I haven't been to Monti's since it had that big, rich uncle's basement energy. The uncle in the family whose house everybody crammed into for Friday fish fry, and the smoky card games, with the liquor bottles on the walls. Yesterday I walked in and, oh. oh WOW. Now you only get that basement vibe when you head to the bathroom. lol Monti's is a legit cool kid now, and I'm not mad at it at all. The cheesesteak? Still doing what it's supposed to do. I ordered one to go and demolished it later that night, like usual. I did sit in and have a few beers and bites. Somehow I've been sleeping on the onion rings and wings this whole time. Listen, listen, listen, Linda, the onion rings; Do Not Change Them!!! Don't you dare switch to those battered, frozen, chain-restaurant rings of bull-s. These are the good rings. Now, the wangzzzz. I'm not going to pretend these are the absolute best wings in the entire city, but they are absolutely in the "I will randomly crave these on a Tuesday" category. The meat could use a little marinade situation to bring more flavor inside, but that crispy coating holds up to the sauce like a champ. I like it, I like it, I like it. Extra points for a buffalo sauce that actually has some thickness to it and isn't just "here's some hot sauce, on a wing being called buffalo sauce. Now, I am going to need to try some of the other wing sauces, but if they hold up too. I would rather come here than go to some other well known wing spots. Honestly, I can see myself rolling through just for wings, rings, and vibes. And that Golden Monkey beer? Yeah, go ahead and keep that on tap forever. Please and thank you. haha read more

Monti's absolutely crushed it. We tried the South Side Johnny and the Authentic Philly Cheesesteak with aged cheddar cheese sauce, and both were unreal. The meat was perfectly chopped and juicy, the bread was spot on, and that cheddar sauce just took everything to another level. If you're looking for something that actually comes close to a real Philadelphia Philly cheesesteak, this is hands down the best spot in Chicago--and honestly, probably all of Illinois. Nothing else around here compares. This is the kind of place you keep coming back to. Highly recommend. read more

Monti's - Southside Johnny & Authentic Philly Cheesesteak - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Here on a food tour from out of town. Great cheesesteak! I missed the sweet cherry peppers tho. Overall, it was delish! They forgot my beer, tho : / read more

Excellent sandwiches! And don't skip getting a salad to start. Their salads are delicious too. Friendly service. We were recently there on a night they had trivia (we didn't realize this) and even though the server was by herself and busy she was friendly and attentive. read more

Had pizza delivered from GrubHub late on a Saturday night and we thought the pizza was actually pretty decent! It was unfortunately a bit cold when we arrived but that is not at all on Monti's. Will have to come dine in and try other food. read more

Hey everyone so we amé to eat here and let me start with the place is super clean and restrooms as well. Staff was friendly and very professional very helpful. So let's get into the food part it was good we had 3 different sandwiches so we had the rocky super good also had the original Philly with provolone it was also good it wasn't as cheesy as I would thought it would be though so final sandwich was the Philly pizza and that one was also good the sauce was really good to be honest surprised by it. The habanero sauce was also good and spicy just a bit. Ok price now I think it was a bit up there in price but everything is now super expensive now a days right so oh well. I do recommend this place for sure. read more

Monti's - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing place to eat if you go to Chicago....I found this place on DoorDash but I knew I needed to visit in person when I saw the food. I'm glad I went inside. We met Joe he was a sweetheart. Beautiful personality. He made us some drinks at the bar they were good. The cheesesteaks were packed with meat and flavor. Fries were good with the cheese and bacon but I normally ask for shredded cheese. We got an order of the garlic Parmesan wings. I like dry Garlic Parmesan these were wet. Not a problem because the place was very clean. The service was awesome. Parking can be troublesome but we found a spot. This place makes for a wonderful hidden gem. Thank you Joe and cooks for taking care of us. That sandwich was so big I had to take it to go to finish it. read more

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Not sure how to review this one. The Philly could be amazing, truly, but it is so incredibly salty to the point of being almost inedible. Like I think I got through half. I wonder if the folks working in the kitchen smoke? Because if you are actually tasting this sandwich without damaged tastebuds, the salt is overwhelming and ruins an otherwise good meal. Not sure I will be back read more

Ok I heard there was a real Philly cheesesteak place in chicago so I traveled 40 minutes and found the tiny bar that does serve excellent cheesesteaks. If in neighborhood I will definitely stop. read more

The food was great! Real philly cheesesteak! Took me back to my auntie's house in pennypack.

Had a craving for a cheesesteak and Monti's was recommended to me. I thought my GPS was crazy because I couldn't find it. It's on a side street. Parking was easy enough. I walked in and it's a nice neighborhood spot with a full bar. I was greeted by a nice guy that was working the bar. All the tvs had sports playing, if you're into sports you should check it out. He handed me a menu and I ordered a 12 inch cheesesteak hoagie with white American cheese and onion rings. The hoagie also included lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions and mayo. Since I had a 10 minute wait, I ordered a beer. Can't remember what kind but it was good. I went home and tore into that cheesesteak it was really good. The beef was plentiful which it had more onion. ( I'm an onion freak.) The onion rings were good but the dipping sauce helps elevate the rings. The 12 inch was big enough that I was able to cut it in half and have a good midnight snack. read more

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Ordered the cheesesteak with chicken instead of the original steak and I've never been more disappointed. I've had their food before and found it delicious (the only reason they got 2 stars from me) but this sandwich was the saltiest thing I've ever eaten. Tasted like every part of the sandwich was oversalted. Only ate half before I had to stop which is very unusual for me read more

Monti's - Authentic Philly Cheesesteak with Chicken (the saltiest thing I've ever eaten - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I wish I had known about this sooner! If I lived closer, it would be dangerous... I'd eat here every day. Highly recommend the sampler platter: Get the cheesesteak, the turkey grinder and the hoagie. We added onion rings and it was a perfect lunch for two of us! It's a hidden gem tucked away on a quiet street... We recommend eating outside if you can! read more

3 sandwiches for almost $80 delivered from Grubhub. Steak so salty we threw one away. They seem to use some sort of beefer-upper on the steak which makes the steak have a rubbery texture and weird flavor. Roast pork was much better than the steak. Go for that instead. Amoroso rolls are always good. Monti's: change your process with the steak and you'd have a great sandwich. read more

The authentic cheese steak was a hit......Piping hot and fresh. The waitress was welcoming and nice as well. I would definitely recommend Monti's. read more

Monti's - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had their Philly cheese steak before I went to Philly and now prefer Monti's. It's also a good neighborhood bar.

My God! How did I not stop here before?! Got the medium Philly with smoked provolone and it was incredible. I was the first customer. Excellent service and speed of food. Beautiful, clean and upbeat atmosphere. I'll be back!! read more

Monti's - Medium Philly cheesesteak with smoked provolone - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Laid back place with amazing Cheese steak. Coincidentally, I ran into a childhood friend there.

The worst experience I've had here tonight, I have no idea what's going on with staff but this company set a high standard for me and tonight they dropped the ball. I'm not 100% sure, if it was new staff or not. We waited about 20 mins for our food, just for the bartender to forget our fry order & we said it when we originally ordered. We received our Phillies cold because they set at the counter she walked right passed it. KEEP IN MIND it was a total of three people (a couple & one lady) in the restaurant and we were waited on last.. even though they lady came in after us.. Also, our fries came out 7 mins after we received our "order" and we were finished with our sandwiches so I told them I don't want the fries anymore since they're were coming late to me. They IGNORED the entire fact I said I don't want them anymore and still sat them in front of me. They continued to sit there even when I asked for the check. The fries still left in my bill... I ALWAYS TIP but due to the poor service I did not this time since they didn't think this through on their end. (Wednesday evening around 4pm is when we stopped in) I hope this is not an often thing but you won't see me for awhile... this is unacceptable read more

If you're looking for a quality Philly cheesesteak, Monti's is your place. The meat is seasoned perfectly, soft bread, salty, creamy cheese. Get the fries with the cheese sauce. So good! We got the 12 inch sandwiches and took the second half home for later! read more

Monti's - Authentic Philly Cheesesteak and cheese Fries - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It had been quite awhile since my last visit and this is my first time at the new and remodeled Monti's. In speaking with our server, he explained that the cheesesteak sandwiches have been kept close to what you'd expect, considering the owner was from Philly. I hope to spend time in Philadelphia soon, sadly, I've only flown in and out (like I was part of Seal Team 6) for work purposes. Thank you Pamela L. for the Philly cheesesteak tips, BTW. Anyway, here at Monti's we tried the Authentic cheesesteak and the Hoagie and both were very tasty. The bread had a nice crunch, the beef was shredded (tat, tat, tat, tat - you'll hear the cook working the flat top) and seasoned perfectly and I only finished half of my sandwich. The sandwiches are really heavy. It appears that the Authentic provides more beef while the Hoagie has veggies underneath the beef. I like both sandwiches and would get those again. I was feeling full and that was probably due to the coconut chicken appetizer, I was trying to compare it to my favorite chicken finger place in Schaumburg (Village Tavern) and although it was satisfying here at Monti's, I found the chicken breast to be on the thinner side and the coconut batter/coating fell off too easily. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the orange marmalade dipping sauce and All in all, I would order this again too. The vibe, decor, high top tables and bahr all look very tastefully done for this neighborhood hangout. Feeling inspired to make it to the top of Philly's Capitol steps, to raise my hands and say - Monti's!! read more

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Looking for some authentic Philly cheesesteak? This place hits the spot! Came here on a day where it was just completely down pouring and we got soaked but the cheesesteak seriously made everything better. Very casual neighborhood spot with quick and super friendly service! They use black angus ribeye which is great quality and you can truly taste it. We got a rocky to split and it was fantastic! The rocky comes with grilled onions, smoked provolone, jalapeno, scotch bonnet, charred serrano, spicy mayo. This one is spicy and it's GOOD. read more

Monti's - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I had a very nice server named April I ordered a cheesesteak since I had a craving . My sandwich was over seasoned and inedible. I didn't send it back but chose to only eat 1/4 of mine. I lived near Philly and sometimes I want some food from my youth. My review is solely for the cheesesteak read more

Being a guy with Philly roots, I have two recommendations: 1. Mix the cheese with the steak on the damn grill (your lame ass cheese under the steak is NOT authentic). 2. Add a pizza steak option without mozzarella. Not authentic. Pizza steak with American should be an option. read more

Brought the kids and ordered the authentic Philly. Service was spot on. Food came to the table quickly. Portions were sizable. This was the best cheesesteak I've had in quite some time. The reason it was a 4 and not a 5 is I had a physical menu that had outdated prices. This lead to a little confusion when the check came but in a post Covid world I suppose I could have looked online. P.S. love the board games and the vibe here. Hidden neighborhood gem. read more

Monti's - Classic Philly - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Monti's was great! Very satisfied with the quality of service and food given when visited. My friends and I visited this place for dinner post-work on a Saturday. It wasn't overwhelmingly busy so we sat at the bar. They have 4-5 beers on draft with plenty of can/bottle selections plus liquor too. I decided to go with the Rocky which is their base cheesesteak plus spicy mayo and their pepper sauce blend. It consisted of 4-5 different peppers which all packed a punch. I enjoy spice on most of my dishes and this was on point, but I don't recommend for those who don't like spice or like it mild. All in all, I highly recommend checking this spot out for a quality Philly cheesesteak in Chicago. read more

Monti's - Rocky Cheesesteak - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good but not worth the price for a cheesesteak.. got the biggest one and definitely didn't match up.. also got fries.. paid extra for white cheese and barely got any. 1st try but I'll give it one more try because I believe in second chances read more

I ordered Monti's for the first time via UberEats and it was delicious! I ordered a classic Philly cheesesteak with provolone cheese, banana peppers, and green onions! While I really enjoyed it I wish the cheese would've been on the top of the meat instead of underneath. It was a little dry for my liking as well. read more

Monti's - Authentic Philly Cheesesteak - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

i know if you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all, but my experience was so lackluster i had to hop on yelp to inform the masses. also maybe we came on an off night ? flavors are lacking in the philly cheese steak. maybe more seasoning would help. the waitress was 2/10, as a waitress myself i would be sick if i made costumers feel the way she made me and my friends feel. i'm not even trying to throw shade either. im not sure if she was having a rough day or something, but (it was not good service) the place was a sports bar esque. i feel bad that i have nothing nice to say, im trying to find it. oh ! their pickles were good ! read more

Philly's are absolutely delicious. This place did not disappoint. Best Philly in the city hands down. Servers were friendly. Ambiance was quiet and cozy. Will definitely return. read more

Best cheesesteak in the city! Service was great. I've been to Pat's and Gino's in Philly and Monti's is the only shop that can even compare to an authentic Philly cheesesteak! read more

These cheesesteaks are AWESOME! If you're looking for a place that does them right, look no further. First of all, their classic is delicious. I had it delivered the other day and it was the perfect temperature. It was sealed in foil, so the meat was still hot and the cheese nice and Nelly. The bread was soft but not soggy. Next, they have a cheesesteak flight! That is perfect for someone like me who can never choose what to order. This makes it so I don't need to! I've never been inside the restaurant because of COVID, but I plan on it soon. I can't wait to eat some more delicious cheesesteaks! read more

Monti's - Authentic Philly Cheesesteak - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been coming here for years and it is one of my favorite places to eat in Chicago! The food is amazing, the service is excellent, and the vibe is so cool! Almost a little retro. The fine ground beef in the cheese steak is like no other! Over all it is wonderful! I will absolutely be returning. read more

I am not conversant with actual Philadelphia cheesesteak joints, but this comfy joint appears to do justice to the concept as understood by me. Just as the proper bread is essential to Chicago Italian Beef , the soft rolls here are imported from the source city. I had the classic with smoked provolone and mushroom added, tasted fine to me. The bar , though I didn't indulge , is very well stocked with brews and the quality hard stuff, and the vibe is very neighborhood and chill. read more

$26 for a sandwich and fries. Greed. Was a loyal customer but never coming back. Goodbye.

Hoagies and beer for lunch I love spicy, so I ordered small rocky. It was so good. The onions rings crunchy And my wedge salad the best Service on point, see you next time read more

Monti's - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had the Philly steak sandwich. It was huge. Great sandwich and service. I'll be back.

Drove down from Northbrook extremely excited to pickup a Rocky cheesesteak. I decided to have a drink at the bar while I waited and they seemed to be out of every drink I wanted to order so I opted for some Pilsner on tap. Ordered a Rocky and even asked if they had changed the sandwich because it used to be listed with Scotch bonnet peppers. Was told it's still the same and placed my order. Got all the way home and realized it was placed as a plain Philly. Aside from it being the wrong sandwich, the plain Philly was okay at best. It seems like the quality has declined in the last year or so. Dude behind the bar seemed out of it and uninterested even though I was 1 of 4 people at the bar. It's a real shame because Monti's used to be extremely high on my list of places to pop in to when I'm on the north side of the city. The owner doesn't like constructive criticism apparently. Unfortunate. read more

My family and I have been coming here since my first daughter was 4-6 months and she's 10 now. I've recommended this place to family in the suburbs to family out of state and of course when they come to town we all come in. Definitely my first option. We've met some great people here, starting with Sam, Dylan and Jerome and now Meagan and Adrian. Monti's wouldn't be Monti's without their amazing food and their kickass team, front and back of house. Thank you for everything guys! Keep doing what you're doing! We came here on Adrian's last Friday night and it's a little sad. Hate seeing another great person leave. Good luck Adrian! Best wishes in everything you do in the future! Thank you Monti's! My family and I thank each and every one of you. We love you guys! read more

OK, so based on the owner's comments to my first review, I said I would give Monti's another try. The first time around I was thrown by the size of the sandwiches, but was informed that they offered other sized sandwiches. I do love a good Philly Cheese steak and have been craving them a lot, so I decided to give it another try. So first I am going to say that it was my bad not knowing that they had different sized sandwiches. For some reason, I was not able to see that. That said, I ordered using a different site and saw the different sizes. Seeing the different additions, this was like the Burger King for Philly Steaks, but in a good way. You can have a Philly Steak any way you want it and I got it with crumble Italian sausage and green peppers on top. Now the purist are going to say that what I did to that steak sandwich was wrong. Well like I did to that steak sandwich, they can bite me and good. The addition of the sausage plus green peppers was amazing. For good measure, I threw a couple of banana peppers on it that I had at home. Sheer bliss. The pull on the cheese was good, but I think the sandwich would have used more than what they put on there...extra cheese adds an additional $2.00 to the cost of the sandwich. The Doctor and The Queen repeated their orders from the last time and raved about them. The Doctor got The Rocky (grilled onions, smoked provolone, jalapeno, scotch bonnet, charred Serrano, spicy mayo and the steak) and The Queen got the Pizza Steak (mozzarella, grilled onions, seasoned tomato sauce and steak). Again the steak sandwiches were solid and delicious and I would get them again. Personally I thought my sandwich tasted better the next day as I only had half the night I ordered it. Monti's also offers a selection of salads you can pair with your sandwich if you wish. Guess that is for folks who don't want fries. That is not me...need fries with my steak. In addition to the steak sandwiches, I ordered the jumbo chicken wings with lemon wild oregano with the lemon wild oregano sauce. I love lemon and am a fan of lemon pepper wings from the Southside of Chicago, so decided to give these a try. I will say that they are jumbo and meaty. Not sure, but they didn't taste like they were fried, more like baked because the breading was soft. Maybe they were fried and just got soggy on the way over, but that was not a game changer for me, These were delicious and I will definitely get these again. If you do multiple add-ons to your sandwich, it could get costly, but I would say that the quality justifies the price. My next sandwich will be the Roast Pork Loin Grinder (roasted peppers, broccoli rabe and smoked provolone) because I love pork and will try it prepared almost anyway. I also want to mention that the bread was nice and soft and maintained that consistency the next day. What I would love to see them do is a chopped steak sandwich with BBQ sauce, chopped onions/green peppers cooked into the meat and served with cheese and that soft bun. Growing up on the Southside of Chicago, that was a steak hoagie I grew up with and would love to taste that again. You all already have everything, just get the BBQ sauce and start knocking those out Monti's. read more

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