I'd always wanted to try Buona, and we were hungry after walking 9 miles in the Beverly St. Patrick's Day Parade with Ted Dabrowski, so when my wife asked where I wanted to go, I knew where to go. This has an interesting look - nice and open, a variety of tables, comfortable seats. Good stuff. We looked at the menus to the right as we walked in, and kind of figured out what we wanted. While we waited, we saw their video which shows the various levels of "moisture" you can have for your sandwich, which was very helpful. A regular sandwich is 6" and a large is 9" - we both went with the regular with hot Giardiniera peppers. My wife chose hers with the "easy gravy" option, while I went "The Chicago Way" with the ends dipped. The sandwiches came out fresh and hot. The beef was nicely done, well cut (no gristle) and melted in your mouth. The Hot Giardiniera was HOT as advertised (which is why I ordered a small fry to help soften that later. I wrapped up with a fudge brownie which I shared with my wife. The staff was attentive, and took care of us. Very nice place, good service, great beef! read more

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I've always noticed that the size* of the (probably pre-manufactured ) pizzas vary sometimes and today I might have found out why-- Today is Thursday, the special day where you save $1.51 on the pizzas ($6.99 vs 8.50 regular price). I believe* they are using smaller pizzas on Thursday to make up for the smaller 'sales' price, which would be underhanded and misleading. I picked up my pizza, opened the box and immediately noticed a smaller than usual pizza size..... maybe 1-2 cm smaller. I believe it should be the same size no matter what day, deal, coupon, etc. IMO. Can Buona or anyone else explain to me how this *isn't false advertising, similar to Subway footlong BS, Walmart Black Friday deals, etc? It just shows dishonesty and lack of decency towards the customers which makes me think hard about going back. I smell a class-action lawsuit if the right people (not me personally) get ahold of this information. Please do better Buona, because I know you can. (I didn't think to take picture before I started eating it, but attached is a pic of what's left when I realized what's probably going on. You can probably imagine a whole pizza and wonder why the box is so big compared to the pizza. They have people to figure out ideal box size to reduce packaging costs). read more

Buona - 'Thursday deal' sausage pizza (well done and EZ sauce) - Sandwiches Near Me - St Charles, Illinois

For a semi-takeout type of restaurant, their service is great! Order at the front, mobile order, or food service app available. We ate in the restaurant and firstly the dining area is really clean. Second, they bring your food to you. Third, they even pick up your finished plates too. I'm always the type to put our dishes together to make it easier to throw out, especially as a former food service worker, but I wasn't expecting the great service! Now the food - I've never really eaten Italian beef to have any expectations but the food was really good! I got the Buona Beef with Giardiniera and it was so good! I don't know about you, but when the juices are flowing and the sandwich makes a mess? That's even better! The giardiniera didn't have as much kick as I wanted but putting crushed red peppers helped. Their fries are pretty good too! About the thickness of steak fries and we only ordered a regular size. My partner ate the Rigatoni Marinara. Now I think this part is by preference but I wasn't a fan of the sauce. She loved it though! Even dipped some of the fries into. Overall, great experience! read more

Buona - Signature Rigatoni Marinara Pasta - Sandwiches Near Me - St Charles, Illinois

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Had dinner tonight at Buona in St Charles . Ordered a large meatball sandwich extra marinara sauce, regular size beef w/side of hot pepper oil only, can't have the peppers, and 1 reg FF and 1 onion rings, 2 waters. When they brought it to the table the beef was so oily it was dripping from the paper onto the table, they also gave my husband a 6" meatball no extra sauce! Went and told the mgr (which was very rude!! ) she didn't offer to correct my beef and said I'll give you a meatball and an extra pc of bread! I said, just make a new sandwich RIGHT! Spent $30 for what, aggravation and rudeness! There were only 3 other ppl in the dining area, not like it was jammed -- these young kids don't listen! And that manager is a poor example of leadership and accommodating customers!!! read more

A beautiful experience in St Charles. The building inside and out very clean. All the workers are very polite. For this Elite Experience I actually had a fantastic time. I had many options from the menu. I had a beef sandwich with hot peppers and an order of fries they were the best Tasting sandwich I ever had in a very long time. The bread was very nice and toasty not wrinkle nor soggy. The fries wow so good. Nicely done in rectangle not burned nor salty I really enjoy the food and the service. Thank you again Mirella you nailed it with this BUona beef YELP ELITE EVENT. Thank you I had an awesome time. Th am you Buona need for the awesome food. read more

Buona - Compliments - Sandwiches Near Me - St Charles, Illinois

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One of my favorite places to go when I don't want to cook. I always get the classic buona beef but this time I went with the new saucy buona beef. I got everything to go. On their website it says, "We start with melted provolone, layers of mozzarella and marinara cheeses in-between our signature Italian beef, then topped with extra marinara and grated parmesan. It's time to get lost in the sauce." It is MESSY but sooo worth it. Just be careful where you place the bag because 9/10, it's usually leaking from the bottom. Unwrapping it will be messy too, so grab a big plate! I still dipped it into the cup of extra juice I requested. Cause your girl likes a lot of flavor lol They really stuff it until it falls out. Added a strawberry milkshake. So glad I did. Has actual chunks of strawberries. The fries are thick and potatoey. Perfect for dipping into the cheese to grab onto. I have been curious to try their pasta meals so I will come back for that next time :-) read more

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Great app. Food was fresh and ready when I arrived. Very good quality . I will go again

i called ahead to see if they had brownies, and the man who i talked to was super kind and funny, he said "see you soon"! we came in like 20 minutes later, and there he was! super cool environment! the brownie was delicious too read more

Buona - Ghirardelli Fudge Brownie - Sandwiches Near Me - St Charles, Illinois

Great menu options and surprised to find vegan and vegetarian options!!! Service was quick and helpful. We ordered the 1) Italian beef with sweet peppers - very generous with the beef and the peppers, delicious bread; Italian beef with mozzarella; the vegetarian plant-based beef sandwich-the texture was amazing, easily passed for the real deal: and a salad dinner-too much dressing should've asked for it on the side. Also discovered a little known fact, if you're over 55 years of age you get your drink for 55 cents. One of the dining partners was aware and took advantage of this deal. The others missed out as it wasn't advertised. Nice ambiance, clean! We will return. read more

Despite being born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, I had never been to Buona (I was always more partial to Portillo's). Since going vegan many years ago, I lost any reason to try Buona; but now we're in a new era, and they added a Chicago Italian beef sandwich using Upton's Naturals seitan. I was over the moon when I found out. I can definitively say Buona's vegan beef ($8) is spectacular: a juicy, savory, beefy sandwich that will satisfy your deep Chicago cravings. The seitan is perfectly sliced; the marinade succulent and perfectly liquid; the bread real (not spongy and fake); the giardiniera spicy and pickly. I will say that this sandwich, like any true Chicago Italian beef sandwich, does not travel well: by the time you bring it home, the beef marinade will have turned the bread into a soggy, fragile mess. But who cares? It's amazing. As a bonus, Buona's fries ($2.29) are also delectable: perfectly crisp, loosely hollow rectangular pieces of glory. In an age of endless, hokey "plant based" off-the-shelf options (Impossible burgers at Burger King, Just Egg at Peet's), the Buona vegan Italian beef is a marvel: it's authentic, it's well-thought-out and lovingly prepared. It also uses a Chicago hometown product in Upton's Naturals which is far and away better than any other fake meat on the market. Bravo, Buona. read more

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PRICES JAKKED - quality and portion sizes of food have declined. Salads - now almost $11. (*We've come here enough and ordered these enough over the past few years to notice the OBVIOUS downslide and following changes): - Mostly lettuce, and overall size of salad is now smaller. - Once large, home-made type croutons replaced with the small standard little baggie of croutons. - Less pieces of chicken. - Once large Kaiser-type dinner roll replaced with "the end" portion of a loaf of Turano Bread (bread is still good, but these little ends are essentially the unusable pieces, that are often thrown out). Italian Beefs - now almost $10, seem slightly smaller, and obvious less beef inside. No more little coupons or incentives (i.e. Wednesday burgers $5). When all of this begins to happen, people will come here less, except for those who don't care about jakked prices for lesser portions and quality. See Friday's restaurant (once thrived, most have shut down recently because of jakked prices, changes to/lessening of menu, and smaller portions) for a prime example of what NOT to do. read more

Hands down the second best beef chain in all of Chicago (Portillo's is #1). This location has great service and the food is in consistent quality with the locations we frequent (Algonquin and Hoffman Estates). The biggest deal here is the kids meal, which gives and entree, side, and drink for under $6. The pizza is made to order and the beefs are a decent size for the price. Also, don't ignore the burger here. It's definitely tasty and hearty and worth a sample! read more

This is my favorite Buona location. We moved out of state, but always dine here on visits back to get our Chicago food fix that we miss. They have a nice patio that isn't on the main street, so it is quiet. We closed down the restaurant tonight with friends. We quickly adopted the manager, Santos, into our friend group. He was so nice and friendly. We will definitely be back on our next visit to dine at Buona and visit Santos. read more

Tasty beef. Good guardina on crisp bun. Worth the visit. I will be back. Have good selection of soft drinks

The best Italian beef and the most generous in terms of the quantity of beef compared to any of the other Beef n Hot Dog places in the area,hands down. read more

The church where we are members was having a special day at Buona Beef for the youth group. 20 per cent is a strong incentive to go to the restaurant. Before I went to the restaurant I went to Costco where I purchased $100 of gift cards for $75. I then went to Buona Beef. I proceeded to the desk and purchased the ribs as well as other Buona products. The cashier was extremely helpful so I went home with the Sunday special and some of their other products. The cashier helped me out with my take home order. The odor smelled great all the way home. I hope it tastes as good as it smells. PS... As I read the history of Buona Beef, I grew a little older. I lived in Forest Park and Oak Park during the company's formative years. This chain has come a long way in developing their brand. read more

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First time coming here about a week ago. I had Buona once at another location so I wanted to give this place a chance and I definitely wasn't dissapointed. They have a ton of menu options as well as great variety of drink options. I love the layout and the atmosphere of this place. Even though it's a fast food place, it feels as if I'm at an upscaled restaurant. The restaurant was clean, the employees were friendly, the restroom was clean. The food was phenomenal by far. Prices aren't much to complain about either. The food does take a while to prepare but this store has a valid reason why it takes a while so I'm not upset about that either. Great outdoor seating too I might add. Will definitely come back. read more

I love buona, I've never gotten the beef but the pizza and cheese fries are oh so good mmmm ugh

Excellent alternative to Portillos. They use quality ingredients at a competitive price. Their Italian beef has a unique flavor and has never tasted stale. Their fries are delicious but they dish them out like they are gold bars. When you order fries just order 2x your normal portions. Their other food like chicken , salads and burgers are all delicious and well proportioned. The staff tend to be local kids with a great attitude and a really strong work ethic. Friendly, helpful and a positive attitude. Drive through is usually fairly quick but you will be asked to pull up and wait about 1/4 of the time. Expect a good positive family experience here. read more

THEY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO ACCOMMODATE GLUTEN-FREE/CELIAC PEOPLE I am, unfortunately, one of the very few people that has something called Celiac Disease. While this is not a truly horrid or terrible disease, it makes one's life very challenging. How so? You cannot have gluten (basically anything made of or with wheat). What does that mean? Imagine not being able to just go out to eat anywhere you want. You cannot have a cheeseburger, hotdog, beef sandwich; anything breaded (Chinese, Fish, and Chicken) or deep fried. So how do you deal with THAT? You have to always know where you are going ahead of time and call ahead, ask questions, talk to management and not just a crew member. It's VERY challenging and often is a mood-killer if one just wants to go out with friends on a whim to a nearby place to eat. So I cannot have all the things I am used to having, including Buona Beef. So I called them up expecting to get the usual "Sorry, not much we can do for you." But not here. I called on a Sunday and actually spoke to the store manager. He not only explained what all my options were, but also told me they would be more than happy to accommodate me. I let him know what I was looking to get, and he said come in and we'll take care of you. He was very positive and upbeat. I have been going to this location for many years, and it always delivers - but since being Celiac, in my mind I just wrote it off as pretty much everything else. What a pleasant surprise. When I came in the manager explained he was going to clean down a spot on the line so there is no cross contamination. He also was going to bring up a fresh batch of gravy sauce, since the regular bread is often dipped in it. I would get sauce from the untouched batch before it was put on the line. I was able to get a pita for my beef. He also bagged my portion of my group order separately so it wouldn't even go near or touch the other food in any way. He went over and above to make someone who is usually cast aside feel welcome and like everyone else. Being Celiac is one of the most challenging things in the world. Having this great experience was wonderful. After we received our food which was all correct and hot - we took it to Leroy Oaks and I was able to sit and enjoy my food with others and for that afternoon, was able to forget I was Celiac. Off the top of my head, I cannot recall the store manager's name, and I apologize. I will get it and update or add on to my review. PS - They have various options for dipping your beef....ranging from "original way" to "dry" to "dipped" etc. I would like them to consider adding another option for those who truly love their beef juice... Let's call it "TITANIC." They fill a small container with beef juice, put a lid on it... and your sandwich is sunken and resting at the bottom! =Mathew= read more

Outstanding first visit. For a restaurant that opened up a couple of days ago, they definitely know what they're doing. I went at 7:00 and got a parking spot right away. There was a good line for food, that went quick. The food came out really quick and there were people running around, clearing the tables, so people could sit right away. I had the combo beef and sausage. It was the best combo that I have ever had. I got the cheese, but really didn't notice it on there. I was very impressed. You can tell this isn't their first opening. I will be back, this weekend!! I went back the next day and had the pretzel burger. It was delicious. I went at noon and it was packed, but I was in and out and full, in about 20 minutes. They have a great staff and food. read more

Buona - The pretzel cheeseburger... DELICIOUS - Sandwiches Near Me - St Charles, Illinois

I love the food. I had set up a date for a catering, they were absolutely fantastic. Unfortunately due to weather conditions I had to cancel but I will definitely consider them again in the future. read more

Beats me why people think Portillo's has better beef than Buona. Buona beef is twice as flavorful. And Buona's salads and sides are light years ahead of what used to be Portillo's but is now a shadow of its former self. read more

I have been to many Buona locations throughout the last 10 years. They are always good, but they haven't drawn me to that, "OMG I'm craving Buona Beef so much that is what we have to have for dinner!" We just moved to Saint Charles a little over a year ago and finally tried the new location that just opened over here. Everything was perfect! The flavors were there, the freshness was there, the effort from employees caring about their role was there, just a 5-star high five! I may change my mind about Buona from being good...to GREAT! :) read more

A carnivore's dream and his vegetarian wife's can get by. We were out in the western burbs on a family outing and stopped by Buona. The promise of Italian beef had my husband turning into the parking lot before I could weigh in. I have to admit because I was concerned this is the typical "Italian beef" place that my husband has dragged me to before. Not the case! Bionic is nicely decorated. Very clean. The service is wonderful from start to finish. They have a HUGE menu with lots to offer. Even something for the vegetarian that's not a salad! My husband got the fries and an Italian beef. He loves that you can personalize it in so many ways. Next time, he said he was going to order two fries. I am not sure he can eat all that, but... I had the caprese sandwich, fruit cup, and brownie shake. The caprese sandwich was made well. A multigrain roll, reduced balsamic vinegar, fresh mozzarella. Yum. The fruit cup was also a lovely mix of different fruits that were fresh and delicious. It was a wonderful surprise. Now I won't Fred going with my husband when he needs an Italian beef fix. read more

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New fan...since P has gone so far down in quality I have been driving to find alternates and twice have come here. I like to order on line and pick up. Super easy. Beef sandwich is really good. I get it baptized with hot peppers. Yum. The fries here are pretty good too...thicker than McD and better flavor than BK I got them with cheese sauce. Also ordered there fettuccine Alfredo which I had for another meal. It was very good. Noodles, flavor, consistency all perfect. I'll get at least 2 meals out of it. A soft roll was proved with the FA. I've been advised to try the meatball sandwich and I will soon..maybe tomorrow. read more

Great food, terrible service this time. We ordered ahead at 4:08 and finally got out at 4:41. The Italian beef sat out in its wrapper outside of a bag for at least 25 minutes, and the burger we ordered only began being cooked and assembled once we pointed out that we were waiting for our order to a worker in the kitchen. Most of the bagging staff were stood around talking instead of pushing out the freshly made food. Everyone that came in after us got their food quickly while we stood around watching. They need to sort out the kitchen staff, but beyond that the food is good, if you don't mind a cold sandwich. read more

Yup, we were here twice this week. My husband wanted to go, so we agreed. This time I had an Italian Sausage in a bun with chips. The sausage was very good, but there is way too much bread. I actually ripped off half of the bread. The most interesting thing happened. I got the chips as a side and they were really soggy and bad. I took them to the manager and told him the issue. He said, "Can I try one?" I said, "Of course." He actually tried one, shook his head, and said, "No, those are not good." How many times has this happened to you? It's never happened to me. How many times have you wanted the manager to taste the horrible food they served you? Every time it is bad. They never do. I always want them to try it. Good job, Mr. Manager Guy. Tasting the terrible stuff lets you know that you can't serve that to your customers. I applaud his efforts. I got fries instead. Problem solved for me. read more

I could say so many great things about this location, very friendly staff, and very attentive. The food tasted great, and the very sweet employee brought cookies out to my niece and daughter! When leaving they cleaned the table right away, they definitely get an A+ with safety precautions with covid... read more

I've been back to Buona's twice since this review. I am really sold. I love the huge menu. I had a healthy turkey delizzioso (or of a similar spelling) and it was awesome. I love that you can offer healthy food there, a major plus. The kids meals are great. Good value. The kids chicken fingers are great, and the kids beef was a perfect size, even for an adult. I confess, I wanted to try the beef so I ordered a kid's size. It was really good. I did. It need peppers or gardinera, it was great as is. Also, they changed the fries since my first visit. They are now AWESOME. I mean it, really good. The variety at Buona is a huge selling feature. The whole family can find something. Now if I could just get my Buona card registered I'd be really happy. ;-) read more

I've stopped eating red meat, so though Buona's Italian beef had always been a favorite, I hadn't been there for a while. A friend came in from out of town, and she craved beef, so it had to be Buona. The counter was staffed by one associate at a very busy time. It took a while to order our food. However, our food arrived quickly. I love the new chicken and spinach bowl. My friend was dismayed at the presentation of the beef bowl. I went back about ten days later with husband, and again there was only one person taking orders and there was a line. A manager peeled out, but did nothing. I ordered the chicken bowl again. We got our drinks, but admittedly spaced out and didn't grab flatware. When the staffer brought the food to us--we were on the patio--we realized we didn't have flatware. She said, "Is there anything else you need?" So we asked her where to get forks and knives, "Oh, you get those right inside," but instead of offering to grab them, she walked away. Though there had been a line at the register, the restaurant was fairly empty. It would have been nice if she had gone in to grab our flatware since it was what we needed Not at all intuitive. She was young, so perhaps some more training is needed? read more

I wanted to try the vegetarian beef so I could let my vegetarian son know if it was any good. He always says with all of the vegetarian choices & meat substitutes available, the only thing he misses was a good Italian beef. I purchased a regular beef with sweet & the new veggie beef with sweet so I could compare them side by side "blind". I split each in half & my wife & I were both very impressed with the new veggie version. The look & aroma was excellent & almost identical to "real" beef. The texture of the veggie version was a little bit softer. It took us a few bites before we could tell which was which. I would recommend this sandwich to any vegetarian looking for a legitimate Italian beef experience. I wanted to add that the Saint Charles Buona staff were very friendly & helpful. The store was very clean. read more

We taste tested Buona, Portillos, and Beef Shack and Buona was the best of the three. We got our sandwich baptized and it wasn't too soggy even after sitting for 10 minutes. The beef was well seasoned and juicy. We just went through the drive through, but the exterior was very modern. read more

Everything was going great except for when we noticed our naked food wrapped inside out. no toppings on the hotdog or beef. Just plain everything. This isn't the first occurrence either. Just last week they gave me fries with no salt. Maybe one of these times they will get it right. Truly Unfortunate. read more

Always delicious. One of my favorites- can never go wrong! I LOVE the fact that they have vegan/vegetarian options as well. It's nice to be able to go out and have options to choose from. Cannot recommend enough! read more

SO UPSET WITH BUONA BEEF !!!! My favorite salad ... Classic Cobb is off the menu ... substituting with Chopped Salad !!! Not even ! I have followed a low carb diet for over 3 years and gave always craved the Cobb ( minus corn ) It was a weekly staple and a salad I would order for company. So terribly disappointed. It changes everything for me... I love the beef and sausage combo bowl but the main reason was always the salad. Bring it back please !!!! read more

I'm downgrading my review rating because since I last wrote my review , the food has been prepared twice incorrectly and there was a hair in my salad. Also, the level of courtesy from the employees has gone down since I was last here . I'm not impressed at all. read more

Buona - Weekly Buona specials! - Sandwiches Near Me - St Charles, Illinois

Lots of beef places out here, including Beef Shack and Skippy's and Portillo's. This one just happens to be the closest to home. First, the good news -- Buona has one of, if not the best pepper and egg sandwiches (I get mine with hot pepper giardiniera)! And their beef and bread is very good. Portions are acceptable, too. But don't stray too far from that. The hamburgers are thin little wafers prone to sitting some place waiting patiently for you to order them. Which can make them cold and crumbly. Hot dogs are okay, but nothing special. Not much here other than location then to make me stop, and Beef Shack is only a block further east. Just sayin'... read more

I received a house salad at a customers business location It was in a box with a cookie. The cookie was wrapped, the salad was just thrown in the box! No bowl, no container, just salad in a box YUCH. No thank you. That will be a pass if I ever see lunch again from Bueno I can only imagine what else they do read more

I am a beef shack loyalist but had to try buona. This is a beef and fries only comparison Beef to beef - shack wins Fries to fries - shack wins Buona is tasty but couldn't take the shack read more