Beef Shack Hoffman Estates

Skimpy sandwiches, RUDE ASS WORKERS, best bet is PORTILLO’S down the street !!! Highly don’t recommend this horrible place !!!

First visit food was fresh service was awesome. The beef is better than Portillo’s on the real. I loved it!!!

Had the cheesy beef and fries. So yummy! I ordered the regular size and it was huge. Bigger than what you would expect from a beef joint. Meat was tender and juicy. Lots of mozzarella on this sandwich. The fries were hand cut and I ordered them with cheese.
My daughter (11) had the grilled cheese sandwich. She’s my picky eater but she devoured the entire sandwich without a complaint.
My son (9) had a plain burger. The kid is not big on cheese (he does not get this from me lol). The burger was char grilled and very good.
My husband ordered the combo with cheese. Another winner
Be prepared to wait a few minutes for your order as it takes time to create perfection. Trust me you won’t be disappointed

I don’t get it. I don’t know why this place doesn’t have lines around the building. Their food is delicious. Beef, hot dogs and fresh cut fries! Fresh and good. Must be the parking lot and congested area. Give it a try. It really is worth it. I love this place.

Oh my GAWD! If you want and/​or are looking for a really good, FANTABULOUS beef sandwich on garlic bread with mozzarella, this is the place to go! Definitely the BEST Italian beef sandwich around; and the fries… YuMMMMM! If you like real potatoes, their fresh cut fries are super great! There aren’t too many places that I can think of that have fresh cut fries. I do LOVE fresh cut fries over regular french fries.
It might seem just a tad pricey but, for what you get, it’s not bad. The sandwich is quite large. One bag of fries can be shared by two (unless you really love fresh cut fries a lot, in that case, get your own bag)! Free refills on drinks.
Besides Nana’s in Streamwood, now I know where else to go for those fresh cut fries (which I can’t stop raving about) as well as that beef sandwich on garlic bread! LOL
I would give them 10 stars!
My family and I will certainly be going back!

Just as amazing as the st. Charles location. Great staff! I like the seating here because it’s more kid friendly than the stools at the other location.

Forget portillos and look no more. the cheesy beef is outstanding… you must order on the garlic bread. the home cut fries are excellent

Is Beef Shack where its at?
It sure was on FAT TUESDAY! (who can resist a place named Beef Shack anyway?).
A perfect excuse to indulge in all things fattening with reckless abandon and leave your inner skinny girl in the closet… lock her up and throw away the key…
I mean c’mon…this used to be the former Zippy’s «Home of The Cheezy Beef».
A joint I had scrumptious scandalous cheesy beefy memories of… Unrivaled by others.
And yes, I was completely sad that I never got one last taste of Zippy’s before it closed…
I was salivating this gloriousness again, hoping it would satisfy the zippiness in me, so
I hauled my little culo into the Drive-​thru (gotta love drive-thru’s) and placed my order to the awesome guy working. Super nice & no order hick-​ups. He even mentioned that fries come with Dog in case I didn’t want a whole bag. I appreciated that. I Got — Cheezy beef on garlic, (sweet & hot peppers on side), Cheeze fries, plain hot dog…(no, my skinny girl didn’t lose her mind, she was SHARING, not hoarding). And yeah, I went a little cheezy…
Menu cuts to the chase. They only serve: Beefs, burgers, dogs, one salad, grilled cheese and fries. that’s it. I dig small menus… whew. I’ll admit I browsed reviews here. Some reported beefs where just like Zippy’s, while others didn’t. Some said owners use the same recipe… my head was sort of spinning on what to expect… yet, I remained a hopeless Zipmantic, confident this love would return to me.
Was it unrequited? :*(
While the tantalizing soft garlicky inner grilled bread and cheesy mozz layer didn’t leave me, the beef did. The most important element… Although it didn’t COMPLETELY leave me, the beef itself didn’t remind me of Zippy’s. They didn’t skimp on the beef that’s for sure. I have no «beef» there. It was a hearty sandwich, but beef was dryer and not as thin and tender as I remember.
Beef was thicker sliced and had a sponge-​like texture. SORT OF reminded me of Arby’s texture and was average quality… It WAS tasty, but by no means did it relive my memories…
Fries were almost identical to Gene & Jude’s, but BETTER. Hot & heaping Fresh cut in a brown paper bag sporting oil stains left and right… I’m no fryaholic, but these were so good (sometimes Crinkle doesn’t cut it). I know people who’d kill for these fries. The cheese sauce was too tangy & robust for my fries. Dog was covered in fries (another flashback to G&J). Soft steamed bun. Didn’t taste like a Vienna dog. I know there’s different grades out there… what I’m sayin is, this dog was for the dogs… little flavor, little snap. I’d hit Portillo’s for dogs (or an awesome Italian beef).
Beef Shack might be where its at for beef… and only beef, be it a burger or cheezy B.
A bit pricey, but worth a taste. They offer Mini beefs which is great when your inner skinny girl is with you and needs a cheat day… or you just wanna give it a go…
As far as true cheezy beefs go, the perfect amount of yummy melted cheese will satisfy the cheesiest of tastebuds. The bread is pretty great. Not bad for Beef Shack.

Fries were ok like five guys
Beefs was like zippys just smaller needs more beef three to 4 slices on a beef is a joke and the shack sauce is just thousands island
2 garlic cheese Beefs
One cheese fry with shack sauce
One drink = $ 23 buck
The place was dead we was the only people in there
First and last time we will go

Don’t bother there’s a lot more Chicago beef stands around which is 10 times better than this place

Love me some beef shack.
Beef:
The beefs are very flavorful and come with the standard offerings (hot/​sweet peppers, au jus) but what I also appreciate is that they offer a ‘half’ size. Sometimes I want an Italian beef, but a whole sammich is too much… especially when ordering fries (and potentially a shake). On one occasion, I requested sweet peppers and only got one pepper. It was a bummer, but I’ve forgiven them since then and not too worried about future visits.
Fries:
Greasy, fresh cut fries; so awesome. Dunk ‘em in ketchup, or eat them plain; you can’t go wrong. If you REALLY want to up the ante… go for the «Shack Sauce». You won’t be disappointed, however it MAY ruin fries for you at other locations. I’m giving you a fair warning.
I know Beef Shack is my go to beef spot, because I live really close to a Buona location & honestly don’t even hesitate when I drive by BB to head to the Shack…
Despite being somewhat difficult to access (thanks to the Valli parking lot) Beef Shack is undoubtedly awesome.

Beef Shack is pretty much an institution around these parts. Why? I have no friggin idea. It’s massive popularity I have always found curious considering the food they have on tap. That said, this Hoffman Estates heavyweight does serve up some pretty good grub for it’s type, I just don’t drink the Kool Aid like most folks around here.
«The shack», as it is referred to colloquially, serves up Chi-​town fast food favorites. Dogs, polish, burgers, cheesy beef, Gyros, etc. are all here, and prices are dirt cheap. Depending on the day you show up, you can score a double dog with fries and a drink for under 5 bucks. It’s exceedingly difficult to have problems with that level of value. The fresh cut fries here are sensational, assuming you show up at a time when they are relatively fresh.
The Shack is always busy, with almost no exception. If you show up here around noon on a weekday there will be a line out the door. That said, they fire out food to customers with military precision, so you will never wait long.
Food quality here has always been consistent, but I just do not understand the big deal. If you have never been here before go with a dog combo. It’s tasty and comes loaded up with zing relish and sport peppers. All dogs also come with fries plastered all over the place.
To me, Beef Shack just sorta is what it is, but the locals here adore this joint and the food is both cheap and tasty. You could do a hell of a lot worse if you are looking to grab lunch.

This is a rehash of zippy’s.
I can only vouch for the cheezy beef on garlic. It’s the best! The combination of the bread, garlic flavor, roast beef, au jus and mozzarella is heavenly. I am of the opinion that I wish the beef was shredded and more flavorful like johnnies in Arlington heights but… Johnnies can’t compete with the garlic spread and cheese.
The only reason it’s 4 instead of 5 stars… I desperately miss the waffle fries that zippy’s had. Beef shack now has hand cut fries done in peanut oil I think. The times I’ve got them they are hit and miss. Sometimes over done and soggy, sometimes light and crispy perfection. Even with inconsistency, I’m sure the new fresh fries are better/​healthier than the previous waffle fries… But charge us more! Bring hem back??? Please???
Great lunch place though, happy they take «BELLY» rewards. Take advantage of that for free fries!

I have to say I was disappointed. I recall years ago this was Zippy’s and it was really very good.
The ambiance and décor is interesting. It has a rustic, country sort of feel. Their signage is supposed to look like something from the Ozarks, I think. Their seating is cowhide.
Their menu is very limited. Burgers, Dogs, Italian Beef and for the day they had a Combo special. I thought the fries were okay but was disappointed in the burger.
Too bad. It’s a great location.

What a great location & the food is absolutely phenomenal. I recently returned here after a few months. My first meal here was a five star experience & after returning here agin I got to experience the same five star meal.
Right away a few things stand out to you as you walk in the doors. The place doesn’t look like some cheap fast food restaurant. Most hot dog & beef establishments just throw the place together & call it a restaurant & cut costs on making it look nice but not this place. This place looks like they spent a lot of money just to make it look nice. The wood paneling gives it an upscale high class look which I can’t say I have ever seen with a restaurant that serves hot dogs & Italian beefs.
Next, the food which is the most important part is also the best. They offer three different types of Italian beefs. They offer a regular Italian beef, a «cheezy Italian beef» & lastly a «cheezy beef on garlic. All of the beefs are available in a regular size or a mini size for almost half the cost of the regular. The regular is a very generous portion. The „cheezy beef“ on garlic» is hands down the best Italian beef sandwiches I have had & that is saying a lot especially with the competition in town.
I usually am not a huge fan of getting burgers when I go out but the burgers here are delicious. The burgers are Angus beef & it is a pretty large portion. They also have a special sauce called «Shack sauce». This sauce is a game changer. Every time I have been here I have asked for extra sauce & I usually order something else just to dip it in the «Shack sauce». For drinks you can get a 24 oz cup for $ 1.89 & it is fountain drinks so you can have as much as you want.
The hot dogs here won’t disappoint either. All of the hot dogs are Vienna beef. They offer two different kinds. They have the regular dog or the double dog. If you are looking for an option that is healthier than Italian beefs, bugers or hot dogs, they do have a Shake salad. As for the french fries they are all fresh cut & seasoned very well.
This particular Beef Shake location does have a drive thru.
Overall you can’t go wrong by eating here. They don’t have a hundred items on the menu because the items they do have on it have been perfected. It is always a good experience eating here & I look forward to eating here again.

Holy sh*t Beef Shack, where the hell have you been all my life?!? People, forget Portillo’s if you want Italian beef and head straight here. Yea, it seems slightly pricey at first, but once you take that first bite of the cheezy beef, extra wet, you’ll be willing to cash in your 401k if need be. And the fresh cut fries are simply incredible. Just the right amount of crunch, creamy insides, and cooked in fresh oil so there’s no nasty greasy aftertaste.
Haven’t had anything except the beef and fries, so I can’t comment on the other coupe of things they have there. But with a name like Beef Shack, why would you have anything but?

I’ve tried the beef and the cheese burgers here both were very very VERY good!
Cheeseburger was cooked medium well (perfect for me) with grilled bun and fresh lettuce and tomato (i requested no chipoile mustard.) Fries are a good large portion, home made and cooked in hot enough oil to not be too greasy.
I tried a reg beef w sweet peppers a few months ago and it was a good portion, very flavorful and comparable to the best beef sandwich shops in the area, if not the best.
Service wait was not too long for a beef, and i called in the burger order, paid for it and walked out with it 2 minutes later.

Barely edible.
Barely any beef on the sandwich. Over cooked and soggy fries. Hot dog with very firm casing, no fresh pickle, no fresh tomato, very squished with overcooked and soggy fries. I really don’t understand where the four and five star reviews come from.

Looks great really fresh ingredients, would have been great toasting the bun with a little seasoning. I guess it reminded me of a in and out which I thought was mediocre. Last time I hade their cheesy beef on tiSte garlic bread. That will be my go to.

Get your mind out of the gutter! This place serves food not scantily clad gentlemen.
It’s new & improved & I think for the better. I wasn’t a big fan of Zippy’s and although Beef Shack uses the same building, some of the same menu items and apparently has the same management, I like it much better. Michele K. is right on that the interior and exterior remind me of a quick service restaurant I’d find at Disney World. To me, that’s not a bad thing at all although I could see how it could put some people off.
The menu is simple — burgers, dogs, beef & fries. I went with a couple of coworkers and had myself the double dog. Not a bad deal at all for under $ 5 plus it came with a very generous serving of fries. I loved their fries! They were beyond greasy… but…they’re fries. It’s to be expected. The flavor and cut of the fries was spot on but just know the grease on the fries may just eat through the bag. I recommend getting a tub of their special Shack Sauce to dip the fries in. It’s much better than having plain ol’ boring ketchup. I got my double dog plain and it had standard Vienna beef hot dogs on a plain bun. Nothing fancy, but I enjoyed it.
Beef Shack has a drive thru and a decently sized dining room. It gets quite busy at lunch! I will absolutely be back as my coworkers all raved that the beef is better than Portillo’s!