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    Poor Boy

    4.0 (65 reviews)
    InexpensiveGreek, American, Fast Food
    Closed 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Poor Boy Takeout or Delivery

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    POOR BOY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Poor Boy

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    This thing was big and hefty and maybe only needed sweet peppers on top, but better with giardiniera on the side IMO. It's too hot spicy.
    carlo l.

    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.

    4 half pita breads. How am I supposed to make sandwiches.
    Larry B.

    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.

    Hot corned beef sandwich
    Kara M.

    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.

    typical fare

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    14 years ago

    My previous review is for Poor Boy Too, located at 1515 W. Court Street, Kankakee, Illinois, 60901.

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    12 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Gyros are the best in town and the bbq fries are great! They have updated the restaurant and it's clean.

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    13 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Huge menu! Wow, anything and everything a person could want. Busy behind -the -counter staff. Clean, price conscious, good food!

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    10 years ago

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    15 years ago

    This is fast food not fine dining!! Great gyros! Great beef sandwiches, great fries!!

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    10 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

    One of my favorite places in town! Huge menu to choose from and great service! Super fast!

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Good fresh cheeseburgers and fries. Everything we order was delicious. Quick, friendly service. Nice clean place.

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    13 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    14 years ago

    This place is nothing short of awesome. They have the best gyro in town hands down. Huge menu of good field food. Never had a bad meal here.

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    10 years ago

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    15 years ago

    Best Italian beef in the area hands down. You don't go here for healthy food you come here for comfort food

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    15 years ago

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    Page 2 of 2

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    Review Highlights - Poor Boy

    As others have mentioned, if you're in the mood for greasy food, this is the place to be in K3.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    THASSOS Greek Restaurant

    THASSOS Greek Restaurant

    4.3(275 reviews)
    47.2 mi
    $$$

    Last minute reservations on NYE! After our disaster of 2 other restaurants cancelling our…read morereservations same day due to different reasons.I was amazed with how welcoming they were and we had a large party of 11. We were seated right away and Nick was very personable. I had the Greek chicken which was good, others had the rib eye steak, lamb, etc. Everyone seemed pleased with their meal. I would definitely go back!

    5 of us went here for an early Mother's Day dinner and thought everything we had was very very…read moregood. Started out with tzatziki, saganaki and grilled octopus. All were very good and the Pitas served were the best we ever had. Like pan fried with a soft crispy texture. Lemon rice soup was outstanding! We had lamb chops, dolmates and braised Lamp with Tomato sauce with Orzo. Rating 4 out of 5 on all of them. We had a 1:30 reservation and thought the place would be busier. My wife and I grew up in the city and would frequently make it down to Greektown. This food would equal Greek Islands - Santorini Pegasus etc... We still enjoy Greek Islands in Oak Brook but last time we were there it was like they wanted to get us in eat and get out!!! If you need to experience Greek Food Chicago Style this place is legit. Not many ethnic options out there anymore other than Italian -Indian -Chinese-Thai ..... please support this place as these types are disappearing and all we'll have left is commercialized ones.

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    The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill - Crown Point, IN

    The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill - Crown Point, IN

    3.8(131 reviews)
    33.8 mi

    February 9, 2026 me and the wife decided we're not cooking. We're going out for dinner…read more So we went to one of our places that we like in the food is good . My wife got her usual chicken. Souvlaki plate and I got a Gyro. Everything was excellent as usual. The only thing I had a problem with the Gyro was not enough meat in the Gyro for what you're paying for it I mean, if you put a two more sliver of meat on there, I wouldn't have mention this but the Gyro was kind of small. So whoever makes up the Guerro's, maybe you need to add just two more sliver of meat on there and your people will be a lot happier and they'll come and get more. So I hope my next Gyro you could put that extra two things of slices of sliver meat on there and make it a little bit better. I'll be happy. I'll order it all the time if we eat there at least four times a month that's the least. Atmosphere it's nice customers that are sitting in there eating food happy and smiling . Staff and chefs are nice and polite. Thank you very much. Everybody have a great day.

    I had previously stopped by when they first opened and I wasn't too impressed with my food…read more Fast forward three years I thought I'd try it again. I had a taste for a burger so I ordered the Athenian burger along with the lemon potatoes. I'm so glad I gave it another try because my food was delicious. I will definitely try something else next time.

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    The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill - Crown Point, IN
    The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill - Crown Point, IN
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    Poor Boy - greek - Updated May 2026

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