If you want a true taste of Chicago, skip the deep dish and head straight to Ricobene's. The fried beef sandwich here is the real deal, hands down the best thing I've eaten in this city. It's like a chicken parm got a South Side makeover. The steak is sliced thin and fried until it's perfectly golden and crisp, but still melt-in-your-mouth tender. That crunch when you bite in is next level, the kind of texture you only get when someone really knows what they're doing at the fryer. The marinara sauce has that perfect Chicago style sweetness and depth, rich, slow-cooked flavor that soaks into the soft French roll without making it soggy. Add the melted mozzarella and some spicy peppers on top, and it's a perfect balance of crispy, saucy, cheesy, and spicy in every bite. Forget the tourist traps, this is the kind of sandwich Chicagoans brag about. 10/10, a must try. If I could only eat one thing in Chicago again, this would be it. read more

Ricobene's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ricobene's a classic Chicago institution and it had been one of my oldest Yelp bookmarks up until recently. If you are driving here, there is a nice size free parking lot across the street and also street parking. I ordered their famous breaded steak sandwich and was not disappointed. I also tried their arancini, but just thought it was ok. The sandwich was the show of my meal and I enjoyed my experience here. read more

What a gem of a place. Just 8 min walk from the bus area. Spent $19 on 3 pizza slice (huge slice) and we were full The breaded steak pizza was very enjoyable. We didn't get to try their sandwiches as we were in a hurry. They also have a dedicate parking lot across the place if you are in town driving. Definitely will try their other menu when we get back. And their Italian ice was so good. read more

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My favorite place as a kid! The food is amazing love the Italian ice. Definitely give this place a try read more

Ricobene's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Another place where you have to just/must go. We were in town for Sox Fest and we tried on some local recommendations. Lord! It was all good. We tried a little bit of everything. Pizza was amazing, the sandwiches were fire and the sides (fries, mozzarella stick) were great as well. Service was friendly. For Chicago the dining space was large and ample seating. Another huge plus for this place is actual parking. Only miss was the custard which was more ice milk than custard or ice cream. read more

nothing from ricobenes will EVER not taste good. i wish i had 59 stomachs so i could eat the whole menu in one sitting

The food is mediocre and I am appalled by the service. The breaded steak is nothing to write home about.

5 stars!! Love the breaded steak sandwich. I'd pass on their fries though. Too soggy !! Pizza is decent

Great friendly service, excellent open seating, ready pizza slides while you wait for your sandwiches. Had the meatball and steak sandwich. The sauce is incredible. Much different than the sauce they use on their pasta btw. Would skip the fries and onion rings next time. Nothing special. read more

The meatball sandwich was phenomena! Most of their sandwiches are tasty tbh. the pizza was too greasy. Good service and affordable.

Probably the best breaded steak and chicken parm sandwich you can have. The cheeseburger was delicious also. This needs to be a chain restaurant and not just a single restaurant. Thank you for always being very consistent with your food and on time deliveries. read more

classic chicago greasy fries, and great chicken farm sandwich. My fave is the cherry italian ice.

Always remember as a kid that the Sandwiches were delicious. Still are to this day. And I love them

3.9/5. I'm just rating what I got. The popular fried steak sandwich. Btw free parking across the street which is nice in a busy place like Chicago. Inside is huge and it gets busy and packed first hr of open. This place is like a hangout spot. Anyways the sandwich very much tasted like potbelly's very own meatball marinara sandwich also known as "mamas meatball". Only difference is at Rico's you're eating fried steak. And maybe different bread. Also it's pricier here compared to potbelly's. Yeah it's local so what, I'm rating this on the actual food itself. But cool spot tho. read more

Always super busy, always consistent. Pretty quick service as long as there's no game crowds there

Ricobenes is still amazing after all of these years. Get yourself a breaded steak sandwich and enjoy! read more

Ricobene's - Eating a to-go Breaded Steak Sandwich - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Each year I come to Chicago for the Midwest Band Clinic. Precovid a friend showed me Ricobene's and I really dug it was a neighborhood spot with good food. Today I returned for a second time with a friend and had the cheese fries and breaded steak sandwich. They have done some renovating since the last time I was there. Or I just didn't notice the other seating area with the window view. We hung out and waited for the food while the place was packed. When we walked in it was wall to wall people waiting for orders. Which is always a good sign. The cheese fries were good and weren't overly salty. Next time I plan on trying the chili cheese fries. The breaded steak sandwich was bomb dot com. I added the sweet peppers (bell peppers) which was a nice touch with the melted mozzarella cheese. I will return. read more

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Bought a steak sandwich, filled with hot peppers after I ordered NO peppers and my husband couldn't eat it at all. We live miles away and come to visit this store once a year. My hisband said to complain. But I said no. We called the store who admitted They made the mistake and they wanted us to bring g the sandwich back. As mentioned we don't live anywhere near the store. does he want me to hold it for another year? Bad policy for those who can't bring the sandwich back. read more

Great place for a filling and delicious meal! My fav is the chicken vizuvio sandwich with cheese fries! Pizza by the slice is also a great options! Love that it's open late night! read more

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People always will try to find a replacement for the original cause people are never satisfied. This place checks all the boxes for fuel for a Chicagoan. From the time you pull in under the viadock park and walk across the street you are hooded. Then you smell the food and it's 100% over. read more

Hot damn! The breaded steak sandwich at this place is absolutely mind blowing. I had the regular size one, and good thing too because even that was big enough to feed a horse. I definitely did not need the fries to go with it, and yet, despite their greasy floppiness, they too were bizarrely addictive. Wow that was really something else, I would definitely come back here. If you come here, make sure you have a major appetite - and be sure to load up on the napkins, because you're going to need them. read more

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I have been coming here for years but not as often as I would like so I never seemed to review them until now. They are definitely deserving, I mean.. one of Chicago's Best am I right? Everyone truly comes here for one reason & one reason only, the breaded steak sandwich with mozzarella cheese & giardineira is definitely the start of the show! Their pizza is also pretty good depending on your taste, I know every Chicagoan complains about either deep dish or tavern style but theirs reminds me of Lou Malnati's crust with the corn meal in it. The vibe has dive written all over it. They have tables & chairs but no servers, only counter service..definitely efficient for the large crowds. Last time I was here was about 6 months to a year ago so I decided to snag 2 King sized breaded steaks with the works as I explained above for my ride back home. Figured I could have one immediately after arriving from my hour trip out of the city & one for the following days if I worked up another itch for it. These things(King sized) are so huge(about 8" long & 3" wide), I could only eat half at a time so the combined two sandwiches lasted me about a week which was perfect. I don't eat the same meal twice in a row or two days in a row rather so I had enough to not crave it again for awhile. Definitely recommend it to all, whether local or tourist..ya won't be disappointed. As for the locals who haven't tried it, you're absolutely missing out! read more

Ricobene's - 6" Breaded Steak Sandwich with Mozzarella & Sweet peppers..not sure if it's worth $13 but very good - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm going to bury the lead... Ricobene's has one of the best Italian Beefs in all of Chicagoland. They call it the Sicilian Beef. I call it delicious! My wife agrees. Okay, here's the lead: Ricobene's Famous Breaded Steak Sandwich is on my Mount Rushmore of best Chicago Sandwiches. This place is an institution. It has probably been over 20 years since I've had their Breaded Steak Sandwich...and it hasn't changed a bit! I told my wife it is exactly how I remember it! If you haven't been here, you need to come taste for yourself! read more

Great historic spot for some extremely good-but-unhealthy eats - LOL! My husband always gets the breaded steak sandwich, which I guess is their bestseller and staple menu item (pictured). In the past I've gotten the banana milkshake, chocolate milkshake, pepper and egg sandwich, and chicken noodle soup. I usually always get a salad as a side too because I never fathom eating this food without at least considering balancing my meal with something healthy! Silly me. Service is fine. Nothing to write home about. I hate that the line is always so confusing. You can never really tell where it begins! Ambiance is very big city American Italian! read more

Ricobene's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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08/02/24 - I'm back for another of those delicious breaded steak sandwich w/mozzarella cheese & Jardinero peppers. So effin good. These sammiches are amazing but a bloody mess to eat. Not the first & not the last time I'll be there read more

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My son's apartment is down the street from Ricobene's. He and his friends come here several times each week for dinner and late-night cravings. They have made it a tradition to bring their parents to try it at least once. He highly recommended that we try the Chicken Parmesan Sandwich and Mozzarella Sticks. Generous portions and delicious! The prices are very reasonable for what you get. I could see why it's a neighborhood favorite. The place is busy but staffed well with enough tables to accommodate the constant flow of customers. Convenient large parking lot across the street. read more

Ricobene's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Their famous breaded steak sandwich is amazing. I ordered mine with cheese and top and would absolutely come back again.

Got this delivered to me once I arrived to my hotel and WOW it was worth it. It was 12am and I needed something hearty. This was it. I cannot emphasize enough how bomb this sandwich was read more

Amazing food here. The breaded steak is totally unique and really special I like mine with red sauce peppers. And motz mmmmmmm great service in this busy restaurant read more

IYKYN There's a reason it's voted the best sandwich in the city. Always worth the drive and they have easy parking. #iraeats #itaeats1 read more

Ricobene's - Breaded Steak Sandwich - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food is great and price is good as well. The sub might be a bit messy to eat but other than that it's great. read more

Ricobene's - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ricobene's is known for their breaded steak sandwich. It is good, but I decided to try something else on the menu. I got the eggplant parmigian sandwich, and my friend got three slices of pizza. Ricobene's does eggplant right, it was cheesy and well sauced. Like the infamous breaded steak sandwich, this is not a neat sandwich; you will need napkins- lots of them. I like thin and crispy pizza but my friend found the thicker crust just right for him. Counter service was fast ND efficient when you know where to go. Have your order ready as they are quick behind th counter. The tables are well maintained and comfortable. read more

Great Food! Always been my family's favorite! I get the chicken parm sandwich while everyone else gets the breaded steak! If you're coming from out of town, great place to try! read more

As a Southside staple, I was super excited to try Ricobenes! I truly had no clue what to expect -- I knew the name, but nothing about the style of food/restaurant. It sort of reminds me of a more local Portillo's with its fast casual restaurant layout and menu. The restaurant is no frills, but I think that's part of the charm. I ordered the breaded steak sandwich, a staple at Ricobenes. This thing is huuuuge! And a little....sloppy? I don't know a better word for it, but don't wear a nice shirt here, because you're bound to spill. It is very tasty though! My first time trying a breaded steak sandwich and I will say, I'm a fan. Definitely come hungry, because the food is heavy and will leave you in need of a nap afterwards. The pizza was pretty average, the sandwich was the star of the show for me! read more

The place was hopping. A few LARGE orders ahead of me caused my wait for my order to be very long. I enjoyed the breaded steak sandwich very much. read more

I just think the breaded steaks have way too much bread and not enough meat and the meat is kind of chewy. Go get a real beef sandwich at any other place in Chicago. It's way more enjoyable than a lot less carbs. read more

Fast service and friendly staff. I recommend the breaded steak sandwich. Also try their dessert. You will not be disappointed. Can be loud here at times (depending on the time you go) but overall good dining experience. See you on the next visit! read more

Ricobene's - Breaded Steak Sandwich with drinks (iced tea and Coke Zero) yum! - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I came to this spot after a Bears game and let me just say this was the place to be. The locals were nothing but helpful with menu recommendations and the service was quick although they were very busy. I got the chicken parm and it was nothing short of amazing id recommend to anyone visiting Chicago. read more

Honestly, there's not much I can add to Ricobene's reviews. It's been a neighborhood mainstay for a very long time! The local cops often eat there, so IYKYK, right? The breaded steak sandwiches are unique and fantastic. They prepare even over-sized orders correctly and quickly. They have pizza by the slice, Chicago dogs, chili cheese fries (for those who are curious about these sort of things, the fries appear to be fresh cut, but greasy and limp if you're into that sort of thing), and all the typical trappings of a casual Italian restaurant. My biggest mistake is that I keep ordering the chicken wings. It's soaking on top a bed of fries. I can't seem to stop myself. Also... my pics are terrible today. It's supposed to be chili fries and a breaded steak sandwich. read more

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Still amazing as always!!! Their breaded steak sandwich is the best sandwich in the entire city of Chicago. Fast service, chill vibes, you just can't get any better!! You'd be doing yourself a disservice not coming here. read more