Justine R.'s Profile

Two words: Homemade Noodles.

Every time I've gone here, I leave disappointed that I can't fit any more food in my stomach.  I guess you need to order the right stuff though, because once I went with my husband, and the couple next to us seemed disappointed with their selection (and kept staring at our orders).  We always get the Ping's Noodle Platter (please don't ask for this "not spicy".. it totally takes away from the flavor) and Peking Duck.  The Duck is pricey, but they wrap large pieces of duck in mandarin pancakes (think: asian mini-burrito).  The plum sauce and scallions are a perfect pairing to the duck.

Sigh, I wish I were rich and could go here more often.  It's not that they're that expensive, but coming here too often can break the bank a bit.  Plus it's a good 30 minute drive just to get to the restaurant.

Nevertheless, I still dream of those two dishes occasionally and convince my husband to make the drive with me at least once every two months =)

Kuma's Corner, eat your heart out.  I won't make this review a total comparison to KC, but I just want to point out that I had a delicious burger, within an hour. And that puts Labriola ahead of the game already.

Labriola has amazing food, and I love coming here with my friends, visiting relatives, or even just my family when we don't feel like eating at home.  My 2 go-tos on the menu are the Richie Burger and the Prosciutto-wrapped Chicken on Olive Oil & Sea Salt Ciabatta (say that one 3x fast).  Oh and you definitely need to get either of those with their homemade chips.. Sooo delish!

The service has always been phenomenal here for me.  I've gone for both lunch and dinner, and even when it's been super swamped, the busboys/servers have always been very attentive and hospitable.  Once I even brought my 6-month old daughter and the busboy brought out a soft pretzel bread for her to munch on, in case the sourdough bread they bring out was too hard for her (sadly, she couldn't eat "real" foods yet but it was the thought that counted.. and my friends gobbled up the pretzel bread anyway).

They also have a dessert side, and although I love oogling at all the yummy treats on display, I would say stick to the various gelato choices.  The dessert pastries are a bit pricey and I've actually had better at my local Caputos & Valli Produce grocery stores =)

I love Chef Pietanza! He's a nice guy, as well as his son who also works at this take-out/delivery restaurant..

It's nice to have a pizza place open late on the weekends. Their pastas are decent, but I love ordering the stadium size pizza for any large get-together, or even just the days I know the brothers-in-law (4 big eaters) are all coming to town.  Personally, I love their Mediterranean cheese bread (French bread, split down the middle, dabbled in olive oil and Italian seasoning -- I think that's all it is; baked to delicious crispiness).

Also, whenever you have an order of $20+, all you have to do is mention a free small cheese pizza, and they happily add it to your order. Show owner comment »

Now, I'm not just giving this place a great review because the owner came out to talk to us (but he did) OR because he gave us some free fondue (but he did).. OR because the fondue chocolate was made from scratch (but it WAS!)..

I'm giving this place a great review because I really did enjoy myself.  It wasn't my choice in going here and I never really thought I'd end up going to this restaurant.  The location gave me some doubts and it looked pretty cheesy from the outside.

Do NOT judge a book by its cover.  The place is cozy, has a lot of great options, and the food is great.  We gave a couple tapas a shot -- bruschetta carpaccio, margarita pizzetta, and (my personal favorite) proscuitto & cantalope.

It was also Friday night so they have an unlimited Fish & Chips special.. The fish was nice (nothing out of the ordinary) but oddly enough I found myself in love with the waffle fries that came along with the order!

Overall the food was fresh and light and reasonably priced.  People have complained about the wait but we had no trouble at all getting our food in a timely manner.

The owner (Eric) came out to check up on us and we had a grand old time sharing our favorite indulgences (read: the greasiest, tastiest sins we've ever had) together =)

He remembered part of our party from the week before and even remembered the wine that they had ordered (compared to this time when they had ordered newer options).  It's great to see an owner who takes the time to care about his customers like that.  He really seems like a great guy.

I'd definitely come back here, and bring more people.  I want to try their cheese fondue next time.. and more of their entree options.

I love this place; I don't mind the service at all.. I mean, it IS a korean bbq.. have you guys been to others?? The service is always kind of on the brash, hurried side..

The food is excellent but it's best to just stick to the unlimited meat option.  Otherwise, it's not really worth the smell sticking to your clothes for days.

I would also recommend trying the octopus too.. the flavors are awesome!  Then again, their other meat (I prefer the marinated, but my husband swears by it otherwise) has great flavors as well..

I can understand why some people would not prefer BBQ Hut, but I crave it so often and its location is great for me.. If I lived closer to the city, I probably wouldn't drive as far as Schaumburg as often as I do.. but UNLIMITED meat! =D

I love that there is now a GREAT soul food joint in town.. Sadly I haven't been there in a while, but MAN do I miss that mac & cheese.. and all the food really..

I think their biggest setback is that the restaurant is so large, so even when there's business, it doesn't look very busy. But their service is outstanding! The staff always treats you like family and with smiling faces..

People need to start coming to this hidden gem more often.. and I should really look into having a party just so I can have them cater =)

"Beef, hot and juicy with a large ice please!"

Now, I don't mean to start any arguments here (because it's happened with many of my friends already, but hands down:

Johnnies beef is WAY better than Portillos..

and I believe that's saying a lot considering the line at the drive-thru at EVERY portillos I see during lunch / dinner hour.

But back to Johnnies.. their beef is different because they keep some of the trimmings on - which definitely adds to the flavor.  It retains a lot of the juice and of course having them dip it in the juice helps too ;)

Their menu is very short, which I also appreciate because they know that people are there for the beef.  Their tamales are good but not the best I've had.. but that italian ice! I don't care how cold it is, I could have their Italian ice everyday of the year..

Ah, but definitely bring cash like others have warned.. that ATM in there is terrible.. it takes so long and you have to pay a fee.. booo.. dig up all your loose change on the way! ;)

Their beef is less than $4 anyway! (How much is it at Portillos again? lol)

I can never ever ever finish my breakfast here... like everyone here has already said, the portions are HUGE!

My husband never gets anything except country fried steak when we go out for breakfast, but last time we came to Red Apple, he ventured to try their steak & eggs special.. he managed to devour all 16oz PLUS the 4 eggs.. and immediately knocked out (happily) in the car..

We pass several different breakfast places on the way to Red Apple.. I believe even if we lived more than 15 minutes away we would still make the drive once in a while..

I know a lot of people have talked about the wait but we have never waited for a table.. maybe it's because we usually get there around 8am but isn't that about the time that people go for breakfast anyway??

oh and we have gone here for lunch once, and it was also great.. food was fresh and portions were still huge =)

Ye's has been around for a very long time.. I work and live in the area so once in a while we order lunch or dinner from here..

The manager (or maybe owner? I guess I never really asked lol) is always very kind.. and he already knows my smoothie order when I walk in the door =)  

I really like the food here.. I mean, I don't really go out and try everything on their menu -- I go for the family staples:
pan fried noodles, shrimp with lobster sauce, egg foo young, and combo fried rice..

I used to hate ordering food from here because I never liked the food.. then they changed ownership and I became a fan..

I'm writing this review as I eat my take out, and let me tell you.. I am in heaven.

First of all, the service whenever I decide to dine in has ALWAYS been great.. They are always polite here and even when you don't know just what to order, they'll suggest their own favorites..

There are a few Asian restaurants emerging in the surrounding suburbs but I still prefer to come here for great Thai food..

and you really can't go wrong with their lunch special.. I ordered a house salad (I am really struggling to finish this thing because of its size too!) and 2 entrees (which I added spring rolls to).. all for $20.

Definitely check this place out if you're craving Thai food without the fancy floors or lounge music ;)