Stopped in on a weekday in the middle of the day and was greeted by, well, nothing really. Nobody in the restaurant. Nobody behind the counter. Nothing at all. Eventually a kid shuffles out from some back room and up to the cash register and just stood there staring at us. By that time, I had already looked the menu over and decided that there were few choices and high prices, so we left. It looks like a great place from the outside. Very large building. Great curb appeal. But once you get past the front door, it suddenly morphs into a complete zero. read more

I agree with many of the commentators regarding this place. Don't go there if you're really hungry. The wait in the drive thru is ridiculous. They'd be better off sending the hot dog through UPS. There is usually some snotty old lady or some 14 year old Justin Bieber lookalike at the drive thru window. I am amazed that this place is still in business with its poor customer service and bloated pricing. read more

Since my last review, we've been there for lunch a couple of times, mainly because we wanted to shop at the associated butcher shop, for which I continue to give raves. However, at the restaurant, I've had the opportunity to try an Italian Sausage sandwich, and their beef/sausage combo. The food is still unremarkable, except for the fresh-cut french fries, which are really good. The sausage and the combo were not anywhere as good as most of the Portillo locations that I have been to. I can't quite determine the difference. The beef seems more flavored at Portillo's. The sausage is different. Maybe it is grilled at Portillo's. Maybe it is the bread that's different. Anyway, since I get tired of hot dogs, which are fine at Joe's Place, I'm dropping my rating of Joe's Place. I suppose we will continue to go there to eat, since the butcher shop/deli is excellent. On Sat, our last visit, I got two nice Choice NY strip sirloins, cut & trimmed to order for $9.99/lb. (At Jewel, on the day before they had choice NY strips (thin cut only) for $14/lb.) I have yet to try one of their hamburgers. Perhaps, next time. read more

We went here on a Sunday night. First of all they did not have 2 things on the menu that my daughter was interested in. Then it took over 40 minutes for a simple chicken sandwich and chicken / paste dinner. We had to take it to go. When we got back home it was missing some of the side dishes. The side salads we ordered were lifeless iceberg creatiopn with rock hard yellow tomatoes (are you kidding me-in the midwest). The staff was unopologetic ("we are everywhere"). Don't wast your money!!! read more

Dont waste your time. Sat in the drive thru for 20 min to get a combo & cheese fries. The kid didnt know what dipped meant ..... How can u work at a beef place and not know what dipped is?! The beef was disgusting ... No flavor, dry meat, the sausage was blah and way over cooked. Even asking for it dipped the bread was CRUNCHY DRY. Fries were decent, but cheese sauce tasted watered down. Major waste of 20 min and $12!!!! Go to mcdonalds or subway! read more

Please check your pop machine. Went to get pop and one of the flavors is dripping down instead of coming out like pop. The wait for food is crazy try and hire more to get food out faster. read more

when your out in the middle of nowhere aka where i live, this place isnt bad for a dog or buger. they have a huge menu so il keep ya posted next time. Also have a meat market in the front that looks good read more

Highly recommend the chicken parm. Overall pretty solid food and service. I've had the beef, wings, and fries from here. I'll vouch for the fries and wings. read more

Has great food, the selection is nice as well. The nicest places in Marengo. Sometimes it has a little wait but not often. Highly recommended read more

Love the strawberry spinach salad and it is 2 servigs, but the price hurts. The fries are AWFUL. The oil, something, these just are not right. I've had the gyros and hot dogs, but these things are nothing with bad fries. Service is slow but they call this out on the menu, "fresh takes time". read more

We drive through here on our way north and stop often. But only if we have an hour to spare. This place is S.L.O.W. Like, wait 20-30 minutes for fast food style items. That said, the food is pretty tasty. My parents are big fans of the broasted chicken special on Wednesday nights. And yes, I said broasted. Google it. The employees I encountered were very nice, especially the older woman serving/bussing the tables. She went out of her way to stop by several times to see if we needed anything. She was clearly busy and overworked, but still exuded friendliness. Most people could take a page from her book. read more

I had the Italian Beef and it was very good. My husband had the two hot dogs with fries, very good too. The fries are GREAT !! However, the wait for our sandwiches was about 20 - 25 minutes. It shouldn't be that long of a wait for a couple of sandwiches. It was Friday at lunch time, we walked in and our order was taken as soon as we walked in. It wasn't that busy. The place is nice but be ready to wait for your order. read more

Joe's Place - Hot dogs, beef & fries !! Good - Pizza Near Me - Marengo, Illinois

Found Joes via Google search near our campground and liked the variety of choices for my family. Everything from pizza to hoagies to wings and beer. Mozzarella sticks were delicious and so were the fresh cut fries! My burger wasn't seasoned very well but I actually don't like when restaurants try to mask the flavor of the beef. The pizza my family members shared was large but a bit disappointing. Thin crust pizza reminded them of pizza we could get at a chain like Cici's. Not a bad option for dinner if you like variety, but a little pricey. Almost missed the place too - it's not in a building I would say is a restaurant, and had it not been for a couple of neon beer signs in the windows, we might not have thought it was the right place. read more

I never went to the old Joe's Place but I stopped by the one open now. I don't know why everyone is bum rapping this place. I thought the food was excellent and priced competitively and the place is VERY clean. My only complaint is it seemed the burger should be bigger. Why would you give a place a bad review because they have a teenager working there starting out and they made a mistake? Unbundle your undies and take a drink. If you think you're gonna get a better meal at Subway or Micky D's well good luck. Ignore all the 1 star reviews here and give this place a try. Nice people and good food. read more

Not a bad option for this small town. It is similar to a Portillo's but I think this place is better. If you are not sure what you are hungry for, there are plenty of food choices here! This is not a "fast food" place like McDonald's. The food is made fresh so there is a little bit of a wait. Everyone is friendly, the dining area is kept clean, and the dining atmosphere is great. read more

overall food was ok. wings were not cooked thorough enough and still a little raw. don't go by prices on the website as they are not updated. my bill was 28% higher than the website menu. read more

I know this past year has been extremely difficult for the restaurant industry as well as to many people, but this doesn't mean you completely forget customer service. We were first introduced to Joe's Place back when our children attended Marian Central Catholic HS as Joe is an alumni and catered many of their events. One of the items my wife absolutely fell in love with is Joe's Vodka Penne Sauce. Over the years, we have made an unknown number of trips from Lake in the Hills to Marengo just to bring home quarts of this sauce. About a week and a half ago, I called ahead to have two quarts ready and was told by the employee taking the order that she had found my previous order in their system by using my cell phone number and there would be no problem getting the sauce ready. The price for two quarts of sauce is over $16, but we wanted to support Joe's place since this has been a horrible year. I drove to Marengo and picked up the sauce through the drive through. I had to run multiple errands that day and did not open the package from Joe's until later and noticed that I received two quarts of their regular Penne sauce and not their Vodka Penne Sauce. I called back and was told by Debbie that the person taking the order wrote it down wrong for the kitchen. I asked, what can be done now that I have to spend an hour of my time and gas to drive back to Marengo to get the proper product. I was told they would just replace the sauce. I made the trip the following day and this time I went into the restaurant to pick up the sauce, met with Debbie again and express my frustration that I had to make 2 trips to Marengo, the order taker confirmed my order as it was in their system, and what could be done to compensate me. She told me that they would only replace the sauce. I asked if they could add an additional quart to compensate my time and costs, or even offer a free quart for my next order, and all suggestions were flat out denied. Upon returning home we called and left a message to speak to Joe directly as we have supported his business for years and his staff was not willing to support his customers. Over the past week and a half, we must have left at least a half a dozen messages for Joe and no return call. We were informed that Joe had an emergency last week and hadn't been in the restaurant much. Last Friday I was told he is expected back in this past Monday. I called again on Monday, spoke with Barb, whom I have talked to several times recently, and was told my message would be brought to Joe's attention. 48 hours later, no return phone call and even today I was asked if I wanted to leave another message. I am truly disappointed that I have to write this post as I expected more from a Marian Alumni and the values they taught him and his staff's lack of customer service. They make a mistake, confirm they made the mistake and do nothing to support their customer. There are many Italian restaurants in the area that will take our business and I firmly believe the cost of the sauce is significantly below the $8/quart I was charged, so there is plenty of margin to try to work out a compromise to keep customers, but their customer service also seems to be a victim of Covid-19 and has died as will my business with this restaurant. read more

I love their wings. First time I had them I almost sent them back based in their color. They are very good though. Not too spicy (and I love spicy), and a good flavor. I have also liked most other items that I have tried off of the menu. That said, I have recommended this place to a few people and taken a few other groups with me as well. EVERY time I took a group with me, somebody in my group had their food majorly delayed, and we're not talking big groups. So, I stopped recommending Joe's. I decided to stop in last night after not eating here for over a year. I got the wings... They showed up after 25 minutes and no apology. The three employees that I said something to could have cared less and tried to pass me off as soon as possible. There was one lady cleaning tables who was sympathetic, but this was not enough to bring me back. After multiple disappointments over several years I will not be back. There are plenty of other places to eat... read more

I love this place so much. But I am very very disappointed that we call 45 minutes before close and you guys decide not to answer the phone probably because you close soon. I have never been unhappy with you guys but tonight I am! 45 damn minutes is a long time before close, I know this, I work retail, it's the same. So disappointed, we had a really big order, too. A lot of money you guys just missed out on. If you're OPEN until 10, you should actually answer the phones. read more

So joes place is good I've been there multiple times. All there food is great. I've been recommended this place by everyone. Best place in marengo by far. read more

since they moved to current location their prices have gone thru the roof . the drive thru is slow they lost me as a customer.

I love the Italian sub sandwiches however this week I got one to go, it did not have a number of items it normally has, no onions, no peppers. You guys need to do better read more

My buddy juan recommended this place to me and I must say very good food my food came out very fast. Thank you joe!!!!!!:)

Amazing experience! Food was delicious and employees were great! Can't wait to go back.

As always great food. Moved from Marengo 2 years ago to TN ,was back in town best hot dogs ever. Fresh fries. Down here in TN great hot dogs are to find. Even more impossible to find any Italian beef anywhere! !!! LOVE THE RENDERS read more

I really have only had their delivery service but for the last 6 years of living in Marengo, I have nothing bad to say. The food is good, the delivery is on time, and they've always gotten my order right. It's slim pickings around here but have been very happy with Joe's!! read more

Yuck!!!!!!! we got a gyro,a beef & a dog...no flavor on the beef at all!!! They forgot the peppers & the gyro was not good either.the worker had an attitude too,never once did he say thank you.After bringing food to the table,I said thank you...he said NOTHING & just walked away.NEVER AGAIN WILL WE GO THERE!!!!!! Oh yeah & the price was ridiculous!!! read more

I can't even give this place one star we went there today the food was terrible we went there a couple weeks ago to get a hot dog we wait 30 minutes In the drive-through I figured to give it another shot today read more

They have really good french fries, but they are so outrageous it is crazy!! I love their ranch there, but it is 80 cents or so for a small cup of it!! They do not have a italian beef that is good in my view.. it is dry, and has no flavor, and the people who work there are a little rude if I do not say so myself... wouldn't recommend it... !! read more

Thought I'd try the place because I drive passed it daily. Ordered a 1/3 burger and a hot dog with chili and cheese. The meal took about 10 minutes to prepare, at the end of which I was handled a stapled bag. Since no one had advised me what would be on the sandwich, I took it that it was complete and left. When I got home, I noticed that the hot dog had chili, but that the "cheese" (that was added at an extra charge) was of the same grade as the kind you put on nachos: that chemical glop. Both the chili and cheese were weak in flavor and character, and the choice to grill the hot dog helped to make it tough and difficult to chew and digest. But what really upset me was the burger. It had nothing on it but the cheese! While I waited, I saw no place to add toppings, nor was I asked or advised I needed to add or specify things like lettuce, onions, ketchup, pickles... anything. I took a bite of it but found it also to be bland and (oddly for freshly cooked meat) very dry. This restaurant charges far too much for that level of service. My choice from here on is to keep driving passed them. read more

I like the old Joe's better. Now the prices are higher, and the food is not as good. Go ahead and ask the person that takes your order a question out of the ordinary and you get a deer in the headlight look. Employees should know the workings of the whole operation not just their station. read more

Average food (burgers, hotdogs, and pizza) in the middle of this small town. It's nothing that stands out as spectacular. And there's usually quite a wait for food to arrive. The workers have been extremely friendly & even gave my kids both a small gift our last visit. That was pretty awesome, and something I'd never seen. I don't know if it's something they do for all (because it hasn't happened previously) or if it was just something they happened to do that day. But for keeping the kids happy, they get an extra star! read more

Great food and great service. Never had a bad meal from Joe's. Also love to support places that do so much for a community.

Horrible. Horrible . Horrible . Plan on waiting around 25-30 minutes for your order regardless of what you order. A bunch of 18 year olds working here that could care less about customer service. Got their chicken wrap which I could've bought at 7 eleven for $2 and waited about 5 minutes instead of spending $8 and waiting 25 minutes. Will never go back. I don't know how this business has managed to make it so long in Marengo. read more

The food was ok, but, I think they spent too much time and energy on trying to make the place look like Portillo's. If only they had put as much time and energy in making the food as good. The place is clean and the staff able and friendly enough, but, the acoustics in the building make it extremely loud in there. It doesn't help that they have 50's music blaring. read more

Poor service. Never the same twice, if you get some thing that is some what decent once don't expect to get it again. Even the salads are inconsistant. They have pretty good pizza but it is so over priced. We like the fresh cut fries, when they are fresh and not old, which we have gotten unfortunatly. The best thing going for Joe's is the kids READING COUNTS pizza program they offer to the school. read more

Overpriced, poor to mediocre food. Liked the old Joe's. This one is trying to be a Portillo's and doesn't come close to pulling it off.

Ate there last month. Nothing has changed. It's not a nice atmosphere and the food..well the food is not great. I had the pizza and wished we had gone elsewhere the moment I took my first bite. I don't know why we even stopped in because we have never had a good meal here. read more

I liked it, but go figure, I don't care for Portillo's. Food was good, not outragous, dug the fries. They did a special order for my wife without attitude and a smile. Service was quick, been there 3 times now and not a bad visit. read more

Good food. Large portions for a decent price. Fresh cut fries are great. Fried chicken is really good. Italian beef and Italian sausage are also good. Service is not the fastest, but expected for made to order food like you will get here. Worth stopping in for lunch or a low key dinner. read more