Cold, Traffic, and a Perfect Italian Beef Chicago cold. Chicago traffic. The kind that builds character. Honestly? It made the Buona Beef hit even harder. This sandwich was completely drenched in au jus -- the bun soaked but still holding together like it knew the assignment. Tender beef, loaded giardiniera, extra hot oil, and melted mozzarella tying the whole beautiful mess together. Messy. Juicy. Perfect. By the time I finished eating, the cold felt earned and the traffic felt worth it. That's how you know the food is legit. Buona absolutely has my next catering order. If this is how they do beef, I'm not looking anywhere else. read more

Buona - Burgers Near Me - Bolingbrook, Illinois

Ordered Chicken Parmigiana sandwich at the kiosks, wanted the sandwich cut in half. I end up getting chicken Parmigiana cut in half but no bread. I asked the server why, she said you ordered no bread. The kiosk doesn't show that when I chose to cut in half. Another customer ordered the same and was confused also and demanded the French roll. The server came back with the French roll. The chicken parmigiana was good but wish it would came like a sandwich cut in half instead. read more

We were so pleasantly surprised about how well this Buona location does fast casual. It was an uplifted experience. The dining room is large, updated and was immaculate during our visit. The staff is professional, helpful and pleasant. My husband had an original beef with peppers on the side. They were just the right heat. I had a chicken Parmesan which was two pieces of chicken on a nice French roll. Enough to cut in half and enjoy later. We shared cheese fries which were hot and fresh. Good location. Plenty of parking and a drive thru. read more

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The food was delicious, and on Italian Beef day what else would I get but a large beef dipped with sweet and hot peppers, fries, onion rings, oh what the heck I might as well get a Chicago dog too, the food came out very quickly it was hot and flavorful, the staff is so friendly, they treat you like you're family, I love going to Buona beef in Bolingbrook, you will too, don't forget to grab a Rainbow cone before you leave. read more

Buona - Now that's a good beef - Burgers Near Me - Bolingbrook, Illinois

I would give this location a 4 overall. There was a small hiccup at the self ordering kiosk, there was no receipt paper. I took off one star because the taller girl didn't initially acknowledge me. I used to work in retail so you should always acknowledge the customer and let him/her know you'll be right with them. This girl ignored me at first until her supervisor told her to do her job. Luckily, there was a shorter girl that went above and beyond for me, she replaced the receipt paper and made sure I got everything I needed. Honestly, if it wasn't for the supervisor and that employee, I would have given less stars. I ordered the original Italian beef - large with mozzarella cheese, sweet peppers, and dipped. Flavor was all there, plenty of meat for that meat to bun ratio, and the meat was moist. I prefer this interpretation of the Italian beef over Portillo's (I've had many times) because the meat wasn't dry. Prices are not overinflated like some people wrote. Onion rings were good no complaints. They do offer a couple plant based options. read more

Buona - Onion Rings - Burgers Near Me - Bolingbrook, Illinois

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My first visit to a Buona location and found it really good. Fast casual. Lots of space. I was there early afternoon on a Sunday and they had the Bears game on, so I was able to keep up. I ordered a combo beef and Italian sausage sandwich with sweet peppers. It had just enough heat to give me a good tingle and was very flavorful. Some friends ordered one of their pizzas and raved about it. I didn't order any sides this time, but the onion rings looked fabulous. Service was quick and friendly. Very pleased and will definitely return. read more

The restaurant was very clean and actually had really cool wall art being installed, overall really great atmosphere. The line went very quickly and the cashier was very pleasant. The lemonade was one of the best I've had in a while. It wasn't too sweet or too sour, but the perfect blend. The beef was excellently seasoned, but the fries weren't too salty but that's an easy fix. The salad had fresh and hot chicken with the perfect amount of dressing. Overall a great experience for food that came fresh and quickly. read more

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We ordered two pizzas last Tuesday. Not a good thing to do at a beef place. Positive - our order was delivered quickly and hot. Negative - my pizza was not well done as the receipt reflected. I picked it up and it was floppy, not crisp with a light bottom crust. Then....canned mushrooms!!! What restaurant uses canned mushrooms on pizza? Buona, you're telling me you don't have fresh mushrooms for salads that you can use on pizzas. Sacrilege! You get two stars for your fast delivery and hot food. I'll only be ordering Italian beefs from here on out. read more

Buona - Canned mushrooms???? Ugh! - Burgers Near Me - Bolingbrook, Illinois

Food was quite good. Dod a carryout catering order. Mgr apologizing since it wasn't ready on time. I was offered a free drink. Took my catered food and went to work. Definitely a hit amongst my co workers. Their beef is a cut above the rest. Folks liked the cookies too. Recommend! read more

Delicious food! We've visited this location many times and haven't had a bad meal. Recommend the Italian beef, cheese fries, Chicago hot dog, pizza, and buffalo chicken salad. Friendly and attentive service when we dine in. We have catered Buona as well and had a great experience! Everyone should give Buona a try and forget about that "other" Chicago hot dog place! read more

So about a year ago, i was told to "get the fuck out" by your BEST employee. define poker face, she got that! i just think this place needs to teach its employees that no matter what "beef" buona beef get it? exists, they have to CUT IT OUT. unacceptable, just wanted some beef didn't expect that type of beef. anyway take care. oh nevermind she told me to get the fuck out of the ice cream section! so much for some ice. read more

We can always go here for good food. Beef sandwich is always good. Fries are good. The barbecue chicken pizza is normally very good but today it was not. Love the chicken tenders. read more

I am an Italian beef lover. And, yes, the only way to eat one is "dipped" and very juicy. I find the juice at Buona to be a little spicy for me, but still delicious. Unfortunately, the day we were there, their frier was broken so I had cole slaw as my side and I was very pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted. Employees were very friendly and constantly asking if they could do anything more for us. They were constantly cleaning the dining area and they made it a nice experience. read more

I ordered a few things for the Holidays and went to pick it up at the Bolingbrook location. Apparently, my scheduled time to pick up was before the restaurant actually opened. The General Manager ran to the door to open it for me and was so extremely friendly and kind. The staff was exactly the same way, greeting me with a warm welcome and making sure I was taken care of. I wish I would have caught the GM's name because he is the epitome of what customer service should be. He did not hesitate to help me with my items to my car and I felt he was genuine in his conversation. The art of hospitality has been missing for a very long time, and it was so refreshing to have this experience. Kudos to GM and staff at this location!! I will highly recommend. read more

In my opinion they have better beefs than Portillo's. Their menu is comparable with salads, milkshakes, etc. I love that they have a rewards program! I also love their grilled chicken "tenders" for kids. Their pizza is quite tasty and you can add extra veggies without an upcharge. I come here frequently since it's the closest fast food to my house, but I think I would still enjoy it even if it weren't so convenient. read more

Great food and ice cream, brilliant idea to combine both together... however they need non-bipolar management. Talking about Jesus who got very loud and confrontational when I asked about my order being wrong. Not looking to get into a fight but not backing down he came over to my table and was very loud and impolite. I will still patronize this establishment, but only on days this manager is not on duty. read more

It's been a long time since I've been to Buona (Beef), it's one of the more quieter locations too and it feels like a great place to dine in at. Prices have gone up but I'm so happy they've kept the gravy bread on the menu. Staff here is friendly and the food was exquisite. Complimentary refills too! Wouldn't mind coming back here again. read more

AU JUS BAPTISM Some say the only 'right' way to order an Italian beef sandwich, is to have it drowning in juice. I'm no stranger to Buona, having visited scores of locations throughout Chicagoland. This Buona Beef is right off of Weber Rd & Lily Cache in Bolingbrook, not far at all from where we live. Excluding a Chinese takeout place, this is the closest restaurant to our house and that is A-OK with me. Can you say 'frequent rewards member'? I always get the 7" classic Italian beef, baptized, w/hot peppers ($7.20). Though not in the realm of Johnnie's, the beef is more flavorful than Portillo's and giardiniera adds the perfect kick. 'Baptized' is a step beyond 'juicy', so if you order this preparation method be ready for a messy eating experience. My advice? Don't set down the sandwich once it's picked up. For those on a keto diet or those that just want to take it easy on the carbs, the beef & sausage bowl is a bunless option that comes with sweet peppers and mozzarella ($8.25). It's a fairly large portion since there's no bread taking up space, perfect for a big appetite or having lunch leftovers the next day. The fries and chips are pretty good. They're super friendly in the drive-thru and the line of cars is barely half that of the competition. A Rainbow Cone ice cream truck can be spotted in the parking lot during the summer months, but be warned--the queue can reach more than a block long! Yet another thing 2020's taken away from us is the Buona beef race at White Sox games (wherein 3 anthropomorphic Italian beef sandwiches race around a virtual downtown, if you have the corresponding red/yellow/green coupon you can redeem it for a free 7" beef at all participating Buona's around Chicagoland). Stupid covid ruining everything. * TL;DR * There's a great commercial where Bill Swerski anoints Peyton Manning as a Bears Superfans by dunking his head into a tub of Italian beef juice. This is exactly how I plan on baptizing my firstborn son ("yeah hold him in there for another second"). Speaking of Da Bears, they're taking on the Vikings tonight for Monday Night Football. If they win, I'll celebrate with an Italian beef. If they lose, I'll still get an Italian beef but expect a lot more crying. read more

Not a fan of Italian beef ( no such thing) but their's is nothing special. Staff is non interactive. They include a Rainbow Cone section (both companies are owned by the same family) which is good but pricey read more

Place was clean. Food was up par to the rest of the Buona Chains. I had the Beef sandwich with Red sauce.

It's a "chain" there's multiple locations in the Chicagoland area. Fast food style, but not like McDonalds/Burger King. Portillo's is a good comp but is better all the way around. What's good The Italian beef is pretty tasty 4/5, getting it dipped or baptzied is a must. The French fries stay away from, 2/5. It's sad they haven't changed the formula. There bland cooked potatoes. The new parmesan kettle chips however are tasty. Another menu item that's worthy of your time is the personal pizza. The beef and giardiniera pizza is a sleeper hit 5/5. read more

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It only took 3 attempts to get a salad correct. The worse part is the shift manager wanted to argue with me. Then give excuses that they were a person down. I'm not sure why a person down made them make a salad wrong two times? Normally bread comes with salads. We had two salads and neither of us got bread. Before we left a store manager refunded us for the salad and provided a coupon for a free beef sandwich on our next visit. read more

It's been years since I've been to a Buona and it's a location I drive by fairly regularly. I think I had wrote them off as well if I want Beef I'll go to Portillo's. That might have been unfair because hiding there is a decent fast casual pasta option. Not spectacular but if you need a quick dinner, maybe feeding kids, Buona could get in your week night rotation I think. read more

Great Chicago quick service eatery, think of it like a slightly more upscale Portillo's. Good choice of main dishes, but I wish they had better side dishes (like onion rings). Although I have to say, I always ask for a side of jus for my Italian Beef and I think the last three times they forgot my side. read more

We like the food at Buona restaurants so we visit them on a regular basis. However, this particular location gets something wrong EVERY TIME WE VISIT! Usually they forget a component like avocado or tomato. We'll probably keep coming here, but we've learned that we absolutely have to stop after picking up our food and check for what's missing, then pull around front and call them to have the missing component brought out. We just don't get it. read more

If you order a shake, be aware that you MUST ASK for it at the drive up in order to get it! Seems that if they have the order in front of them, they should make it when you arrive and hand it to you when they hand the food to you. Shakes are made when customer orders. Large order of fries seems to be short on fries for the cost. Talked to the manager who kept saying "YOU NEED TO ASK FOR IT" Doesn't seem to be good customer service when it has already been ordered. read more

Prices at Buona keep going up while portions and quality going down. Save your money and eat somewhere else.

I am pretty disappointed with this Buona location. My family loves Buona but this place forgot 4 of my fries!! I also got the wrong salad. I had a big order amd I sent my husband to pick it up. So, I wasn't there to check everything. The thing that really upset me is that when I called the store to tell them about the missing items they were rude about it! After waiting on hold forever and then goong back and forth with the worker they said I could pick up some vouchers for my missing items. We will see if this works out. I may change my review if my experience is good. read more

Disappointed. I ordered and paid for a double cheeseburger but not until I got home I when I saw that it was not double at all. I didn't mind waiting for my food but it could have been at least correct. read more

While traveling for work tonight, I ordered a Cobb salad with Thousand Island dressing and a 7" Italian beef sandwich delivered through Yelp. Delivery time was fine, however the delivery person would not bring it to the room (first time I've had that issue and I travel extensively). I opened the bag and the salad lettuce and avocado were both brown(meaning the salad was not fresh, I realize the avocado oxidizes quickly, but these had black spots). No worries though, they forgot the dressing and plastic ware to eat it with anyway...waste of $9.00. The Italian beef had a great taste, but was cold, luckily my hotel room had a microwave and extra clean hand towels I could wrap it up with and nuke it...because the sandwich wrapper was made of foil. Really? How hard is it to deliver quality food with utensils and the proper condiments? I knew I should have went to Protillo's a mile away. I won't order from here again. I basically paid $ 30.00 for a cold sandwich and 2 bottled waters. Here is my order: Classic Cobb Salad 1 $9.00 Buona Beef 7" ($7.40), Baptized ($0.00) 1 $7.40 Bottled Water 2 $1.80 Subtotal $20.00 Tax $2.00 Tip $5.09 Delivery Charge $3.49 Total $30.58 read more

Ok what are the high ratings about,?? He the pizza and the Italian beef. The pizza tasted like cheap pizza I would get on my way to school from the corner store back in the 90s. The sausage had good flavor but the rest was a nightmare. The beef sandwich was cold and had no taste. The bread was soft but that's about it. Service was substandard. The young lady who took my order seemed more concerned with her personal dating life than working the drive thru. I wonder if her dates pay more than her job?? She didn't seem that interested in working at all. read more

I often forget how much i enjoy their beef... fries not so much. I should have just paid a little more for a salad. Shocked this is my first visit to this location. I need to put #buonabeef on my rotation for good affordable dining. Currently offering a free plastic mason jar, perfect for fresh brewed tea... I hope refills are included for life! Always enjoy their personal pizzas too. But their 7" Cheesy beef, hold the peppers, is melt in your mouth goodness. #micdrop read more

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Buona is right in my backyard so of course I'm going to go back again, right!? They have redeemed themselves. I just don't order the chips anymore because they do burn them and can't seem to get that right! But everything else seems to be good and decent. They never forget things in your bag like a lot of other fast food restaurant do!! read more

Damn so apparently holding conversations are more important than helping customers. Got it.

Omg. The beef sandwich was super delicious. Great service. I've heard that beef sandwiches were a thing in Illinois and I took a chance on this place. I was definitely not disappointed. Wish I found out about this a couple of days sooner. read more

I love Buona beef. But lately I have been so disappointed. The restaurants are filthy dirty and you do not get any beef on the beef sandwiches it's ridiculous how they are skimping on the product they sell. Step up your game Buona beef give the people what they are paying for. And for God sake clean your restaurants they are filthy read more

Horrible customer service. All of the other locations are much better. The last few Saturdays, we ordered for our office, they just cannot get an order straight. We miss everything from sandwiches to fries every single time. When you dine in, the same thing. This is sad, because it is not the the quality you expect when visiting a Buona. The staff must be having a contest to see who could be the meanest, because politeness is not common with the client here. read more

Ordered a salad, they forgot to include the dressing. Called to complain because I was too far to go back. They said they'd transfer me to a manager and then they hung up on me. Cool read more

Never get it right. Now they say I'm too early so not showing up. They stink so does this review because I'm not saying enough bad stuff. Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh read more

My father and I ate lunch here today. He commented on how nice the restaurant was. I agreed with him - the restaurant was clean, the food was delicious, and everyone who waited on us was very friendly and helpful and kind. We ate inside the restaurant, and felt very safe as everyone had a mask on and the tables were spaced out very well. read more