STAY AWAY FROM THEIR PIZZA - i used to eat pizza there for years used to be good, since the past year i have ordered pizzas from this place, the crust is WAY TO THICK and SOGGY and to much cheese, i ask for extra thin crust they say in a rude way "the crust is pre-made, we cannot change the thickness" (back 2 years ago they used to make extra thin on request till now they do not do this, I HAVE BEEN EATING PIZZA OUT AT PLACES FOR 45 YEARS i know the good places and bad ones i advise from experience to STAY AWAY FROM BUONA BEEF PIZZA, I have notice lots of 5 star reviews from this place and from sales theory and what i read about reviews at least half of these 5 star reviews are fake, usually posted from employee accounts with an incentive like award points to get a $$ raise bonus etc, UPDATE 3/28/23, returned there at night and asked for a pizza with thinner crust a woman general manager took my order and insisted thinner crust and she said in a rude way that "crust pre-made no way to change it" received the pizza and same the crust was way to thick, dried out not worth eating i advise all to stay away from this place, poor staffing and management. read more

Swung by tonight for a chocolate shake (dinner, hah) and a Portobello Mushroom Panini (lunch tomorrow). The guy who took my order (Branden) was friendly and efficient and, quite frankly, multitasking like a boss. Aside from register duty, he was running out orders to waiting cars, including mine. The shake was soooo goood. $3.25 for a small and tasted like homemade, but with better whipped cream - no RediWhip. Totally worth it. I ate the sammy (cold) the next day and it was satisfying. The veggies - artichoke, peppers, spinach, mushrooms - were so good. My only gripe would be that they didn't cut it in half, but it's probably less messy that way. read more

Buona - Hoffman Estates - Choco shake. - Sandwiches Near Me - Hoffman Estates, Illinois

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Great food and atmosphere but super bummed they changed their homemade Parmesan chips to bagged kettle chips with a Parmesan dusting. read more

Buona - Hoffman Estates - Main entrance - Sandwiches Near Me - Hoffman Estates, Illinois

I don't eat beef, but went along with coworkers. I went with the char-grilled chicken avocado jack sandwich. There was a minor confusion with my order, but the way they handled it really stuck out. I was given a correction immediately, offered some fries, and was really treated nicely. The sandwich was delicious and I'll be back! read more

Nice interior and good service. Food portions are good size and the beef is tender. Had a 7" beef original style with a side of juice. Bread was fresh but tough on top side so the extra juice fixes that issue. Has a good flavor but not the "WOW" taste I was hoping to get. read more

To give you a little background I have ordered catering and food to go from Buona. There is some competition for a good Italian beef in the northwest burbia area and I feel Buona does a good job. The staff have always made my orders right and are friendly. read more

Introduced by a customer. Now I have to stop every trip to Chicago. The original sandwich is amazing. This is nothing like a French Dip or Philly Cheese steak. The beef is so tender. Get it "wet" and enjoy the sandwich of the Gods. read more

Buona - Hoffman Estates - The original - wet - Sandwiches Near Me - Hoffman Estates, Illinois

So many problems with my first visit to this place certainly made it my last. Italian Beef tasted okay but there was very little in my sandwich, that was order dry with sauce on the side because I was getting it to go. Naturally when I reached my destination the dry sandwich wasn't dry but they did give the sauce on the side I ordered. My large order of fries was nowhere to be found but at least I realized I had no drink before left. Had I not realized the missing drink they would have gotten all three parts of my order wrong. While I'm sure they don't get every order completely wrong, the rather sparse filling in my sandwich means that won't get another chance to prove they can fill a bag with a sandwich and an order of fries along with a drink. read more

The food was great. The pastas and meatballs are delicious. I ordered a pizza and it was like 10", was perfect size for my 2 boys. The service was fast too always very busy at this location. read more

Coupons arrived in the mailer the other day. I think we were first to redeem one. The teen behind the counter had a lot of questions about processing it on his register. For $6.50, it included a 7" beef, a choice of side (fries, cheese fries, parmesan chips, cup of soup, small Caesar, house, pasta or fresh fruit salad) and a refillable Pepsi drink. LImit 2 worked in our favor! A 7" just about costs this much on its own. It's a notch up from Portillos. The ambience is a bit more grown up too. read more

Buona - Hoffman Estates - Sandwiches Near Me - Hoffman Estates, Illinois

It's surprising to me that I have somehow neglected to review this place since it is only a few blocks away and I have been here probably 50 times at a minimum. Maybe because it's essentially fast food has caused me to file it away in my memory. No matter, I will give you guys the skinny on Buona, or at least this location anyway. While the menu here is vast I will point you in the direction of what Buona does best and what is your best bet to try. Not surprisingly, their signature Italian Beef is among the most scrumptious you are going to find anywhere at this price point. Portiollo's can't even remotely measure up. The only problem they have with this item is a matter of consistency. One day when you show up it's un-friggin-believable and you are dead set on being a Buona fan boy for life. You get one of their frequent customer punch cards and think you have found the Holy Grail. Yes, It has the potential to be that good. Then sadly a couple weeks later you stop by and it's too salty and the meat is too dry. Grrrrr. If they could just hit the center of the bullseye on every visit Buona would be in elite territory vying for best Italian beef out there. Aren't chains supposed to have a standard procedure for preparing food items so there is little variation day to day? What keeps me coming back is that when it is good, it is REALLY good. Fortunately I have an attached pic snapped below on a day when they hit it out of the park. I recommend that you load your beef up with Giardiniera, sweet peppers and mozzarella. It will be all you can do to prevent yourself from devouring it in as few bites as possible. I also feel I need to mention their cheddar broccoli soup. I order a cup of it nearly every time I visit as it's always delicious. Another solid sandwich option if you are not in the mood for beef is the chicken artichoke panini. This is chicken, artichoke, provolone and pesto and is quite yummy. They also have a Caprese sandwich on Ciabatta bread that is a proven winner and a solid choice. While I have never tried them personally, I know several of my friends who are crazy about their pizza. I have never tried any of them because this Buona store is located within the same strip mall as Garibaldi's. So, ummm, yeah, the chances of them getting my business for pizza is pretty much nil. They do have burgers, dogs, etc. here, but honestly if that is what you are in the mood for you can find better and cheaper options elsewhere. Beef Shack is less than a mile away on Roselle and is a better place to head if burgers, dogs and fries are all you are after. Overall, Buona has the potential to be the Godfather of all things Italian beef. Just a little more attention to detail and process is required and they would be at or near the top of this hierarchy, hands down. I am hopeful they can pull it off. read more

Buona - Hoffman Estates - Sandwiches Near Me - Hoffman Estates, Illinois

Along with the nice new store, my family finds the quality of the food has improved and we order from here often. We like the beef w/sweet, burgers, minestrone, strawberry avocado chicken salad and the cannolis are fantastic! read more

I think this might be the last time I visit this location, I spend $30.00 on food and it's like playing Russian roulette, they screw up my order more than 50% of the time, this time asked for a plain cheeseburger and got one with all the toppings, inedible had to throw away more food, certainly not the first time this has been brought to there attention but it is the last, time to spend my money somewhere else. read more

I thought this place was a as great as it could be, but I was wrong. After this new renovation, I have ordered here three times and each time was amazing. Tonight, I ordered delivery from DoorDash, and our food never came because the DoorDash driver never showed up. We then decided to pick up the food ourselves at the restaurant and the manger was so apologetic. They remade our food, hot and fresh. And let me tell you, for our order for 10 people with so many special instructions, everything was perfect. Everyone should try this place. It's has amazing food and service as well as a new and vibrant atmosphere. Highly recommend!!! read more

I love the buffalo chicken salad and I never have anything bad to say about it. This low review is due to the customer service- or lack thereof. The young lady who was working the window of the drive thru didn't smile or speak to me other than taking my order. I have honestly never had this happen at any restaurant before and it definitely made me regret purchasing my food at that particular location. I gave two stars because I still got my order and it was correct, but I will not go back to this location. read more

I have had meals here for several years. Beef is ok- ( neighboring Garabadis is better in my opinion).. Watch out for the soda machine which sprays all over hands. I mentioned to a waitstaff person who said she couldn't do anything and the manager has been told before. I then told it to a manager who said the soda firm needs to fix it (?) I know his spray has been going on for a very long time / maybe months or longer (year?)- when I say sprays over hand I'm talking major soak- so avoid Diet Pepsi at least- get a glass of water and save the lousy soda tax by cook county to pay for bloated busted pensions (illinois has more than 50% of population of those receiving paychecks that don't work- that's unsustainable. read more

Went twice this week, had had the grilled veg pizza $5 it was great, Friday house chopped salad. Great food fast service, clean , love the u order and they bring it to the table. Not so noisy so you can have a conversation with a person. Hoffman Estates Store 8/23/17 8/24/17 read more

Normally there food and service is really good, but this morning when I ordered though the drive thur, they informed us after 10 min of waiting that there credit card machine was down, then slammed the window and walked away, after waiting 10 more minutes they finally came back and asked for cash and we attempted to hand them cash, when again the slammed the window and walked away, after honking still no one came To the window, finally they came to the window we paid they handed us our food (COLD FOOD )! They did not seem to care about the lack of good customer service. read more

They have a pretty large menu, but stick to the Italian Beef sandwiches, Vienna hot dogs, and Maxwell St. Polish sausages. I like this location, although it does get crowded with families on weekends. Yeah... whenever I see an insane amount of kids in there, I just take my order to-go. Like any good Italian Beef restaurant, they offer the beef & sausage combo and even pepper & egg sandwiches on Fridays. And I'm always a fan of a place that serves double dogs, because apparently I can't have too much MEAT. Buona Beef is a small, 11-store chain found soley in the 'burbs. I've been to a couple locations, but the one in Hoffman Estates is a decent store. read more

I'll give this place a nod over their store that I typically visit on North Ave in Oak Park. Nice ambiance for a fast food place and it seemed to be setup in a way that was very organized. Had a 10" combo, fries and a drink for $10 - OK price I guess. I do feel that Portillo's Italian Sausage might have a little more flavor to it though. The place is close to a food pantry where I volunteer, so I'm sure I'll be back. Overall, pretty good. read more

After my first run in with Buona Beef, I was hesitant to give them a second chance. However, seeing as we are now new neighbors since I have recently moved to Hoffman Estates, their location was extremely convenient for a 9PM food run on a Sunday. I ordered the turkey club panini... it was large and in charge and filled with delicious amounts of meats and veggies. The sauce they use in the panini was very flavorful. However, the other items were slightly less than average. I ordered the pasta salad and instantly remembered why I wasn't a fan. The noodles had a weird flavor, and the dressing was tart. The fries did not seem fresh since they had no crisp to the bite. I would try them again for their burgers or other sandwiches. read more

My husband wanted to try this place out so we carried out for dinner. We got the burger and beef with fries on the side. The burger was good, it was probably a 4 star except that the bun was hard as if it was sitting out for too long. Plus side is that it was huge and definitely hit the spot. The beef was great, the bread wasn't too soggy by the time my husband got home and we opened it up to eat. The spicy peppers were exactly that, spicy - I loved how spicy they were. The beef was a bit salty but I haven't had any Italian beef that wasn't salty. We didn't have cheese on it but I'll have to try that next time. The fries were thicker cut fries with lots of potato with each bite. Perfectly cooked and fresh. The only down side was that they were pretty salty. We will definitely try this place again and try some other things on the menu, overall this place was alright. read more

Chicken Soup: Really delicious with nice looking chunks of chicken and cauliflower, carrots, celery, noodles, ect. But what bothered me was the fact that the soup wasn't very warm when it was served to us and it got cold fast...not ideal for a cold day! Chicken Fingers: mediocre and Luke warm...barf. the ranch covered it up. Chips: I always look forward to when somewhere has the hand sliced chips like the have at fairs and such! When I got them they had parmesan cheese powered all over them which it never said they put on the menu and I don't like chips dusted with parmesan...so that was annoying. They were also over cooked and dark but whatever kind of oil they fry them in is really light and tasty of the chips I got that were over cooked. Over all I didn't like my dining experience on the fact that all of my food was cold or over cooked, if it wasn't cold or over cooked I probably would come back to try another menu item. It's a deal breaker.... read more

This place used to have great beef sandwiches. Stopped today and pick up a couple of sandwiches -- not good at all! The bread was stale and the beef had a metallic taste. Very disappointing. read more

I love the food but the staff makes me want to never come back. The girl at the drive through is the most rude person with zero personality. Please put someone pleasant in charge of dealing with your customers. read more

Stopped by for a late lunch in the drive thru. Ordered a hot dog for the first time in a long time. It was the best example of a Chicago style dog that I have had recently. The sausage was large and delicious. The poppyseed bun was just right the trimmings of yellow mustard, relish, chopped onions sport peppers, and tomatoes were completed with a crisp pickle spear. The sandwich is wrapped in foil lined paper to keep it hot. Hats off to Buona for delivering the perfect Chicago HotDog!! read more

Sorry to give a poor review, but this rating is specifically for the Hoffman Estates location. I like the food and the price, but I have been here 2 separate times and both times there were clearly loose squirrels inside the dining area. I've talked about it with a manager at another location and apparently it's a recurring problem. Frankly, this place should not be open during construction until they have taken care of the squirrels. To be clear, the first time a squirrel literally jumped on me and was running loose IN THE KITCHEN. Thought I was there a crazy day and came back giving them the benefit of the doubt, but nope, still have loose squirrels. Health inspector should shut them down until they've secured their food, since loose squirrels inside means that they will get in the food too. read more

What can I say, the best Italian beef. Get the original and double dip it so it'll drip down your sleeves. Don't forget the giardinera condiment. ISO good that I bought 2lbs with au jus to bring on the plane with me to California....,Merry Christmas to me!!!! read more

WHERE'S THE BEEF? Right here my friend...and it's pretty damn tasty. I usually stick with the Italian beef which is piled high on crusty bread and topped with hot giardiniera peppers. The salads are also good, but I have to admit that in the Italian beef vs. salad showdown, the salad doesn't often win. read more

This place is very underrated and flies under the radar because if it's main competitor across town.... and we don't even order the beefs. Every time I've ordered here it does not disappoint. We've had the chicago style hotdog, crispy chicken sandwich, turkey sandwich, burger, pizza, and now the meatball sandwich and they were all spot on and pretty tasty. My wife loves the fries... so do I. Nice atmosphere for dine in and in my opinion is very low key to the area. read more

WOW! I've been driving by these things for a year and never realized the great value they had! I went a bit looser on the wallet so that might explain why, but the food is awesome! First off, in a taste scale, I like things generally more plain and not too saucy. So what did I try... The soup. It was a potato soup that was the special for the day. I got a small bowl while I had a cold and it definitely hit the spot! It wasn't TOO creamy, but there were a lot of good potato chunks and a couple of pieces of either chicken or bacon in there. It's one of those nice (not too chunky) soups that you'd eat during a cold rainy day and you want to offset a bad mood. The Italian beef (I already forgot what it was called) but it was fantastic! I got the largest size thinking (go big or go home!) and the 9" sandwich really hit the spot. I asked for mozarella cheese on it and for sweet peppers because I don't like spicy peppers. The sweet peppers were slightly overcooked but they provided enough texture in the sandwich that it wasn't just a beef tasting Italian Beef. I love their bread as it's soft but not too soggy. It's definitely something you want to eat immediately because I can see the bread getting soggy after awhile. The mozarella cheese definitely gives it a cheesy flavor which I loved! The beef is so tender and juicy that it goes so well with the bread, peppers, and cheese!! The location itself is very busy during the lunch hour. It's even difficult to find a good table to eat at. But they are pretty good at getting your food within ten minutes and it's a hustling and bustling place that there are all sorts of conversations going on. I'd recommend going here. I remember Portillo's Italian beef having tougher beef and tougher bread which I wasn't a fan of. But it's been awhile. Give it a shot! read more

Everything about Buona is amazing! The new remodel is just beautiful - we were very pleasantly surprised. The food is outstanding and the employees are 5-star - both efficient and super friendly. Can't go wrong with a visit here. read more

My first taste of an Italian Beef sandwich and I'm hooked! This is so much better than a French dip sandwich... it's lean, hot, and tasty! I had a lunch special which consisted of 1/2 of an Italian beef sandwich with Swiss cheese and jalapenos, a side (I had the homemade chips), and a soda - all for $8.54 - or something like that. Can't wait to return to Chicago to try the 'dawgs'! read more

Their jumbo hot dog was really good. It was so juicy and all the toppings added were perfect. I also tried their thin crust pizza before which was delightful as well. I am a big fan of thin crust when done right like Pizano's or Viccino's are two of my favs. Always got friendly and prompt service. Seating usually plentiful when we would go on a Sunday lunchtime. They have high chairs and kids menus/crayons for those with kids. This location is clean but in quite a bit of a deserted area, that's just the feel I get with the vast spans of empty asphalt space even though there are a few restaurants nearby. read more

Generally I enjoy my visits here. Food is tasty, well priced and there are many specials and incentives to take advantage of. Great rewards program. They get busy and sometimes the service is not what it should be. Also new employees so that could be it. An ongoing issue is they do not enforce the No Smoking. Several times there are groups of men that smoke outside the front and rear doors within feet of the restaurant. There are no smoking signs but they simply ignore them. I have contacted Buona several times but nothing changes. At one time they didn't have the required state signs posted. I have mentioned it to staff but they do nothing, might be afraid to lose business. It is rude to have to either walk in or walk out and be in a cloud of smoke. When the weather is warm there are groups sitting in the patio area smoking right next to the exit door, yuk! read more

BB has some great dishes, and they all taste pretty freakin great. I did not give 4 star rating becuase the service was sub-par and it seemed like they really didn't care about their jobs. However, it wasn't totally portrayed in the food, so a 3 star is appropriate. T he dogs and the beef sandwiches are awesome, though they dont' compare with Al's, they have given a valiant effort. read more

This restaurant is known for having outstanding beef, except I had a problem. When I spend darn near $12 for a beef,fry, & medium soda, I expect a decent amount of meat on the sandwich. Well, I got ripped in a big way. The amount of beef was just enough to feed a six year old kid. read more

Pretty good for a local chain. Great for a quick dinner or drive-thru meal. Best of all, it's reliable. You never have to question the quality. You know what you're getting each time, and that's pretty important. Can't go wrong with an Italian beef. read more

The food here is very good we had beef sandwiches, sausage and a kids hot dog. My only drawback was the expense. Three of us dined for $28 and one of those meals was a $5 kids meal. They charged extra for every little thing. For example the hot and sweet peppers were extra. But still, it added up fast. Even the cashier agreed with me about the expense. I'm glad the whole family wasn't there it would've cost me an arm and a leg. read more

Buona - Hoffman Estates - Combo with fries. - Sandwiches Near Me - Hoffman Estates, Illinois

I am fair when it comes to mistakes when comes to order taking cause people make mistakes. I recently went in to have the new avocado pepper jack chicken sandwich...I know sounds delicious! I ordered my sandwich I was so excited to try it I got back to work opened my sandwich and I found that I do not have all the ingredients on my chicken sandwich....so I end up eating a dry chicken sandwich cause I was hungry..no big deal I will try again another time. So today I visit and I tell the person taking my order "last time my order was incorrect " she said ok I will make sure it gets made. I get back to work and I am super excited for my Pepper jack chicken sandwich....well it was a burger. That will be my last attempt at this establishment they can keep there new sandwich. Check your orders before you leave and drive all the way home to be disappointed. read more