For the last 2-3 years I have been coming to Beef shack somewhat regularly (1-2 visits a month) and it was always one of my favorite places to go. The food was always fantastic and healthy portions with reasonable pricing (regardless of Groupon) Recently, I've noticed quite a few changes the unfortunately has turned my opinion on this place to a more negative spotlight. I usually give it the good ol 3 strike rule, so with that being said my last 3 Visits has influenced this review. First, the quality and portion size. I usually order a cheesy beef or cheesy beef and garlic with fries (including shake Sause) . Every one of my last 3 visits left me with a very DRY Sandwitch on a over sized bun, with a smaller portion of beef too. In addition, I feel the fry portion has decreased by nearly half (in my experience) and the shake Sauce has tasted like straight Thousand Island. Secondly, the pricing. It appear cost have increased about 15-20% (potentially more) as I used to pay $18-20 for 2 meals and now it costs me $24-26, WITHOUT a drink. I would assume this is to help pay for the fancy wrapping and bags they put your food in. At this point I'd rather drive to Johnnys beefs or Portillos. Overall, it seems this places is veering to mainstream and flashy. I would recommend focusing on the quality of food, not the fancy wrapping lol. I will likely not be going back for awhile and several of my local friends feel the same. I hope this review helps potential visitors read more

First let me start by saying the my sandwich was good. This place would've got 5 stars had it not been for all the fly's flying around on the inside. I wanted to sit down and eat but couldn't, didn't want be waving off fly's while I was eating. They didn't even have the bread cover up. Can't come back to this place until they do something about the fly's. I had to eat in my car. read more

Beef Shack - Garlic sandwich - Fast Food Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

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The regular beef (not cheezy) was pretty good. The fresh cut fries were undercooked. Doesn't everyone double fry these days? It would have been a big improvement. And $1.90 for a pop? I realize it's 24 ounces with free refills but kind of pricy considering the McDonalds next door has $1 drinks any size. Needs a little work but hopefully they'll fine tune things. Without a drive thru they'll need to pay extra attention to the food to compete. read more

I love this place! Can't find a toasted cheesy beef sandwich in the suburbs this good. The sandwich is big and the fries are fresh cut. They don't have a large menu but what they have they do well. I have been here many times and the quality is consistently good. read more

We ordered beef sandwich trays to cater our kids' birthday party....which is saying a lot because we live in south Aurora so it's a good 30 minutes away! Two cheesy beef trays, one cheesy beef on garlic bread tray (should have gotten all on garlic bread). Though we had leftovers from food catered from another place, the beef was inhaled! Not only that but since the party I've had three different attendees ask where it was from and say how awesome the beef was. Wish it was a little cheaper and that they'd open a Shack in the Naperville/Oswego area ;) read more

I went to the Beef Shack for lunch today (carry-out). Ordered a beef sandwich w/ hot and fries. Total was about $8. The bread was soft, beef was flavorful, and they put just the right amount of juice on it. I've had trouble finding a good beef joint in the Tri-Cities. I think I've found a good one here. The fries were not good. They were fresh cut, but mine weren't cooked long enough. They were mushy and clumped together. I couldn't eat them. The facility is new and very clean. The owners clearly made an investment in this place. I'm glad they're in St. Charles. I'll definitely go back. Next time, I'll ask for fries to be well-done. read more

Reading others' reviews, I'm wondering if either I (a) came on an off (really really off) night, or if (b) people have no idea what an Italian Beef is supposed to taste like. The size of the sandwich? No problem there, this thing was big. The taste, though? No seasoning. Just some beef that's been sitting in liquid all day. And since I got the combo, I have to say: that sausage was a Polish sausage, not an Italian one. Net result? A big, bland sandwich. The most flavorful part of my meal was the Coke. Three stars for the quantity of food, but that's all I got. read more

This place is the real deal. Order the cheesy beef with garlic and eat it. The menu is limited, however the beef, gyros and hotdogs are quality. I will definitely go back and although I was sad to see Mr Beef go, this is a good addition to our community. read more

I'm a portillos beef advocate till the day I die, BUT this place is realllyy good.Close second. Small place with about seating for 20 people inside. I have only ever ordered to go though. Simple menu; beefs, hot dogs and burgers plus one size fits all fries.: ) I order the mini cheesy beef with hot peppers and it is great The meat is tender and very flavorful, and as others have said the gravy is amazing.They also use Turano bread. The fries are fresh cut and fried, a little too greasy for my taste though. The good thing is that the cheese sauce for the fries is excellent, not fake nacho cheese like most places, it really seams like fresh cheddar sauce. Another positive; they also have a special sauce to go with the fries which is amazing as well. For me, its not better than portillos.but I'll be back. read more

I feel compelled to encourage everyone who is thinking about trying the "new" beef place that just opened down the street to skip it and come to Beef Shack instead. Beef Shack is only worth going to for 2 things-- Italian Beef and the fresh cut fries (actually, I've never had anything else, but why mess with perfection?) The beef is tender, juicy and with melted cheese on it, just heaven. They run the sandwich through the oven to melt the cheese and put a crisp on the roll, so you get that perfect blend of crunchy, chewy, cheesy, beefy goodness in every bite. The fries come in a brown paper bag with dark stains to indicate freshness, (to paraphrase Garrison Keillor). You have to eat them right away or don't bother. These kind of fries are perfect when hot, but a disaster if cold. My only complaint is that they charge extra for hot peppers! read more

A-OK. A little small, and the greasiest bag off fries I have ever had but love those natural skin rough cuts, uncut? ooh BABY Would it kill somebody to let the fries drip for 10 seconds? Otherwise I love natural skins cut fresh in front of me. Yes, they DO butter the buns on the Italian Beef and it's good. I expected greasier and saltier and it was more edible than I expected. If I order hot peppers I don't expect to get jardinere instead. TOO small in there, and the parking lots pretty tiny too, so I wouldn't rearrange my life to get here. But if you are working in St. Charles, Score. read more

Gotta love a place with a simple menu and delicious food to follow! You don't get too many options to choose from. Beef, Burgers, Dogs and salads. But the beef is what it's all about for sure! I had the cheezy beef on garlic with fries, and I was very happy! It's a good sized sandwich, the fries were excellent and I would gladly return! Service was fast and friendly, place was clean, food was hot and fresh. A winning combination! read more

If we're talking Italian beef, it's almost as good as my mom's. Stopped by the Beef Shack last weekend on a quick trip home to St. Charles. I was surprised to see the little building was no longer Mr. Beef's, but it was still dee-lish. I went with the regular beef and my friend got the cheesy beef - we were both amazed at the huge size of the sammies and giant portion of fries for such a great price - definitely enough for two meals so we got to enjoy it all twice. Only drawback was a lack in seasoning. My friend dug the cheesy beef but I thought the regular needed just a little...something. All in all though everything rocked and I'll definitely make a pit stop next time I head back to STC. read more

This was one of those food experiences where, after pausing a few times to take a breath, I managed to eek out, "this is so damn good." Discovered this place on Saturday lunch, went back for Sunday dinner. The end. read more

Best Italian beef sandwich i ever had on garlic bread!!! Fries are to die for especially well done with they homemade chipotle mayo. I always order angus burger well done with fries aaaalways so good!!!! Honestly said, burgers are much better then some of the restaurants have!!! If you crave for italian beef or burger go there!!! price is good and food is delicious!!!! read more

I knew I wanted a real Italian Beef sandwich at some point on my recent trip to the area. I kinda figured I'd be getting one somewhere in Chicago so I was a little surprised to find something in St Charles that was able to hit my marks for a great sandwich. The Beef Shack did just that - and it also has some pretty damn good fries! I went with a cheesy beef with sweet peppers, wow! Like all great sandwiches it starts with the bread, in this case a big (10 inch?) piece of fresh Italian bread. It's topped with a MOUND of juicy, lightly seasoned Italian beef; and peppers cooked perfectly (not mushy!). Lastly it's completely covered with a curtain of mozz and then baked to perfection. Crazy good! And so big it made for a nice leftover snack the next day. They do hand-cut fries at the Beef Shack, which when done right become stars in their own light. It looked like maybe they were cutting them as they went, dropping a batch and letting them drain until someone ordered some, and then re-frying. Not a gigantic menu: beef sandwiches, hot dogs, and a token salad was about it for entrees. Then again who needs choices when you have something so good?! read more

After driving past the Beef Shack several times I finally had time to try it for lunch today. I ordered a regular size beef with sweet peppers, dipped. I was able to watch the guy make the sandwich. They use a Turano roll and he put on a generous amount of beef and then took two tongs and submerged the sandwich into the juice. Then he added three nice sized pieces of sweet pepper. The sandwich looked great! Well, looks can be deceiving :( The beef was so salty that I threw half of the sandwich away! It was a huge disappointment, especially after seeing the sign on the window promising the best beef in the city, or something like that. read more

These gumbas know beef. Recommend the garlic bread cheesy beef. The pentultimate beef experience. I like it hot and dry. They should have trays for eating in, and the fries need to be more consistant. But I dont go there for fries or trays. I go for the beef. The atmosphere is shack like. Simple, no nonsense, uncluttered. The owner lookin guy shuffles around the joint, laid back with a "owyoudoin" demeanor. Its got a family run feel. Ive been there about ten times over the month they've been open, Im particular about things, not streamlined yet, but, theyre workin out the kinks in the kitchen. An oasis in a desert of mundane options in St. Charles. read more

Every single time I am within a 30 min drive (I live in MI), it is absolute must to stop in and enjoy the cheezy garlic beefy goodness! The fries and cozy atmosphere make this an out of towners checklist of places to eat. read more

Beef Shack - Cheezy Garlic Beef - Fast Food Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

amazing italian beef! best in a 50 mile radius at least, but the wait for food is sometimes stupid for a fast food joint. stop in and give this place a try! correction just wasn't able to purchase food due to them not accepting credit/debit cards. wasted my entire lunch waiting in line and no food. read more

Beef Shack - Menu- simple yet amazing - Fast Food Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

Absolutely the BEST Italian beef sandwich in Chicagoland. Get the cheesy beef on garlic bread. DO NOT forget the fries - you will not be disappointed. They take a whole potato and ram it through a fry slicing machine on the wall... dump them into oil. Two minute later, and yum yum. The best beef sandwich period. Portillo's is decent and Buona beef is a fair follow up, but Beef Shack is the best! read more

I'm sitting in my chair, watching the Bear's game and all that I can think about is a cheesy beef sandwich. Great beef, fries hot dogs and burgers! The only thing I haven't had and probably never will is the salad? I'm soooo glad it about 3 miles from my house. This is a must try place! read more

I forgot to order my beef juicy yesterday, but it was a happy accident, because the bun was so good. It's a good sized beef sandwich, and I have to agree with few others in that I sort of wished either the meat or the au jus had a little more kick to it. Still a very good sandwich. The hand cut fries were really nice, and they must be doing something a little bit different with the oil, because they had a bit of a unique flavor, so the fries ended up being more of a standout than I expected. The place itself is pretty small, but the interior is really nice and was very clean. The only downfall is it can be hard to get to going west on North Ave, because you have to do some potentially traffic ticket inducing maneuvers to get to it. The food's worth it though, so either hop the median (it's short) or like I did, whip that U turn at the stoplight. read more

First time having the garlic bread/cheesy beef and I am a fan. I could only eat it 1x a year because my pores are emitting the garlic from lunch yesterday and my DH had to sleep in the other room. Anyway... the fresh-cut fries really are very good and HOT (important!) and I'd order a half size beef next time. Environment is loud - almost like a bar b/c the music was jamming. No place to have an intimate conversation. Note to manager: due to the high turnover of your cute little tables w/ the faux bovine skin chairs, have a dedicated person to wipe down the tables often during lunch hour. Ours was very sticky and greasy all at the same time. read more

Had the mad hankering for a non-Portillo's beef while broadening our restaurant horizons at the same time, so we stopped in here for lunch today since we were in the area. Kelly & I both had the cheesy beef on garlic bread. The samiches came out fresh & hot. The samiches, albeit a tad pricey ($4 for 4.5", $7 for 9") were excellent! Couldn't really taste the beef by itself that well, considering the cheese & garlic bread were surrounding it but I didn't really care! The fresh cut fries were very good, but could've used a bit less grease & a bit more salt for my taste. Kelly would've preferred them to be crisper, but I like them a bit on the softer side. Service was very fast and friendly. The cooks were talking to us about today's Bears-Lions game & possible playoff run while we waited, which may be moot as the Packers are currently losing to the Vikings. The cook said Go Bears & Packers. I said I couldn't give this place a 5 star review if he would openly root for the Packers. Suffice to say, he didn't utter that "P" word again during our stay. All in all, we do miss the best gyro ever when this place was Mr Beef & Gyro. While the prices were a BIT high and lunch was a little greasy, it was to be expected. We enjoyed our first time here and will gladly come back again! read more

Love beef sandwiches and this place nails it! Let's start with the bread, it's fresh and crispy/crusty on the outside and newly baked soft on the inside. Absorbed the juice from the sandwich perfectly. Then the beef! Flavortown explosion! Tastes great, lots of deep, rich flavor. Fries are skin on and delicious. One order is more then enough for two. Can't wait to come back! read more

Beef Shack's cheesy beef on garlic is better than anything Portillo's can put together, (and I enjoy Portillo's as much as anyone) and the hot dogs are comparable to Gene n Jude's which is a major complement. Love this place! read more

Stopped here on a whim. I live in Chicago but never heard of Beef Shack. Not surprised after eating it. It's Papa Charlies! The store bought frozen italian beef in the tub that tastes nothing like a good italian beef and is just that barely tolerable home cooked version. I couldn't believe it. You don't found a business around papa charlies. Couldn't even finish the sandwich. Probably the first Italian beef I've ever thrown away. Amazing how many good reviews there are. People must live sheltered beef lives out west. read more

The Italian Beefs & cheesy beefs were FANTASTIC! Hand cut fries come in one size and four of us could not finish an order of two.

Had dipped cheesy beef for lunch yesterday. God these guys rock. Delicious. Best. Italian Beef. EVER. read more

Beef Shack - Best Italian beef there is. - Fast Food Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

Best Italian beef !! I won't go back to Portillos for beef anymore, this is the place to go for beef sandwiches. Fries are amazing as well. Parking lot needs some help is all that I would have negative to say about this location. read more

I have not tried the beefs. I just can't bring myself. I eat out a lot, but try to eat healthier while doing so. So guess what I ate here...yep, the chopped salad. Definitely a Portillo's knock off. For the size and price, it's really good. The dressing is more of a red wine creamy vinaigrette, different than the afore mentioned establishment's dressing, but good. I've had this a few times now. I've also tried the fries. I know, not a 'healthier' choice, but a girl has to indulge here and there. I like to indulge in carbs over red meat. The fries are the greasiest ever. Guess what that means? Yep, they are good. Make sure they have enough salt and then if you are feeling really naughty, ask for a side of the vinaigrette for dipping. It's sinful and delicious. The food I had was good, so why only four stars? The logistics of this location stink. The parking lot more than stinks, the seating is scarce, the pop machine is in a terrible spot and there is no drive through. This place would make so much more money in a different STC spot...at least that's what I think would happen ;-) read more

Stopped in with a hot dog craving so this is a HOT DOG ONLY review. Basic little place you'd drive right by if you weren't looking for it...and I was looking for it thanks to Yelp and my craving. Read a few rave reviews for their beef sandwiches and figured the dogs would be good. As the two stars says, "Meh. I've experienced better." What my mind was thinking of was a perfect Portillo's hot dog. What I got was....I dunno. I ordered the double dog which came with fries for less than $5. Sounded like a good deal. What I didn't count on was the fries (nice and salty, btw.) being served all in and over the hot dog. I took it to go and was driving. There was no chance of eating my dog and nibbling away at the fries at my leisure. The only way to get TO the dog was by eating through all of those fries and waiting for a light so I could unearth the dogs from the rest of the mound. What I discovered was unimpressive. Two hot dogs in fry-grease-sogged bun with mustard and onions. Where was the ketchup I'd ordered (Shut it! I like ketchup and don't want to hear your nonsense about Chicago and authenticity.) I can't say I'd go back because I don't usually eat this kind of food but when I do, I want it to match my mental picture...and this doesn't. ...but it may sound like EXACTLY what you're hankering for! lol The service was quick and extremely friendly. read more

Beef Shack isn't far from my work, but I've never had the need or want to come here, as they don't offer much in the way of the menu. That said, I finally made it in one day, and you know? The sparseness of the menu really wasn't a concern afterwards. They have beef sandwiches that come in four flavors, burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese chicken sandwiches, and fries. Oh and a salad. But you don't order a salad at a place called Beef Shack, do you? No, you don't. My first visit, I went with the beef sandwich on garlic bread, and fries of course. The fries...you know the type. The kind that don't taste like they came out of a bag that's been sitting in the freezer. These are freshly made fries, and they're delicious. They taste as they should, like potatoes fries in oil and sprinkled with salt. Crispy ones, some not so, but all good. The beef on garlic bread was an explosion of flavor, albeit a little greasy...but nothing a little hot pepper couldn't cut through. The giardinera really helped there. On par with Portillos, or Johnnys, the two places that I think are synonymous with my idea of a great beef sandwich. So the next time I came I tried the regular Cheezy Beef, with hot peppers...and that was the bees knees. I dig the garlic bread, and if you can get past the oil factor, subs it's the sandwich for you. I wish I could, because it really is good, but without it, you can taste the au jus, the meat, the peppers; everything works so well together. It's a really good sandwich. So don't let the size of the menu deter you, come in to Beef Shack and have a great sandwich! read more

Pulled in your parking lot and i t bottomed out my car, be careful with their dysfunctional parking lot. Constructive criticism says that you need to get it fixed! read more

I love Beef Shack! Reminds me of Gene and Jude's. The food is made fast and the staff is friendly. Highly recommend! read more

Beef Shack - Hot dog with everything - Fast Food Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

This was the best Italian beef hands down and the garlic set it off!!!!!!! The fries are awesome. I don't recommend the cheese because it's water down but my husband and I loved it. Amazing!!!!!!! read more

Beef Shack is my go-to place for Italian beef now. I have been coming here weekly, and the product has been consistent. What makes Beef Shack better than the rest (at least for me) are the bread and the peppers they use. Their toasting machine also does an awesome job on the cheezy beef. There are a few flat panel TVs mounted, but the sound is off. It would be nice if they could turn on the closed captioning on one of them so we could read what is being said on the TV. Another reviewer mentioned a crowd during lunch. I'm glad I take a late lunch, around 2PM. No lines then, you just wait for them to prepare your food. read more

Where do I start?!?! This place is just great and I love the cheesy beef on garlic! The greatest factor about this place is that you can always count on it being great food. There are only a couple choices on the menu but anything you order will be great. I defiantly recommend the Italian beef and French fries. I say it's the best beef in the Midwest read more

Beef Shack - Beef with mozz - Fast Food Near Me - St. Charles, Illinois

Have not been here in a really long time and went yesterday and had a beef with sweet peppers, fries and a hamburger. My review is the beef had so much salt on it ...it was gross!!! I could not even eat it...the hamburger was over cooked and even the bun was burned. WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS GREAT PLACE. Maybe they should focus on this location before opening more locations...they have fancy bags now but terrible food!!! No more for me!! read more