GREAT SERVICE. FANTASTIC FOOD. GOLDEN MONKEY ON TAP. I would highly highly recommend trying this place. The Rocky is my all-time favorite cheesesteak. It can be VERY VERY hot so be careful. The prices are a little high but after you try their food, you won't complain and you'll probably be back for more. It's a little annoying to find the place because Talman is a one way street, but parking is not difficult to find. There are indeed many great places to eat in and around Lincoln Square, but Monti's is definitely one of the best in my humble opinion and shouldn't be missed. read more

My favorite sandwich is the Philly cheesesteak. By far, it is the tastiest I've had in Chicago. The bread is crispy with right amount of moistness, the beef is seasoned perfectly and the fries are thick cut, with a little salt. This is a perfect meal read more

Monti's - I have tried several Chicago places for a philly. This place has the best bread, meat that is as authentic as possible. - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The service was very quick and friendly! However the food was just average. Got wings and a small philly classic. The phill y wasn't bad but the wings seemed like they were baked so the skin was soggy. Not a bad place if in a pinch though read more

This is a nice upscale Philly cheese joint. The place has about 50 seats including the bar and most of the clientele we saw were couples. We ordered take out. I had the authentic with the cheese sauce, and my other had the Southside Johnny. We both thought they were good, but messy to eat. I have to agree with others that $11 for a Philly cheesesteak is pricy. Cheaper in Philly. I do understand that Monti's has added non Chicago premium meat, non-Chicago bread, and non-Chicago cheese, etc....so you would expect a premium price. Oh I did spy a Chicago beer that was available for consumption. This is a nice clean establishment located off Lawrence, and you can tell that Monti cares about the business as she responds to every review she gets. When an owner does that it shows that they take pride in what they produce. read more

Original philly cheesesteak with smoked provolone cheese was delicious but needed more cheese. I'd order extra cheese next time.

I found out about Monti's via Groupon (awesome deal) at the end of February, which came at a perfect time since I was lamenting with the bf about finding a place with decent Philly cheesesteaks. I am not an expert on cheesesteaks but the ones I have had in the past have not cut it. But Monti's sure does! The authentic Philly cheesesteak was delicious! I chose to have it with the aged cheddar sauce that didn't overwhelm the meat. The steak itself was very juicy, well-seasoned and fulfilling. And that roll was the perfect vessel to get all that in my mouth. The fresh cut fries with celery salt were also a nice treat to accompany the meaty goodness. BF had the Rocky and felt it was spicy in all the right places. Also had the pretzel bites, which came out nice and hot and also accompanied by the aged cheddar sauce...which can go on almost everything. Even the small selection of desserts were fantastic including the ice cream sandwich and the Italian Water Ice (mmm rainbow!) Unfortunately, they were out of Tastykakes that night but that didn't ruin my experience whatsoever. The craft beer selection was pretty darn good and definitely will have me coming back again. For those who need to read about the atmosphere...low key, comfortable and not too loud. The service was good but I imagine that is because we were the only ones in there on a Sunday night. Either way, I will be back and recommend you go, too! read more

Turns out the piZza is quite good, too. The staff was super friendly again. Thanks guys!!!

Really tasty cheesesteaks! I've never had a cheesesteak in Philly but the one I had from Monti's tonight was excellent! My husband and I carried out tonight and both of us had the original Philly cheesesteak with the aged cheddar sauce. We live close by but still that's enough time for Cheese sauce to congeal and ruin your sandwich. Not here! The cheese sauce was gooey and tasty- the meat seemed to be high quality and was well seasoned! The fries were crispy in their paper bag. I'm glad we live close by cause I will definitely carry out again! read more

Seriously amazing! Every time.. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable when it comes to food and drink. I drive about 45 minutes just to eat here once a month with some buddys. They do it right! read more

I lived in Philadelphia for a year so I consider myself very knowledgeable about cheesesteaks. For example when I lived in Philly my roommates and I had a bucketlist shaped like a cheesesteak of all the famous and not so famous places we had to try. It's hard to find a legit Philly cheesesteak outside of Philly and Monti's comes close. The biggest thing missing is the sweet peppers. The place is nice and located off of Lawrence so it's easy to get to. There is a decent amount of seating so you don't have to wait for a table which is nice when you're hungry. I'll be back when I need my cheesesteak fix since it's not far from my place. read more

This is a pretty good restaurant/bar on the north side amongst a variety of restaurant styles in the area - Vietnamese, Korean, Yugoslavian, etc. Obviously, it's located just off of Lawrence so it's easy to miss. Parking isn't that difficult since the other establishments in the area aren't heavy street parking users and some nearby stores have their own parking lots. It's a little bit dark inside, but you can easily find your way around and read the menu easily. The wait staff is nice and pretty attentive. There are a few tvs around if you want to catch the latest Flyers or Sixers game. There were some pennants from St. Joseph and Penn State, but my bosses from LaSalle and Villanova would have been disappointed! The menu is pretty straightforward. I think the cheesesteaks are pretty good versions of the original. The amoroso rolls have that light cornmeal bottom while it soaks up any juices and sauce and gives a little resistance when chewing. Instead of the parts being spread out in the bread, they roll it up tight for carry out orders, which made it a little more dense than I'm used to. The flavor was pretty solid, though. I also had a Rocky which definitely brought the heat, but not just adding hot sauce. The chilis hit you at different levels and were a good touch than just normal bell peppers. The bay fries were great and came in a paper bag separate from the cheesesteaks so you can enjoy them without getting soggy. It's definitely a place to come back to try some of their other menu items. read more

Overall good, authentic Philly cheese steaks and then some. My experience with true cheesesteaks hails from Geno's or Pat's in Philly. This place is the closest you can get to getting that quality of cheesesteak and more. This is definitely better than the Philly's Best franchise all around Chicago. Started out with the wings app and it was deep fried and tasty. Then I had The Rocky Cheesesteak and it had a variety of peppers on it which were amazing! The side of crispy fries were dusted with some celery salt, giving it that nice Chicago connection. Nice touch. One critique about this place is that their Daisy Cutter on draft is a bit steep for 7$ a pint. Places in the area have it cheaper for $5 but that is a minor issue. Aside from that, the service was great, the atmosphere was nice with good music and the food was delicious. It's definitely a local spot on my list that I will be visiting more often. read more

Great cheese steak. Premium cut beef and bread that melts in your mouth. Do not complain about the price of over $10 bucks for a cheese steak. This comes with fries as well. I have spent $20 bucks on sandwiches and fries that did not come close to tasting as good as Monti's. I can't wait to try the rest of their menu. This is FOR-REAL cheese steak. Real rib eye, real bread, real food. Just go get it. read more

Had dinner with our friend Meghan. The pretzel tots were warm and salty with melty cheese and tangy mustard. The buffalo tots were spicy and balanced by the creamy blue cheese dip. Meghan got a Southside Johnnie beef with swiss, horseradish cream and sauteed mushrooms. I got the standard beef 12 inch with the chile mayo from the Rocky. Etta snatched half of my mayo and applied it to her cheesesteak hoagie, which was already slathered with mayo and melted American cheese. To drink they had Uncle John's from Michigan, well carbonated and dry hard cider. read more

Monti's - cheese fries - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Another great sandwich added to a huge win over the Blackhawks. Makes me miss Philly, forgot to ask for tastycakes read more

Monti's - This was the best cheesesteak compared to philly. It was also the best I have had at Monti's, cause the Flyers beat the Hawks. - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Monti's is true nom nomz. I haven't had a cheesesteak in over a year now, and don't think I've ever had a true philly cheesesteak before, but if Monti's is authentic, then they are damn good. I convinced a couple friends to venture north enough to the rockwell stop, and none of us were disappointed by journey's end. Each table was filled on a Saturday at 7, but luckily there was no wait. There are some cool, comfy looking wall seats. When my friend sat down, it looked like she was sitting on a small throne. We started with a few drinks and found they only had one beer on tap, but featured quite a few special brews priced at around $6 a bottle. For food, I ordered the rocky cause I love food with a kick. The "charred serrano and scotch bonnet" sounded terrifyingly spicy, but luckily you can order their hot pepper mix on the side. I was glad I did because I only ended up using about half of it on my sandwich. Tasting the pepper mix alone, I found it to be so hot, I didn't really taste anything--my tongue just hurt. The cheesesteak itself was delicious and had good balance; the bread was soft but crispy on the outside while the meat was juicy, tender, and falling out with every bite. The service here is great! Our waitress was nice, joked with us, and came to check up on us enough throughout our meal. Hope to come back sometime in the future. read more

Finally found my Philly Cheesesteak place in Chicago! Chicago is a city with great restaurants, but as a recent Philly transplant, I was struggling to find a good cheesesteak in the city. My search is now complete after having lunch at Monti's. In addition to cheesesteaks, they have roast pork grinders and cheeseburger hoagies (a sub made with a cheeseburger instead of ham and salami) which are other local Philly things. As an added bonus, the fries remind me of the boardwalk fries you'd get on the east coast! I'll definitely be returning when the next Philly craving hits! read more

I've never been to Philly so I can't speak to authenticity, but as sandwiches go this was solid. Amazingly the half I brought home warmed up well in the microwave so I'm pretty sure the bread is made by sorcerers. The celery salt on the fries is a neat touch that catches you off-guard. You know something tastes different about the fries but you're not sure what. Bonus points to the waiter for not slipping in service at all when I told him we had a Scoutmob coupon. Some servers definitely get twitchy about anything they think might lower their tip (we're not bumpkins, we know to tip on the original bill). Definitely will try again. read more

The owner was super friendly and they have a tasty selection of ciders. I guess TimeOut recently gave them an award for the best wings in Chicago and I agree! I craved their buffalo wings for 3 days after I ate them and am craving them again now thinking about them. Be sure to not eat too many though because you'll want to have room for one of their delicious cheesesteaks. Not that I'm a connoisseur of that particular variety of sandwiches but it was the best one I've ever had. Not greasy in the slightest, soft yummy bread, very flavorful overall. We'll be back for sure....just hopefully not often enough to break the pocketbook. Btw, the 12in sandwich and some wings was enough for two to share. Perfect weekend lunch! read more

Monti's - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My husband had a cheesesteak and i had the chicken version. Both were very good! We live close by and will be back. My only request - to every restaurant where cheese is an important ingredient - is to have a vegan cheese option for the lactose intolerant! I ate mine with real cheese... but man, I paid for it later. read more

So good. I would go there ago. My husband says it's a little bar. Wouldn't have noticed it if it wasn't that I found it on yelp. We got the sampler and the authentic was the best but that's not to say that all of them weren't good. We also got the boneless buffalo tenders. They were also good. We are totally getting again. It Hit the spot so good. read more

The soft pretzel nuggets were delicious (soft and doughy on the inside with a light shell on the outside) and the original Phillie cheesesteak was perfect. No cheese wizz product and grilled nicely. The service was very friendly and attentive. The atmosphere was fun and wasn't pretentious. It's a great place to go to chill out, eat comfort food, and chat with friends. read more

Great spot to hang with a friend after work, or first date. Nestled around the corner off lawerance ave. has great sandwiches here amazing naked chicken wings flash fried. Healthy choice. Friendly service , fast, and great prices read more

I want to start off by saying Monti's philly cheeses are awesome. Only other place I've had better is Carl's in Manhattan. Thought we'd order out tonight and this is usually a half hour decision...we agree Monti's will be the place. Pick up the phone, rings a good 15 times, no pick up and no answering machine kicks in. Odd, I call back...another 15 rings with no answer or machine. Tried one more time, no answer and gave up. I can tolerate a lot of things when it comes to dining, but this is the one thing that drives me bananas. Understood people go on vacation and need to close, but buy an answering machine, set it to go off after the second ring and say "we'll be closed from x to y for the holidays" or mention it on the website. Costillo's on Lincoln is really bad about phone service. This won't fully keep us away because the food is good, but it's disappointing when a couple indecisive people like us get set on something the get shanghaied with no explanation. read more

This is my go to spot for a Cheesesteaks in Chicago. The owners are from Philly and having not been there myself I'm going to have to give them the benefit of the doubt for authenticity. Either way the flavor is there. They are well packed with meat and they don't skimp on fries. My standouts are the South Side Johnny and The Rocky. One thing to note is that the hot peppers on The Rocky seem to be way hotter during the winter, so fans of heat check it out. Need for heat? You can ask for a bucket of hot sauces; there's a nice variety of heat levels and flavors. The service has always been very solid. Always helpful and enthusiastic about their service The only knocks are very minor. During the summer the AC tends to blow down on a number of seats. Also, the stools can be a little hard to maneuver when trying to sit at their tall tables. Overall, a great place you need to check out. read more

I've never been to Philadelphia, but I can't imagine the cheese steaks being much better. My favorite at Monti's is "The Rocky," which is pretty spicy. I give Monti's 4 stars and not 5 because Budweiser, Miller Light, and Old Style are not on the beer menu. Again, I've never been to Philadelphia but I feel that in your average run of the mill cheese steak place they would have one of these beers as an option. If everyone in Philadelphia is drinking craft beers I stand corrected, but based on videos that I have seen of Philadelphia sports fans raging at professional sporting events, I think that craft beers are not the drink of choice for your average cheese steak eating Philadelphian. read more

Tried Monti's for the first time this weekend with a friend. Loved The Rocky [with chicken]. If you like spicy, this one's for you! The fries were also quite tasty! Customer service here is stellar. Our drinks were refilled without asking. We were asked how we were doing more than once. I ordered a 12 inch and half of my sammy got cold while I was eating the other half and they reheated it for me! FTW! Plus, I noticed, they already have regulars. That's a very good sign. Looking forward to going back to Monti's. Maybe tonight. Mmm. Drool. read more

I like Monti's. It is all about the cheesesteaks at this Lincoln Square spot. When my wife and I went there, Monti herself was behind the bar. The atmosphere is great. 80's music is playing in the background, which is... totally awesome, like TOTALLY. There is a good lively vibe, with plenty of hipsters and locals. There is an excellent selection of locally crafted beers. The steaks are good. The classic is an above average version of this iconic sandwich. The steaks at Monti's would not stand up with the likes of Pat's or Geno's in Philly, but they are certainly capable of teleporting any Philly transplants back home within the first bite. For a different spin, try the South Side Johnny, which has mushrooms and horseradish sauce. Authentic? Maybe not. Tasty? Absolutely! The fries are also quite good. I am still partial to Philly's Best for authentic cheesesteaks, but if you want better atmosphere, a good beer, and friendly owners serving you, then Monti's is the place. read more

Can't believe I haven't written a review yet! I guess I'm always walking away too delirious with all the tastiness that I keep forgetting to Yelp it. I've been indulging in Monti's for a while now, bringing friends with me, spreading the word that this is THE place to get a sandwich that will rock your soul. Every time I take that first bite I want to get up and do a happy dance. Awesome food, great beers, super friendly service. If you haven't eaten here yet your life is seriously lacking. read more

I loved this place. I never knew it existed and I live just around the block. Cheesesteaks were fabulous. Service was good and the overall environment was inviting. I would definitely go back. My only complaint is that it was crowded with a wait, and we had limited attention to refilling drinks. We had to flag someone else to get us a drink. It was almost intentional because the place is so small, they want to turn over tables quickly. Would have liked to linger for a few beers. Other than that loved it. read more

Really good gut busting food coma causing food. I had the sampler. The traditional , hoagie , and Rambo. Rambo was different and great. If you're not a lover of mayonnaise make sure you let them know. I have never seen so much mayo on a sandwich in my life. read more

I love how it's a wonderful hidden gem in the neighborhood! The cheesesteak sampler platter was amazing (The Rocky one is VERY spicy. I love spicy food but I couldn't handle the heat! The waiter did warn us) My favorite was the Southside Johnny. Fries were seasoned to perfection, calamari was lacking some seasoning.. I guess I was just WOWed with everything else that I had high expectations :) but overall the food was just out of this world! And there's a bar? Sold! Only thing I would recommend is better or retrained waitstaff, there was only two tables dining in and the gentleman was very lacking in checking on us... Even the BUS BOY asked if we wanted boxes to wrap our food up because he saw how much time we were waiting to get his attention. We were being very patient but he just looks very timid and new to the food industry which I will let it slide because of the amazing cheesesteak! Will be back again! read more

This place was very nice inside and had a comforting atmosphere. I got a cheesesteak to go and was helped quickly even though there were some other customers at the bar and it was near closing time. The waiter/bartender was super friendly and helpful to everyone's needs efficiently. The location is in a residential area for the most part so parking is limited but that's to be expected in Chicago. There was a tv and decent sized bar inside which I wasn't expecting but it was quite pleasant. The fries were awesome and the cheesesteak was good too. I went with a 12" with Swiss cheese and cheese wiz on the side for my fries. Would definitely go again. read more

If you're craving a cheesesteak, I don't know of a better place in the city. Hot and melty with great soft bread. Good low-key neighborhood vibe if you eat in. Nice beer selection and kids' foods they'll eat. Do it! read more

This place was recommended by a coworker as having authentic Philly cheesesteaks...and I was wary (having lived in Philly for a couple of years)...in the 20 years I have been back in the Chicago area no other place was as good as what I had in Philly...until now! I was excited to see the cheesesteak hoagie on the menu...since no other place I've been to outside of Philly has had that exact description. It was delicious!!! The same coworker also recommended trying the buffalo chicken bite appetizer...and it also didn't fail to impress! I'm definitely coming back here despite the drive!! read more

My son and I have had a recent ongoing discussion about the Philly cheesesteak sandwich. I had a cheesesteak at one of the most highly rated stands in Philadelphia, and was very unimpressed. I posted what I thought was wrong about the sandwich construction in my blog (trustforce.wordpress,com), and made the statement that I did not think there was a good example of the "true" Philly cheesesteak sandwich to be found. About the Philly cheesesteak sandwich itself, I was definitely wrong. There is a commercially available Philly cheesesteak sandwich that belongs in the realm of iconic sandwiches. It is found here in Chicago, at Monti's in the Lincoln Square neighborhood. It deals with every problem that I had with the Jim's sandwich (Jim's Steaks Philadelphia www.jimssteaks.com), and the result is spectacular. I talked with Jennifer Monti, who with her husband Jim, own Monti's. I explained the tastelessness of the sandwich I had in Philadelphia. Jennifer thought that I might have had bread right out of the package, and it would have been too soft. They tried to duplicate the Amoroso hoagie roll here with local bakeries, but were not able to reproduce the exact taste profile that they wanted. They import the Amoroso rolls par-baked, and finish them in their pizza oven. The result is greatly improved over the squishy roll I had in Philadelphia, as there is a nice crust bite to the outside, with a soft crumb inside. The meat is Black Angus Ribeye, seasoned with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. It has a wonderful taste on its own, not too dry, but mixes well with the choice of either a domestic provolone (with a nice bite to it), or the house cheddar sauce (made with Wisconsin cheddar cheese and water). Mushrooms are sautéed from fresh, as are the onions. The result is a truly excellent sandwich, one that would please a resident of the City of Brotherly Love as well as the residents of the City of Big Shoulders (or anywhere else for that matter). Jennifer was so sure of her product that she stated if I didn't like it, the sandwich was on her. It was a very safe bet on her part! I will have to return to Monti's to try their other offerings: grinders, pizzas, Italian water ices. But, try the Cheesesteak, it made a believer out of me. read more

We went to Monti's for the first time on a Groupon and just had our 4th dinner there last night since January. Every time has been great, there is a variety of cheesesteaks to choose from. I picked up a taste after spending time in Philly and I've had different entries each time (but watch out for the scotch bonnets on "The Rocky" -- wow (spicy) but I couldn't put it down! The calamari is great and for the last two visits, we started out with coconut chicken (think coconut shrimp with chicken fingers). Oh, and there's a salad option as opposed to french fries. Nice drink specials -- reasonably priced, but also made well. This is a small neighborhood place. We went there a week ago and enjoyed the coconut chicken, but asked for a 2nd serving of the sauce. When we came this week (last night), our waitress/bartender asked us as we sat down if we wanted coconut chicken and then brought it with two sauces. It's a small thing, but it is endearing to be "recognized",.. The Southside Johnny and the Rocky were our 'steaks this week, both 5-stars -- and the martinis evaporated as well. One of these (next) visits, I want to branch out and try the pizza. Monti's is conveniently located to the Brown Line, we're coming over from Lakeview. HOWEVER, if you're following Weight Watcher points, know that 1/2 an appetizer, a couple of martinis and a 12" sandwich is almost 2-days worth of points (sigh). a good reason to take half of it home :-) read more

i just tried the philly cheese steak sandwich. YUMMY! i can't wait to try the other sandwiches.

Best philly cheesesteak I've ever had. I ordered the authentic cheesesteak with the spicy mayo and jalapeños. The spicy mayo was awesome. The steak was mouth watering and cooked very well. I also got the buffalo nuggets as an appetizer they were good too. I would definitely recommend ! read more

Monti's - Authentic Philly cheesesteak with spicy mayo and jalapeños - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great sandwiches.. Fries fresh cut. Also loved the calamaris. We were a large crowd so made reservations,not sure if it was needed. The waiter was excellent. I was told the philly steaks were just like the ones made in Philadelphia. My son, girlfriend and my daughter, having been there agree and highly recommend this place. read more

Monti's - Cheesesteaks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois