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Category: Steakhouses [Edit]
Neighborhood: The LoopClark/Lake (Pink, Brown, Green, Blue, Purple Express, Orange)
Washington (Blue, Red)
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Dirty. I say this as a positive, in that, it's good but in a dirty sort of way. Kinda how a hooker who still has their looks is, Dirty Hot? That's this buffet driven place.
The food is a range of BBQ, dive, greasy spoon dishes that are sure to make you happy until that hour after you've left and you remember where you've been. It doesnt help that there's a door connecting it to the train station but it's got quite the cast of characters.
Food isn't bad, it's just dirty. It tastes good, but good in the way that a frozen pizza is good at 3am on a night out. The meat is cooked there on the spot, and most things are "fresh", but there's just a time and a place for Ronny's.
I really do like this place, I do, but I also want to give a fair review. For a fatty delight, Ronny's can't quit, however, this is not a place for you health conscience observers.
Thanks Ronny's!
The fellas met me here Saturday evening, and we were all about trying to satisfy our appetite. Unfortunately, we ordered the breaded steak sandwich and it had the three of us with upset stomachs. The steak was hard and had plenty of fat on it. The fries were fries, nothing special about them. I actually enjoyed the fruit lemonade though.
Never... and i mean never, eat the breaded steak sandwich.
I knew something was up, when i placed my order and the cook laughed. Shame on me, for not catching on.
I'll return, because i do believe they have some better items on the menu.
Ass.
That's what my BBQ salmon tasted like. Overcooked, barbecued, dried-out ass.
There's a reason why I had not eaten here since Methuselah was a child. *Everything* at Ronny's tastes like overcooked, dried-out ass.
I let a co-worker talk me into going for one of their infamous "lunch specials." On this day, it was the aforementioned ass, er, BBQ salmon.
Imagine old, overripe salmon cooked until it's as hard as the bottom of your Chuck Taylors, and then somebody dumping some mixture of ketchup and water over it and pronouncing it "BBQ salmon."
Although the lunch special was supposed to be $10.99 with a salad and a side, somehow my order of watermelon lemonade (imagine that) pushed the price up to $17. It was the worst $17 I have spent in a LONG time. Even the sides were crappy -- dried out baked potato, wilted iceberg lettuce, vinaigrette that was basically oil with some oregano sprinkled in it and mac and cheese that wasn't even as good as my little nephew could make from the Kraft box.
Now, why do people eat here again?
When you see those folks standing outside the State of Illinois building passing out flyers for the lunch special featuring "steak" -- RUN. Save your money...and RUN.
Because nobody deserves to eat a $17 hunk of dried-out, overcooked, barbecued ass!
I Had a 10 oz. steak mid rare and half a slab of BBQ ribs, excellent!! I had a side of baked potato with broccoli and cheese topping, garlic bread, corn on the cob and a salad. This place is affordable, good and they don't skimp you on the serving plus it's near all the theaters so it's great for after wards.
I ate here after work with some people from my office, since it's right near the Clark/Lake station. Overall, it was alright. I had wanted to go someplace a little bit more "happenin" but this place was cheap and at least I could buy a split of wine with my dinner. Had a good-sized piece of salmon, a baked potato, and garlic bread with the wine for about $20 and the other food looked decent. Nothing anyone would rave about, but if you want an affordable meal that's something other than a sandwich or something, then this place seems ok.
I didn't think it was as bad as other reviewers, although there was barely anyone in there on a Friday night - I know the Loop empties out, but I like going places that have more people in them. The decor was kind of cool though, with pictures of Chicago figures on the wall, and the guys working in there were really friendly and funny, chatting with us while we ordered.
It's worth noting that they pass out coupons for really cheap deals at the Clark and Lake station during the week, so if you want to try it and you don't want to risk much $$, try picking up one of those and giving it a shot.
I have never seen my boyfriend leave steak on his plate.
He did tonight.
Perhaps we are spoiled by our recent dining experiences in Chicago, and maybe our view of the meal was colored by the fact that it was a 3rd choice spot after Frontera Grill was closed (damn me for not reading their hours before we went!)...
But, my food was awful. My burger was merely a re-warmed piece of salty meat dipped in some mysterious liquid (to rehydrate?) and topped with a unmelted piece of cheese. Then, my poor excuse for a burger was set aside to cool off while my fries cooked. I could have been happy with nice hot fries...but, they were rushed and undercooked and the friendly man behind the counter convinced me to have him slather tasteless yellow cheese product on top of them.
My boyfriend's steak was mostly fat and gristle. He didn't eat but half of it and he was forcing the half he did consume. The baked potato (drenched in yellow cheese goo, bacon and butter) was "okay" he said...but my heart hurt looking at the butter drowning his plate. Oi.
They get one star for being near the CTA station when Frontera was closed...and one star for the joyful staff who were cheering me on when I chose my food.
I'm not from Chicago, only tried this place once, but I didn't think it was too bad. I don't know why everyone's hating on Ronny's. It's a really good place to get reasonably priced food. I understand they're called a steakhouse-which I believe is very deceiving - but come on people, you should already know what kind of quality of steak you're going to get for under $10! Stop being ridiculous and CHEAP and go to a steakhouse like N9Ne or Kinzie's for a higher quality steak.
My family came here for breakfast and was fully satisfied. I do agree with the other reviews on their portion size; they're HUGE! Certain meals can be greasy, but chances are, those meals are greasy everywhere else. You can't get burgers, fries, or even hashbrowns that aren't greasy.Ronny's is a step up from Denny's and any other breakfast/diner spot I've been to. My boyfriend always has a huge appetite for breakfast food, but there was so much food he couldn't finish his meal.
I ordered the corned beef on rye bread for $6.99. When I first saw it, I was slightly disappointed because the sandwich itself wasn't as big as I had expected, but my eyes were bigger than my stomach! Needless to say, I was too full to finish my meal. I love their fries, but don't really care for the seasoning.
Overall my meal was good enough for me to come back and try them out again. They have such a variety of meals to choose from. Breakfast, barbecued meats, sandwiches, salads, burgers, and even pizza!
Every morning I walk to my office building and there is a guy from Ronny's passing out a coupon for breakfast. Every time I walk to the Thompson Center there is the same guy passing out coupons for lunch. Today I finally decided to hit up Ronny's.
I got in and saw stuffed and thin crust pizza, salads, ribs, BBQ chicken, BBQ chicken wings, a stack of country fried steaks, and more things on the menu. I ordered a burger and fries and saw they had a bucket of ice and beers too.
I sat down and ate my burger but man it was spiked with way too much mayonnaise and mustard. The pickles were stiff and I thought I was biting into cartilage or something. The fries held up but were a bit off crisp but the burger was falling apart and I started ripping off parts of the bun as it was too big.
Don't know if I will go here again, but the wide variety in menu is good. I guess it's a good spot when you feel in the mood for a quick and dirty lunch a la Old Country Buffet.
There's quite a difference between good-and-flavorful greasy and make-me-want-to-vomit greasy. The food at Ronny's falls into the latter.
The breakfast sausage tasted like steak and pork at the same time. Truly a mystery meat.
I nearly always finish my food when I eat out (because I have no will power and well, that's another set of issues that I just don't have the energy to divulge). Needless to say, half of my breakfast sandwich remained on my plate as we walked to Macy's so we could both rush to their restrooms.
When I first moved to Chicago I would take an early train to the loop and wait outside the place until it opened at 7:00 am. I'd get a big, cheap breakfast and plan out a day of job hunting.
I'd sit in a window booth and watch the suits walk by listening to their iPods on their way to the office. I'd watch the blue collars hurry along as to not be late for their job.
I'd dream of having a similar job to walk or hurry to.
I'd make up life stories of some of them and daydream for a while.
The food is really cheap at Ronny's, and it's actually quite tasty. A huge pile of eggs and a generous slice of ham accompanied by fruit and two slices of thick Texas toast for only 5 bucks. A huge soda to get the day going for $1.50, or their famous ornate watermelon juice.
I still make it down to Ronny's for breakfast once a year or so to remember what it was like being new to the city, and to ground me with that perspective.
Great breakfast - the perfect hangover cure. The breakfast sausage was fantastic and the slice of watermelon on every plate was a nice touch. Also, one of the only places open for breakfast in the loop area on a Sunday morning (that isn't a chain or fast food).
I wanted to touch base with you today with a few points since your last performance review on 5/31/07. I am still very pleased with your overall performance. You continue to provide a very good breakfast at a very good value. You staff is still fast and friendly and very welcoming in the morning
I do want to bring a few points to your attention. These areas are matters of concern that worry me. I want you to know so that they do not escalate into more serious matters.
1) Please oh please keep you tables cleaner. There are crumbs in your seats and the bottles and the condiments on the tables are starting to get dirtier and dirtier.
2) Your quality seems to be slipping every now and then. Your meats have been delivered to me not cooked to my liking on occasion..
3) What is up with Air Supply being cranked up to full volume at 8:30 in the morning? A little Air Supply played at a soft volume is a good way to ease you into your day but so loud? Not even I can take that.
I feel confident that you can address these issues and put together the appropriate action plan to be sure that they do not happen again and things get corrected. I do have to warn you that if performance does continue to slip that further action may be needed up to and including termination of our relationship!
This is one of my favorite breakfast spots in the Loop. I don't get here for lunch very often.… Read more »
Place isn't good.
Cheap quality food, at not that cheap of prices.
Cook has an attitude problem, he thinks he's God.
I'll pass on this one. I really can't believe people like this place.
Ronny's is a great breakfast/lunch spot. If you are downtown in the Loop and are looking to get large portions of food that will not break your bank, Ronny's is where you should go.
This is fast food, done right - you get in line with all the other people throw your order in, and in about 3-5 minutes you have a great hot meal that blows you away.
The HUGE selling point is the prices. Compared to all the other neighboring restaurants, the prices at Ronny's are almost half of what you would paying at another place, with probably double the food.
Located in the Thompson Center downtown, skip the food court and go straight to Ronny's - you wont be disappointed.
Not the healthiest food but dayum their $6.99 steak lunch special was awesome.
From the dive-y decor and glow of the neon lights, we went in with pretty low expectations. But, I have to say, we were mildly impressed with the quantity of food and terrible-for-you tastiness of it. This place has more local flavor than a Denny's, but is probably an ideal place to eat if you're in the mood for grease (which happens sometimes).
My guy likes coming here, but I rather go somewhere else.
They have daily specials and you can get breakfast for pretty cheap.
I don't think the food is all that great.
The breakfast is meh. I've had the hot dog and hamburger and they are nothing special.
I guess if I go with my guy, I'll keep trying different things.
Well, it looks like steak. It smells pretty good, but it doesn't really taste like steak. Don't order the thing they call steak.
The hamburgers look awesome but they don't taste like hamburger. Don't order the thing they call a hamburger.
Besides those suspicious beef products, the other stuff at Ronny's is really good. I like all the stuff they do with chicken from BBQ, the wraps, to pita sandwiches. The BBQ ribs look good but I eat here for lunch and don't want to get sauce on my tie. The corned beef sandwich is pretty good. The fries are not bad. The taco salad is huge and tasty but any other type of salad is lacking in anything besides lettuce. I can't bring myself to order the pizza. The Polish sausage with grilled onions is pretty good.
The price is a little high. I had a corned beef sandwich, fries and diet Coke today for 10 bucks.
Some other things I like about Ronny's: the service is friendly and quick. The decor is early 1970's which is quite a fete in a building constructed in the 1980's. All in all, I really like Ronny's. There is something addictive about this place.
Need some real value for the high prices you usually spend eating downtown!? Check this place out.
You can have the Lunch Special, 8oz Steak, Garlic Bread, Baked Potatoes(very soft, tender and yum), & a Chef Salad. $6.99 Rib Tips Lunch Box $7.99, same sides and it comes with 10 tips. Burgers start at $3.99+, every meal is priced around $6.99-$15.99.
Just make sure you tell them not to heat the meat till its burnt. They flame everything on the grill, right there. Its like a full service cafeteria, except everything is fatty, greasy and saucy as requested.
They've got single serve washrooms and security, and a second floor! Its actually pretty clean. Not a place I'd take a first date.. but maybe a fifth or sixth, as long as she liked to EAT!.
Just check it out.
This is definately not the place to go if you are watching your girlish figure!!! The portions are huge and the menu has mostly fattening (yet delicious) items on it. I had a craving for a steak sandwich and fries and someone recommended Ronnie's. Well, that's exactly what I got. The sandwich was enormous, covered in swiss cheese and mushrooms. It was the kind of good that you know is bad for you! LOL The fries were crispy and fresh and the whole thing was under $7. The steak itself was a little on the chewy side but at the end of the day, this is not Capital Grille. I will definately be back, especially if I am hungover because they definately have the kind of grease and comfort food that you need.
Tried this place once for the $5 steak dinner and I gotta say, it was what I thought it was. This was the skinniest piece of steak I had ever seen in my life. It really didn't taste that great and lacked seasoning. They had a lemonade drink filled with fruit which lacked any kind of flavor. I see lots of people giving kudos for the breakfast here, so maybe I will try it, but I will not be back for dinner.
They should rename this to Ronny's Emporium of Cheap-Ass Beef.
After hearing from several people how great a deal the $6.99 lunch special (8 oz. steak, baked potato, salad) is, I decided to stop by. My mind was then completely blown when I realized that I happened to come on a random day that the lunch special was $4.99. 5 friggin bucks.
They actually cooked the steak to the level of doneness I asked for. I ended up going with grilled onions on the steak (pass on these) and nacho cheese on the potato (mmmm) for an extra 75 cents each. Oh, and of course the menu has lots of other steaks and grilled things on it, but why would you come here and pay more when you can have so much happy beef for so cheap?
Oh, and they sell booze! Including champagne!
Yup - dirt cheap, lots of food!
I went and had the 20 oz. steak dinner (with garlic bread, small salad, mashed potatoes/gravy), water, and a soda for about $20. They have a normal size 8 oz. steak dinner for $6.99 - but I was feeling ravenous!
Very friendly, fun-loving chef working tonite - nice people!
Not exactly A+ food, but tasty, fresh, and lots of it. Bring your appetite and strap on the feed bag, folks!
Its an ok quick stop in. Yeah the guy behind the counter kept trying to sell me on the steak sitting there I went with a pastrami on rye. The jersey jew in me really wasn't into the portion of it. This wouldn't fly in Jersey, but at least the taste was there . Great Rye bread and pastrami, just next time the meat stack should be twice of that.
Very Guilty Pleasure, this place.....it has a widely-varied, if totally unhealthy menu (burritos...stuffed pizza....meatloaf....grissly steak), even their salads (iceberg with a huge dollop of either ranch or thousand) are fattening. But, most things here, admittedly, are pretty tasty (the pepper and egg breakfast sandwich is outstanding), their portions are gargantuan and prices are quite reasonable. Great place for a school-day hangover lunch, just don't expect haute cuisine steaks for seven bucks. And see your cardiologist if you're a regular.
Not exactly the original (the original was torn down a few years ago), and not exactly an upscale dining establishment, but still dirt cheap and tons of food. They sell steaks, chicken, wings, pizza, burritos, salads, sausage, and an enormous breakfast special. The food here is pretty decent, and the prices for the amount of food they give you turns out to be cheap! This is not intended for those of you who are at all health conscious! They have a burger here that is so big, it really should be named "congestive heart failure on a plate," but if I'm downtown and low on cash, this is the place.
I really wanted to give these guys more than 3 stars because this is a great little place with fantastic deals and extremely friendly service in the Loop. Where else can you get a huuuuuge steak, egg, and potatoes breakfast (with thick slices of toast) for under 7 bucks? The food is pretty decent - not great, but not bad - and certainly a good deal in terms of the price to quantity ratio. Unfortunately, it is sooooo greasy that it was too much even for a cheap-hole-in-the-wall-connoisseur like myself. My stomach was pretty mad at me for the rest of the day after that breakfast.....but I'd probably go back when the breakfast craving hits again.
I'm a fan of the place despite the fact that what serve as "steak" probably isn't steak. Its cheap eats either way and it's downtown! You cannot get a better deal. Probably try to avoid all their "meat" products and you should be fine.
Bleh, I don't know why I wasted money here. A few years ago, I used to come here with a friend and it was decent; but on a recent visit, it was just bad. DON'T order the steak. It's barely edible and will almost always come out well done. Sure, they have some good specials, but I'd still rather spend my money elsewhere. Service is friendly enough but they could definitely use a good cleaning of the dining area.
I have not been to this location. I have been to the original (where the Cadillac Theater now stands , or is it the Oriental?) which had the best "history of meat" artwork I have ever and probably will ever see. I have also been to the second location , under the L on Wabash before it was torn down. None of these places are/were exactly gourmet establishments, but I still love them.
I am telling you all now that Ronnies has alot of sentimental value to me , I went there with my family since I was a wee lad. I can almost guarantee I had my first bit of steak there , probably my first ribs as well. I have since taken my son to this place as well , and we both like it. The steak is so not prime meat , it's not even funny , might even be horse , I can't know for sure. Oddly I don't remember ever having a tough piece of meat there. I remember paying under $10 for a t-bone so they must have beaten the crap out of that sucker to tenderize it. That being said , everything I've had there was delicious as well. Everything is cafeteria style, you order your entree (between bbq ribs , chicken , and an assortment of cuts of steaks). You then select all your sides ala carte (baked potato's , salad ,corn on the cob , as well as your beverage or desserts. I can rave about the fruit punch for as much time as you give me. I almost always got the t-bone , sometimes straying for the bbq chicken or ribs. All three of these dishes are very good , and dirt cheap by the way. There was also a side window where you can order other foods . I never went there for me , but did get pizza for my son when he was a toddler. I don't remember what else they had at the side window. I haven't been to the new location , and last visited the Wabash location more than 3 or more years ago. I have made it a point to check out the "new" spot after passing by it earlier this summer. I'm sure I can find hundreds of places in Chicago to get a better steak but I can guarantee you'll never find a cheaper steak that's still as tasty. If the newer place brought back the old school "history of meat" artwork , I might just have a new favorite place for steak.
Walking in this place I was confused...because I wasn't sure if I was suppose to wait to be seated. But than I turned around and noticed you're suppose to order first than get seated. I got the 8oz medium rare steak with baked potatoes and salad, grill onions on top. Minus one star because you cannot substitute the sides. The food was good, and the steak was cooked just right. Their pink lemonade was really good! The prices are great. My Cousin had their BBQ chicken and ribs, I tried some of hers and it was pretty darn tasty! However the ribs were OK because the meat didn't come off the bone so easily but it was still tender.
We ate here both mornings we were in Chicago. If it had been up to my husband we would have eaten here every meal. We were attempting to eat at "The Works", which is across the street, but every time we went there, it was closed. So to Ronny's we went. What caught our attention was the sign for the Steak and Eggs Breakfast Special for only $5.99. Wow, that's amazing! And that is what we both had, eggs any way we wanted, texas toast, hashbrowns, and a strip of steak. We were stuffed! We always try to find little gems when we visit different cities. And we found a gold mine. You choose your food in cafeteria line style and they cook as you order. You pay for your food and then choose to sit in either in really high back booths, dark brown wooden tables, or where we sat, a table that had two red leather wing back chairs right by the window. The other food that was being offered looked so good and yummy. But, we only ate breakfast here. The next day I got a BLT sandwich on Texas Toast with hash browns, again stuffed, my husband got the steak and eggs again, except instead of Texas toast he went with 3 huge fluffy pancakes, with butter, whipped creme, strawberries and powdered sugar. It looked awesome, and according to him, was so heaven in your mouth. My husband claims this is his spot and we will be returning every time we are in Chicago. Oh, the BEST part of this restaurant are the people, the employees were great, smiling, having fun and loving their job, they were all so nice and remembered us from the day before.
Neighborhood: The Loop
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Steakhouses
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: The Loop
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Steakhouses
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