd go 4.5 stars. The Chicago dog looked and tasted legit complete with the neon green relish. For the dog I'd also go 4.5 stars. Seems like Murfreesboro might be sleeping on this great spot cause I was there at 6:30 on a Sunday evening and it wasn't packed. Highly recommend this spot when you are in the Boro to get your Chicago fix, it deserves our support! read more

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Be prepared to read a magazine article length review of this establishment. Usually I do not review chain or franchise restaurants, but this was so good, I made an exception. I was intrigued by a mail brochure, then their video. I like the place VERY much. The only reason I did not give 5 stars is because I reserve those for Italian restaurants with table cloths, vino, attentive waiters and opera playing in the back ground. It is based on FOUR visits because I liked it so much and did not want to give an incomplete review. First will be a detailed list of the dishes we tried and then I will get o ambiance and service at the very end. Here goes the food review first. Chicago Hot Dog. I'm not from Chicago and only know the signature food by reputation but my wife and I were impressed. The bun was very good with the poppy seed on the outside. Holding its own was a nice hot dog through the additional dressings. I ordered mine with the hot gardenia. It was delicious but instead of a vinegar base, it was a nice olive oil. French Fries Our family recognizes my wife as our resident expert on quality fries. She rated these as among the best she has ever eaten. I agreed with her that that they were crispy outside and fluffy inside. She added comments that they held up on the plate as she ate. Being crinkle cut, those fries tend to get soggy, but these retained their crispness through out. Chicago Beef Visiting their website you will see how they prepare their beef for meal. My wife indicated that it was fairly standard, but I drew me in. Admittedly, I have only tried a few of this type of sandwich. The things I liked about it was that it was juicy without soaking the roll and plate. It also had a nice flavor. Pasta On the wall in the store is a sign advertising that the pasta is fresh, never dried and that peaked my interest. Signature Rigatoni Marinara was the menu Item I chose and felt like it was one of the best pasta dishes I have ever enjoyed. Thin, long pastas are classified by a number indicating their thickness. I could not find such a classification for rigatoni. While I may be a bit of an engineer, I studied the wall thickness of this pasta. Compared to what I buy in the grocery store, this had a thicker wall. It is important because the pasta was cooked al dente. The mouth feel of the thicker pasta and feel to the tooth was great. Do not feel I am discounting the sauce, but it was one of the best I think southern Italy would offer. Brownie On a whim, I grabbed a brownie because my wife did not want to stop at a candy store for me to get chocolate to go with my bourbon at home. It was light in texture, but incredibly full of quality chocolate flavor. It was great taste for taste, sip for sip. Beef and Gardenia Pizza Our fourth visit to justify my rating was with my wife, adult son and I. Surprisingly, she ordered the pizza choice because it was unique, Neither of us had gardenia on a pizza. Their Tavern Pizza is 10" and cut checkerboard style, not wedges, which was fine by us. The one pizza was enough for my wife and I. We both agreed that the Marinara sauce was the same as on the pasta. The pie was loaded with toppings. In fact, it was hard to get a true taste of the crust. It was also so loaded that she commented that it was a good thing we ate in the dining room instead of taking it home. If we took it home, she suggested, the copious toppings would totally soak the crust. Gardenia served here is in olive oil, not vinegar. As such, it gave a nice flavor to the pie. I thought my wife ordered extra cheese, but, no. That thick blanket is standard. The blend of toppings was just wonderful and the gardenia was just spicy enough. Margherita Pizza All pizza restaurants are judged by their Margherita pizza as far as my son goes. This pie was not traditional, so he simply gave it a "good" evaluation. He would rather get this pizza at other restaurants, but if he came back here, he would order it. Among his comments were that normally tomato slices were on the pizza, but this one had the diced tomatoes in this. Also, all the basil, while tasty was just piled up in the center instead of strewn all over the top. Now for service and ambiance. Of my trips, I was there a few times shortly after they opened for the day and once during a very busy time. Both times, the meal came out in a timely basis and the meals very fresh. On one trip, I ordered beer. The counter person was underage, and left to find a manager to complete the order. She was not clear in diction and we did not know why she left, but it was O Being new, it was very clean. Ambiance is very bright and well lit. Large windows give a good view of the area. Promotional signs and posters are informative and appropriate. read more

Must have been a very big celebration. Drinks and condiments area was packed and disheveled. Lemons were depleted. If I were to suggest a change, drinks and condiments should not be co-located. They both interfere with each other. The dogs were good but I ordered the fries well done and they were still mushy. The dining room was bright and cool but felt crowded. Maybe one less table would help. read more

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I am having a hard time when i come here. I cant decide if i get the steak or the vodka chicken cutlet. Both are mouth watering good! Ill have to just come back with my wife and share both. read more

Yummyyyyyy! We drove up to Murfreesboro to check out a visiting art exhibit at MTSU. We wanted to try something that we couldn't find in our home city of Huntsville, and we settled on Buona. I'm very glad we did! This restaurant still looks relatively new and is set up in a seemingly developing part of town. There was ample parking and the inside was bright, clean, and spacious. On one side of the restaurant is a separate concept that serves ice cream and desserts. I think this concept is related to Buona/owned by the same folks but I'm not sure. It looked and smelled good though! Anyway, this is an order at the counter type of restaurant, though your meal is delivered to your table. They also have kiosks available if you're feeling asocial, though the placement of these is somewhat incongruous and causes some gridlock if there's a line to order. We decided to order at the counter to make sure our requests could be accommodated. The woman who took our orders listened carefully and took thorough care to ensure things were to our liking and our questions were answered. Our order was correct when it was delivered shortly afterwards. My parents split a medium Italian beef combo with added cheese and sweet peppers as well as a chili dog, and for myself I also ordered a medium Italian beef combo. I got mine with hot giardiniera and cheese, though. Combos come with a side of crinkle cut fries and a drink. I was very pleased to see they have not only Pepsi products, but Pepsi Zero Sugar, which I find preferable to Diet Pepsi. Win! Everything was delicious. The beef was meltingly tender and savory and the giardiniera was tangy and crisp (though I wouldn't have said no to just a teeny bit spicier, hehe - though don't get me wrong, it did have a discernible kick). I got mine with light gravy but you could still taste the umami of the au jus. My own complaint is I wish I could've gotten a dipping cup on the side; perhaps it's possible but I didn't see it on the menu and it wasn't offered. Maybe I should've asked. I like to dip as opposed to dunk to preserve the sandwich's non-sogginess. I digress though, it was a fabulous sandwich. I haven't tried a ton of Italian beefs in my life so far, but this was my favorite. I also usually don't love crinkle fries (or they're certainly not my preferred cut), but as far as crinkle fries go, these were hot, fresh, and fried and seasoned perfectly. It was a generous portion too. My parents also loved their sandwich and said the chili dog was tasty too. The restaurant (including the restroom) was very clean, service was polite and efficient, and the food was delicious. Truly my only tiny complaint is the lack of an au jus dipping cup. I later learned this is actually a franchise that's slowly spreading to the south. That being the case, I am very hopeful that they'll turn their eyes to Huntsville for expansion. I find it somewhat rare for large operations such as this one to produce such an extremely high quality product and experience, but Buona delivered. I look forward to visiting other locations in the future. read more

Buona - Buona Italian Beef with Regular Fries (add hot giardiniera to the sandwich) - Fast Food Near Me - Murfreesboro, Tennessee

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First time here in Buona (pronounced bone no) and it will not be the last night here, everything was too our delight. Let me mentioned those who made this such a wonderful delight. Chase the general Man was very pleasant, Leah was the cashier was awesome also, but saving the first for last was Natalie, she went over and beyond, fellow Windy city native, brought me extra peppers and a great conversationist. Our delicious meal was one beef regular meal and a combo beef and sausage meal, got the onion rings, they were incredibly delicious and the sauce that came with it knock it out the park. They also keep up with the windy city style by having the original rainbow cone inside the building, this place is a must see and not to be passed up, so please give this a try, you will not be disappointed. read more

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Its not terrible but if you're transplant looking for a portillos substitution this isn't it. You order on a kiosk which was slow and created a line. We ordered 2 italian beefs baptized, one sweet & one spicy, & a chicago dog. The beef being "baptized" was a lie, it was still very dry on the inside. The bread was quite rubbery. The beef was not very flavorful and I was not expecting green olives in my giardiniera to have green olives. Yet another place where Mustard was not an option even on the side yet they offer cheese.... this is not a cheese steak. They rolled the chicago dog tight in wax paper so before it made it to us the bun was completely soggy. Also, it was missing the celery salt. I was pleased to see it at least and the bright green relish. We're we impressed, not really. Would we come back again, maybe but probably not. read more

Buona - Very dry "baptized" italian beef. - Fast Food Near Me - Murfreesboro, Tennessee

This family owned and operated place started in Chicago and somehow made it to Murfreesboro. There aren't many Italian Beef places around here, so we had to go give it a try. It's definitely worth trying of you've never had Italian Beef or if you have and are just looking for a good spot to get it. They offer Italian Beef, Handhelds, Burgers, Hot Dogs, Salads, Chicken Sandos, Fresh Pasta Dishes and Desserts. They have a few Vegan options and a kid's menu. Quick rundown on how to order your Italian Beef-- Choose your toppings like Giardiniera, Sweet Peppers, and Cheese then you choose how much Gravy you want on it. Lastly-- You can order on a kiosk or at the counter and they give you a number then bring the food to you. Nice staff and food came out quickly. Go check it out read more

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If you are looking for Chicago style food, this is definitely a place to give a try. I ordered an Italian beef dry, au jus gravy on the side, with a side of french fries and drink, and a bowl of chili. The beef sandwich was decent (definitely has some Chicago authenticity). A little drier than I anticipated. Thankfully I had the au jus gravy on the side. They au jus was seasoned very well as were the french fries. The chili was very good. Be advised it does come with pasta in it. You can add or omit items if you wish. Their menu has numerous options to choose from burgers to hotdog, as well as pastas. You can order your meal at the counter, at a kiosk, or on the mobile app. My order was prepared fairly quickly. The restaurant definitely has a cool vibe, and large seating capacity. Overall, I was very satisfied. I will definitely be back in the future. read more

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They have more than beef. They have chicken and salads. I love the lemon chicken and salads. Great Italian beef. I like mine baptize with hot peppers. Service is fast and friendly. Casual atmosphere. read more

Soft opening was greeted with applause for the busy bustling time. Order your food at the counter or self kiosk. Self seating just like any fast food place. Now on to the food. I never had a sub sandwich dipped in any type of gravy or juice. I see why you must have your sub dunked. It brought more flavor and savory. Having it semi dry just wasn't the same. Ask for that extra cheese for your sandwich and that ranch for your onion rings. It was good. Now the price point wise I was shocked. It was on the higher side $20 for a meal with taxes and including a drink. I thought it was deep. But I guess you're paying for that loaded beef sandwich which I could not finish myself and the location. Dessert I peaked over but I just didn't have room. read more

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We came here after having labs drawn for an upcoming doctor visit. We had tried to eat here between Thanksgiving and Christmas and couldn't even get inside the building. You made this Chicagoland girl happy. I have missed my Italian Beef Sandwiches. My boyfriend got the sausage and beef combo in large and let's just say that he has leftovers. I got my old reliable Italian beef, mozzarella cheese and sweet peppers Chicago Dipped. An order of fries, onion rings and Root Beer and sweet tea because they needed to switch the Dr. Pepper. Service was quick and friendly. And the music was upbeat and not too loud. There was a tv on too. Definitely will be back in the future, because Murfreesboro, TN is a lot closer than Chicago unless you have family still in Chicago like I do. read more

When I first came into the parking lot originally when they opened, I thought they were open and ran into Tony the owner. I was very curious about this place and what it entailed he went over everything with me invited me personally for the grand opening and Boy let me tell you this place is amazing. It's such a different type of Chicago style that I love it and it's all family oriented delicious with the best ingredients. I really suggest this place. Every time I go in there, the customer service is amazing. They really listen to me. Take care of me and make sure my order is freshly prepared. read more

This restaurant serves Chicago classic dishes and is a very good deal. A regular sandwhich (that I couldn't even finish) was huge and delicious. The peppers were spicy which i like, and you can customize your "wetness". Onion rings were hot and good, and the root beer was very crisp. Service was good, they were busy (crowded even) but we were in and out within 45 minutes for 5 people (including eating time) with a large order. Its an open airy restaurant with bright orange colors everywhere. I will be back when I'm in the area looking for a good sandwhich. read more

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My husband ordered the Italian Beefless. It was delicious perfect amount of spice and the dip is delicious definitely going back read more

Buona - Italian Beefless - Fast Food Near Me - Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Not sure why you have to wait 15 minutes for a couple of beef sandwiches at the drive thru. Especially when there's no one else in the drive thru. The beef is already made, the buns (which aren't as good as they used to be) are already made. I always order the juice on the side. I will no longer order the hot peppers on the side since they now charge $1.00 for a tiny side of them. They used to be included. Chicago Express is about 5 mins. further for me to drive but I think I'll be going back there now. read more

So hear me out... the food quality? Good stuff. We ordered two italian cheesy beefs, onion rings, and fries. Very well staffed (almost overstaffed for a 6pm on a Saturday) but slightly slow for dine in and take out. But here is the perplexing part. 1. Asked for my beef baptized... the beef was dry however... the foil and plastic it was wrapped in was drenched. See where I am going with this? Who is doing these baptisms with the foil wrapper on? 2. Asked for au jus on the side - "juice" on the side was not given. Probably overlooked - no biggie. Overall it was good - we just need some extra training on how to get the chicago beef right. Love, A resident Chicagoan that will definitely come back. read more

Buona - Quick reference for the storezc - Fast Food Near Me - Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Really wanted to love this but sadly, did not. The service was great. Everyone was very nice, tables were quickly cleaned, and someone was walking around handing out free samples of the birthday cake icecream. They had a big tv so everyone could watch football, which we also enjoyed. However, it was $48 for two of us to eat and the food was not great. It LOOKS excellent, but the meat had little flavor. Nothing special about the fries, no seasoning, just a small amount of salt. And the marinara was watered down. Probably won't be back unless we want to give it another try in a few years! read more

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We wanted to try new things and here we are at Buono! We are impressed of how clean the restaurant is. Food is delicious and has a lot of options to choose from. We used the POS to order food and it was easy and fast. Service was great. There was a staff walking around cleaning the tables. That was so awesome. read more

Buona - Beef & Sausage Bowl - Fast Food Near Me - Murfreesboro, Tennessee

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Probably not as good as I thought but it was just so nice to taste a good beef sandwich. It ain't cheap but very tasteful and filling sandwich. We drove 40 minutes a couple times already! read more

Just came through for my first time. Order was slightly off, they fixed it right away. Sandwich is amazing! Service is amazing. Thank y'all.

This is great food! Our first time and they were very helpful with how to order. The place is spotless clean and comfortable. If you've not eaten here, put it on your list. The Italian beef sandwich is their signature and it's fantastic. Can't wait to return and try more things on the menu. read more

Buona - Fast Food Near Me - Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Overall a really great experience. We visited right after they first opened which meant the place was PACKED, but despite the crowd they were super efficient and our food came quickly, was fresh and our order was accurate. We all opted for different variations of the classic Chicago beef sandwich and everyone enjoyed their meals. We appreciated that they had a gluten free pita option for those with allergies. The sandwiches were packed with meat and peppers and were delicious. A welcome addition to the Boro. read more

The relish was too much, could not taste or enjoy the hotdog. All I did was remove tomatoes and add hot peppers. Is that the normal amount of relish? read more

Buona - Chicago Chicago-Style Hot Dog - Fast Food Near Me - Murfreesboro, Tennessee

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Five stars seems to be a bit of rating inflation. After all, this is a fast food, casual dining experience and rating it up among the Michelin fancy shmanchy places. It rates five stars in comparison to other places of the same genre. There will be more information when I go back a few times to try enough menu items. Their menu, website and video had me more that intrigued, and when I went there, everything lived up to expectations. Italian food is one of my favorites, and they have a good selection to be sure. Italian beef is something I have tried before and need to try theirs to confirm they are superior. On this visit, I got a Chicago Hot Dog. It is possible that I had maybe one in my life prior so I had idea what to expect. Yup - this was good. The cheese fries were crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. It was a bit disappointing that the cheese was that nebulous orange melty stuff in a small plastic bucket. Service was amazing. When the counter person did not have an answer to my question, a manager appeared promptly. Food arrived in a timely manner and the manager came around to ask about the food. Also, many people got pre-orders and they were treated very well as well. Fresh, not dried pasta is noted. So are many menu items of interest that I must try. read more

So happy to have this restaurant specializing in Italian Beef and other Chicago delicacies. Everything was excellent, I had the Italian beef with spicy peppers and cheese, dipped, Chicago style. My wife had the Chicago dog. We shared an order of fries and a couple of beers. The sandwich was very, very good. And hopefully they will keep having plenty of business, just being down the street from In and Out Burger. We will definitely be back to try this place again. read more

The beef sandwiches are AMAZING. Perfectly portioned, not too much bread. We got ours dipped with spicy peppers and mozzarella cheese. Online ordering was super easy & was ready when I got there. Definitely will be back! read more

Not the cheapest "fast food" but damn it's good. I've tried their burgers, chicago beef and the parmesan chicken cutlet. All amazing! Love their milkshakes and cheese fries too. read more

First time at Buona,very clean in the dinning area customer service was nice server came to our table and said enjoy. We'll we ate our sandwiches no seasoning on the meat the cheese I don't think was any ..I don't know what the hype about this restaurant. read more

I whipped through the drive through here one day after doing some shopping and got their beef sandwich with peppers. It was really really tasty. The meat just pulled apart perfectly, it was tender and juicy. The peppers on the sandwich really popped with a nice acidity the counter the fattiness of the meat and cheese. I got two because I wasn't sure one would be enough, but two was overkill and I had the other the next day. Quick service and a friendly team at the window helped to make this a great experience. read more

Friendly service in a super clean new restaurant. The food transported me to Chicago in all the right ways. Delicious Italian beef sandwiches. I really, really liked the arancini. Looking forward to my next trip to Murfreesboro, because I will be back! read more

Not gonna lie dominicos better then them. I had high expectations. Customer service is great. But food out of a 10 I give it a 4. Not gonna lie it's very over hyped it's not what I was expecting. Maybe I got the wrong thing but idk it's just not hitting as it should. Like the pizza is alright too. If it being honest donatos is better and there just better food else where. read more

Italian beef sandwiches are amazing with lots of flavor. I went two days in a row because I liked it so much. The employees are really nice and helpful, if help is needed. The onion rings were extra yummy. It is casual with a fast-food feel. Not good for large groups as seating is tight. Overall, good experience with good food. read more

A Chicago Beef sandwich is my first meal when i go home to Chicago and the last one on my way out of town. Buona hits the exact craving that I have. Beef is right,cheese fries are correct... I cannot speak to anything else on the menu since I have only eaten those. I have been in at least twice a week since they opened. I can't recommend them enough! read more

First time going! Great food, awesome service, fantastic vibe! That's pretty much it. They didn't the thing in there! From the beginning to the end, the experience was great! read more

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Delicious food!!! We ordered the Buona beef sandwiches to die for delish- baptized with all the things! Hot peppers made it so much better!!! read more

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The service needs improvement! The burgers over cooked but the beef sandwich amazing. Other thing is the dining area to small for the amount of traffic. read more

Authentic just like mama makes ITALIAN BEEF! Flavor flavor flavor! Forgot to get a picture of the food! Best staff with Midwest GREATEST customer service attitude! We went back a second night for their fantastic ice cream parlor! You can even get a single slice of ice cream cake (their choice). read more

Buona - We had the full array! - Fast Food Near Me - Murfreesboro, Tennessee

great spot! just got done dinner there. Natalie helped me download the app for $7 pizzas. cool vibe, good food, good location. will be back! read more

I got the big Joey with extra roast beef with it dry since I was going back home to eat it later. It was as if I was back in Northern Indiana and going to the one in Valpo. The sandwich was fantastic just like i was hoping it to be. If you haven't had their Italian Roast Beef sandwich yet it is a must have and if you are looking for a Italian Roast Beef sandwich from the Chicago area this has finally arrived here in Murfreesboro Tennessee. read more