when it comes to beef,
We keep it real.
when it comes to beef, We keep it real.

“The Best Italian Beef in Chicago"

Buona's Roots span back to the early days of Italian Beef.

We learned the ins and outs of the hours-long process from the founding families behind the cityʼs very first beef stands. And we havenʼt changed a thing.

No fillers — just slow cooked beef that yields an all-natural gravy. And our super-secret seasoning blend that has remained the same since our family set up shop in 1981.

Give It a Try!
Hot, Sweet, or Naked — Dipped or Baptized — We Think Youʼll Love it

HOW TO MAKE CHICAGO’S ORIGINAL ITALIAN BEEF

The Prep

Lean choice sirloin is expertly seasoned

The Warm-Up

Flash baking at high heat locks in flavor and juiciness

The Slow Roasting

This takes several hours and naturally produces the gravy*

The Hand-Trimming

The roast is trimmed and sliced by hand

The Sandwich

The beef is layered on Italian bread and made to order: Sweet or Hot with varying amounts of gravy

*Shortcuts don’t cut it with us. When it’s cooked the original way, the roast gets about 45% smaller. Some Italian beef producers reduce cooking times and pump water back into the roast to make it bigger. And there are a few that add unnatural ingredients and preservatives.

THE Story Behind our beef

ANATOMY OF AN ORIGINAL
The Buona family is honored to be among the small group of Italian immigrants who opened the Chicagoʼs first Italian beef stands. It takes the right ingredients and the right method to make an authentic Italian beef sandwich.
Dry roasted top sirloin that's hand trimmed and sliced super thin
Hand-cut Chicago-Italian Bread
All-natural perfectly seasoned gravy made from the meat drippings
Order it “Hot” with giardiniera
(jar-din-AIR-ah) – a Chicago-Italian tradition made from veggies and hot peppers
Order it “Sweet” with bell peppers

The Buonavolanto Family

Founded by Joe and Peggy Buonavolanto in 1981, Buona is run by second- and third-generation family members who are committed to keeping the dream alive.

Joe & Peggy Buonavolanto
Carlo Buonavolanto
John Buonavolanto
Joe Jr. Buonavolanto
Jim Buonavolanto
Don Buonavolanto
Obsess Over the Original