They have been around since 1985 and there is a reason why they are still open and going strong. Fantastic Italian Beef sandwich made to how you like it. Fast service and delicious food. Clean dining area. read more

Poor Boy - Italian Beef Sandich and mound of fries. - Greek Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

I went back here today and everything was delicious. A big improvement from last time. I got the gyro plate everything was fresh and hot. Even the vegetables were fresh. I'm quite pleased this time around! Worker at the window was pleasant also! read more

Great food & outstanding customer service! Owner Alex owned up to a mistake he *himself* made on my order - with humour & humility -- & then replaced my order! That's business integrity I can fully respect. Really cool to have a business owner who truly cares about his customer's experience. The food's always been great every time I've ordered at either the original location or the second location (Poor Boy's Too). Love the diner fries, gyros, burgers, and the Greek Avgolemono (Lemon Chicken Rice) Soup is unbelievably good when you want a "meal soup" that really sticks to your ribs! Thanks, Alex! Hope you see this review! read more

Big bag of fries. The sandwiches are pretty good,and a variety at that. Ribs,fish,pork,beef, whatever you're looking for.

Pretty good bacon cheeseburger. Unsalted tastless fries. No milkshakes. Dine-in was not open, only drive through. read more

The soup was excellent but could have been hot instead of lukewarm. The gyro wasn't good but fries were okay but could have used salt.

If I could apply fractions or decimals to a Star review I'd make this a 3.54 Star rating. I can only review the limited selection I had there at Poor Boy and that was the Italian Beef. So it's rated a bit better than okay leaning to good. The good: This was not a skimpy portion, it was pretty loaded with beef, that sandwich had some girth and weight, that's nice. To be fair, my favorite Italian Beef in the Greater Chicagoland area is made for me personally (usually) by Mr. Beef himself, Carl Bonovolanto, hands down the best and a high bar to match. The So-so: I wasn't asked if I wanted my Italian Beef dry, wet, dipped or dunked. To be fair not all places ask that. Even Portillio's did not the last time I went there (it was a test visit). I knew that's because the quite young employee there wouldn't know the first thing about how real Chicagoan's are particular about their Italian Beef and likely wasn't trained to say the words. She was just going through the motions. Same thing here at Poor Boy, I think that's just not the the way to present an authentic Chicago Italian beef. There's a serious tradition to this iconic beef sandwich which for a long time you couldn't find most anywhere but in the Greater Chicagoland (until The Bear TV series became popular). I was asked about peppers, I said sweet peppers. I then said do you have giardiniera and he said yes and I said I also wanted them. But he misunderstood my Chicago accented english, so just put on the hot giardiniera, no sweet peppers. I declined the cheese too, totally not used on the real deal, that's for tourists from Philly. I didn't find out until I seated and opened the sandwich. More So-so: The sandwich was piping hot and filled with beef and topped with copious amounts of very hot giardiniera. BUT.. the Italian flavoring was pretty hard to detect. It was beef alright, but where's the herbs and spices? The beef on the sandwich was way too dry and the little amount of very thin au jus that was there had all fallen to the bottom of the sandwich and totally melted the bun out in places. It was falling apart spilling beef as I began to eat it (inhale it?). So another no-no is you have to use a bun that won't disintegrate with juice. This bun failed that test pretty badly. I'd tell you the bun brand to use that's the absolute best, but then I'd have to flash you with that Men In Black device so you'd never be able to tell anyone. So even if I'd have been offered a dunked or wet Italian beef which I always like, this bun wouldn't have been able to take it anyway. The servers/cooks there looked like they knew their way around a fast food kitchen but they also seemed not to be part of knowing just how important the Italian BEEF tradition is to a natural born and raised Chicagolandian. Since there are places around that do it so well and so authentically, you have to put a strong effort in, IMO. Their menu on the wall behind the counter looked very deep and I bet they have items there that they just knock out of the park. I think the prices are fairly reasonable and you may get a good value for your dollar here. The tables were not a wreck but if it were my place I'd wipe down those tables often so there's absolutely no crumbs, greasy smudges or bits laying on top of them. If I end up in that town again for any reason I may stop in here again to try something else they are supposed to be known for, and maybe will have a better review to add. Okay, that's a lot of words for just one sandwich... 3.54 Stars, Fair/Good tasting and nice pretty hefty Italian Beef Sandwich. I think I could like this joint just fine if going there more often. read more

See all

Typical average beef joint. Staff was friendly behind the counter. Food is good. Ambiance is average, like I said, its a small beef place. Not like Portillo's. read more

Been getting jumbo shrimp dinners here for yours ! No longer ! Shrimp was hard from being over cooked, it didn't even taste like shrimp, just burnt breading. The prices have doubled and quality has gone down ! Will go to other drive thru read more

First I went there at 6:20pm. They are supposed to be open til 10. Doors locked, only drive through open. I hate drive throughs. The speakers suck, you can never understand what they are saying. Poor Boys speaker sucked. Ordered Gyro plate. Supposed to get 2 pita breads. Nope. I got 4 halfs. How am I supposed to make sandwiches. Don't think I'll be going back. The Gyro meat was good. read more

Poor Boy - 4 half pita breads. How am I supposed to make sandwiches. - Greek Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

Food and service was great. Really enjoyed our Greek salads with gyro meat. Restaurant could have been cleaner and women's restroom wasn't working. read more

Now a MUST stop for us toor from Michigan...best gyro since Greektown. Wow...moist meet and great sauce!!! I can't believe anyone complained about not enough meat...look at the pic. To me there was too much meat, I couldn't get my mouth around it. The fries were a little cold, but still good. Tasted just like McDs fries(and we all know those are the best). read more

Great food. Great prices and great service! Large selection of different sandwich options. Great soup too!

If you have children that is messy with their food NAPKINS it was delicious highly recommend if you are in town They took a little while for it to come read more

Wonderful place with a lot of variety. Got an Italian beef and pork tenderloin sandwich. They make a different soup on a regular basis, today they had lemon rice soup. I ordered the rice pudding, great portion size but a little too runny for my tastes. The pork tenderloin was pre breaded but a great taste for something quick. They didn't offer au ju to dip the beef in but allowed you to adjust what peppers you could order. I will return if ever in the area again. read more

Been eating here since I was a child love this place could eat almost anything on the menu

It was fine. The lobby was closed so we couldn't go in. The food was bland. It wasn't to busy so that was nice.

This is a great little lunch stop. We tried the chicken Philly, gyro, and soup. All of the food was tasty. The service was friendly and the food came out quickly. read more

We had a hard time finding somewhere to eat in this area (that wasn't in a gas station). The restaurant was clean and everyone's food was good. We ordered a hot corned beef, polish, fish sandwich, kids' grilled cheese, fries and cream of chicken soup. It's nice that they let you switch out soup for the fries, we didn't expect that. The only complaint is that the polish was smaller than expected. read more

Poor Boy - Hot corned beef sandwich - Greek Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

There's an issue with calling in an order after a certain time of day. That's what my ONLY problem is with this place. If you don't like the length of the drive-up line, park & go inside to order. Regardless, it's irrelevant, they don't serve bad food. I've never been served bad food. It's better than most Chicago beef stands. & I've been working Chicago for 20+ years. This place is legit read more

The best food in K3 I love coming here they always serving the best food no matter what you get, Their gyros always hit and i lover their hambugers too! Its the best place to get food in K3, always has been, I dont mind waiting in the long line, thats how i know its going to be extra good, the only thing i'd complain about is the fact that they raised their prices other than that absoulutly amazing, anyone in the K3 area has had some poor boys and they all love it! read more

Greasy food in a greasy atmosphere. This place has the huge menu on the wall of Italian beef, hot dogs, gyros, sausage, etc. Even chicken gizzards, all fried in oil. Nuf' said. read more

Poor Boy - typical fare - Greek Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

See all

So I moved to TN for 3 years every time I'd come back home I'd stop here!! I'd go all out and get Maxwell polish, gyros, hotdogs, pizza puff, bbq fries lol everything. The food is so good. Now I moved back I eat here about 1 time a week. The staff is always friendly. The food is always delicious and hot. The drive thru line may be long but it goes fast. This is the best place to get food in K3 besides Mexican food and pizza lol! I'd chose this over any other food anyway. Only gripe I have is that now they shave the gyro meat with that electric thing and not use a knife like before. I like my gyro meat cut thick. read more

Went at lunch time like I used to as a kid. Looked like customers and staff were inside the lobby. But when I went to open the door it was locked, tried the back door locked as well. No police no ambulances no argument going on inside. The employees just decided to make their business togo only without leaving any signs up or even attempting to try to explain to me as I waited at the door for a few minutes.. Foods good but you risk the chance of food poisoning cause they have some of the lowest iq employees in all of Kankakee. I cant use a drive thru so denial of service on their end! read more

Poor Boy's is a good working mans lunch spot that is also good for late night stops, as the lines at the drive-thru on late Friday and Saturday nights show. Are there any business's or factories that use this place...., no. Are there any bars near by where people leave and stop in for low priced hot dogs and burgers....,no. So I'm thinking that given the area this is a neighborhood dog, burgers, and fries place that also serves ribs, gyros, fried shrimp, and other fast food items. The service is very good at the drive-thru and inside at the counter. Inside the tables are clean and and in general the place looks like it's taken care of very well. So, how's the food? The Chicago hotdog is pretty good, but not on a poppy seed bun. The rubs are the usual precooked ribs with the usual open pit generic sauce. The fries I've had on each occasion were never hot, but they were ok. Overall it was ok. I can't say more than that. It's not a bad place at all, and I'm sure the neighborhood appreciate having a place to go other than the nearby McDs. Having said that it's not anything where you have to stop here and try the xxxxx that you won't find anywhere else. It's clean and the food is ok. read more

Poor Boy - menus on the counter of a fast food restaurant - Greek Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

We stopped here on way home from Chicago. Nice little place with HUGE menu. I had the gyro, which was massive and very good. Husband had the chilli - not very good. Place was clean, staff friendly, prices reasonable. We would go again. read more

Poor Boy - Massive gyro - very good ! - Greek Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

Your food suck now what happen. Poor boy use to have the best food. The prices is high for the little food that they are servicing now. For what I paid for 2 Gyro Plate with little to no meat now no more. Time to find another restaurant to get my gyros from so . read more

Food is amazing.. been going here for years and it never changes. Fast good diner style food. You get your money's worth and won't leave hungry. Their cheeseburgers are rather big and juicy. We have ordered several things on the menu and never been let down.. if your in kankakee it's worth the stop to check out. read more

It's probably gonna sound rude to say this, but I don't care...Poor Boy is the only reason I agree to make the trip from Minneapolis to Corn and Cows, Illinois to visit my boyfriend's family. When we get to Cabery (if you've never heard of it, don't worry. I hadn't heard of it either until I started dating someone from that godforsaken place.) I instantly start in with..."so when are we going to Poor Boys?" because all I'm after on the trip is that damn gyro platter, fried mushrooms, fried pickles, and french fries. If we're in Illinois for a week we'll hit up Poor Boys drive-thru 3-4 times in that 7 days and I don't even feel bad about it. Yes, the food is greasy and it is pretty much fast food...but it tastes so fucking good. It is worth every moment of white guilt I feel after my stomach is full of deep fried awesomeness. I want to start a petition to make these people build a franchise in Minnesota. Ugh. Those gyros though. Mmmm. read more

The philly beef sandwich never disappoints. Always hot and perfect amount of cheesy gooiness with just the right amount of toasty grilled edges on the roll. A guilty pleasure every time. Worth the drive to Kankakee. read more

Hands down my favorite comfort food! Fast, consistently good, and always nice and hot! The hot link sandwich is my fav! Do yourself a favor and get it. Not available at Poor Boys Too which is a bummer but I don't mind going a little out of my way. You can't go without trying the Broccoli cheese bites and fried cauliflower. Seriously just order it all. read more

Grilled chicken pita was standard, so was the chicken sandwich. But that's it, standard or less. Also ordered a cheese burger, seemingly frozen burger patties, think burger king but worse? Even their onion rings are like burger kings... But worse. The fried zucchini earns an extra star, that was definitely tasty. Free refills on dine in! French fries were like McDonald's... But worse... Overall mediocre fast food place, filled with people behind the counter that complain about their job. I might go back for the gyros, but that's if I'm ever around again. Oh, also the environ is great, two people were getting arrested as we were dining in. read more

A perfect example of Yelpers being reliable. The gyros are huge- neither hubby nor I could finish, and we were pretty hungry. Hot crispy pita bread was great- had to take off half of the meat to even get it in my mouth. Quick friendly service. Clean but simple decor. If you are not starving consider sharing a meal, it maybe plenty. read more

From the Philly's to the burgers and dogs I've yet to have a bad meal here. Don't let Kankakee scare you. There are quite a few great little food joints! read more

Poor Boy - a man standing in front of a poor boy restaurant - Greek Near Me - Kankakee, Illinois

Love this place! The only place in this area that serves Lemon Rice Soup. Which saves me a trip to Lowell Indiana where they have a place that makes it. We like the food, the service is great. Worth the trip to eat there. read more

Awesome Gyro!! Found a new stop on our way to.Milwaukee. this will be our new lunch spot. One o f the better gyros I've had. Recommend this one!! read more

I stop here when ever I am down there. Foods always hot. They have lots of options. Portions are definatly oversized

I agree with other reviewers on here, the Gyro's are some of the best. Their Tzatziki (that's the cucumber dressing) is above average and the portions are large. For me, it's usually two meals which makes me feel like I'm getting a better value. The milkshakes are good and many of the other sandwiches that I've tried are good also. Lately, I seem to be on a wrap kick when I go there. The Chicken BLT and Mediterranean Chicken wraps are great! For around $6 you get a tasty, large wrap that with fries or another side, is usually enough for two meals. Again, good value. (notice a recurring theme here?) Even though I usually get the wrap, my partner almost always gets the Gyro platter so I can bogart some of that yummy Gyro meat while having my "healthier selection". It's also a popular place for local law enforcement. Hey, if you want good food at good prices, just go where the truckers/cops go. So if you have outstanding warrants or are looking to rob a fast food restaurant, don't go there. LOL read more

If you like gyros dogs and CHARburger's this is a good place service is usually very fast and the product is tasty

Poor boy is a great restaurant with a large menu. I've had the pleasure of eating there on many occasions and have tried many of the offerings available. I have always enjoyed it! Great place to go with coworkers. read more