Buona Beef Now Open in Flossmoor

I was excited to attend the opening last week of the 22nd Buona Beef location on Crawford Ave. in Flossmoor. Buona is a brand that is synonymous with Chicago Italian Beef. The Buonavolantos family still runs the company that started in 1981 in Berwyn. Started by their father, Joe, with a recipe created by mom, Peggy, their five sons worked their way up to each holding a critical role in the company. Being a mom of five sons myself, it makes me love this family and this business even more.


The company continues to grow and being a south suburban gal, I was very excited to have locations opening closer and closer to my home. I'm looking forward to the opening of the Schererville, Indiana location later this month. Without one in my neck of the woods all these years, I've been left to get my beef fix at my half-dozen or so treks to the Friendly Confines each season to see the Cubs play or by purchasing Buona Beef in the freezer section at Aldi. 

While the Italian Beef is definitely the superstar of the company, I try to make a point to also try out another menu item when I have been at their restaurants. This was my second time trying their pizza - last time I got an Italian beef version and this time I tried the supreme. With all the good pizza joints in Chicago, this might not be the first place you'd think of for getting a pizza, but you should keep it in mind when the craving for a pizza pie hits you. A nice crust, quality ingredients and awesome sausage (my method of judging a good pizza) make this one to add to your rotation. Also keep an eye out for occasional specials of $5 for classic pizzas and $6 for premiums. I also tried out their Original Chopped Salad, which was a bit different from any chopped salad I've had before as this one has pasta in it. It was unusual, but a pleasant surprise and the portion was huge. 

If you somehow have managed to never in your life have tried Buona (which seems next to impossible), do yourself a favor and get to one of their new locations - in the last few months they've also opened in Oak Lawn and Streeterville. And mark March 27 on your calendar if you're in Northwest Indiana as they'll be bringing their beef to Hoosiers for the first time. 

For more info, visit Buona.com.