Old school hot dog joint... the service was excellent- attentive, patient and friendly. Inside might look a little tired, mismatched basement furniture - but it worked here. We ordered the 2 dogs and fries for 8$ and as always- the Chicago Dog does not disappoint. We added funnel cakes for dessert but I wouldn't do that again- so, so greasy. We also tried the Greek salad wrap with chicken and I wouldn't order that again- feta, lettuce, olives and chicken w Greek dressing. read more

Gianelli's Drive-thru - Funnel cake - Hot Dogs Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

See all

We nt through drive through ..waited 10 minutes ..knocked on window...asked about order. I was told not to knock in window because it was rude. ( Red headed teen) I get that restaurants are short help....but 15 minutes later I got my order. Yes got my order...which was wrong when I got it home. Asked for no peppers. What was in it? Peppers. And such a great thank you after giving me my order....not a " thank you" ....but ..." Here's your order. Will I go back? Never again! ... read more

Had some great cheap eats from this Crystal Lake drive thru and cafe. It has plenty of seating inside if wanting to eat immediately. Gianelli's is a long time local favorite. Most people get the hot dogs obviously. There's also lots of other grilled classics like burgers and that kind of stuff. Coming here the first time, know that it's pretty far away from the other popular places in town in the middle of nowhere almost. It's almost surrounded by nothing, but there's a few things around obviously. This is kind of close to the Snap-On plant. Look for that when coming here. The menu is mostly hot dogs but there's lots more to get though. It's $5 to get a veggie dog. With a combo it's $11 and includes a drink and fries. Cool. This is a way to get a lot for not a lot. Get some hot dogs and more from this classic drive in. It's on State Route 176 at Valley View Road. There's plenty for mystery meat eaters and vegetarians. read more

Gianelli's Drive-thru - Veggie Dog Combo - Hot Dogs Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

Had the bada bing yesterday. Asked for it dry. Was soaking and falling apart. 3 pieces of Italian beef, yes 3. No flavor at all. Sausage was fine, meatball ehhh. Should rename it to just a bing. Went in there with the hopes of excellence and was bummed. The kid in back had long hair not tied back just hanging on the sides with just a hat. Was praying not to get hair in my food. read more

It was ok.. very friendly people that work there. I wouldn't get the Italian beef again. Hotdogs were good tho, but they forgot our fries. Walked back inside to retrieve it and as I walked in, it was hotter inside that outside, and we are going through a hearwave. It looked great in there but we ended up eating in our car since we had AC. read more

We ordered and took home our food but there is some seating inside and picnic tables outside. Gma's meatball sub was very good. Nice sauce and meatballs. Everything was good and service was fast. read more

See all

Great find along Liberty St., next to Nasty Performance and Sharper Detailing!! They have a vegetarian menu as well as gyros!!!!! Fresh smoothies, Turano desserts, and more! It did not disappoint. Thank you!! read more

See all

Two Stars The menu at Gianelli's Drive Thru looked amazing. Tons of variety and everything sounded delicious. The decor was really cool, the place was spotless, and it seemed well staffed. It also wasn't busy at all... one car in the drive-thru, a small family eating inside, a kid with a milkshake, and a woman waiting on her food. Very calm vibe. That's why it was so frustrating when we stood at the counter for 15 minutes after being told, "We'll be right with you," and then... nothing. No one followed up. No one checked in. We were just ignored. We ended up walking out. This was our first time here, and sadly, it'll be our last. read more

I order a gyro with double meat extra pita . I received enough meat that could be for one & the meat was so dry like it was shaved off & just sitting under a heat lamp all day . No tiki sauce . Tomatoes were not fresh . The worst gyro I ever . I literal took two bites of the meat that was it & through it all away . 24.00 wasted .... The mozzarella sticks were not great either . read more

Had the Italian beef which was good, not great but just good. The cheese puff wasnt good.

I've enjoyed beef sandwiches, meatball sandwiches, burgers, dogs , and an array of food in the Chicago area, and this place is hands down the best you will ever eat at. I didn't drive through, I walked right in and had the best beef sandwich I've ever had. That's right, better than Portillo's, better than Al's Beef, and better than Buano or Johnnies. It was tender real roast beef, dipped in a mouth watering juice, and to my taste, a spicy but tolerable jardiniere pepper topping. But it didn't stop there, I added cheese to that, and couldn't put it down. OMG....so good. You order at the counter and it's served right at your table by the owner himself, Terry Trobiani. Service couldn't have been better. Ambiance is welcoming and easy to get around. A self service pop machine, plenty of napkins and utensils, and some pretty cool swag you can buy (shirts and hats). I met some college buddies at Terry's place and was welcomed with open arms. He brought out some wonderful homemade meatballs and sausage from family recipes, but the kicker was the unbelievable tasting cannolis and funnel cake. The sweetness of every bite from the cannolis was better than the first. And the funnel cakes came out warm and tender. I've got to say it's worth every minute in the car ride to get to lunch. Don't think twice about checking this place out. It's outstanding food and worth every penny you pay for it. When you go, ask for Terry and let him know Keith sent you. read more

Gianelli's Drive-thru - College buddies from Western Illinois University, fighting Leathernecks from WIU - Hot Dogs Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

OMG this is our new favorite hot dog place. They have a lot of other stuff we are definitely going to try. Like the polish sausage on French bread, beef sandwich...just everything. We did our test meal of hot dog and fries. That is the bench mark. We were not disappointed. Fries were hot and crispy. Vienna beef hotdog with poppyseed buns! Perfect! Definitely will be making this our regular place, and definitely recommend. read more

Gianelli's Drive-thru - the front of the store - Hot Dogs Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

See all

This is a really cute place. Inside it is comfortable and low key. I ordered the half Italian Beef sandwich ( w/ hot peppers) that was highly rated last year. It was quite good and not too drippy. I really like that they offer a half sandwich option. The fries were good. This is a place where you place your order at the counter, sit down and wait. They bring out your food once it is ready. I wish I took photos, but will go back and take photos later. This is a cool place with many, many options. Go see for yourself. You will thank me later. read more

Used to be pretty good. Just ordered a beef with everything on it (used to include cheese, hot peppers and sweet peppers). It actually looked like the picture on this site. Got home and it was bare. Called and the young lady told me that how they come. Must be new ownership, no one seems to care there anymore. read more

I've had Italian beefs from this place a few times. They're really good with great flavor. I haven't tried other items because I really like their beefs. There are only two other places in CL that I'll buy beefs from. But when I want a really good one, gianelli's is my first choice. read more

Delicious Italian Beef Sandwich. The hot Giardiniera was just the right mix of heat and flavor. Got a side of cheese fries and mixed the Giardiniera juice with the cheese for an extra kick. Only disappointment was they were out of the fried cheese curds. read more

Absolutely delicious! Gyro platter is amazing, it's pretty big, comes with fries and tzatziki sauce on the side. Now the gyro is really good, the tzatziki was a little thick for my liking , but overall a delicious meal! I should've taken a pic but my food smelled amazing and I was hungry lol next time for sure! They offer a variety of delicious summer items including funnel cakes and they are delicious too! Place is cute and also has outdoor sitting! The staff was also great, service was awesome! read more

Had lunch here today with my co-workers and I have to say, it was exceptional. Drew, the owner actually delivered our food to our table and we had quite a nice conversation. The food was hot, cooked perfectly and the portions are awesome! Something else that I thought was truly an awesome concept, they have small tables, then they also have "your grandma's" dining room table to sit at & enjoy lunch or dinner with your family and friend. A really nice touch!!!! Cannot recommend this business enough. We will most assuredly be back!!!! read more

The waitstaff was nice.... The chicken breast on a pita was absolutely flavorless dry and not worth the price. The 11/2 cups of lettuce on the pita was more than the 2 ounces of dry flavorless chicken. They said it was the chicken they use in the chicken Cesar wrap.... I imagine it's dry and flavorless too. read more

Fantastic service. Yummy food. Tried the Fiesta Burger; good fair price for a unique take on a burger. They have Green River soda too. It's a good old fashioned hot dog stand that carries a little bit of everything. read more

Love love love them. Awesome variety of menu choices. Plus red cream soda , who could ask for more.

We went for the first time last week, service was fast, food was delicious, and love the decor!!! Ordered delivery again a week later and once again it did not disappoint - especially being 20 minutes away, food was still warm and fries were still good (which is always questionable!) Will definitely become regulars here!! read more

I went there the other day for the first time after reading some reviews! I was totally disappointed I walked in the restaurant it was at least a hundred degrees inside with no fans no air conditioning, they did have a dining room so if they expected diners to eat it was unbearable. Getting down to the food being in Chicago in I was looking forward to their Italian beef and sausage combo and fries the bread was too soft and almost tasted stale not surprised the humidity and heat in the restaurant alone would have ruined the texture. The Italian beef and sausage was absolutely lackluster compared to a Portillo's, or Johnny's Beef it was so Bland even though I ordered sweet peppers and hot gardinare there was barely any on it even though I paid extra I couldn't even finish the sandwich because the Italian sausage absolutely was the most Bland undercooked, undesirable. I hate to give this place a bad review but if I'm to be honest like I said, the restaurant was absolutely at least close to 100°. Hotter than it was outside which yesterday was in the mid-90s. You would think that they would have had fans or air conditioning since the dining room was a cute little area! I have to give the food on a scale of 1 to 10 a two. The french fries were just typical frozen fries not hand cut like good Chicago Original Italian beefs places would have. They were overly salty it was very disappointing food and the inside of the restaurant was a sweat box.! There's no way I would ever go back there worse Italian sausage and beef I ever had! read more

Delicious! We love the food and the service. When we get it delivered by door dash it's the same. Excellent quality...same great service. If you like Italian Beef .... by far the best we've had in the area. read more

Been a customer since they opened their doors. All of their menu is good, My standouts are the Meatball sandwich and the Breaded Chicken sandwich. Oh, and you have to try their Onion rings, they are fantastic read more

Mean people. Average food. Massive menu. Ownership has been rude to myself, family, and friends. I have also heard they are not friendly with the nearby school next door. Sad! We could really use a better hot dog or beef in the area but we will continue down 176 to Tommy's. Bummer... read more

This was my first time here and it wasn't very good. Got a chocolate milkshake that was pure ice chips, wasn't blended very well and it tasted watered down. The burgers were alright. They definitely looked better in the picture online. I don't want to be too quick to judge and would want to try other items, but as a first timer I was slightly disappointed. read more

Way over priced for what you get ! Food not that good, probably won't return due to prices!! read more

Now my favorite place for Italian beef. They do them perfect for me with cheddar sauce and easy hot peppers. Hot dogs excellent and so are the fries. Great place. read more

Horrible! Owner is an A-hole. Insulted me for my order, which is kinda basic and then they gave me tiny containers for my jus. When I arrived home, 5 mins away, they busted open and was all over the bag. Returned for a refund and you can tell he was pissed. Don't care. Never been back since. read more

Driving out west we decided to stop here for lunch. This is a Drive-thru, order on the speaker and drive to the pick up window. I had the beef, Megan the sausage. She liked hers and did not offer me to try it. The beef was good, tender and flavorful. Could have used more juice but I like my sandwiches swimming and soupy. The hot peppers were hot. Fries were excellent. Could have used more napkins and ketchup. Recommend, I will go back. read more

Gianelli's Drive-thru - Beef with fries. - Hot Dogs Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

Another off the road place I've been passing by for years. Finally driving by while "hungry." Nothing negative here. Great Italian Beef. Good Chicago Hot Dogs. Good Gyros. Good fries. Excellent service. Decent prices. What more would you expect. Glad we stopped. We'll be back......Oh!!!! The interior is really cool and clean. read more

The best hot dogs! It's a great place to have good food. Good prices. I recommend Gianelli's Drive-thru read more

This place reminds me the the places in Chicago that I'd visit when working as a truck driver. A nice menu of which l loved the dogs, polish and gyros. I recommend Gianelli's Drive-thru. read more

We lived in Crystal Lake over 25 years ago and haven't been to the Chicago area since. Since we were just passing through, I needed a Chicago hot dog and Italian beef fix. I was not disappointed. This place seemed like a locals place. We ate inside which was clean. The service was great. I recommend it. read more

This place is a gem! Best Italian beef sandwiches! Great burgers, and the Chicago hot dogs are truly authentic! They have a drive through which is convenient, but I like to stop in to order. Everyone is so genuine. They make you feel like you are stopping by at a friend's for lunch. We are big fans of Gianelli's! read more

Great food, especially wet Italian beef, prairie burger with Velveeta and cooked onions. Ambiance is nice sit down tables with covers and even decorations. Easy in out on route 176 right by the school. Kronos gyros meat and they will crisp it for you! Jalapeno cheese poppers rock!! read more

Went through the drive-through and ordered an Italian sausage combo meal with a side of cheese for my fries. Placed my order and received my food in under five minutes. Workers were wearing masks and everyone that greeted me at the pick up window seemed appreciative and accommodating. Probably one of the best sausages I have found in a largely blanketed area. Bread was true French bread and not the roll variet. Side of juice was pretty good. Fries were as well. Could have used a bit more salt but that is my preference. My fountain drink, which was Coca-Cola, tasted very fresh and like it came from clean lines. Only thing I wish they did differently was to give a side of beef juice in a little bit bigger of a container that will accommodate dipping your sandwich in. But they do give slightly bigger cups than most. I know there's this place on my way home from work every day and plan on visiting more often! Next time pictures will be included. This place deserves to survive! read more

I was a long time supporter of this small business but their dispute with the local village has been a real turn off. Why can't they just follow the rules? read more

Italian beef is a bit short on taste and even though it was dipped, the meat was dry. Maybe it was just that day coz they have a lot of loyal customers including the one that recommended me to this place. read more

See all