Buona serves what may be the best Italian beef in the area -- no small feat in a region filled with strong contenders. The sandwich is rich, well-seasoned, and clearly crafted with quality ingredients. Prices lean slightly higher than some competitors, but the consistency and quality make the value easy to justify. read more

Did mobile ordering at Buona and pulled up to the drive threw and they are very friendly. Very fast service. They don't rush you when you are looking at the menu. These fries look so good and crispy!! Thank you! Will always comes again here. read more

Buona - Sandwiches Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

Great food in a clean and comfortable environment. If this exact same Italian Beef sandwich was sold at a small Beef stand in the city people would be lining up for it. I've been a customer of Buona since the 90's at their Berwyn location. It never disappoints. read more

Great food and great portions. Beef sandwich is always a go to, but tried the Buffalo Chicken Salad and Chicken Avocado Bowl with spinach and cauliflower rice. All great choices. Great staff too. Skip the other fast food joints in the area and head over to Buona. You won't be disappointed. Thank you! read more

Got a drowned combo which was very good but honestly the serving of beef has gotten smaller. I'll pay your fair price for the proper sandwich. read more

My husband had a beef sandwich which he said was quite good. Last time it was pretty dry so I asked for the juice on the side. That worked good. I ordered a hot dog for myself and the width of it was a little bit bigger than the size of a dime. What is going on with the size of the hot dog's? It does not cost hardly anything for a hot dog. We gave it another chance and now this is it, no more!!!! I am done. Your loss!!!! read more

This is our favorite Buona location. Food is always prepared fresh and hot when it hits the table. The staff is always super pleasant and the restaurant is always clean. Their beef is one of my favorites because I like my sandwich to be super dipped, and they are not afraid to dip here! My son really likes the pepperoni pizza too! read more

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0 stars nothing has changed!!! They are skimping on the beef and after you tell them about it they get all mad and kick you out of the restaurant!! 3 times they gave me a little tiny beef and the manager Ronnie thinks she's talking to some dumb kid!! Trying to justify giving customers a small little beef when they advertise a good sized beef!! It's not even funny how small it is compared to their website pictures!! Buyer beware I'm done with them I'll go to Portilloes if I want a decent beef!! The manager was very rude and even accused me of yelling at her customers which I never did I was saying I'll never come back out loud not talking to anyone!! She tried to get in my face as I was leaving and was very confrontational!! I'm a senior citizen so if that makes you feel good treating an older person like that instead of having respect for your elders something is definitely wrong!!! Like I said 0 stars I will never go back again they don't care about their customers and they showed it!!! I knew after I complained twice I would be getting a hard time and I was right!!! Terrible customer service!!! Lady with an attitude!!! read more

Drive thru Girl,should pay more attention to taking orders correctly,than playing with her fake eyelashes. Giving customers an attitude when she typed the order wrong,isn't my fault Take your attitude little girl,and go in the corner cry about it . Save your money and go to Portillo's! read more

Always have a pleasant experience at this location. Food is well cooked, staff friendly, and atmosphere very good. Recommend read more

Got my sandwich and they had not put the sweet peppers on it but fixed that asap for me. Way to go team. Thank you. Was a nice clean and kept up store read more

Buona - Well done fries. Yummy - Sandwiches Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

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Pretty yummy! Thought I'd DoorDash Buona because it's my last day in the Chicago area and we don't have one near me in AZ. Got cheese fries, a chocolate shake & a cannoli. Everything was delicious. Beats Portillo's for sure. But now I feel like I need to work out. LOL. read more

Buona - Cheese Fries, Cannoli, Chocolate Shake - Sandwiches Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

I Always enjoy their very tasty beef sandwiches I think they far surpass all other beef sandwiches in the area They are a bit spicy, which I prefer instead of a bland beef . If you're uncertain , I suggest ordering the au jus on the side . They have decent fries & although I have yet to try their hot dogs they look good ! They also offer some tasty salads I would recommend Buona Beef if you are looking for a tasty good size beef sandwich read more

Love this place! great food and AMAZING customer service skills no matter the employee. Great team and great location perfect spot in the area! plus this is at 10:14 pm. Not many spots like that this late with service that good read more

Burger was not good at all. Seems like they're using lower quality meat on the burgers. Woman taking the orders was very unfriendly . Would not return to this location. read more

Extremely extremely un happy with management here at this location in Alqonquin Illinois... I made a complaint a month ago and the manager reached out told me she was going to investigate and. Dropped the ball!!!!! I never heard back from her. Then I resent my complaint again a few days ago Still Zero. Response. I need to contact head quarters maybe they will care. . Very extremely un professional. Very very disappointed... read more

Excellent. Noodle dinner and beef sandwich perfectly cooked. Fresh bun. Quick and friendly service read more

Had a really pleasant experience at this location. The staff is extremely courteous the food is above or at standard. We typically get big beefs with peppers and cheese fries and drinks. The dining area is extremely clean and easy to find a spot. We like this location a lot more than the one closer to us, and more than competition, so my wife and I will be back. read more

Vegan Italian beef sandwiches! Holy cow! We both got the sandwich and LOVED them! And the person who took our order gave us an awesome welcome and was super friendly. Rock on, Buona! read more

Being vegetarian for almost 25 years there are certain things I just miss... and Italian beef is on eod them. I have to hand it to Buona and uptons to join forces to create the vegetarian beef sandwich's I was lucky enough to be able to get my order In today for 4 of those bad boys and first off I was impressed with the staff and order process. Very smooth on my preorder ... pick up was a breeze and food was ready within. 10 mins from ordering. Now I brought them home and the smell in the car was like blowing me away! Smelled amazing and couldn't wait to get hole. When I open the sandwich it was Boom... better than I thought. I got the Giardiniera on mine and 3 with sweet peppers. I took a bit and my taste buds went bonkers. Honestly it was so amazing and lived up to the hype. I'm a big fan of Uptons (in Chicago) and they really make High quality food for folks like me and my family. This was a match made in heaven. If you couldn't tell... big fan of the special menu item. It's a must. Everyone in my family is giving thumbs up on this one! Oh and the fries were good to! read more

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Maybe this place is just meant for dine in or catering. The flavor of the meal was fine, but I have consistent issues with beef sandwich packaging. Last time, I ordered a normal Italian beef, when I got home to eat the bread was not able to keep the sandwich together anymore. Mind you I just ordered a normal Italian beef. From that, I thought to order my beef dry with juice on the side, so I can better quality control it. That did not work. Not even home yet and I reach for a car fry in the process of doing so I had to slightly pick the bag up and all the food goes through the bottom of the bag. It would be one thing if I hadn't had an experience like this before here but now I have no other reason to go through this again. I know what to expect at this point. Buona needs to understand the basics of packaging and cut the crap with all the jargon on the menu, leave it to dry, light, regular, extra. "baptized", dipped, dredged, whatever may have you. Has a nice ring to it but I'm not buying anymore. read more

Buona - Sandwiches Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

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Almost every time I order an Italian sausage sandwich from the drive thru, I get an Italian beef. I don't like their beef at all so I never order it. I would say that this has happened 8 out of the last 10 times I've ordered. I've spoken to the manager and nothing has improved. I check every time I get the bag. They don't even apologize any more. What a joke. read more

We had an issue with a delivery order and the manager Gio went above and beyond to make things right. The way he handled the situation was nothing short of amazing. There was a young girl too that answered the phone, we didn't catch her name but she was very helpful and sweet. This was on 5/19/2025 - I hope she gets credit too. We are both in the industry and don't like to complain, and we were very impressed with both of them. Thanks again to you both, and we will be back! read more

I'm writing this review as a lifelong fan of Portillo's and while Portillo's is still my number one... Buona has quickly come up as very close to breaking through! Since you've probably been to Portillo's, my review is going to be a head to head comp on what Buona excels at... Service : Buona wins by a little bit because there's a more personal feel from the staff here. I feel like just another number at Portillo's, and like I'm talking to a robot. Gluten-Free Option : Buona has a little pita bread substitute for its beefs. The GF option does not impact my personal diet, but my wife and son have a sensitivity so it's important for my family overall. And I'm always going to choose the place where we can eat together. Modern dining room : I like the interior feel of Buona over Portillo's because it feels classy and comfortable. Better for a date or for making a good impression. Pizza : I know it sounds crazy to go to a beef place for pizza, but they make it awesome here. Trust. Buona falls short on their beef and cheddar croissant and their hot giardiniera... which doesn't mean it's bad... on the contrary, both are excellent. Just not as good as Portillo's. That said, there's no reason not to go here, especially when you can't get out to Crystal Lake to get a beef. Eat here now! read more

I've always been a big fan of Italian Beef. More specifically, Buona is and will always be my spot for an Italian beef or sausage sandwich! Their Italian beef is beyond flavorful and tender. Not full of fat and gristle like the competition. The turano bread holds up to the dipped Italian beef gravy. My personal favorites are the classic Italian beef. Dipped. Hot Giardinera. Mozzarella Cheese. If I'm in the mood for a Sausage Sandwich I get that dipped, with hot giardinera, and mozzarella cheese. I typically skip the sides, as that is really my only complaint. The side selection is terrible. I'm not a fan of their fries and they don't have much else to offer. I'd also love to see an expansion on the dessert menu. If you have a family to feed, you can now order the pre-cooked Italian beef and Italian sausage kits. It's all hot and ready to assemble and serve. I've ordered those a few times and it's always top notch. My order is always accurate, made properly, & delivered piping hot. I've never had the issue of a soggy sandwich or anything like that. The hot giardinera is nice and spicy. If you want a little less heat but all the flavor, get the mild giardinera. The sweet peppers are also a solid pick. If you want to taste a true Chicago Italian beef, you must visit Buona! read more

Yes, the restaurant was so busy and Natalia gave amazing service even though it was so busy

Maybe I shouldn't even be writing a review. Maybe it's wrong of me to order a salmon sandwich and think I can judge a restaurant centered around Italian beef. But I wasn't alone in this au jus-soaked endeavor, so I will share all the stories, not just my own. Said salmon sandwich was good, not great. As expected. Good that it wasn't bad, I suppose, since fish can be a risk. But the moisture wreaked havoc on the ciabatta, and I cannot imagine the mess I'd have made of myself dining in as opposed to carrying out. My dad got one of the bowls. A meat bowl. This concept somewhat frightened me, but I guess it's not so different from soup, in a sense. There was enough au jus, however, that he wanted bread to dip in and soak it up, kinda defeating the bread-free mission statement of the bowl. By and large, everyone's orders seemed to satisfy, but not thrill. One sandwich was missing additional toppings, leaving its owner eating in silence. Take that for what you will. But the menu is surprisingly extensive (and I do like the idea of ordering various sizes of Italian beefs), so a return visit may well be in order. From this experience alone, I found Buona just okay, a nice solid three stars. read more

the vegan beefless italian beef sandwich was so much better than i was expecting it to be! the sandwich is packed with italian beef, and it is full of flavor! whatever seasoning they use for this seitan is spot on, and i was happy with how clear they are with what is vegan and not vegan. the menu is clear and it was also clear when the sandwiches came out. i appreciate that they have a few options on the menu that are actual meals that i can eat with everyone else who is eating the service was great too! i got takeout, but it came out fairly quickly and i had no issues. read more

Buona - Plant-Based Italian Beefless Sandwich - Sandwiches Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

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Stopped at Buona Beef in Algonquin. I dined in and had a 7" Beef and Sausage Combo with Hot Peppers, and a Bud Light. The sandwich was very good. I wasn't thinking when I ordered and forgot to ask them to dunk the bread. There was a little gravy from the beef itself but I like it dripping. But it was still really good. The only thing they need to do is make the sausage at least the length of the bread. You can see in my picture that the sausage is just a little short. Again, it was still very tasty. I stopped here on a Friday and what was nice was my beer was half price. Not that it was overly expensive to begin with at $3.50, it ended up costing me just $1.75. Nice. The four stars is for the short sausage. I will definitely go back and maybe the next time I can change it to five stars. read more

Buona - Buona Beef Combo Sandwich with Hot Peppers and a nice cold Bud Light. - Sandwiches Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

My wife and I had a taste for a good bar-b-q sandwich. We went to Buona on Randall in Algonquin after church on 6/5/22. I ordered a Bar-b-q beef sandwich at the drivethru AND THE GIRL SAID THEY NO LONGER SERVE BAR-B-Q SANDWICHES, only bar-b-q chicken pizza? HOW DISAPPOINTING!! Good bye Buona. read more

Ordered from GrubHub. Received the order missing the large fries. Dealt with GrubHub separately, but still called the store location to complain. I wanted answers as to what level of incompetence they hire to work there that they do not check to see if everything has been packed. Really, it's not that hard! Was told something about being very busy and new staff. That's no excuse. If your job is to get paid $15 / hour to simply stuff fast food into a bag, you'd better do it right. Italian beef seemed very lacking on the beef. Lot of bread, not much inside. Not worth the price. Chicago Hot Dogs are not true Chicago style. They use some other generic relish instead of Vienna Relish, which makes a true Chicago dog. And there was way too much slathered on. One tiny sport pepper on each. I doubt these are even Vienna dogs. Embarrassing place. Al's Beef is FAR better!!! read more

We used to love going here but things are going downhill. I don't know why they think they can charge you almost $10 for a child size bowl of pasta. They got rid of the kid meal pastas and just started charging adult prices for the same size. I was honestly speechless when I got it. A few years ago it was a portion in the size of a salad bowl (which have also gotten smaller recently). Also, their chicken tenders used to be one of the best around. They very obviously changed vendor or something because the ones I got were super gross...like grisly overprocessed chopped up chicken smushed into a tender form. We rarely go there now. read more

About thirty years ago, Chicagoan Joe Buonavolanto Senior had a notion to open a restaurant serving Chicago specialties - Italian beef and sausages, hot dogs, ribs, sandwiches and pizza. He took a 2nd mortgage out on his house to finance it, and did some of the initial construction with his own hands. Today, the third generation is overseeing a company with nearly 20 Buona Beef restaurants, several full-service restaurants, two catering facilities, and a custom food manufacturer, Authentic Brands, which makes a line of products that includes Italian beef and sausages for their own restaurants and private label, meatballs, sauces and other products. Italian beef is a Chicago thing, lots of stories on the origin, but the main one seems to be families made the dish for weddings and reunions, it was a way of extending a little food for a large crowd. A beef roast is marinated, slow cooked, and then simmered in its own sauce, thinly sliced and put on an Italian roll. Hot or sweet peppers are added as a personal preference. Old hands know to order their Italian beef dry, wet or dipped, which are references to how wet you want the bun to end up from the beef's gravy. You can order your beef as one of three different sizes (5,7, or 10 inch) - call for a "combo" and they'll nestle a hot Italian sausage right there on a bed of beef. Getting fancy? Have some mozz melted on top. In a no bread mood? Order it by the bowl, instead of as a sandwich. It's allowed! So wandering into one of their Buona's newer locations, in Algonquin, IL, I ambled up to the counter and ordered my beef wet, with a side of house-made parmesan chips. The beef was ultra flavorful and tender, the chips ultra flavorful and crispy. Dinner hour on a weeknight and the joint was jammed as was the drive-through. I have no idea how many places there are in Chicago that serve Italian beef - a thousand or more? Each claiming theirs is the best recipe. Count Buona's claim as deserved. I'll be back. Buona is set up to do party, office, or family catering and you can even place your catering orders online. read more

Buona - Cheezy Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

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I have been a few times since it's opened I've had two different salads, beef and fries and a pizza. The chicken on the salad was good so obviously chicken tenders there would be good, the pizza was good for fast food pizza and the beef was delicious. There was a mistake they accidentally dropped my pizza on the floor the owner was very nice and gave me a free beef on my next visit and even gave me two free brownies and they were delicious! read more

Buona - Buona Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

TLDR: ordered/paid for meatless. Given dead cow. I deliberately avoid eating meat. Not cool. I was excited to learn of a meatless Italian beef using Upton's Naturals. Ordered in advance using their website. Upon arriving I found out they hadn't made my order because "don't use" the online ordering option on their website, but they'd get my order together right now. No problem. The guy took a photo of the emailed copy of the receipt with his phone and read the order back to me correctly. Cool. I took a seat. After a few minutes a different young man came out with my order. I asked these are the vegetarian beefs right? "Yes sir" They were not. After I arrived from the long drive home my wife and I promptly dig in. At first I had thought the seitan was very convincing, but it was wishful thinking. I've had Upton's seitan before many times. This was cow beef. Perhaps they gave me meat out of spite? They had gotten every thing else perfectly right. They had written and verbal communication specifying meatless sandwiches and had acknowledged they understood. They'd have to be grossly incompetent to get this part of the order wrong. Huge disappointment. read more

AMAZING!! Vegan beefless beef, with a house side salad, no parmesan cheese is my GO TO!!! Place is clean, my order is always right! I love the rewards program! The points add up fast! Then ya get FREE food! Keep up the great work!! read more

Buona - Sandwiches Near Me - Algonquin, Illinois

Got the new strawberry avocado chicken salad and it was delicious! Huge portion and the girl who served our table was very knowledgeable and kind. read more

Have tried Buona several times. Mostly eat the Italian beef sandwiches. They are ok, but not as good as Johnny's in Elmwood Park which in my opinion is the gold standard of Italian beef! Pricing is reasonable. Drive through is convenient. read more

I was in the area working at a local hockey rink and some of the other referees highly recommended this restaurant for hot beef sandwiches. I asked her out compared to Portillo's if you guys said it was similar but one guy went out on a limb and said it was better. I asked why. He said the food quality is what makes it better. That was intriguing, I was determined to check it out. After a long day I had 15 minutes to get there before they closed at 10. I stopped in right before closing. I was able to place my order, a combo Hot beef and sausage, fries and a drink. My experience was excellent. The sandwich can be difficult to eat, this meal was easy to eat and it tasted great. The french fries were thick and crunchy just the way I like them. And the drink topped it off washing everything down. I will return here and I highly recommend. Fantastic food and people should know about it. read more

My last visit here was mediocre. On the plus side, their fries were great. Crispy, not soggy. On the other hand the Italian beef was thick cut and chewy in some places and overly seasoned. Maybe it's just me, but I think Buona's bread is great but Portillo's beef is better tasting. Maybe the best Italian beef would be combining both place's best parts. Anyway, the buffalo ranch chicken salad is good but the portion size is half of what it used to be only two years ago or so. The price hasn't changed though. It doesn't look anything like the picture. It's more of a side salad portion that a big bowl. There's no option on the app to pick a size, so I don't think I picked the wrong item. read more