Chef Ciccio, Beef-Balls-Beer

All I could say was amaaaaziiiing. Chef Ciccio's ltalian Beef Samwich will transcend you! This was the BEST thing I ate in Chicago, even better than.. do I dare say it? Pizza. And we ate A LOT. Located in the Navy Pier Food Hall, I wasn't even going to stop because I thought it would be tourist trap subpar food. But walking by, the pumping Spanish music, tantalizing smells and seeing a couple's ltalian Beef trays had us turning back around. Best decision!! Gus was all smiles taking our order and making our food. He even gave us recommendations on how best to enjoy the food. You can tell he loves his job and his positivity made my day. Italian Beef & Sausage Combo 5/5* but I'd give it 100* if I could. This is best eaten immediately since there is au jus all over the sando. The beef is so quality, loaded in there, with a huge, fat plump sausage that perfectly snaps with each bite. The beef smelled amazingly of spices and was so rich with a depth of beefy flavor as if it was roasted or stewed for hours with whatever magic crack he put into the meat. My eyes were rolling with the first bite and the mouth feel did not disappoint. Perfect texture of slightly toasted bread, soaked and softened by beef au jus, tender slice of beef, snap of the spicy savory sausage oozing with just the right amount of oily fat, and tangy crunch of giardiniera, it was too much for my foodie dreams to handle. This also comes with roasted potatoes, which l'm normally not a fan of because I like thin and crispy. But whyyy.. why were these also so good! They were just basic looking soft potatoes, but the flavor was phenomenal. Salty and pungent with rosemary herbs. I never devoured potatoes so fast. Ciccio states they are the best ltalian Beef Samich on the Navy Pier, but I don't agree. They might even be the best in the city! Trust those Chicago Times news articles on their wall and the near 5* rating. I'm salivating writing this review with happy yet sad memories of the most magnificent meal l've had in Chicago.

This sandwich totally blew me away. At a glance I wasn't expecting too much, but boy was I wrong! This thing was loaded with flavor and the bread was just right. Just enough texture to hold up to all the jus. The two gentlemen in the front we're super friendly and helpful. When I told then it was my first Chicago Italian beef, he even threw in some giardiniera and peppers to do it right. They mentioned that I'm not supposed to eat with a fork and just get in with my hands. I'm telling you, it was an emotional experience. Do yourself a favor and check these guys out! Can't wait to come back for another

We’re Italian, born and raised, and we truly enjoyed our experience at Chef Ciccio’s on Navy Pier. I had an Italian Beef sandwich while my wife ordered the Chicken Parm, and both were excellent. It was my very first time trying an Italian Beef (something that simply doesn’t exist back home in Italy), but it was immediately clear that the chef knows his craft. The beef was tender, juicy, and deeply flavorful, while the bread, partly soaked with the meat’s juices, was outstanding. In some ways, it reminded me of the most authentic lampredotto sandwiches you’d find at a Florentine food truck. The Chicken Parm was also very good. Again, I don’t have a direct reference point, since this dish isn’t Italian either, but the chicken was perfectly cooked, still pleasantly moist, and the whole combination worked beautifully. All in all, a great experience... Chef Ciccio really delivers!

10/10 phenomenal food and service. The gentleman behind the counter was so kind and the food he made was unmatched. He was one of the only places open on christmas and honestly I would have eaten anything. We really lucked out with just how good the food was. He said my husband and I were the first people to wish him a merry Christmas and that alone makes me want his business to thrive and prosper. Thank you for being open and kind. Food was absolutely amazing and i highly recommend the chicken al pesto sandwich

The owner was super friendly. Their subs were quite authentic and high quality for being a fast food restaurant. The Italian beef had a ton of beef in it and it was delicious. The meatball sub on the other hand was lackluster.

I've had Italian beef sandwiches a number of times during my many visits to Chicago, but this was definitely the best of the lot. I had the beef and sausage combination with sweet peppers, which was incredibly tasty. The included potatoes are the perfect side. And the cannoli was a great dessert to cap off my meal. I see so many reviews talking about how great Mario and Gus, Sr. are, but I must put a vote in for Gus, Jr! He gave me some great recommendations and excellent overall service. I will definitely be coming back.

You will turn yourself into a greasy sweaty mess (their giard is hot hot) around a swarm of tourists in matching t shirts eating here but it's one of the most unique and satisfying beefs in the city. Yes it's worth going to the Pier sometimes, yes everything else on the menu is also solid but those little fingerling potatoes swimming around in a pool of rich jus make this meal feel much more expensive than what it is.

I am going to Guatemala! Gus was more than the face of the best food on the Navy Pier, he was an example of hospitality and humility. 100% a Must-Stop-Shop

If you are in Navy Pier and want some delicious food...come get some Beef, Balls or Beer. Hehe well it's in the name but I actually loved the Chicken Parmsean Sandwich. That sando was very flavourful and satisfying. This place also has a wonderful Italian Beef sandwich, where everything is made fresh to include a 12 hour au jus. Definitely get that baby wet (soaked in au jus) if you are going to be eating immediately. The potatoes fingerlings were also seasoned well. All I can say is that the food and service here is superb. Everyone working here is friendly and enjoys serving quality food. The Ciccio restaurant is from the kitchen of Mario Ferraro, who is a second generation Chicagoland restaurantenur. The menu offers something for everyone to include chicken, beef, pork, sautéed veggies. Additional a wide range of beer, cocktails, wine and seltzer. On this occasion I got $5 High Noon. It was just what I needed to wash down my sandwich meander on the pier.

Heard a few good things about their beef, so I knew once the weather started to cooperate, I would pay Navy Pier a visit to their Chef Ciccios version. The crew here was amazing. Very welcoming, great attitude. You know that same passion carries over when they're making their food. My son and I both ordered a beef. He ordered his wet and I ordered mine dunked. He puts the beef in the container and the pours the gravy on top of the beef as well as inside the container, so your beef is literally swimming in that delicious gravy. The sandwich itself was really good. The beef was perfect seasoned and they also add potatoes to the sandwich. Something I've never had before on a beef but would definitely order it again this way. The only tiny issue I had, was that it was a tad bit salty, but overall a pretty decently made sandwich. Can definitely see myself ordering this again, next time we take the kiddos to Navy Pier.

I loved talking to the owners ever more than the actual sandwich! And the Caprese sandwich was amazing!! The pesto and olive oil were so fresh and they were so accommodating and caring- gave us samples to try before purchasing. A solid meal option for a night in navy pier!

Highly recommend this delicious Italian Beef Sandwich located all the way down the hallway corridor at Navy Pier! We ordered the classic Italian beef sandwich and it was absolutely delicious! It definitely rivaled the best of the best Italian sandwiches that we've had in Chicago. It is on the pricier side, but that is due to the prime location at Navy Pier. The sandwich itself was $13, but all of the add ons costed extra, for example the onions were + $1 and the peppers were + $1, and so our sandwich ended up being $16-$17 in total at the end.

Came by on Sunday and gee whiz Navy Pier was packed. Ordered the Italian beef and it did not disappoint. The bread is so fresh!! Freshest bread I've ever had for an Italian beef. It was like French baguette bread. Fingerling potatoes were on this Italian beef too . Might have been different potato variety. The meat was tender, juicy, delicious. It's in a metal tray so you can re dip the sandwich in juices as you go along or drink the gravy afterwards.

This place was soooo good! We got chicken parm sandwich, the ciccio sandwich with sausage, aranchini, and the canoli. EVERYTHING tasted so good and if you like spicy, get the spicy peppers on the side!!! We didn't get a chance to take pics of the food because we ate it so fast

I was visiting Navy Pier when I came across this place and decided to give it a try. I tried their Italian Beef Samwitch and their Chicken Parmigiana Sandwich. The Italian Beef Samwitch was loading with beef and sauce but can get soggy very quickly. I really enjoyed their Chicken Parmigiana Sandwich. Both sandwiches came with two little potato wedges. There can be a bit of a wait especially for the Chicken Parmigiana Sandwich as it does need to be toasted in the oven. Also, this place is card only and they do charge a 3% credit card fee.

If you are at Navy Pier, drop in to Ciccio's place for a flatbread pizza!! It is something out of this world! Tastes like real home made how grandma used to make pizza! With real tomatoes. Your choice of toppings. Highly recommend.

Food was amazing. Awesome spot for some Italian beef. Service is amazing and funny. Gus and Mario were very fun to talk to. They have their own seating that is in front of their business.

A delicious food stand and the best option on the Navy Pier! It's honestly one of the best Italian beef sandwiches in the city. Definitely add the peppers! Service was friendly and quick as well.

Most premium Italian beef sandwich I've ever had. The bread is fresh and high quality. When you ask for the sandwich dipped at the big name spots, beef still tastes dry. But Ciccio doesn't leave the beef in the jus all day to dry up and it is so juicy and tender as a result. I will highly recommend this when someone plans to go to Navy Pier!

Ciccio Beefs were like no other in Chicago! And the bread so yummy! The staff was super helpful.

This place has the Italian beef sandwich in Chicago! And the meatball sandwich for our kids was to die for. Everything is delicious. Super friendly service. These guys are great. Consider yourself lucky if you end up here.

Amazing!! Best Italian beef ever, it's a must get. Such great, friendly, authentic people. Bread that holds up to the sandwich, makes a huge difference. Worth the flight from San Francisco on its own.

This place is great! In the food court so had to search a bit but worth the hunt. The food is plentiful and delicious!

Best Italian sandwich I've had in a very long time. The bread is fresh and the Italian sausage is full of flavor. Highly recommend!

Visited today for lunch with a friend- I couldn't decide what to get, so I got a junior Italian Beef and a junior Meatball sandwich. They were both delicious! The owner took our orders/made our food- he was so friendly. He even cut us some free watermelon for dessert! The whole experience left me feeling heart-warmed.

Simply put--this place is awesome. Order the chicken parm sandwich. Easy to share. Everything tastes so fresh and homemade. The owner is present and so attentive, too.

Amazing Chicago Italian Beef and great service We had the beef and potato wedges and finish lunch with an amazing cannoli This is a must stop when you are Pier especially if you have never had an Italian beef

It was okay. Food was not as great as everyone said. Needs more flavor. Anyway, many will still like it. Not bad.

If you want to enjoy a great beef it's to die for and the Tuna was Excellent thank you to Mario and the lovely lady that was there on Friday 8-9-2024 in the Morning very professional i give this restaurant a big THANK YOU cant wait to go back

I don't usually give 5 stars but this was a great experience. I spoke to the man who I assume owns the place (Chef Ciccio?) and told him I wanted an Italian beef and he proceeded to walk me through exactly how he would make it for himself and also gave me a meatball to try. His kindness and obvious enthusiasm for his food and his customers was something you don't see often and the food was also outstanding so I give it a rare 5-stars. Highly recommended for a quick lunch or dinner.

had the pleasure of trying the italian beef here and WOW! super flavourful and fresh. i wish i would have ordered more because it truly was THAT good. i was a fool to think that all italian beef's were made equal. made the mistake of trying to relive the epic moment of chef ciccio's italian beef in an italian beef at one of the more well known spots, it rhymes with smortillo's, and was left very, VERY underwhelmed. chef ciccio's italian beef blows it out. of. the. water. the beef and jus were seasoned exceptionally well. the giardiniera peppers were flippin' SPICY and crunchy and delicious. the BREAD! stood up to the jus, it didn't fall apart or get overly soggy. THIS!! THIS is the italian beef i will come back for!! if you like well seasoned, EXCEPTIONAL food, chef ciccio's is where you want to get your italian beef from. *chefs kiss!*

What a wonderful surprise ... my granddaughters and I chose Italian for lunch at Navy Pier and we ended up at a place called CICCiO! The owner is a seasoned Italian named Mario . His food is made fresh daily and the bread is an import from Canada since the bakeries here do not have the rustic bread he requires to make his satisfying flavors pop in your mouth! We tried the Italian beef sandwich... it comes dry, wet or bathed in the au jus gravy. ( my selection was bathed -mmmm) and adding the cheese, sweet and hot peppers is a must! The spaghetti with home made Gravy ( the real Italian name for what we call sauce) and meatballs were a hit with my crew as well! There's no sugar added and it's all organic tomatoes and slow cooked to perfection and taste. I will definitely have to come and try more of the items on the menu. Mario has a wonderful assistant named Jeanette . She mans the front and always has a super recommendation for you if you're not sure what you'd like to start with. The afternoon guy , Gus is very helpful as well! Don't hesitate to ask them for suggestions... in doing so you may just be tempted to ask for a job just because they're such amicable personalities that you want to work with them! Mario was such a sweetheart and treated us like family . He shared his love for his cooking and his story as if we had known each other for years. He also surprised us with a taste of the cannoli that is on his menu. He handpicks the bakery he acquires them from so that the taste is authentically Italian. I was so impressed with the flavors and experience that I had to share this in hopes that his business keeps thriving and those who read this are moved to go and share their stories and well wishes with Mario at this Navy Pier location. Mangia! Mangia!

The Italian beef was AMAZING!!! Gus was the best! He was so welcoming and friendly making sure we were well taken care of, best service I've had in a long time. Will be returning in the future for more delicious food!

Good menu at typical Navy Pier prices. The beef was delicious as other reviews have indicated. My wife got the beef and meatball marinara protein bowl, which was $16 and came with precisely two meatballs. Arancini ball was on point. When we finished our meal with some gelato from the stall next door, Mario offered us homemade biscotti, on the house. Everything was delicious and filling - no complaints. We will be back soon.

We had the Caprese sandwich which was EXCELLENT. Mario was very personable and I loved knowing I was supporting a local business. I will try very hard to get the word out and make sure Ciccio becomes World Famous instead of Almost World Famous. The bar has been set very high for all future caprese sandwiches!!

The chicken parm sandwich was huge and delicious. The chef is also just a genuinely awesome guy. This is what Chicago is all about.

Their Italian Beef sandwich is worthy of being included among Chicago's Best. The beef and juice were delicious but it was the bread which made this sandwich fantastic. It was bake fresh with a crispy shell and soft bread, which kept the juice perfectly contained without becoming overly soggy. The Italian beef sandwich also was tasty. It is located in the Navy Pier food court all the way to the east, so it's not the easiest to get to, but well worth it.

Excellent Italian beef, perfectly crispy yet tender bread, wonderful meatball sandwiches and the option for beer or cocktails. Excellent place for lunch - great food at a very reasonable price.

ABSOLUTELY amazing! Get the junior if you're not super hungry, but if your stomach can chandlers it you'll want as much sandwich as you can get. The potatoes they provide with each sandwich are even amazing.

We were surprised to find this new restaurant today where the brown sugar bakery used to be at Navy Pier. It's a little tucked away but it's definitely worth checking out. We met Mario and Katt, both very friendly. The food was delicious, and the service was excellent. We usually get our Italian beef from Portillo's, but this place has heart. The menu is very small, but what they offer is on point. We first ordered two Italian beef sandwiches. The bread is nice and crusty and can hold up well even when drenched in gravy which is what we wanted. The beef is tasty and juicy, and the included potato is also really good. We ordered the beef with sweet peppers, and hot peppers came on the side which is perfect so you can add as much oil and peppers as you want on the sandwich. Then Mario gave us free samples of meatballs. Oh my! Well after we were done with our Italian beef sandwiches, we went ahead and got a meatball sub. We were really hooked and returned immediately to order more meatballs and sauce. Two adults and two kids, stuffed and happy. I went back again for unsweetened ice tea which hit the spot. Navy pier was missing a place for Italian beef and meatballs, and this is definitely the perfect spot! I highly recommend Ciccio! This is a new Navy Pier favorite, and we will be back for sure!

The Italian Beef was amazing !!! A must try !!! And the Cannoli was great. I highly suggest !!

Ciccio number one!!! Thank you a lot for the wonderful service and even better food!! Will be coming back.

Wow! Keep walking past Giordano's toward the end of the pier till you find this place! Italian beef sandwich with the "gravy" (au jus). He stews the meat in the sauce before putting it in the sandwich. Bread is crispy enough to hold together even though the sandwich is swimming in sauce. Ask them what's best; we were going to get it with meatballs but he said, "have to get the red sauce with meatballs" so we opted for sausage. Yum!

A hidden gem toward the end of Navy Pier. Maybe the best Italian Beef sandwich I've had -- and on follow-up visits the chicken pesto and short-rib sandwich special both were fantastic as well. A true "only in Chicago" experience for anyone visiting the city, and it's worth the trip for locals as well. Really exceptional.

the food here...incredible! the customer service...unmatched! thank you so much for the love out into the food- it shows

Shared a beef and a combo. Both excellent. The beef was tender, not too fatty and had nice flavor. The sausage was just spicy enough and had a nice crunch. The bread was soft but held up to the au jus, which as delicious. Can't wait to go back!

Best beef in Chicago all fresh homestyle tasty, and the bread is not a viena roll but a baked roll with a crust that soaks in gravy and does not fall apart, you will not be disappointed with any of ciccio's sammiches and the roasted potatoes mama mia" forggettaboudit!, pizza is also is very tasty!

Great service, fun tasting that drew us in. Had two sandwiches that were so good and filling. Highly recommend!

Italian beef is primo! While you're on the Navy Pier make sure you stop in and grab this sandwich and grab a side of their potatoes!!! The meat is thinly sliced and very tender with excellent bread. Ask for extra gravy on the side! The guys that run the place are nice and helpful for a tourist with questions about the city as well. I'll definitely be back to have another Italian beef sandwich at this location when I get back to Chicago next year!

Meatball with provolone sandwich. Hands down the best meatballs I've ever eaten outside of my own house. The people are nice too. Go here!

Not good at all. The bread is way too hard. They pour the au jus on the meat, they don't dip it. The sandwich falls apart because the juice is in the middle. It is salty and tastes like beef gravy. Sad to say but Portillos is better.

Excellent food and even better service. Highly recommend. Brought my highly picky eater son and the owner even put together a delicious off menu garlic flatbread! Perfect spot for a quick and tasty meal after a long day at Navy Pier. You'll feel like you're eating food prepared by the Italian grandpa you always wanted.

Delicious authentic Italian roast beef! Peppers, onions & provolone cheese... Great customer service with a smile.

Authentic food and quality service. Katt was spot on with recommendations. We will return here for our next sandwich break on the Navy Pier!

I Grew up in the Chicago area, but now live in California. Today, while vacationing in Chicago, I Brigham my family to the pier and had a huge craving for an Italian beef sandwich. I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy the best Italian beef in the Chicago area! Particularly, in such a commercialized setting. I would highly recommend this spot, it is a hidden gem!

AAAAA++++++ THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!!! I rarely write review, but this was worth the time to share. They WILL NOT let you down!

Good food, good service. Away from the crowds. As much as you could be. 10% veteran discount appreciated.