Mama D's

I was invited recently to head out to Lemont to visit Mama D's. The place has been named one of the top 10 Italian beef places in the Chicagoland area by ABC's Hungry Hound, Steve Dolinsky. I've found him to be pretty spot on, so I figured it was worth the drive to try it out. And he wasn't wrong. I'd put it in my top 5. One of the best beef sandwiches I've had.

However, there's way more than Italian beef on the menu and I sampled a few other items, as well. A favorite is one that doesn't even have any meat at all - the pepper and egg sandwich. I see it on the menu in many places in the Lenten Season, but at Mama D's, you can get it all year round. So, for those who are vegetarians or just not in the mood for a meaty sandwich, this is for sure worth ordering.

The chicken parmesan sandwich was also quite good and I love that it, along with the other menu items are made from scratch. The homemade goodies are from recipes passed down through owner Joe DeNardis' family - including his grandmother and her sisters, who immigrated here from Italy, and his mother and aunts. Mama D's has been at the current location at 12420 S. Archer in Lemont for 4 years after moving from a previous location that it had been at for 7 years.

Prices at Mama D's are very reasonable with sandwiches as low as $3.75. Beef sandwiches come in 6" for $5.50 or $7.50 for the 9-inch.

DeNardis said that the most popular sellers are the beef, chicken parmesan and the meatballs. You'll also find burgers, salad, pastas, tamales, hot dogs, gyros and more on the menu.

I also tried out the meatball sandwich and these were really amazing. They are made from scratch on site and melt in your mouth. You could serve them with a plate of pasta and they'd measure up to many of the area's finer white-tablecloth eateries. Mama D's is a casual spot with some fun decor that includes 80's movie posters. They also do catering and if you place an order, be sure to mention "Chicago Foodie Sisters" to get 10% off.

Mama D's

12420 S. Archer Ave.

Lamont

(630) 243-1212

mamadslemont.com

*** I was provided a complimentary meal for the purpose of a review. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.