Roma's Italian Beef & Sausage

I have driven past Roma’s Italian Beef & Sausage for years and recently noticed their $5 lunch special in the window. I decided to give it a try, admittedly a little skeptical at first, but I was more than pleasantly surprised. Roma’s serves up a true Chicago style experience. The hot dog is the real deal, Vienna Beef, with all the classic top quality toppings. The fresh cut fries are fantastic, crispy, and full of flavor. The restaurant itself is spotless and the staff could not be friendlier. It is rare these days to find a place that delivers authentic Chicago taste, great value, and a welcoming atmosphere all in one. I highly recommend Roma’s Italian Beef & Sausage and I will definitely be back again.

Ordered 2 combos and asked for the sauce on the side and was charged an extra $9.90 for 2-12 oz cups of juice and actually received 2 small 2 oz cups. Don't think this was a mistake and I had already tipped before noticing. Can't understand why the world is supposed to tip for good service before you are even served. Won't be coming here again and make sure you check your receipts!!!

Nice kid up in the front but my gosh the basic please, I am here to give you my honest review but if my words get to the owner of this place and you still care. Change and correct it .first your place is clean your front guy had a welcome greet . The order was simple two gyros meals and 1 Italian beef I was exited to get my order I was happy to pay. But receiving my food it was shit it was cold but let me take a bite again maybe I am over reacting nope I'm correct this gyro is shit I had too ask for the white sauce meat is cold and french fries soggy and cold the Italian beef was ok but expected a lot better with a name on your front door . Sorry maybe once it was good but not this afternoon. Oh just one thing the kid ask if everything was ok I had opportunity but there was other customers there didn't want my bad experience interrupted your business. Hopefully this is not the norm

Pretty disappointed in my experience here, heard that their beef was outstanding so figured i had to try it but was definitely let down here, the beef sandwich tastes like it was microwaved and the overall quality of meat was not super high, but the staff were all extremely friendly!

I passed by this place all the time right on Cicero, never thought a thing about it, I stopped in today and got an Italian beef dipped with extra hot peppers. Some fries, hot dog and some cheese for the fries. The Italian beef was freaking amazing. Possibly one of the best beefs the flavor was on point. Cheese fries were fire.

All the guys behind the counter had great energy and greeted me when I came in. Quick turn around while waiting. Some random boxes and other organization stuff that could be improved, but nothing seemly hazardous. This beef sandwich is too small, great beef, but just too small. Could have more juice for being dipped. It's not a dry texture. it just needs to be dipped. The bread seam had a lot of juice but not the cut side, so it was probably ladled on juice instead of a true dip. Well seasoned and spiced. Mostly shredded beef with some sheets in between. Really reminds me of childhood italian beef sandwiches at home. Which would have been Serrelis beef on liborio rolls, not that that is what I think this is necessarily. Parking area could also probably be cleaned up a little bit. 4.5/5 MORE BEEF and dipped more would put this in 4.75 or higher territory

Pick up a combo meal the gentleman behind the counter ask if I wanted a cup of the beef juice. I normally don't this made it more delicious. Thanks Romas best combo I had in a while will come back more often. Wish I can give you more stars 🤩

Everytime I'm in the city.....I have to go to Roma's! The B.E.S.T. beef in the city!!! I love Roma's Italian Beef & Sausage‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️. This time I also got the breaded steak sandwich and their new Italian beef empandadas. All delicious‼️. I forgot to order sweet peppers on my beef, so I added some from the steak sandwich. Fabulous!! Their beef is perfectly sliced & the juice is so flavorful & a bit spicy. ALL made in house!! I especially love the flavor of the juice....so many spices & not piles of salt. DELICIOUS 😋😋😋😋😋. I got some to take home, too! So I will be enjoying this delicious beef today 😉. This is a great spot & the owner Fred is a great guy. Sadly, he has a bad situation going with his MS & uses a wheelchair a times. Nevertheless....he and his wife Anna, are there every day! Please support this small business and this family! The food is amazing & they are great people ❤️

We had to try an authentic Italian Beef once we landed in Chicago. On the way to our hotel we found Romas online and decided to give it a try. I ordered the traditional Italian beef "Wet Roma style" with hot giardiniera. My wife the Italian Beef with Italian Sausage also kinda wet. No produce... Wow!!! amazing! The giardiniera was spicy and the beef was abundant, loaded, after a few bites the roll started to disintegrate with the juice I was in heaven. My wife's sandwich, also amazing really great sausage was a nice compliment to the lean beef. The same great flavored beef. Verdict Yes Visit again Yes Tell friends, write a review Yes Stop in and say hi to Fred and Anna the proprietors, you'll be very glad you did. Support your local families and eat what's good. Easy " Romas Italian Beef"

My favorite Italian beef and hand cut french fries. Always order the beef wet with hot giardiniera, wouldn't have it any other way.

Stopped at this place for lunch and I ordered an 6" Italian beef (dipped) with fresh cut fries and a soda. The flavor of the beef was tender and had nice spices. The bread sort of held up after being dipped which is always a pleasure. When you close to your last couple of bites and the bread failure. The fries were done well just need a little more salt. The Green River in the bubbler isn't carbonated, I should have know. It tasted like lime kool aid. Noticed that they also do Leona's pizza. Check out their menu. The had Green

Unique Beef Stand, varied menu, love the green awning. I recommend the Italian Beef empanada, a crispy delight. Atomic Sausage sandwich might be just a little too spicy for me, but I would eat it again, quite a sandwich. Italian Beef sandwich has a nice pepper influence? I enjoyed it. On both of my visits the thin cut French fries have been served hot, nicely fried. Green River and Grape Ape on tap (see photo), got to love it, I enjoyed a refreshing cup of Grape Ape. Love these old stands looking forward to another stop, still plenty of menu items I intend to explore, look for the green awning! (FDV Approved 4.0 - Food, 4.0; Design, 3.9; Value, 4.1).

Ordered a cheeseburger for my adult son and he said the burger was just ok no flavor but the bun was delicious. I had a Maxwell polish and it was fine. The fries were terrible, they were over cooked and left a greasy taste. I've never seen fries made like this. They were thin strips of potato's, it's almost as if they used a peeler to make the fries. I don't remember the fries like this before. Also, they do not accept cards only cash or venmo.

Was near Roma's and haven't stopped by in a long time, wanted a good Italian beef, say no more. Definitely a great Chicago Neighborhood Vibe...One of Owner's was taking orders...Asked what I was in the mood for, "I said, a million bucks!" He said " Me too!" We laughed & dreamed...ordered the 6" Italian Beef with Sweet Peppers. Never mentioned whether I wanted dry or baptized, but gave me a perfect sandwich. I could handle the bun without worrying it would fall apart, not that I don't mind, but would need additional napkins. Certainly hit the spot, looking forward to trying their pizza next time...Looked delicious. "El Stool Presidente" would give it an 8.1, I'm sure! Cheers & Mangia!

Bet friendly family owned place. They are so friendly whit you they welcome you whit a big smile and make you feel good

Just finished eating a Italian beef sausage combo and it didn't smell quite right . I took a couple bites and the flavor was off. Definitely not what they used to be. Should I keep going? Ok the fries were like crumbs burnt to a crisp. Ok one more thing I also ordered a polish sausage and the poppy seed bun was hard as a rock the actual polish and grilled onions was good. With that said next time I'm going elsewhere.

Located in The Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago, Roma's Italian Beef and Sausage brings some real deal Italian Beef. This spot has been serving Chicago for over 20 years. 5 out of 5 stars

Great place - cash only but if looking for a spicy beef that has red pepper flakes flavor this is your spot!

Bad attitude from the help there. ,l no prices displayed. Unfair business practices. I used to go there quite a bit when the old owners had it. I won't go back.

Absolutely first-rate Italian Beef, on par with the best joints. Lots of beef on my sandwich, tender, juicy, flavorful. Fries a thin and a little greasy, but fresh and hot, they really hit the spot. Yum.

Great Italian Beef. Been in Portage Park since 1968,. Heads up they only take cash (or Venmo or Zelle).

I went there last Saturday under the lure of an atomic combo. Ordered one to go and allowed myself to be upsold into a meal. I got it home, opened up and it's a beef not a combo. Very disappointed. Can't be trusted to get it right. Not worth the price.

One of the best beefs in Chicago. Try the atomic combo, incredible sausage. Been going here for years.

04/13/21 - Roma's Italian Beef locate on Cicero Ave just south of Montrose Ave is next door to U Haul. This is right down the street on Cicero yet I can't remember the last time I ate here. This review is based on their namesake the Italian Beef & Sausage sandwich. Roma's is a tiny little Ma & pa restaurant w/an assortment of fast food sandwiches. Their beef/Italian sausage is pretty good. I don't mean to be rude but I have had better beefs before. Still the owner was very friendly

Good, real Chicago. Former PhD student and her family was staying with us, from Northern California, edge of Sierra Nevada, and they decided late that night that they needed a Chicago dog and fries before they left. And Roma's pulled it off with good authenticity, super solid, all were happy.

Good food fast good service ez parking good prices been a good go to place thank you .

I've been coming here for probably almost 40 years. I've never been disappointed and in fact always thrilled to be here. The food and customer service are second-to-none!! When Freddy the owner is there, you always get gratitude for your patronage from his warm and conversation and his perfectly cooked food. He's partnered with Hot Doug's sausages and now serves the atomic sausage. I had it tonight, and it's got a higher fat content but a different spice profile. It's somewhere between a Polish and a bratwurst, but not quite an Italian. It was enjoyable, certainly, but will never replace Freddie's homemade Italian sausages and homemade jardinera!

I hate to give such a low review to a privately owned business. I used to eat here as a child and it was great. But the lack of quality and competence of the workeds at this place today, is just absurd. We ordered 3 beefs, all with different specifications on juice, cheese, peppers, and asked for giardinera on the side of one. Not one was made correctly. All had giardinera on top, meaning my two kids couldn't eat it due to the spice. Ordered two steak sandwiches. They were terrible. I mean inedible. After one bite mine went on the trash. Fries were so over cooked and dry. They were hollow shells. Pizza puffs and mozarella sticks were clearly old. The taste was very off, and the beef juice coating them didn't help. For the packaging, one steak sandwich was not wrapped. It had the inner wrapped folded around it once and was tossed into the bag, meaning it literally just fell apart all over the bag. The paper they use has zero absorption. There was beef juice on everything. I don't understand how since only one sandwich was dipped. The brown bag was disintegrating by the time we got it home. The fries were spilled out everywhere. We paid over 100 dollars for junk we couldn't eat.

Roma's is still one of my favorite Beefs in the city. Most importantly they've been consistent with their beefs. They've also had the same excellent staff for years and they're very welcoming every time I step foot in there. Although I like Italian sausage, I've never been a big fan of "combos" which is an Italian Beef sandwich with Italian sausage. It's foods but I'd rather have the just beef. Roma's though, offers an "Atomic Combo" which is an Italian Beef with a spicy Italian sausage created by Hor Dougs. And it is absolutely phenomenal. It's pricey but it's worth the price. Their hot dogs are good, as well as just their refuse needs but the Atomic Combo is a must try. We also ordered cheese fries and they topped the fries with cheese sauce. I prefer the sauce on the side so I can dip my fries in it. Don't skip out on Roma's.

Went for some Chicago dogs and had the best time. The food was so delicious, and they did not skimp on the celery salt. Shoestring fries, perfectly seasoned. Watermelon Italian ice was fresh watermelon flavored. Service was excellent and timely. A great summer vibe.

Ordered the beef sausage combo but was odd ordering. For card you send a venmo. Also ordered giardiniera on the beef but somehow the cashier thought it meant a separate jar of the giardiniera they sell and none was on the beef. Didn't have time to try and explain and receive venmo refund. The sausage in the beef was pretty bad and seemed undercooked. Otherwise the beef itself was pretty great and had good flavor. Pry just a bad first try I'd give them another shot but won't be rushing back.

When you walk into the place and the guy has flour on his head. When you can order a sausage and a beef. In the same sandwich. When you bite into it and your cholesterol and happiness skyrocket. The best Italian beef I've ever had. Ever. I mean it.

Real deal Chicago eats coming out of this place! I love coming here with the family and everyone leaves satisfied. The staff is super friendly and love bantering with them. It's centrally located off Cicero a little past Montrose, you can't miss it. Best beefs and polish hands down. The unique taste is making me salivate as I type this. What is really cool is that they have the mini beef too for our little guy. It's the perfect amount for the kiddos (or big kids too). They have koolaid drinks! Prices are really reasonable and they have a nice little parking lot as well as some street parking. They have picnic tables outside but some counter seats inside as well.

I am upgrading my review however, it's not due to the beef, it's their Italian Sausage. Yes I mainly grade these spots on their Beef but when you have a killa sausage you deserve an upgrade. Their Italian Sausage had a spicy kick to it but not unbearable and a powerful flavor kick. I mean it Jui-Jitsud my ass backward and stunned me for a few seconds. Oh I see you are coming like that! Alright playa! It was all wrapped tightly in bread that was dripping wet from succuently soaking spice juice concoction that stimulated my oral pleasure sensors. Add some sweet peppers to balance it all out and you have the best Italian Sausage I have ever had I now specifically come to this spot for that sausage. Its stuff like that that can add an extra star to your review. In fact they get 4.2 stars now.

Beats Johnnie's on North Avenue and the original Al's on Taylor for hot and wet beef in these categories: 1. Dip flavor - far more depth of flavor. 2. Giardiniera - wonderful complexity of heat and vegys. 3. Ambiance - the husband wife team that own and run Roma's are joyful, kind, and always HAPPY and UPBEAT. 4. Parking and accessibility. The only downside is they don't take credit cards. I'd happily pay a premium for the convenience but the quality of product and experience trumps the hassle.

Fries are great but the hot dog was just ok and I guess I was expecting more. One guy on the staff was rude, other lady there was super nice. The extra stars here are for her and for the fries. The reviews about the staff not masking up were spot on. The other stuff on the menu is probably good but the weirdest thing about the place is they have no prices posted on the menu, and the guy at the counter seemed put off by me wanting to know how much my meal was costing. My recommendation: stop by just if you need a snack. Get the big bag of fries then head over to McDonald's for sodas.

Best roast beef empanadas ever! Let's not forget the roast beef sandwiches :) Ana and Fred are absolutely amazing and can't wait to go back.

Great beef. Just what you expect from a Chicago Italian beef, but this is the upper echelon. It's juicy, and sloppy, and soggy, and seasoned just right. At this place I get it with the sweet peppers because their giardiniera is VERY spicy.

What kind of Italian Beef is this malarkey... No option to order dipped or hot or sweet peppers in the Uber Eats app. I called Fred to ask to add it and all he said was it cost extra and no way to adjust the bill. I'm like bro open the Uber Eats app on your phone you are losing money by not having these options and customer service points by not honering when we call about it... The beef alone was lacking flavor and seasoning. Not sure how that is even possible. I've been going in for years but decided to have an order delivered now I know what everyone is saying. I ended up ordering a beef from Portillos which has flavor, larger size for same price and all the the fixens...

I've been going here for decades. The food is ALWAYS well prepared and delicious. A nice plus is the owners are really friendly and welcoming. If you go here and are less than totally satisfied I'd be surprised

Best beef in Chicago..... very unassuming place...... it was a pleasant surprise.... I have been going here for 25 years..... alwaYs stop when in Chicago Kevin Mac - Charleston, SC

Excellent food and top notch service. Great value. Authentic Chicago food, which is the best in my opinion!

The guy at the register gave me the wrong change and then claimed that they charge to add sauce to their bbq wings. Will not be coming back for a third time.

The owner Is always Cheerful , he runs an old school style smaller Italian Beef Hot Dog place! ; he's friendly , and makes a bangin ITALIAN Beef , the All the way Hot Dog is on time, The Pizza Puff is decent and classic Giardenari you can purchase TOGO ! What's even better is He's Also A Chicago Cubs Fan ! Let's Go Cubbies!

No masks on the staff. Lol This place was already bad enough with trying to force customers to pay cash but at least they could wear a masks

well seasoned Italian beef for a fair price. The shoe string fries were also very good. The place is very much a throw back to the old school hot dog stands of the 70s. Basic with only stools and a bar to eat at. There is also picknick tabels outside if the weather is nice. Sadly the only serve pepsi products, which is really my only complaint. Coke, then RC if you are trying to save costs. Pepsi just kinda sucks.

I just went there to get an Italian beef. They had signs advertising Italian beef empanadas. They tasted good. As well as the Italian beef pizza slice. I've been going here for over 30 years. They have not disappointed me yet.

This place is awesome for a delicious and satisfying beef and sausage sandwich. The staff there is excellent and so welcoming and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. I got a beef and sausage combo with some of their homemade giardineria and french fries. I got my sandwich wet and the flavor is exceptional. The beef is super tender and spiced perfectly and the homemade sausage adds the excellent snap that you need. The sausage was super soft and tender and it has a perfectly seasoned mix. Little bit spicy and herby with a touch of sweetness to balance it. The bread was soft and fresh, but still held up nicely to all the juiciness of the sandwich. The giardiniera was flavored perfectly. One of my favoirte giardinieras I've had with a beef and sausage sandwich. It has the right amount of crunch and spiciness while also providing an addicting tang that made me want more. I am definately getting a jar next time to take home. The french fries were delicious and well. Crispy and seasoned to the right amount. I will be back for a different spot for beef than what I was used to. Service is great and everything is worth coming back for.

great food. great people working there. brought my family in from Denmark. absolutely loved it!! I'll be back

I liked it. My friend took me here when I came to visit. Only in Chicago you'll get the best Italian beef. A little loud while we were eating and we're the only two customers there. It turned out to be one of the girls in the kitchen talking loud. Anyway, I may come back to this place next time I'm in town.

Their Italian beef will always be delicious and classic. But not having prices on the board is questionable. More importantly the day I was there the dude that owns the places was rude and he treat his employees like crap. Big turn off for me.

Great Italian beef sandwiches, bright roadside setting, and super enthusiastic and friendly service. We saw their 10-minute video and looked forward to the stop, and we're glad we did. Great food!!

Went on Eater looking for a place to cater Italian beef for a graduation party. #1 on their list was Roma's. So I drove 15 min to Portage park to get pricing and a few beefs to taste test. The owner rang me up and after some small talk I found out he was the original owner of Luke's on Harlem, another of my (closer to me) favorites. Brought home some juicy beefs and they didn't disappoint. The beef was sliced super thin and was done just right. The juice had a little kick to it and the extra cup on the side I asked for hot used . I'll def be ordering 10 pounds for my party (which is much better and less expensive then Portillo!)Thank for a great experience. Worth every minute of the drive!

I drive by this place all the time but never tired it. My daughter wanted pizza for dinner so I decided to try something new. Plus, it was on "Chicago's best." I ordered off Grubhub. On the menu it had " 18 inch 2 topping pizza w/ a 12 inch FREE cheese pizza." It seemed like a good deal so I went on and ordered it. I also ordered an Italian beef with fries. Fast forward to the delivery. The driver was super nice and friendly. He pulls my food out of his heat bag and I notice he only had one pizza. I told him I was suppose to have a small cheese pizza. I showed him my Grubhub order. He apologized and immediately called the restaurant. While eating what was delivered, we noticed a foul smell coming from the food. I thought it was the broccoli on the pizza. My partner bit into her Italian beef and she immediately spit it out. She said it taste like dirty mop water. I grab the sandwich out of her hand to smell it and that's exactly where the foul smell was coming from. That made me lose my appetite. We called the restaurant for 2 reasons: 1) to check the status of the missing cheese pizza 2) to complain about the nasty beef. The guy that answered the phone said he will not be sending a cheese pizza because it should've never been on Grubhub. It was an "in-house" special only. My partner explained to him that it was not our fault the menu was wrong but that's what we ordered. He continued to argue with her and he said " I'm not sending a damn pizza!" A few words were exchanged and then we called Grubhub. At fIrst they said we couldn't get a refund because it's no longer on the menu. That means the restaurant already modified the menu. Good thing I screenshot it!! Grubhub asked if we can prove that it was in fact on the menu. I said, of course!! I sent the picture to the Grubhub supervisor and got a full refund!!! We will never order from Roma's again!! The food was nasty and so is the customer service!!

Order delivery through the Slice app. They messed up our order and what we did receive was mediocre at best. Tried to get a refund or credit for the incorrect items, but the restaurant wouldn't authorize it. Id recommend going somewhere else.

Good beef, one of the best around the area. Chicken sandwich is alright, little dry but I don't mind. Fries are good and fresh.

First time stopping in after seeing them on Chicago best. Ordered the Italian beef with sweet peppers, dipped. You immediately taste the Italian seasonings in the gravy. There was actually a little heat at the end. The bread was the best part. The beef itself was a little chewy and lacked seasoning. The peppers were ok. They're all made in house. I got hot peppers on the side......just ok! We were offered a slice of pizza while we waited for our food. Nice gesture. Let's say, I'm glad I didn't have to pay for it. Very dry and lacked sauce. The cheese was good. I tasted my husband's combination of beef & sausage. The in house sausage was bursting with Italian goodness!! The guy behind the counter, was very friendly and made our visit enjoyable.