Da Beef wrote:Drove by Enzo's on Chicago rd. in Chicago Heights not too long ago while out on work and was told by an old colleague that it's worthy of a stop. I decided to stop in and try a beef with hot and upon doing so it was like going back to an old beef joint from the 70's.
The sandwich was alright. I asked for a beef with hot and it came with sport peppers which I don't mind on a beef but I prefer them with giardineria. The beef was a little above average, it was like a roast beef, not shaved so a little thicker but I ate the whole thing happily. I guess this place was a favorite back in the day when Chicago Heights had a strong Italian presence.

I stopped in here a while back and my experience was very different. The beef I got looked nothing like your photo. Instead it was bathed in in a fluorescent orange gravy and tasted nothing like an Italian beef. Maybe it was some sort of communication mixup,although I don't see any other type of beef on their menu.

Anybody been to either of the old school pizza spots along Lincoln Highway U.S Route 30? Carlo's Lorenzetti's or Nino's Pizza? They both look like old school tavern style joints. I'm going to try one of them out next week when I'm back up there.

Carlo's has a weekday lunch buffet with pizza on it,along with a pasta,a fish dish,salads. It's pretty good and I've always enjoyed the pizza. I think the place is more known for full meal dining than pizza. Carlo's does have a place that seems to specialize in pizza,Gourmet Pizza By Carlo, in nearby Flossmoor,although I've never dined there.

Gourmet Pizza By Carlo
3331 Vollmer Rd. Flossmoor, Il. (In Flossmoor Commons)
708-798-0300
http://www.lorenzettis.com/pages/gpizza.html

Carlo's Restaurant
560 W Lincoln Hwy (Rt 30 east of Western)
Chicago Heights IL
708-747-9480
http://www.lorenzettis.com/pages/carlos.html

Enzo's Beef & Sausage
1710 Chicago Road
Chicago Heights, IL 60411-3405
(708) 754-7040

Does anyone know if there is a difference in quality of the buona beef's in chicagoland? I went to their rosemont location, drive thru, and tried Buona for the first time not expecting much, (I'm a Johnnys and Mr Beef fan) but came away impressed... Should I go to the original or are they all the same? For example, I only think the original Al's on Taylor near uic is decent, the ontario st downtown and suburban locations have been really bad imo.

FoodSnob77 wrote:Does anyone know if there is a difference in quality of the buona beef's in chicagoland? I went to their rosemont location, drive through, and tried Buona for the first time not expecting much, (I'm a Johnnys and Mr Beef fan) but came away impressed... Should I go to the original or are they all the same? For example, I only think the original Al's on Taylor near uic is decent, the ontario st downtown and suburban locations have been really bad imo.

I suppose there could be some minor differences from location to location, but I haven't noticed anything substantial. The beef I can get at the nearby original location is the same as the beef at the Rosemont location I stopped at once while working out that way.

The beef was of a much higher quality back when it was just the original location though, imo. Not to say that it's bad now, but once upon a time I wouldn't have been disappointed to settle for Buona rather than make the drive over and wait in line for Johnny's.

I find that the quality of their beef (Buona's) varies not only from loc to loc, but within the same stand depending on the day you buy it. I've gotten great sandwiches at their original location, and a few days later gotten a lousy one. They are very inconsistent.

I have found that when forced to choose in the middle of most suburban fast food hells, I can pretty much depend on a Portillo's beef sandwich. It is a tasty sandwich with a good, and always consistent, amount of beef. If I'm really hungry, I'll get a combo. They give you a substantial link of very good sausage. Either way, with hot peppers and the sandwich dipped, its always taken care of my growling stomach nicely.

My one and only complaint about Johnnie's if there even can be one, is that often times they seem to skimp on the beef, (sandwiches seem a bit short?) and also it can be a bit too salty for my taste. Buona, from the limited times I've had them, fit the more moderate flavor profile and as of now would be my number one choice. Mr beef on a good day is still tops for me in terms of the actual beef, the subtle beef gravy not overpowering, I just wish their hot peppers had some or ANY kick to them. Portillo's is consistent, but too greasy many times even for me. Al's Im just not a fan of, some strange flavors in their beef, and as I mentioned, if not at the original taylor location don't even bother imo.

I agree with FoodSnob77. As much as I love Johnnie's, they do skimp on their beef. The beefs are smaller there today, compared to the Johnnie's I grew up on. That said, Johnnie's still makes one of the best Italian beefs in Chicagoland. I just wish they were bigger, like when I was younger. Their sweet peppers are perfect. No other Italian beef place in Chicago has sweet peppers that even come close to Johnnie's in quality. And their Italian sausage is perfectly charcoaled.

If were talking the best Italian beef, then my vote would be for Al's because I love their signature reddish gravy, with the delicious cinnamon and/or nutmeg flavors. And I also love Al's heavily oiled hot giardiniera, with the crunch celery, capers, and dried red pepper flakes. Al's seasonings are just on another level compared to everybody else.

If were talking combos, then my vote would be for Johnnie's because Johnnie's charcoaling is much heavier than everybody else. Johnnie's Italian sausage is also spicier/hotter than other places. Couple that with the heavy charcoal flavor, and you have the best combo in the city.

As someone who has grown up on great west side beefs, and eaten at Johnnies for forty years or more, I can't give Johnnies the love that most people here accord them. Over the past few years, the sandwiches have gotten smaller and smaller, almost like finger food. Most other beef stands will satisfy me with one sandwich. With Johnnies, I need two. A beef sandwich should have more than two slices of beef. And, as a former big fan of the Johnnies combo, I won't order them any more. The last few combos featured small, hard, overcooked and virtually tasteless sausages. Having said the above, I must add that I think Johnnies has fine beef. It is their presentation at the store that sucks. When I crave a Johnnies, I will buy the beef in bulk, make my own sandwiches and enjoy. By the way, if I am not mistaken, Johnnies uses canned sweet peppers. I have bought the food service sized cans of sweet peppers many times. It is a good product.

I do enjoy Johnnie's beef. Great flavor and the lack of beef does not bother me as I am also a fan of gravy bread. I always round out the meal with a tamale.

I have had many a good beef at Buona, both the Roosevelt and North Ave locations. Very good flavor and well filled. I am somewhat still mad they no longer carry tamales. Grrr...

I have tried the beef at Portillo's a few times and while well filled it was nothing to take the place of my favorites. Fresh but lacking in big flavor from the other places.

Al's and Mr Beef? While both are great I prefer the more complex seasoning at Al's. I have never had a bad beef on Taylor St and the suburban locations have been hit or miss. I have had some that are as good as the Taylor St location.

Ranking

1) Johnnie's
2) Al's
3) Mr Beef
4) Buona
5) Portillo's

Do not get me wrong as all of these beef's are world class. To illustrate, I like Buona a lot but cannot move it up the list at all. We are truly gifted!

Had a good beef at Joe Boston's recently.

Also, at Jewel deli ask them for the Vienna Beef Italian beef juice packet. Sometimes they'll give it to you, even if you don't buy the Vienna Beef they have. I had a packet sitting in my freezer, and used it with Dietz & Watson Top Round London Broil Roast Beef bought at Stanley's on Elston at North Ave. and sliced very thin. This created a damn good beef sandwich.

This is superb tasting roast beef, basically the best I've ever had from a deli counter:

Top Round London Broil Roast Beef
http://www.dietzandwatson.com/our-produ ... oast-beef/

It's also sold at Strack & Van Tils on Elston.

Panther in the Den wrote:Ranking

1) Johnnie's
2) Al's
3) Mr Beef
4) Buona
5) Portillo's

Do not get me wrong as all of these beef's are world class. To illustrate, I like Buona a lot but cannot move it up the list at all. We are truly gifted!

Right now, my rankings would probably be:

1) Johnnie's (either location)
2) Al's (Taylor St only)
3) Portillo's (what can I say, when it's good it's great)
4) Patio (Taylor St)
5) Chickie's or Boston's Beef

Worst beef - Dear Franks (Glenview)

my favs:

1) Johnnies - EP - Dangerously close to dropping, a couple inconsistent beefs recently
2) Portillos - Consistent, perfectly oily, and tasty
3) Connies - EP - Rookie of the year, very surprised by how good this beef was
4) Al's - Taylor - Tomatoey but juicy and legit
5) Patio - Taylor - when Al's is closed....

word.

I'm glad to see the Taylor Street Patio getting some mentions. It's one of my favorites, too. Usually it is overshadowed in the conversation by the nearby Al's, but for my money, Patio is a top tier beef.

Oh and speaking of things similar to a beef but not quite...

pizano345 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:A very tasty, non-traditional variant of Italian Beef -- known as The Bomber -- can be had at Spiro's Deli in Glenview. It features Italian beef on a sesame seed sub roll with cheese, pickles, onions and a house-made sauce. I can't say it necessarily scratches the IB itch, but it's a very good sandwich in its own right. They also offer a good selection of other submarine-type sandwiches -- all made to order.

I love this sandwich. Full disclosure Peter the owner of Spiro's is related to one of my managers. IB is made fresh daily, I've always meant to try just an IB sandwich but The Bomber is too strong of a pull. A hot mess, in a good way. Spiro's also makes a very good steak sandwich, and the gyros are pretty good also. Peter is a great guy, sometimes I just wish he had a better location and I think he would do gangbusters in Glenview.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

I had this over the summer thanks to Ronnie and Pizano345's enthusiasm for it and have been meaning to get back ever since. Thanks guys, Ronnie is right, it's a very good sandwich in it's own right. The actual beef was very good, well seasoned and tender and went great with the roll and toppings. I too would like to try just the beef with hot but don't know if I could with the bomber on the menu.


The Bomber

Spiro's Deli
1210 Waukegan Road
Glenview, IL 60025
(847) 729-6650

Da Beef wrote:
The Bomber

Damn! I just had lunch and that shot's making me hungry. Glad you enjoyed it.

=R=

I couldn't find a dedicated Tore's (Belmont/Elston/Western) thread and this post isn't really worthy of its own thread. I've gone to Tore's off and on for several years now and as discussed elsewhere on the site, it does seem to be hit or miss. I stopped by and got a beef w/hot to go today, it was an off day for the beef. The beef itself was overcooked to the point of being dry and nearing the consistency of a very thin beef jerky, the au jus, however, was very well seasoned. One constant I have found is that they never skimp on the hot peppers. When Tore's beef is on, I rank it up there with a Johnnie's or a Portillo's beef, today's would barely squeak into a top 10.

I haven't had a decent beef from Tore's since 2006. And my most recent sausage was pretty bad as well (it had been reliably good even when the beef was mediocre).

Still great fries, though.

Max wrote:I've gone to Tore's off and on for several years now and as discussed elsewhere on the site, it does seem to be hit or miss.

Rarely do I go go Tore's, its always seemed more about value than flavor. In other words, not a bad Italian beef, and a lot of it.

Speaking of value Italian beef, I had one today at Tony's Italian Deli. 9-inch for $4.99 jam-packed with tender beef, bread moist with beef gravy and generous giardiniera for an additional fifty cents. The sandwich was so overstuffed I ended up taking half home.

Beef was good quality, tender, moist, but mild flavor, same with the beef gravy, though the flavor of the gravy was all natural, not a hint of salty base. In all my years of going to Tony's this was my first Italian beef, not going to be my last.

Enjoy,
Gary

Tony's Italian Deli & Subs
6708 North Northwest Highway
Chicago, IL 60631
773-631-0055

That Bomber looks absolutely amazing.

G Wiv wrote:Speaking of value Italian beef,

Here's another one; a 9 inch beef on french bread, including fries, for only $4.89. A good buy for a fin.

Cochiaro's Pizza
107 E. Grand Ave.
Northlake
708.562.0021

I happened to be driving by Boston's BBQ the other night when pretty hungry. I believe the last time I ate here was on the very first Beefathon. The place was nearly empty on arrival. I think the term one uses for this place at 9 pm is Hopperesque. I almost bolted, but stuck around for a very good beef.

The meat was a bit on the tough side, but that was not the worst thing. It made it seem like real food. A good beefy flavor matched. The giardinara featured a lot of different stuff.

This place is a real chunk o'chicago, & I fully expect it to show up one of these days on the Chicago Code.

I ordered a beef "in a cup" last night from Portillo's in Villa Park. They serve the bread on the side. I never got around to eating it last night. I just opened up the cup and the fat that solidified weighs more then the beef. It is so gross I threw it out. I've been a fan for years but this is unreal. What have I been doing to my system?

I grew up eating and enjoying beef and sausage sandwiches at the old Connie's at Ridgeland and North Aves. They closed years ago. The grandson of the original Connie has recently opened up a store at 7600 Grand in Elmwood Park. I ate there twice in the past week. I had a very tasty, generous (compared to Johnnie's) beef one time, and a terrific combo the other time. Their Italian Sausage is very good. I had the sandwiches dipped and with hot peppers. The peppers are homemade and delicious. Just be sure to ask for extra peppers if you like it spicy. The only thing that would make the place better is a good french fry. The Sysco frozen fries never do it for me. Otherwise, this is a very nice addition to the local beef scene.

As I was driving around doing errands this weekend I stopped by the drive-thru at Buona Beef on Butterfield in Downers grove. I had a beef w/sweet peppers and an order of fries.

Unlike beefs that I have had in the past a Buona, where the sweet peppers are just sort of steamed and unremarkable, the Peppers that I got on this beef were really nicely roasted with a good bit of char on them. They added a really nice level of flavor. The fries were well cooked, with a nice crisp outside and tender inside, not fresh cut fries, but being properly prepared and served made them good.

While Johnnies is still my favorite, even though the smaller sandwiches mean I need 2 now, Buona more times than not produces a pretty consistent beef sandwich.

TooHot wrote:I ordered a beef "in a cup" last night from Portillo's in Villa Park. They serve the bread on the side. I never got around to eating it last night. I just opened up the cup and the fat that solidified weighs more then the beef. It is so gross I threw it out. I've been a fan for years but this is unreal. What have I been doing to my system?

Making it happy.

I got to a give a shout out to one of my favorites:

Serrelli's

An old school grocer in Galewood. You can't get a sandwich there - the beef comes in buckets by the lb.
Grab an lb. or two and some good bread, fry up some peppers and be very happy.

Sirelli's also makes some of the best sausage around and it's the only place I'll buy gravy - they make their own.

TooHot wrote:I ordered a beef "in a cup" last night from Portillo's in Villa Park. They serve the bread on the side.

I have never heard of a beef in a cup. It reminds me of Cup O' Pizza from The Jerk.

But seriously, you can order a beef in a cup and they will know what it is? I am trying to picture what it looks like. Is it just the beef with a lot of beef juice/gravy filled to the top?

TooHot wrote:I never got around to eating it last night. I just opened up the cup and the fat that solidified weighs more then the beef. It is so gross I threw it out. I've been a fan for years but this is unreal. What have I been doing to my system?

That's referred to as the fat block. I remember my mom opening our Portillo's gravy when we bought it by the pound and she threw the fat out. The fat is a vital component to the flavor of the beef. Do not throw it out. Just heat it up, let it melt, try not to think about it, and enjoy.

thick wrote:I grew up eating and enjoying beef and sausage sandwiches at the old Connie's at Ridgeland and North Aves.

I think there is a Connie's beef stand on Grand Ave. in Elmwood Park near the tracks. Are they related to the one you went to?

Cogito wrote:

thick wrote:I grew up eating and enjoying beef and sausage sandwiches at the old Connie's at Ridgeland and North Aves.

I think there is a Connie's beef stand on Grand Ave. in Elmwood Park near the tracks. Are they related to the one you went to?

thick wrote:The grandson of the original Connie has recently opened up a store at 7600 Grand in Elmwood Park.

FYI - drove by Tore's tonight and there were "Closed For Remodeling" signs in the windows...

Tore's Italian Beef
2804 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 486-2600