May Is Beef Month! I know this may spark a Chicago food debate, but after another great meal at Buona, I'm saying it: Buona beats Portillo's and Al's Beef. The Italian beef is tender, flavorful, piled high, and served on bread that stands up to every juicy bite. Add some hot peppers, and you've got one of the best sandwiches around. Every visit is consistent, the service is friendly, and the food keeps me coming back. Portillo's and Al's have their fans, but for overall flavor, quality, and value, Buona gets my vote. If you're celebrating Beef Month this May, do yourself a favor and grab a few Italian beef sandwiches before the month is over. Your taste buds will thank you. May is Beef Month--make sure you get a few! read more

The food at Buona Beef is always good, and most of the staff are wonderful. Laura especially deserves recognition. She is professional, friendly, and genuinely goes out of her way to provide excellent customer service. If there's ever a hiccup with an order, she doesn't just fix it, she goes above and beyond to make things right. She is a real asset to this location! Unfortunately, there are a couple of things that consistently take away from the experience. First, the restaurant is always freezing cold, which makes it difficult to sit and comfortably enjoy your meal. More importantly, one of the managers (not the tall gentleman) has repeatedly come across as rude and not very customer-friendly. On one occasion, he actually accused my husband of trying to get free fries when my husband had already paid for them, but they were simply missing from his order. It was an unnecessarily uncomfortable interaction over something that could have been resolved very easily. We'll continue coming back because the food is good and employees like Laura make such a positive difference, but I really hope management takes the customer-service concerns seriously. read more

Unfortunately, our experience at Buona wasn't great. It took over 34 minutes for our food to come out, which felt excessive, especially considering how long we were waiting. The music outside was also extremely loud, making it difficult to have a conversation. On top of that, the AC was cranked way too high, so it was uncomfortably cold inside. The food was okay, but the long wait and uncomfortable atmosphere really took away from the experience. Hopefully, these issues can be addressed because the restaurant has potential. read more

If you ask Jaye working there so much, quit. Love the food. HATE the attitudes. Everyone is always so cranky. No one seems happy to be there. Kind of a downer. read more

Had the original with original gravy, hot peppers and fries. Pretty solid eating. Inside was average with oversized booths. Counter service and delivery to the table was friendly and fast Solid 3.5. read more

Everyone is soooo nice! So helpful!! The staff is always cleaning and just plain attentive. I love coming her with my family! Prices are Absolutely reasonable. Food is yummy and the pizza is sooooo good! Not overly greasy and processed. Their Italian beef and au jus is delicious. Their salads also good! Thier protein bowls are especially delish! read more

Loved the Italian Beef sandwich! I got it "baptized" and the juice was excellent. The surprise of the evening was the French fries. Don't miss them! Crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside! read more

I have had multiple items here and all of them were awesome - Beef Sandwich very large and very tasty. If you are really hungry get the combo beef and sausage delicious and will totally fill you up. The Pizza id also very good and a pizza will feed 2 people. Fries' crisp outside and soft and fluffy inside. Cutting carbs try toe beef and sausage bowl. Burgers and crispy chicken very good as well. Love this palce read more

We have a Buona Beef opening soon in Gurnee, IL. Today, my son and I were passing the store in Lakemoor, IL and decided to stop in to see what we can expect. Our food was delivered to our table but everything was diminutive in size. We spoke to the manager, Aaron, who I have to compliment for stepping up to make it right. He personally remade my son's sandwich and gave me extra beef to make up for my lack of it on my combo. If it weren't for Aaron's help, we might have considered not bothering to check out the Gurnee store when it opens. read more

Love the Italian beef combo and their strawberry shakes. Their salads is awesome. They are very quick and fast with their service.

I like their food here but if you're thinking about getting a beef & sausage combo I'd suggest just saving the money and getting the sausage sandwich since you get about 1/2 ounce of beef on the combo. read more

Fresh and tasty food. It was off hours, so it wasn't busy. Clean and ample space. Had the classic Italian beef dry with cheese and juice on the side to dip. read more

Buona - Menu - Fast Food Near Me - Lakemoor, Illinois

Everything here was pretty average honestly. The burger was a good size and the bun is buttery, a much better bun than other options nearby. The chicken sandwich was dry, it definitely needed more of the sauce. The fries were hot and crispy, but a bit bland. I'd come back for the burger or to try the beef, but everything else was underwhelming. read more

See all

the plant based italian beef sandwich is delicious! i love how buona has real plant based options (clearly labeled) on the menu that aren't just salads without dressing. the italian beef is full of flavor and the seasoning is spot on. i ordered the sandwich with vegan cheese and sweet peppers, both of which were tasty! i wish the cheese was a little meltier but honestly it's not a problem for me and i still think the sandwich is perfect! my only real complaint/note is that i wish you could get a full size plant based sandwich because i didn't see it when i was ordering online. read more

Buona - plant Plant-Based Italian Beefless Sandwich - Fast Food Near Me - Lakemoor, Illinois

See all

If Portillos restaurant didn't exist this place might actually have a chance. This is our first time ordering BuonaBeef and typically if a restaurant is claiming to be the best at some thing that's something better damn well be the best. When ordering the large beef sandwich dipped or as I should say baptized as they claim it was barely dipped in gravy and the bread was still intact and a little dry. When ordering a double cheeseburger I did not ask for it to be baptized and cheese meaning I could barely see the meat on the actual sandwich as the entire thing was soaked in cheese moreover upon taking a bite I knew instantly it was not even close to portellos double cheeseburgers if you don't mind traveling the extra 20 minute drive Portillos knocks this place out of the park it's not even a close contender in comparison to portellos however when you're in Wauconda there's not many other options in Fratello certainly isn't gonna cut it. If you're not willing to go to portellos perhaps McDonald's might be the better solution but if you're really craving a midnight beef I suppose this would do or you could just break in the Portillos and try to steal and cook one up that even might be a better option stay clear. Ps- it's always lovely to get a delivery from a restaurant and see that the delivery seal has been broken prior to getting your food you always wonder what extras might just be lingering. read more

Buona - This is supposed to be baptized the bread is still dry the meat is dry the restaurant is dry - Fast Food Near Me - Lakemoor, Illinois

This location has management issues. I will not be back. Waited 25 minutes after ordering electronically. Went thru the drive thru and was given a sticker and 25 minutes later after parking and going in the tell me they don't have my order. I asked for a credit. You think they would have comped me but no, just gave me my money back. Won't be back read more

Food was good , service was slow , only 2 cars ahead of me , took 15 mins in drive through. If you are in the hurry , you should not eat there. It is a new building ,new parking but hard to get in and out . read more

Buona - Food was good , service was slow , took 15 minutes . - Fast Food Near Me - Lakemoor, Illinois

We decided to try this place out today. The food was decent. The only downside was how soggy the bread was. Other than that, it was not bad. The service was great. The lady behind the counter was very helpful and positive. The restaurant atmosphere was good. Very clean and well lit. read more

The staff here is bringing their A game this summer. Very attentive and customer service minded. Food was warm and fairly prompt even through they were just. Store is well staffed. The rainbow cone was faster than I recall too. read more

This place always goes to the top with their service and food. They are one of my favorites.

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 - a sandwich and french fries - Fast Food Near Me - Lakemoor, Illinois

Beware of high-priced beef not much for the money 5 in beef sandwich $6.52 good tasting but not enough meat on the sandwich will not return. Arby's is a better deal at 2 for $6 remember five stars are usually from corporate friends and family to bring up Star level read more

Buona - 5 inc beef $6.52 - Fast Food Near Me - Lakemoor, Illinois

Great addition to the area! Our family got a mixture of the Italian beef options. We loved how tasty the beef was! Large selection from burgers to pastas to their staple Italian beef. Their regular fries size is on the smaller end so id recommend a large if you're hungry. The service was fantastic and every worker who came our way said "my pleasure" which was a nice touch. If you're looking for a quick bite, try this place out! read more

Good food and nice enough staff, but service through rapid pick up is HORRIBLE. No notifications were given when the order was ready and I waited for over an hour before just going in and retrieving my order. Ended up being the wrong order and someone else had taken mine. When I spoke to a staff member, he said they didn't give notifications. Why? With all the online orders, and numerous delivery options, why do don't they communicate something so incredibly simple especially when ordering from their app. Service is mediocre to put it politely. read more

Had a problem at this location with beef being dried out, small amount of beef on sandwich, and other food inconsistencies. Emailed management he offered to compensate but never heard back. read more

Awesome beef sandwiches. They have beer, wine and the full Buona menu. Love their outdoor patio. They also deliver. Get the beef, baptized. So juicy. Love this place. read more

I would highly recommend the BUONA BITES they are absolutely delicious. It took me 2 times to realize that you leave your plates and stuff on the table as they clean it. All the meat is absolutely delicious but for the price I would of thought they would do fresh cut fries. read more

Buona - BUONA BITES Beef Bites - Fast Food Near Me - Lakemoor, Illinois

The foods are surprisingly very very good!! We ordered char grilled chicken sandwich ( it's perfectly done, generous amount, & tasty), chicken tenders ( very fresh good and generous amount ), burgers are also good. And the fries are perfect size. I wish I have this close to where I live, I will definitely come back. read more

Food taste great. Service is outstanding every time. Comfortable seating with great service.

Love Buona. This location is great, and the staff are polite, friendly, and helpful. This is my favorite Italian Beef in the area, way better than the portillo's in Gurnee. Sammie's is good and has nice crinkle fries, but this Buona is the best!!! Really love the new saucy beef, and the burgers are great. Have never been disappointed. The Rainbow Cone is a nice touch. Wife loves the palmer house and we're buying quarts of it. Nice to have a beer with dinner. read more

Not impressed with the beefs. Dry meat. Expensive for a beef place. Won't ever try it again.

Simply the best beef around. 10 times better than the place across the street. Great service and very clean read more

It was absolutely terrible! I've been here a few times, and every time, the mess my order up! Slow as molasses and a bunch of morons working here. I'll never go back to this location. They should just close down now. read more

people were extra nice and will go to each table to say ask how's ur food? Buona Beef read more

I was very happy with our recent visit to Buona! My husband ordered the Italian beef and he thought it was one of the best beefs he's had in the area. I ordered the strawberry, avocado, chicken salad; everything was super fresh and it was a generous size. There was a manager walking around checking on tables and keeping the dinning area clean. Looking forward to going back and trying out more menu items! read more

My husband and I tried the cheesy beef tonight. Service through the drive thru was fast, the service members were friendly. But the sandwiches Itself was eh. The meat was super dry, and not very tasty. The cheese was weird, like a cheese paste with some dried melted shredded cheddar on top. We got a side of fries and a side pasta salad. (Which was just oil, olives and peppers) Coming from Chicago, it is not a true Italian beef and not what we expected. We were expecting a mix between Philly and Chicago. It was nowhere close. When you advertise for a cheesy beef, we want it to me ooey and gooey messy. Not dry and pasty. read more

So gross this place needs To go back to the drawing board I had the original beef sandwich overly just soggy and wet unable to even hold and eat properly please skip this location they are much better places for your money time an appetite read more

Dare I say I like their beef sandwich better than Portillo's. At worse they are pretty similar. The bread and beef used are probably the same but the beef at Buona is seasoned better, it actually has some spice/ heat to it. Portillos is pretty bland in my opinion. Potato salad was great too! Service here was good. read more

Glad BUONA came to Lakemoor. Amazing food and service. I love their Italian Beef. Best in Chicagoland! Burgers, pizza and pasta are amazing, as well. Highly recommend read more

My 2 year old son, wife and I ordered through the mobile app tonight and picked it up to eat in the restaurant. Th order was perfect, the food was delicious, and my son said, "I want to stay at Buona Beef and live here". So yeah,we like Buona Beef. read more