Buona
Fast food restaurant · Streeterville ·
Italian beef sandwiches, pizza, burgers & salads served
Italian beef sandwiches, pizza, burgers & salads served
"The team at Buona in Streeterville made some sort of Faustian bargain to achieve beef slices so thin they’re beyond the scope of what's humanly possible. Each individual slice is packed with meaty flavor and a pleasant black peppery-ness. The filling is juicy enough that it doesn’t need to be ordered wet, but if you do decide to get it “baptized” (Buona’s term of choice), the bread will hold up well." - veda kilaru
"Locations: Sections 120, 149, and 533 Buona might be a chain, but that fact actually works in your favor. It means their very good Italian beef has a quality standard Sox fans can count on. Though you won’t find as many customization options here, and the slices of beef aren’t quite as thin and tender as we've seen at other locations, the baptized sandwich is a great option for a meal—and for recreating your own version of the Buona Beef Race." - veda kilaru
"I learned that Buona, the famous Chicago street-food chain known for Italian beef, partnered with Rainbow Cone in 2019 to help the brand expand; they even teed up an ice cream truck outside selected Buona locations, producing long lines and demonstrating customer demand." - Ashok Selvam
"I noted that two years ago the Buona chain released an Italian beef made of seitan." - Ashok Selvam
"Buona has all the hallmarks of a chain restaurant—ordering kiosks, lots of metal seating, big screen TVs—but at the Streeterville location (which is the only outpost in Chicago) that’s not a bad thing. For one, they'll let you customize your Italian beef in a bunch of ways, including offering plant-based options. Plus it’s always consistent. The beef at Buona is sliced so thin it’s beyond the scope of man’s physical abilities, and each individual slice is packed with meaty, umami flavor and a pleasant black peppery-ness. The filling is juicy enough on its own (and topped with an exorbitant amount of giardiniera) that it doesn’t need to be ordered wet, but if you do decide to get it “baptized” (Buona’s term of choice), the bread will hold up well." - Veda Kilaru
