Danny's Pizza & Beef

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Ever since I decided that I was going to start my own Italian Beef rating site I have found that there are quite a places that I hadn't/haven't been to yet. On a trip this past winter to Katy's Dumpling House in Westmont I drove by Danny's: Italian Beef-pasta and pizza in Brookfield. I'm sure that I passed it before but it didn't really hit my radar until I realized I had to stop in and document a beef. If there are going to be any really good beef spots that I haven't been to than they will be in the far suburbs somewhere so if you have any suggestions let me here them. I'm always excited to try a spot that I haven't been to yet hoping it could become an all first team type beef.


First time beefer here

Danny's is a little pizza/beef shack that has a few tables for dining in but seems to do a pretty good business in take-out and delivery. Quite a few people coming in and out when I went in to try the beef. The pizza slices didn't look half bad but those NY style slices aren't really my thing not to say that what they had was real NY pizza. It was just what most people would consider thin crust cut in slices. I was tempted to get a chicken parm sandwich because I felt that this place could do a nice version due to the fact that most of the Italian stuff on the menu is homemade including the beef. I settled on just the beef with hot and was pleasantly surprised when I opened it up despite the fact it was wrapped in tin foil-a big no no. The places that wrap the beefs in tin-foil tend to have very soggy beefs if they aren't opened up within 15 seconds of eating it. Luckily for me I was dining in on the beef and so I dug into a Danny's beef for the first time.

I said it before and I'll say it again-8 out of 10 places that do a homemade beef do it right. Danny's was a pretty good beef and much better than I was expecting otherwise I would of been there a hell of alot sooner. The beef was a little thicker than your most thin sliced beef but still had no rubbery effect whatsoever and decent beef. I thought the best part of the sandwich was the bread which was above average and I liked the highly seasoned gravy. Unfortunately the worst part was real bad and that was the hot peppers. This giardinara clearly came from a bottle that came from the fridge. It wasn't good to begin with but the fact that it was freezing cold made for a beef that would of been much better plain. If Danny's is going to take the time to do everything else right and make most of their dishes in house they might want to start making homemade hot peppers. Otherwise I suggest getting a beef no hot or with sweet...as long as they don't come cold from the fridge.


beef with hot from Danny's in Brookfield, IL

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 3
bread: 4
gravy: 4
hot peppers: 1

Score: 12/20

Danny's Pizza, Beef & Pasta
9123 Ogden Ave
Brookfield, IL 60513
(708) 387-7730‎

Beef from Rosangela's Pizza

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Rosangela's is a pizza place in Evergreen park that also happens to serve a pretty good Italian beef sandwich. While its more like a seasoned hot roast beef sandwich in texture, flavor and preparation its still pretty damn good. You might not expect it to be much so it doesn't come with high hopes and really exceeded my expectations on the particular day I visited. Just like I had very clear memories of eating at Rosangela's way back in the day I also had a memory that I really enjoyed the Italian beef as a kid. I remembered that I liked it because it was so different and the fact that the bread was toasted creating a crunchy exterior with a juicy interior.


Hidden beneath the pizza is a good beef

Just like I had remembered the pizza hadn't changed a bit the same goes for the Italian beef. Rosangela's offers up a homemade beef cooked in a spiced up red gravy which is served on the aforementioned toasted bread with some nice hot peppers which may or may not have been made in house. I have rule that I rarely if ever order an Italian beef from a non-beef joint. Despite the fact beef sandwiches are available at almost every Chicago fast food and pizza place in Chicagoland most of them are anything but authentic and more important- tasty. Rosangela's is an exception to that rule. I look at it as a "grandmas" beef, something that an Italian grandma would make for a Sunday night family dinner. I'm willing to bet that the Italian beef in general has evolved in some ways in Chicago and this might be the most classic example of an old school sit down beef that could be had at many of the pizza taverns around town in the 1950s. I have yet to find a better beef that comes with waitress service or a better appetizer at any of the great pizza places around town. Its worth getting a sandwich or two as an appetizer for your group before the pizzas. Check Smokin', Chokin' & Chowing later this month for the pizza review.


half of a beef with hot from Rosangela's

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 4
bread: 3
gravy: 4
hot peppers: 3

Score: 14/20

Rosangela's Pizzeria
2807 1/2 W 95th St
Evergreen Park, IL 60805
(708) 422-2041