Taste Chicago

06/20/09

The only good thing are the ribs

by alexliz23 at Citysearch

My boyfiend and I are always passing by this place and always wanted to try it. So on Saturday night when we were debating what to have for dinner we decided to check this place out. Besides the ribs (which were great and meaty) and not having to wait in line, the rest of the food was bland, flavor less and expensive. Would I go here again? Maybe just to pick up a half of slab a la carte and take it to go. Long story short, i would much rather wait in line for a table at a crowded restaurant on a Saturday night.

• Pros: Ribs, Not Crowded
• Cons: Ambiance, Service, Location, Cost

10/03/08

Decent food, Ridiculous prices!

by alhjr55 at Citysearch

I've been a customer here for a couple of years now. I have no complaints about the food but recently they have jacked their prices beyond value. The deep dish pizza reminds me of the d.d. pizza I've had from Chicago and I've really enjoyed eating it on occaision. The pizza was already on the high end for price when they introduced it a while back but it tasted great so I still purchased it from time to time. Since they put up a new menu board with NEW prices, they have now gone over the top with the prices and I literally refuse to eat there anymore. Prior to the new pricing, at least you could get all the fixings on your hotdog and sandwiches for no extra charge, but now you have to pay extra for those toppings, above and beyond the higher prices for the Chigago dog or Italian beef sandwich. Personally, I've never experienced the poor service that others have complained about and they have always seemed friendly to me but the food is now more costly than the value you receive. I don't know if this place got greedy or what? I refuse to pay $30 dollars for a 14" deep dish pizza with only a couple of toppings, what are they thinking?? I have noticed when driving by most times that they are no where as busy as they were before. So, like I said early on, the food is actually decent but unless you have money to burn, I'm sure you can find great, similar food for a better price elsewhere. There was a time when I would have given them a 5 star rating hands down but since the increase in price, they only get 3 stars. Maybe if the owners, Joe Mantegna (the film and movie star) and his wife who manages this restaurant want to charge these kind of prices they should relocate to Beverly Hills or something.

• Pros: Good tasting, Chigago style food
• Cons: PRICES ARE WAY TOO HIGH!

08/08/08

From a pizza specialist

by bethieree at Citysearch

I have been in the pizza industry in the midwest for about 15 years. I love the deep dish here. It's very similar to Chicago's classis pizza, and the deep dish is wonderful. It's huge, with extra large slices for about 20 bucks. Typical for this type of pizza. Listening to the other reviews, i'm perplexed! Are we talking about the same one? I've lived down the street from it for 2 years, and have never had a 3 piece or under done pizza. No, the service isn't wonderful, but you should be able to tell that by looking at the establishment. It's a do it yourself, low maintenance place. So don't go expecting to be spoiled like some reviewers must be!

06/26/08

Worst Pizza Ever

by hunbun0605 at Citysearch

This was by far the worst pizza I've ever tasted! It cost $18 dollars for 3 slices and it wasn't even baked all the way through. After eating a few bites of the pizza I instantly became sick, that is not an exaggeration.

• Pros: Nothing
• Cons: Everything

03/03/08

Worst Service in LA

by OrleansMonkeyGirl at Citysearch

My boyfriend and I decided to try this place last night on a recommendation from a friend. The deep dish pizza was quite yummy, but not as good as the Village Pizzeria in Larchmont, just 6 miles or so south of this place. You can get a much better pizza with more toppings for less money if you drive to Village Pizzeria. The service at Taste Chicago was easily the worst I have ever received in Los Angeles. I agree with greg_d who posted on 10/19/07 ? you can?t leave the sight of the insipid cashier or your order will never be prepared, which is exactly what happened to us. Reminding the restaurant that you have paid for a meal is not a good thing. The redhead behind the counter is by far the least friendly or intelligent human being on earth. She seems to be inconvenienced by every customer, neglecting the fact that it?s her _job_ to take orders and ensure patrons get what they paid for. I don?t think I?ll ever be back because the service was just that bad. My money is better spent elsewhere, maybe some place that recognizes that patrons are what keep the business open, and thus a paycheck in their pocket.

• Pros: Yummy pizza
• Cons: Cashier/cook forgets to make the food you paid for

12/19/07

Satisfying Food at Now-a-day Prices

by culinaryman at Citysearch

I find it funny to read some of these other reviews. People that claim to be from Chicago and complain that the food at Taste Chicago tastes nothing like actual food in Chicago or the hot dogs are the wrong size, what's that all about? I have been in the restaurant industry over the years and I've come to discover that there are people from anywhere and everywhere that just do not have any taste and wouldn't know the difference between good food or bad. I don't think this type of consumer could be satisfied regardless of where they eat. I've eaten pizza from famous places like Lou Malnati's and Giordano's both in Chicago. Taste Chicago may not be an exact copy of these well established Chicago Pizza places but Taste Chicago's deep dish pizza comes as close as you'll get in Southern California! I also know people that have spent a lot of time in Chicago that have a whole different outlook than these petty complainers, about how good Taste Chicago's food is in comparison to the real thing. As for price, these people that complain that the food is too expensive, where have they been, it's 2007, wake up! These are typical prices to eat this style of food just about anywhere these days unless they're used to "Fast Food" places. Personally, I've eaten at Taste Chicago many times and I disagree about what the complainers are saying about the service, the food quality or the price. And if they want what they claim, then maybe they should just go back to Chicago for the real deal. I highly recommend this establishment and hope people will try it and form their own opinion before being influenced by some of these other diners that just seem to want to bad mouth this place.

• Pros: Good food, friendly service, competitive prices
• Cons: Limited parking when busy

12/10/07

Doesn't taste like Chicago to me!

by tsago70 at Citysearch

Okay, I may be a little bias here (since I'm from Chicago), but this place is a HUGE disappointment for me.

I remember driving past Taste Chicago before they opened and I was so excited that a place like this was opening in my neck of the woods. Finally, I could have a Chicago Dog and Italian Beefs on a regular basis again! The first week they opened, I rushed over with a hearty appetite...but was left with nothing but a bad taste in my mouth.

I couldn't believe what they were charging for hot dogs! Hot dogs that barely fit the bun! Hot dogs that don't include fries?! Then there's the Italian beef sandwich (usually my favorite). The beef was sliced way too thick...and for $7 a sandwich, it should've included a side. But no...you even have to pay for extra toppings!

The unsatisfying food may have not been so bad if the service was Chicago friendly. It wasn't. In fact, it was far from good service! The staff is rude and could care less if their customers left happy and satisfied. By the way, this review comes from several attempts to find something redeeming about this "restaurant". I've made about half a dozen visits (with long gaps in between), hoping that the staff and food would have improved with time. Unfortunately, it has not.

I recommend the owners take the entire staff for a visit to Chicago to show them how real Chicago food should be prepared...and how it should be served!

• Pros: Location, Name
• Cons: Food, Service, Value

11/29/07

italian beef good

by famousblueraincoat at Citysearch

as a disclaimer, i've never had a real italian beef sandwich in chicago itself, but this one here was pretty good. granted, i have nothing to compare it to, but i liked the spicy topping and the beef wasn't too chewy. next time, i want to try the chicago hot dog, which my old chicago buddy introduced me to one other place before. this place has a long history for sellling hot dogs in its previous two incarnations, so i'm curious ... it's just a simple little stand/bldg on the corner of hllywood way and verdugo.

• Pros: good italian beef
• Cons: limited seating

10/19/07

Pretty weak service

by greg_d at Citysearch

Here's the deal; you order at the counter, then you find a seat and wait for your food to be prepared. Problem is, as soon as you walk away, you stand a good chance of being forgotten by the ditsy bimbos at the register. DON'T LEAVE THEIR SIGHT! They're just not sharp enough to be trusted with your order unless you wait there and supervise. Ribs are good. Or at least they were the last time I had any. Never actually got the ones I ordered tonight. Managed to get my money back from the vacuous cashier, and went for Japanese food.

08/29/07

Loved the dog, thank you Joe and wife

by asiplease at Citysearch

I have tried "chicago-style" dogs all over the valley: Encino, Van Nuys, Canoga Park, Winnetka. However, I found their Chicago dog to be the best I've had locally. The poppyseed bun topped it off. Everything was perfect. I even considered going back for a few dogs and keeping them in the refrigerator. Too bad they don't have a location closer to the west valley.

P.S. I was born and grew up in Chicago.. For me it doesn't have to be 100% authentic Chicago, it just has to taste good.

• Pros: Quick service on take-out
• Cons: Tight parking