I never understood the appeal in that "famed" breaded steak sandwich. I haven't had a breaded steak fom here in years decided to again I'm sorry I did, it just sucked. The breaded Steak is sometimes fatty,and served on a thick even tougher piece of bread that yanks your teeth out of your head with every bite. Beware denture wearers.Their greasy Fries...well are just greasy and gross. Also the eggplant sandwich, same issue, So bland in taste, I was bored half way through and I didn't even finish. And onto the pizza. I've tried them all thin, thick, stuffed. Eh, I've had better. With all the pizza choices in this snow town. This is not the holy grail of all pizzerias. Better off going somewhere else for pizza. This experience was the last time I'll ever,ever eat here again. read more

Good place for big groups to hang out and grab a bite for cheap. I heard that this place is known for their breaded steak sandwiches. I thought the steak sandwich was ok. It wasn't amazing but decent. It was VERY filling though, so be prepared to skip the next meal. The hotdog was the same - good but not great. I was looking for something green on the menu...but quickly figured out that this was not a salad place. Only carbs and dairy. Unless you count potato (fries) as a vegetable. What I did like was the milk shake. I got the vanilla shake and was happy to find that it was as rich, creamy and fatty as I had hoped for. read more

***ROACHES*** My husband said to me "I should have taken a picture." Yesterday (7/21/18) my husband and I are in Chicago I'm now 7 months pregnant literally craving everything decides let's go to Ricobene's. So we're going to try this again and the experience only gets worse. Waiting on our order I'm holding a conversation with hubby and pouring water in a cup looked up just under the menu and saw a bug on the wall. I asked him what's that and he said "baby it's a roach" I say to the lady that calling the orders 'you all have a roach on the wall' she gives me a nasty look so I point. As I'm pointing the taller guy that's assisting with removing the pizzas (that they sell by the slice) from the order window turns around to see the roach takes a white towel and slides it across the wall to quickly knock the roach behind the machines. My amazement was that the employees didn't appear to be surprised by the roach. As crowded as Ricobene's was last night when I turn around to see if anyone else saw the roach there was just an Asian guy standing behind us. Sam, view the cameras and get an exterminator out before someone calls the Department of Public Health out for an inspection. read more

Was visiting from Texas, and my boyfriend brought me here.. This place is AWESOME. HUGE portion sizes, we had to take most of our food back home. Food suggestions: *Brownie Bites* DO NOT LEAVE THIS PLACE UNTIL YOU ORDER THESE DELICIOUS MORSELS OF WONDERMENT. *The breaded steak sandwich.* Holy Moly. It was absolutely delicious. Kind of messy to eat, but once you get that sucker in your mouth you can't help but close your eyes and wonder why you've never eaten one before that moment. *Pizzas* Any of them! We had the margherita pizza and breaded steak pizza. YUM. The breaded steak pizza was definitely my favorite out of the two - so cheesy and delish. *Fries* Disclaimer: Yes, they're greasy. But if you're going to be eating bad anyway, then who cares!? They're worth your time, and you get a big brown bag full of them! I'll definitely be back here again! read more

Ehhhh. Best sandwich in the world? Maybe never. Maybe back when Chicagoans were sucking down Italian beefs and putting hot dogs up their dingus on a daily basis. But food has evolved..... and not to be a snobby goblin.... But this cheesecake factory was drunk food with a nostalgic marketing schema. As fast as our "Pack a day" Uncles die off....... This juice bar may dissolve. But until the Marlboro man sleeps in eternity. May their pride be intact and their capacity to evolve be ever expanding. read more

Meh. It was fine. Veggie pizza was cold, wings were slimy, mozzarella sticks were good. The price was reasonable but I don't think I'll come back again next time I'm in Chicago. read more

My chef made mashed potatoes at work and let me eat off the blender. I think this is started my downhill spiral that didn't stop until I ate a breaded steak sandwich with spicy giardinera at 1AM Friday morning. It was on the recommendation of a trusted friend, Miguel, who spoke so highly of the sandwich. When I picked up my girlfriend from work, it was a no-brainer. This sandwich is spicy, meaty and packs a punch of flavor that is going to be very, very satisfying. read more

Ricobene's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Looking for a spot to grab a quick bite........Ricobene's it is. Cheap, good, not too greasy goodness at a reasonable price. I was pleastanly surprised that my thin crust cheese pizza was delicious (rubbing my tummy remembering the flavorful sauce). I split an order of fries with my friend and they were scrumptous as well. Our total came out to be $10.11 for two slices of pizza, fries, and two drinks- Oh yeah! I am eager to go back and try one of their soft serve ice cream flavors- i have heard the swirls of fruit are the perfect way to end a meal. read more

So I have been going to this place since I was a wee little tot who was too young to understand that food in brown paper bags that are transparent are not good for your health. How come the life long patronage and yet the low rating you ask? Allow me to count the ways that Ricobene's has broken my heart. 1. "yeah ma'am, your food will be ready in 20 minutes. " They always, always lie about how long your food will take. You must tack on an additional 5 to 10 minutes to what they tell you. however, if you go over the 10 minute mark, it is guaranteed that your hot wings will have congealed into one amorphous blob of wings, sauce and potatoes. 2. "your food will be delivered within an hour, unless it is a deep dish pizza." Please see part 1. Again, they will lie lie lie lie like the dickens. I do feel sorry for the delivery drivers, they have to bear the pissy customers and cheap tips for late orders. Although, I do give them slack for when the snow is 2 feet deep and they have to take those tiny little trucks through Bridgeport side streets. 3. "Ma'am your food was ready 20 minutes ago and you were not here to pick it up and that is why all the hot stuff is now cold and the cold stuff is now warm." Yeah okay... whatever...see above. So you may gather that you should not get pick-up or delivery from here. However, I have had my problems with dine in as well. All the ladies that work the front counter have permanent scowls on their faces. They do not know how to say "Thank you," with any sincerity. Make sure that when you order pizza by the slice, the heat it in the oven for at least 3 minutes unless it is fresh out of the back kitchen. I have had many a mouthful of cold pizza. (P.S. there stuffed sausage is my FAVORITE when it is done right) Please be careful when you order the shakes and ice creams. Those machines do not get cleaned out as often as they should be. (Thanks for the heads up Sue) Although they are famous for there breaded steaks, sometimes they taste like shoe leather. I guess consistency is not one of their stronger suits. For a better bread steak, try La Milanese. Their Italian lemonades suck, they are made from powder. Since I did award 2 stars, there are some positives. 1. You will never feel unsafe here. There are always at least 3 cops in the joint. You may be in trouble if the crooks were runners though...these cops have not met a breaded steak that they did not like. 2. When the food is cooked properly, the stuffed sausage and four seasons pizza is really realllly yummy. Kinda like Russian roulette.... read more

This is another one of those places I have been coming to for 30+ years for many good reasons. Ok, lots of people have talked about the Breaded Steak and Pizza. Yes not all palates are the same. Some might not appreciate the enormous size of the BSS or the overwhelming amount of cheese that gets put on. Nor will they notice a full thick LAYER of sausage on the stuffed pizza. What makes this a 5 star review are the simple things: 1) they are open late at night. 2am on Saturdays. Great for us late night eaters. 2) Parking. A sandwich place has ample private parking in the city of Chi???? Rare. 3) FREE wireless Internet. 4) Size & cleanliness of the place. There is so much room that I never have a hard time sitting down to eat there. Not to mention you don't stick to the chairs. 5) WATER. With out having to ask for it. There are pitchers of iced water and cups at the counter. Sure, you can be silly an purchase a bottled water that tastes exactly the same, but why do that when you can get it free???? No waiting in line to ask for a refill. Just go get it. And yes, the food is great too. read more

I don't understand how they tell you an order pick up will take 30 mins but I have been waiting for an hour. I can't imagine how delivery service is. I arrived after the time I was giving and still nothing. It's better to eat in than ordering something because they don't have priority for orders. read more

I always get drug here when I am in Chicago with my band. I've come to love it. The place is big and open, and the workers are always nice. The pizza slices are cripsy and thick - the steak sandwich will fill you up. I usually have to sit on the toilet forever after this place, but it's worth it. read more

How delicious! I had the breaded steak and fries. Loved all of it. The steak is well seasoned and tender. The fresh cut potato fries delicious. Best breaded steak sandwiches in Chicago. I wish they had a North side location. read more

First time going there for the steak sandwich and all I can say is yum. I liked the fact also that it was clean and spacious and have their own parking lot across the street. Will return again. read more

Alright, I must admit that I am a bit biased when writing this review, as this restaurant brings a lot of nostalgic memories for me. I've been coming here since I was a kid, and I remember when it was a tiny place where you would just sit outside and order your food through the window. I recall sitting here with my dad and chowing down on some delicious italian beef sandwiches. Alas, this place is now pretty big and has a lot of seating. There is a parking lot across the street that is free. They have a lot of the typical Italian junk food, but I would highly recommend you get a sandwich. I come here for their deliciously prepared Italian beef sandwiches, the meat is very flavorful and the sandwich is very juicy. I also really enjoy their huge, super juicy meatball sandwiches. The fries are alright, nothing to go crazy over, but pizza slices are pretty good too. This place has been a staple for me over the years, I suggest you go give their sandwiches a try if you're in the area. read more

I have fond memories of eating the breaded steak sandwiches as a child. It had been over 10 years since I ate one, but I got a craving for one recently. You stand in one line to order your food and another to pick it up. I was surprised about how quickly I received my order. I ordered their famous breaded steak sandwich with cheese and sweet peppers and an order of fries. I received my order in less than 5 minutes. In terms of taste, the sandwich was good, but lukewarm at best. The meat was not fresh. It was obvious the fries were fried twice. Disgusting! They had potential for being good fries. It's not surprising I received my food so quickly. I suspect the food had been sitting out before it was served to me. The customer service was mediocre at best. Some customer service training would be helpful for the staff. What's so hard about greeting customers and thanking them? Sadly, I probably won't be returning again. read more

By far the BEST BREADED STEAK SANDWICH EVER! The taste just lingers in your mouth And you want more!! I love it!!!!!! I could live off them

Just finished a long day at a trade show at McCormick. A worker at the show recommended this neighborhood spot. The breaded steak sandwich was awesome. Ask for cheese and peppers. A little extra but well worth it. The regular was more than enough for one hungry man. Don't expect any fancy ambience. It is a great neighborhood dive. read more

Everyone raves about their steak sandwiches here, but that's not the only sandwich I like here. They have a great Italian Beef, Chicken Vesuvio, and Eggplant sandwich that's rich and gooey with melted mozzarella cheese. Their fresh cut fries are great, too. I like that they pile the beef on their Italian Beef sandwiches unlike Al's Italian Beef where their portions and prices have escalated. read more

I hate having to write this review because i do love Ricobene's food. But i rarely get it anymore since they've closed the Orland Park location (as well as 83rd Cicero, and the Pulaski location) I live on the far southside so the only time I can get it is if I'm driving to/from the city and I can make a special trip there, which is very rare. Sad to say but i only get a chance go there once every couple of years now. So why am I writing a 1-star review? Because yesterday was my rare chance to go. On our way back from a bday party un in the city, i decided to take my fiancé here because she has never been. The Sox game just ended so the line was long, but whatever, the place has great food so we were prepared to wait in line for a long time. We finally got our to-go order and off we went. An hour later once we got home, we noticed they forgot to give us our mushrooms and ranch sauce. I told my fiancé its not even worth calling them about since i doubt ill be back there till the year 2020. She said she's still calling anyway to at least get my credit card refunded for the missed items. She called and they said they would not credit my card back the difference. So they will accept credit cards but not refund when they f#ck up? That's awful. The lady manager said i can come in to get my mushrooms and ranch. We told her we live nowhere near Ricobene's and she didn't care. It's not even about the $, i mean it's only 7 bucks. It's more that the lady was unapologetic and did absolutely nothing to try to help resolve the situation, as she really thinks we're going to make a 2-hour roundtrip to pick up some f#cking mushrooms which THEY forgot. Just awful customer service..maybe that's part of the reason every single Ricobene's outside of 26th has closed. I'm officially done with you guys after yesterday's bs. Hope not reimbursing us our measly 7 bucks was worth it. read more

Wow, Blast from the past. Growing up a block from Ricobene's and then having a grandmother that lived a block away, meant I spent a lot of time at the various incarnations of Ricobene's. Home of the Breaded Steak Sandwich? Pizza? I will pass on them. There are 3 things I come for: Chicken Vesuvio, Hot Wings, and Creamy Bowlful Frozen Custard. Chicken Vesuvio. This sounds healthy but it is NOT. Your heart will stop from the BUTTER sauce that they fry this in. This butter sauce then drenches your bread. This sandwich would make Paula Dean scream in ecstasy if you add bacon to it. Then there is MAYO, lettuce onion and tomato with it. *I am not responsible for any cardiopulmonary problems that may arise from this sandwich.* Hot Wings. I do NOT get this for the hot wings. I get this dish just to get to the FRIES underneath. The wing grease and the hot sauce combine to form a liquid HEAVEN that flows to the fries and soaks them in uber-orgasm. Warning: it is a vinegar based sauce so some people might find the wings revolting. Frozen Custard. Ok, it's not as good as Culver's but it comes DANGEROUSLY close. But what give Ricobene's the slight edge? It's not proximity to me. It's the fact that you can order FRIES with the Frozen Custard. This sounds stupid but try it ONCE. get a "swirl" which is a mix of chocolate and vanilla. Then take your HOT fry and dip it into the custard. eat fry with a slight coating of custard. Ze taste buds, they dance with joy! Why am I only giving it 3 stars? 2 words. Cheese Fries. I have been going to Rico's for over 20 years. Yes I started as a toddler. No I am not eye-talian. BUT the old old cheese fries were OMG OMG OMG great. The oldtimers will know what I'm talking about. The cheese fries that was NEON Orange and made with what seems to be a cheese PASTE that at times seemed slightly powdery. They have recently replaced it with this watered down nacho cheese toilet water. This is a TRAJESTY! (Its a word I made up, can you figure out which words I compounded) You can easily identify Ricobene's because it is on 26th Street and it looks like a police station based on all the CPD squads parked out front. Oh, there are also free refills and they have Cherry Coke on tap. If you have any problems at Rico's, go ask for ROCCO. He's an old buddy that I grew up with (and always got in trouble at school with). He's the manager of the joint. read more

I placed a delivery order today on their website, and after an hour and half, I called for a status on this order. I was told that their printer failed to print the order - so my order hadn't been made. No apology was given. When I requested a refund of my order, I was told I had to wait three days because of the bank. When I asked for an email confirming my order would be refunded, I was told that was impossible. I was repeatly told this was not their fault. I was never apologized to, not once, for the inconvenience. While I understand mistakes happen, the terrible customer service I received and the lack of respect given by their employees has moved this place to the never again list. read more

One of my favorite food joints in Chicago! I can't review on anything but the breaded steak sandwich since I get it every time and have for years. I always get the red gravy rather than brown. You can get additional things added for toppings, but I eat it as is. Usually, I order a king size and get some extra bread so I can make several sandwiches. When I moved away from the area, my brother (who was living in Arizona where I was heading) had me pick up some Ricobene's for him before I flew out. These sandwiches made a second trip to Arizona when some of my family came to visit me. :) It has always been a family favorite for all of my immediate family. I will definitely miss these delicious sandwiches until I'm back in Chicago for a visit. I would eat these breaded steak sandwiches everyday if I could! read more

Dear breaded steak sandwich, I have dreams about you. I am drooling right now thinking about you. I am so glad I took a picture because I frequently look at it and remember the good times. I can't wait until we can do it again. Until then.... Dan read more

I've been coming to Ricobene's since I was a little girl and I still love this place. I don't live on the south side, but I make the trek to Ricobene's as often as possible, and never pass it up if I'm going to a game at the Cell. The breaded steak isn't my favorite (I just don't love marinara sauce), but everyone else who tries it, loves it. The Italian beef is fantastic. Juicy and comes with a pile of mozzarella. The fries are freshly cut, greasy and soggy = delicious. Ask for a cup of cheese on the side. It's totally worth the extra calories. While these are my favorite things, the deep dish sausage pizza and traditional Chicago dog aren't to be missed either. During the summer, I always end my meal with an Italian ice. read more

I think I've only actually been here once, but my dad has been feeding us Ricobene's since I was a kid. As an Italian native of Bridgeport, my dad knows his Italian food & his Italian fast food. He would stop by my grandmother's and return ladden down with some combination of eggplant or chicken parm, Italian beef, meatball, & pepper-and-egg sandwiches. Even years later, if he went down there for any reason, he'd return with 42,000 calories worth of food. Everything is delicious. Why? Because health is not a concern; taste is. Half a sandwich is easily a meal. It's not a place I would often treat myself to, and as a north-sider I have rare occassion to be in the neighborhood since I no longer have any family there, but I still think they're delicious and the fond memories make it even tastier. If I did happen to be nearby, I'd stop in for an eggplant parm for sure. read more

The gigantic breaded steak sandwich is what dreams are made of, and diets are ditched for. Yes, the sauce will soak the bun and it can't be eaten in the car while you drive. I ask for extra cheese and use a fork. It makes two meals. I'm also a fan of the pizza and milkshakes. I didn't think the chicken parm was that great, and I always wish the fries were better. The restaurant is huge, clean, usually a few cops. The service is friendly and I get the impression there are a few owners/ family member working at all times. There's a huge parking lot area across the street. They're open pretty late too, 2am on Friday and Saturday. read more

This place has been around forever and it is still really busy at times, so they must be doing something right. I have been coming here all my life and the food has been consistently the same, which is good. The good: 1) Chicken Vesuvio - this is my favorite sandwich to get here, but be warn that this can get down right greasy. 2) Breaded Steak - this is probably what they are known for, but I have tried better...Still good nonetheless. Make sure to get this with hot peppers and mozzarella cheese. 3) Chili Cheese Dog - this comes with fries and you can't go wrong with it. 4) 4 Season Pizza - my favorite pizza here hands down, but most of their pizza is good. The bad: I for one am not a favorite of their wings, especially the bbq ones. The skin is really thick and the sauce is blah. read more

This place is a Chicago institution. For locals, not tourists. The Chicken Parm is legendary. Juicy chicken, perfectly cooked, slathered with tasty homemade red sauce, and fantastic bread. The pizza is close to the best. Fries. Chocolate Shake. I could go on and on. Check it out. You will come back. read more

RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE people work here. My husband grew up on their food (his mom does not cook). So he gets delivery from here all the time. I've ordered in a couple of times, and they were always rude and snippy. I made a comment to my husband about their rudeness and he said that that's just how Bridgeport people are (he grew up in Bridgeport). So fine, whatever. Anyways, on this one particular sad ocassion, my family and I went there for a quick bite to eat because we had just been at a funeral a couple blocks down. It was obvious because at least 10 of us came in dressed in black (quite the attention grabber). So we ordered our food and the cashier yelled at me for giving her too much money when paying... She said: " What is THIS? (looks at the money in disgust), what's going on here?!!" I say: "oh, sorry, I'm a bit frazzled". She said: "Whatever" (rolls her eyes at me). She just made me feel like an idiot. Have some freakin' compassion lady! if not for me, then for anyone else whose having a bad day and want the comfort of eating the junk food there! read more

As a former lifelong customer of theirs I can clearly state. Absolutely the worst service in Chicago, Delivery guy never showed up and when I spoke to the manager, she claimed he called me, I offered to send them a screen shot of my call log and the manager literally hung up on me. and when I requested my money back, she said, and I quote that's between you and your bank. Absolutely the worst service in Chicago. The worst part was that I had bragged about the place and ordered the sandwiches for friends from out of town, read more

Solid sandwich...still. Had the regular breaded steak sandwich, with mozz and sweet peppers, hot giardinara on the side. Heard the chicken vesuvio is top notch, so gonna give that a shot next run through. Arincini (rice) balls. Had potential but fell a bit short. Solid fries. Great place on 26th. So sorry the one on 159th and Pulaski closed, but all for the better. Just not the same quality. Conceptually solid, but failed execution on the franchisee side I imagine. Great fries as always. Very clean, bright place. There were open late. I hit them up after the sox game. The pizzas looked really good but didnt have a chance to try em read more

I visited the place for the very first time and everything that my co-workers said was right. The place has a nice ambiance and the staff were so friendly and accommodating. They have a wide selection on their menu but our co-worker suggested that we should get their breaded steak sandwich and so we did. The sandwich has a nice portion, at first look it was kind of messy but it has a great flavor, perfect seasoning and it was just basically delicious. Great food and great service. The place is overall amazing and highly recommended! I would love to be back and explore their menu. read more

Meatball sandwich, dipped, w/sweet peppers, giardinera on the side and fries Unbelieveable .....that is all........ read more

Having grown up in Chicago I never got the opportunity come here, now after 40 years I was introduced to this place by my cousin and I truly enjoyed their Italian beef. Good food and great ambiance. read more

Ricobene's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place was sooo good I went for the first time today with a friend and the food was incomparable! Pros: fast service enough space to sit comfortably Cons: parking was a little annoying not very well organized they have a young girl at the register with a whole lot of attitude! Food was so good her attitude did not bother me read more

I've eaten here since the early 90's and nothing has changed. That's a good thing because their food is just awesome. I've had their burgers and Italian beef but what draws me here is the breaded steak sandwich. It's just so unique and sooooo good. Not saying the burgers and Italian beef are bad but the breaded steak is on another level of good. There used to be a location in the southwest suburbs that I would frequent rather than drive into the city. Sadly that location closed, people there probably didn't realize how good they had it, so my trips to the one on 26th street were limited due to the travel time. Fries are a definite, you can't eat here without getting the fries. My go to food is the breaded steak with sweet peppers. I can't eat much cheese but when I could, I enjoyed the mozzarella on it. The breaded steak is a perfect combination of breaded steak, bread and your choice of topping. Get the king size with fries and that's enough to feed you for the day. read more

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I work from home and my lunch typically consists of whatever I have handy in the fridge, I had decided that I needed a break and wanted to order out. Ricobene's has great reviews and since I recently moved to the neighborhood I thought that I would give them a try. I placed an order online for delivery and got the fried steak and some jalapeño poppers. The delivery took almost an hour and a half (at lunch time) and I live about 4 blocks away. I ordered the food right at 11am which is when they start delivering. When I finally got the food they had forgotten to include some items but didn't forget to charge me for them. The sandwich was still warm but the bread was completely soggy. The poppers were the standard frozen kind and were nothing special. When I called to speak with the manager they did offer to remake the order but I was so hungry and frustrated I told them not to bother. They ended up giving me a credit for the delivery charge and the item they forgot but it is highly unlikely that I will be ordering from them again. Not sure why it would ever take an hour and a half to drive 4 blocks, had I known that it was going to take this long I would have ordered for pick up or not at all.. Overall not the best experience and not the best food. read more

I first visited this gem in the early 1980's. The area hasn't changed much, except the lot across the street is officially their parking, not just an informal place under the Dan Ryan. You come here for the food. Not fancy but something I would crave for the many years I lived away. And when I'd visit, if I could only make it to one place Ricobene's was the spot. Their breaded steak sandwich, or as we always called it, their rug sammich, is unique and phenomenal. As much a signature as Primanti Brothers in Pittsburgh. They now have several sizes, but I always get the king size, ordered "sweet & hot." One kind of sweet peppers; either jalapeños or giardiniera may be added as hot; I invariably select the latter. I've never tried the up-charge mozzerella on top, as it doesn't need it. Their homemade marinara coats the fresh italian bread in which sits a giant piece of super-thin breaded steak. MOLTO BENE! Drinks are pricy. Italian ice is great in the summertime. The photos on the wall give the place more charm than when it was a tiny take away joint with only a few stools. Do not go here if you have outstanding warrants, as there will always be at least one uniformed CPD officer there---another sign they're doing something right. read more

This place is a staple in Chicago for a reason. Everything they have is exceptional! Pizza, fries, dogs, burgers, you name it! But if you're only ordering one thing, get the Breaded Steak with Mozzarella and Peppers. If I wouldn't die an early death from eating those every day, I would do that. Finally see what the hub-ub is about! read more