ITALIAN BEEF YUMMINESS! Straight up... I had no idea of the significance of the Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich until Wifey made me watch the first season of The Bear. Of course, we visit Mr. Beef on our next visit to Chicago, Wifey goes because of the show, but me?!? I'm here to indulge in the food! After that experience I was hooked! "Hot & Dipped" all day! So now, whenever we return to Chi-Town, always gotta explore the Italian Beef scene! Recently found out Mr. Beef and Buona come from the same lineage, The Buonavolanto Family. So where we going this visit? BUONA!!! Unlike Mr. Beef, Buona has multiple sites and more accessible hours of operation. This specific spot is very close to O'Hare International, which makes it VERY convenient for us coming in or out of there. BUUUUTTT... is the quality good enough for return visits??? Let's find out... CHICAGO CLASSIC BUONA BEEF (REGULAR): Got it "ORIGINAL" (this version is less messy while driving and on airplane, otherwise it'd be "DIPPED") and "HOT" (GOTTA have Giardiniera Mix!). OH BOY! Delicious sammie right here! Bread is perfectly textured with a nice crunch outside but soft inner core. Beef is juicy, tender, & flavorful! The Giardiniera mix has a good heat to it. A perfect preparation to allow you to drive without the distraction of drips or spillage, except for the occasional bread crumb. Shoulda bought an extra one for the plane ride, because I could not stop eating, it was so good! BUONA FRIES (REGULAR): I LOVE Crinkle fries! And that's what they serve here! I totally win! Big serving ( but not as big as Five Guys) that balances well with a regular sammie! Perfectly fried with every bite crispy yet simultaneously soft!. No complaints here ;) VERY BEEFY RECOMMENDATION! Nom Nom Level is High! Definitely a worthy option if Mr. Beef is not available or accessible. Next time, I'm buying a second one for the plane ride ;) ENJOY! read more

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I have heard about the shaved Chicago beef sandwich and decided to stop in for lunch today. The menu is simple to follow and the kiosk ordering is just as simple. Everything is done at the kiosk including getting your beverage cup and your table number for food delivery. We filled our beverage cup, got some condiments for our food and sat at a table waiting for it to be delivered. That is the only real interaction from staff so I didn't feel a need to tip. The food looked just like it did on the menu. The Arancini Balls (3) were cooked perfectly and only a little greasy. Thankfully it came with a side of red sauce which was also used on our beef sandwich. We added a little parmesan cheese and crushed red peppers. The beef sandwich (regular size) Original stlye was perfect in size and flavor. It was juicy and didn't need any additional dipping sauce. They had a self service soda machine as well as 3 tea/juice flavors. The parking was plentiful and inside seating was good. There are a few tv's and light music playing inside. If I get the chance to come back, I would like to try some pizza and milkshakes. read more

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Buns beef is the absolutely best beef place in town. The food is excellent. There is none better. Ironically, when I was working in the Jewel meat department I personally stocked & recommended Buona beef. There is none better in the Chicago area. Exceptional! read more

Buona - Sandwiches Near Me - Rosemont, Illinois

I am writing this to compliment this particular Buona. The food and staff are always wonderful at this location and it's always spotless. This past Christmas Eve we had a last minute change in our dinner plans. We scrambled to find catering. 1:00 PM we went to the Rosemont Buona and explained we needed catering for 10 people. Maria, at this location, walked us through pasta options with a salad and beef for enough in our party. She even offered us a drink while we waited. Top notch! We were relieved to say the least. It was ready before we knew it and were able to have a wonderful Christmas Eve party. Cheers to Maria and all the staff at this location. read more

There are approximately 30 tables and we couldn't find a clean table. There's garbage all over the floor. To make things worse, they were dusted ceiling vents above the empty food containers. Please don't patronize. It's disgusting. read more

I've been to this Buona before, though it's been years. I'm not sure I even realized they had a drive through since we have eaten inside every other time I've eaten here. So maybe that is why the drive through was a trick to find. Be careful that you don't go the wrong way into the Jimmy John's drive through by accident, which is what I almost did, thinking that was the loop around to the drive through. Whoops! I don't like that they have to take your phone to use Apple Pay. We're in the back half of 2024... how have businesses not figured this out yet? It just irks me because if I or the employee are a butterfingers as the phone is being exchanged, I know they're not going to replace my broken phone. It can also be a hassle since I have my phone locked... I don't know, it seems like this is an issue with an easy solution since I can't possibly be the only drive through customer who uses ApplePay. Food was fine. Besides Johnnie's in Arlington Heights, this is my significant others' favorite place for Italian beef. I haven't liked it as much myself--but that's not saying much, because there's only one beef I do like. Instead I usually get a burger here and though they replaced the off-the-menu specialty burger I liked years ago to replace it with the avocado burger, a cheeseburger will do fine. I do like that Buona has a more well-rounded menu than a lot of the Italian beef places, with pasta, salads, chicken, and so on, which makes it easier to accommodate a variety of tastes and appetites than some of Buona's competitors. read more

Every-time I come here this place forgets something. Today my boyfriend orders a beef with cheese and they forget the cheese. She asked what kind and then repeated it. Also, it's on the receipt. How aggravating!!! read more

Buona - Buona Beef Sandwich missing the cheese!! - Sandwiches Near Me - Rosemont, Illinois

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Same as the other Buona Beef's which means delicious. It's my favorite bed place and it really hit the spot for a late lunch. If you're hungry, get the big beef for even more deliciousness. read more

I wanted Portillo's but this was right in front of us. Neither of us had ever been here before nor had we heard of it. It's a chain but as far as chains go this is good! (Portillo's is also a chain but I digress) All people working there were super nice. The restaurant was very clean and well maintained. I really wanted a chopped salad and was very happy to see they had one! Husband ordered an Italian beef and some beef bites. (Potato stuffed meatballs served with marinara sauce) We enjoyed it all and wouldn't hesitate to come again. We didn't check to see if they had a "chocolate cake shake" but maybe next time. read more

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Went through the drive thru the other night. We ordered regular beef, added mozzarella, and giardiniera on the side. We also ordered a large cheese fry, but the cheese part didn't go through the microphone and we were only charged for a large fry. Our order was made quickly. Fries 4+/5 The fries in particular tasted fresh. I usually don't like thick fries, but these were good. Regular beef 3/5 The beef was okay. It didn't taste super flavorful, so I added the giardiniera. I also felt like there wasn't enough mozzarella on the bread, but overall it was ok. I went inside and ordered a side of cheese to dip the fries in. While there, I asked about the Buona sauce and was given a side to try. It was like a mustard thousand island. It had a good tang, but I preferred the cheese dip. I ended up saving some of the fries and heated them on a pizza cooker the next day. They were good even reheated and the cheese dip was great with them. Overall, I'd say the beef here is okay, but the fries are great. The customer service is top notch though and they are very fast. read more

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This review is for catering from Buona Rosemont. The entire process was easy - order and pay online, delivery came right on time of the window I ordered for. The driver was very nice and helped me carry up a large order to our kitchen. Everything tasted fantastic and everyone loved the meal. The Beef Bites are freaking amazing and hard to just eat one. Chicken Parm and Rigatoni made for a perfect combo. I also ordered meatballs (delicious) and French bread on the side so people could make meatball subs if they wanted to. The bread they send was fresh and almost 4ft long! The sausage and peppers were fresh & hearty. Just all around a filling and delicious meal for a reasonable price. This is the second or third time I've ordered catering from this Buona location and will definitely be ordering more in the future. Thanks Buona! read more

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I am a Portillo's lover, however, thought I'd gives them a try. Very disappointed in their beef sandwich. The beef was very dry and tasteless. If I had not ordered a dipped, I would not be able to have eaten it .I'll stick with Portillo's for my beef sandwich. read more

I never really liked Buona and thought their beef was pretty weak. So much so they even took the word 'beef' down from their name. However, I hadn't gotten my beef itch scratched and it was the closest one to O'Hare so I felt like I didn't have much of a choice. My last visit made me rethink Buona. They have two sizes of beef and I opted for the largest one-they have a lot of different options for it now, cheese, marinara. I stuck with the classic one and told them I wanted it drowned in gravy and with hot peppers. Still really grinds my gears that peppers are an additional fee, not just here but at other chains that serve beefs. I will say though that despite that it was a pretty good sandwich and good for a last Chicago food fuel up before heading out. read more

Buona - Sandwiches Near Me - Rosemont, Illinois

I ordered a pasta dish. The serving size was skimpy. When I went to get silverware to eat, they were filthy as if they were just rinsed and not washed. Food particles were still on the tines of the forks. I won't be going back read more

My order AAAPDMU2ANBZ was 2 large beef hot on the side 1 combo and fries. The beef sandwich was plain and okay . lite on the beef. Large ! (Where is the beef) I never got the hot giardiniera. The combo they served me a piece of sausage that had two inches of burnt dry carbon ash no longer resembled a piece of sausage. Unfortunately ate most of it. Had me sick all night. I never saw the hot peppers on the side $1.50. I have to assume they didn't pack them. Last night I gave them an opportunity. my patronage and my consumer rights are too important to me to give them the opportunity to belittle them again. You always get screwed at the drive through. read more

Was in town for G-Fest last weekend and ordered lunch via UberEats. We chose this place because it was close and fast. I had the meatball sandwich. It had generous amounts of meat; sauce; and cheese. My only complaint would be the bun was a bit soggy. My friend had the Italian sausage sandwich. She commented on the ample amount of peppers on her sandwich. All in all, it was a good choice. read more

The food was so good! We were at a convention (MFF) all day and coming here to eat was so refreshing. The service was fast and our server was very kind. They also had Christmas decor up which was so cute! read more

Buona - 4 Piece Chicken Tenders - Sandwiches Near Me - Rosemont, Illinois

The food here is amazing. It is fresh and juicy. The customer service from Cesar was wonderful and the manager Pedro was very polite and listened to all that we experienced. We definitely will make this our regular stop whenever we want a juicy beef. read more

What a pleasant impromptu dinner stop this was! My husband and I were staying at a nearby hotel before a flight the next day, and wanted something quick that wasn't deep fried. Really impressed with a big menu with lots of options from salads to pizza to pasta and sandwiches! The woman behind the counter was super friendly and welcoming, took our order promptly. We did dine in, and grabbed a table near the windows, it was pretty empty inside (8pm Saturday). Our food arrived quickly, and was super fresh! For a place known for Italian beef sandwiches, highly recommend the Chicken Avocado Protein Bowl, and the Strawberry Avocado Chicken Salad. Fresh greens, really good grilled chicken, and tasty dressings. The whole grain bread with the salad was absolutely delicious as well. Makes me wish there was a Buona closer to my hometown! read more

Buona - Strawberry Avo Chicken Salad - Sandwiches Near Me - Rosemont, Illinois

We finally dined in and got some photogenic shots of the beefless sandwich. It's just as good in as take out. read more

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3 stars for the delicious taste of my sandwich. Pulled into drive through and ordered a Jack chicken. Grilled sandwich, cheese fries and green tea. I pull forward and no one is at the first window........ or the second...... so I pull forward and finally someone pops up. She takes payment and hands me a black tea. I asked if that was green tea and she said "no, it's black" I let her know I had asked for green tea and she said " Oh, well I'll have them run it out to you with your food." Pull forward into a spot. Waited almost 20 minutes for the food. Still no green tea. I ask the guy who brought it out and he says "oh, they didn't give it to you?" I told him no. He said he will return shortly with it. He comes back about 5 minutes later and says " We don't have green tea". Ugh. So they knew they didn't have it and just decided to give me black tea instead and thought that would be alright? There's clearly also a lack of communication in this store as well. The food. My sandwich was delicious, that's why this isn't a 1 star. Highly recommend the avocado chicken Jack. read more

Buona - Avocado Chicken Jack Sandiwch with fries and a "black tea " that I didn't want or order. - Sandwiches Near Me - Rosemont, Illinois

Although this is a large franchise they are not all the same. I have been to a half dozen locations. This one is about the best of them all if not then the top 2 for sure. They have a clean, COVID safe and friendly store. A lot of people on staff to get it done. Staff is super friendly and helpful. Always asking if they can get you something and asking if everything is OK. This visit I ordered the Chopped Salad. This is a good choice at any of their locations. But at this one the serving size is mighty hefty, extra fresh, extra cold and of course extra delicious. Price is a little high for a salad but well worth it for what you get. ie value. This was my first visit to this location as I have just started working nearby. I am going to become a regular! Great performance to Buona and the staff! Thank you! read more

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Buona has great sandwiches as Italian beef fans can attest to. The hotdogs and hamburgers were good as well. Moreover theirs a whole menu that needs to be explored by myself read more

Always eat their beef 12 incher when in town. Best chain for Italian beef. Need lots of napkins! read more

I ordered pasta last night, and the manager took the order. He charged me for the pasta, but he also had Italian Beef on the receipt. I never mentioned that I wanted Italian Beef. I had to tell him three times to take the the beef order off. He wasn't paying attention, and in another world. I eat at Buona at least twice a week, but won't be going back anymore. I never got an apology, or anything, for the mistake. The Rigatoni was ok but, the portions are so very small. It was like a child's portion. I was very disappointed, with the whole scene last night. read more

Great food I would highly recommend grabbing food here it also great service with reasonable prices

05/26/18 I had a Buona Beef Sandwich. This just so happened to be National Beef Day and they had a beef sandwich for $2.99. My sister and I happened to stop in and grab a beef on the way to O'Hare Airport. I just figured it would be good for my sister to have something to eat as her flight didn't get back to MacArthur Airport on Long Island, New York until 10:30 pm. This was completely oblivious to my own craving for a beef lol (yeah right) This brought to an end a week of EVENTS & GLUTTONY that started when my sister arrived on 05/19/18 that included 2 birthdays, 2 wakes, 1 graduation, 1 baby shower & 1 wedding. On the way we found the Buona Beef and when we were pleasantly surprised by The National Beef Day special. Buona Beef has a pretty good beef sandwich that I would personally rate below my top 3 preferences @ $2.99 it was a great deal. I got mine with the hot giardiniera peppers. My top 1 - 3 not in any order are Al's, Johnnies & Portillo's read more

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Excited to find this place! However, quickly disappointed.. the wine by the glass was a great size, but the Italian beef was... BLAND.. basically wet beef with no taste. I also ordered it "baptised" and it was not "wet" at all.. maybe it's better with cheese?? Then it's a Philly Cheesesteak. the fries were perfect.. I wouldn't order the beef sandwich again read more

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Buona is really bueno! For being a chain, they have a very tender beef sandwich. Surprisingly, they have delicious salads too! The Strawberry w avocado Chicken salad is loaded with guacamole, and they weren't skimpy on the chicken. Service is fast, and the prices reasonable. Enjoy beer or wine with your order. read more

Travelled to Chicago Dec. 1 - Dec. 5, 2021 for a food trip, and to re-visit a city I studied in 20+ years ago. Went to this Buona simply because it's closest to where I stayed (Yes, brand existed while I was around previously!) for some good Italian Beef and Italian sausage combo sandwiches the 1st night for a sit-down dinner on Dec. 1. It was around 7 p.m., and the restaurant was not crowded at all. The taste was exquisite though the sausage took top spot. Had both hot and sweet peppers, but disappointed the hot peppers lacked heat. The fries were the best I've tasted in many years from anywhere! Went back on the 4th (8 p.m. dine-in, again not crowded) to get a Chicago dog (So-so), fries, and decided to ordered more Italian beef and Italian sausage sandwiches to fly back home to the west coast the next day. The food travelled very well, bread held up and overall tasted good even 3 days later! ((For those unfamiliar with Italian beef sandwiches, I suggest you order it dry with "side juice" (no charge) so you can decide how wet your sandwich should be. Definitely order a large order of fries with the sandwich.)) Remember to check your order before you leave if taking out or driving thru as a mistake did occur once, though it was rectified. Will return to this brand, and this store as well, the next food trip here. Wished the franchise would establish itself in the Northwest! HAPPY EATING and stay safe !!!! read more

Buona was a really good experience for me. They were nice enough to accommodate a large group of us that were in town for the Misfits show. I had their 5" beef sandwich with pepper jack cheese and a cup of minestrone soup. Both were really delicious! If I lived in the area, this would definitely be a regular spot for me. The staff was very helpful and nice. Next time I'm in Chicago, I'll be stopping by Buona. read more

Buona - Sandwiches Near Me - Rosemont, Illinois

Oof. Well. Usually this place is clean and fast and the food is always pretty good in a bad way. I always get the chicken parm sandwich and the bread is always aggressively soggy. I don't hate that tho? Today the line to order stretched literally out the door. One poor girl on register. She was trying her best but she was pressed. No urgency from floor leaders/managers. That said. We got our food pretty fast and it was really great? So. Back I will be! read more

Woman taking orders at drive thru had difficulty understanding English. Did not get order correct and I had to go inside to order what she did not place on my order. Then inside ordered regular beef and she rang up large beef. I usually get good service here but this was ridiculous. read more

First night in Rosemont for a work trip and they did me good. Had a beef and cheddar croissant, baptized, delivered through UberEats. Cheese fries were bogo so who can say no to that? Not an italian beef connoisseur but it was yummy. Can't wait to try others to compare it to. Will most likely order from here again in the next coming weeks. read more

Buona - Beef and cheddar croissant with bogo cheese fries through UberEats - Sandwiches Near Me - Rosemont, Illinois

We came here for a takeout after our Cubs game. With the current Cubs' promotion of a free 7" Italian beef if the Cubs score in the 6th inning, it pretty much took care of our dinner on this game day. Both of our Italian beefs were quite salty though. I got mine with extra juice and wife got hers regular. The regular was even more salty so the juice was dilutive it appears. Thanks for the promotion but we'll stick to Portillo's for Italian beef. ps - National Beef Day a'coming on May 28th for those interested - that means 1/2 price on their beef, sausage, and combo products. I should get a calendar of all the National this and that days! read more

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Just landed in Chicago and my first stop is Buono's for a beef sandwich. I hear this IS the place for a beef....supposedly the Cubs and Sox favorite place?!?...so here I go! The restaurant is big....full of tables and booths for tons of eaters. They even impressed me....they have a "bar" area where you belly up and eat. The place is clean, workers are friendly, food is hot...fresh...good! Of course I ordered the beef....I mean...how could you not? I had the 5 in....baptised and made it "Hurt". Frank Thomas...aka the "Big Hurt" says dip it and add hot giardineria. So that's what I did....yummy! This is something you dream about!!! This is a bread roll full of sliced thin beef that has been stewing in beef juices for hours....filled up and dip in the juices and topped with hot giardineria. HELLO....amazing! They have take out....and to go. Get some for now and later.....yay! I absolutely loved this place and would recommend you to try it out....you will love it! Here is a tip from a local on how to eat a beef: Stand up and lean over the table so it doesn't drip on your clothes....but I say....let it drip! Anyhow...however you eat it....you will enjoy! read more

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Add Buona Beef as a correct answer to the question, "Who's got the best Italian beef sammich in Chicago?". Yes, it's a multiple choice question and there are multiple answers. Every ingredient in their beef sandwiches is fresh and excellent quality. The service is friendly and their online ordering app is easy and convenient. Chicago is lucky to have so many choices for Italian beef sammiches. There's old school, independently owned beef stands, and several chain restaurants that offer excellent food. Buona, for me, is a mix of family owned, and chain. read more

Horrible experience and an awful employee. My first time here and ordered the plant based beef with vegan cheese and gluten free bread.. the male food runner wearing suspenders dark hair and was heavy set brought my food said the vegan beef. It looked very much like a normal beef like the pictures and impossible meats.. it wasnt it was real meat with real cheese and regular bread m. I had 2 bites before figuring it was regular. The runner made no apologies as his co-workers fixed the issue. He later was messing around in the intercom making jokes and As I was leaving he was overly saying goodbye to seem to be mocking me. I will never go back here and this employee shouldn't be working there. He poisoned and violated my morals of food and the manager said nothing. Double check everything if you have food allergies. read more

Perhaps the best chili dog that I've had in 10 years.... Can't wait to get back to the hotel and dig into this Supremo Pizza read more

Buona - Sandwiches Near Me - Rosemont, Illinois

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Popped in for lunch with a friend and we sat in their comfy outdoor patio. It was nice and peaceful. Nicely ventilated space and staff were all very cautious and courteous. I had the margherita pizza with a glass of pinot grigio and my friend had the avocado and pepperjack burger and a beer. My pizza was perfectly crispy and perfect amount of basil & sauce. A bit light on mozzarella which is my only negative. A few more rounds would have been perfection. read more

Buona - Mmmargherita pizza. - Sandwiches Near Me - Rosemont, Illinois