The Original Roma

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Our next stop on the Beef bus is to the Original Roma located out there in Norwood Park. Its not to be confused with Roma's Beef in Portage Park which I will get to one day. I hadn't been to either or since my days of working for the Sheriffs department over summer break. The Original Roma as it called was actually closed for repair or whatever for a while and one day when I cruised past it on Milwaukee ave en route home I saw it was back open and stop in so it could get its score over here at Whats Your Beef?


Located in Chicago's Norwood Park neighborhood

Since it closed and reopened Roma's has done some changes to the menu and they now also carry pizza. I decided to give a slice a try along with my beef with hot and prepared to take my mental notes. The pizza was ok if anything bordering around the not so good line. The sausage was really good however but this is the case on most pizzas in Chicago.


Slice of Sausage from the Original Roma's

It wasn't pizza that brought me in here though, it was the Italian beef. I remembered thinking Roma was good but not great back in the day and so it was time to see if that had changed or not. Immediately upon unwrapping my beef I noticed the giardiniera looked like the pickled carrot and jalapeno tray they put tableside at alot of Mexican restaurants. It wasn't too appealing to see these huge pieces of carrot chips in their hot pepper blend. The beef itself wasn't bad at all and described by me right then and there as good but not great but it was the best part of this sandwich. The bread and gravy were in the pretty good range. All in all the sandwich was ok but the peppers did it in for me. I didn't like theirs at all. Huge pieces of celery and large carrot chips.


Beef with hot from The Original Roma

Rating Scale 5/5

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

Score: 12/20

The Original Roma
6161 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60646-3804
(773) 594-2885