Taste Chicago

Not authentic Chicago deep dish pizza. Crust is to thick, not nearly enough cheese and toppings. Looks good in the box but falls short on the plate. As someone who relocated to SoCal after living in Chicago (go cubs!) for 12 years, I was disappointed. more

Amazing, and delicious food! The deep dish sausage pizza is a nice change from your traditional pizza and their pasta shells taste homemade and definitely freshly prepared. more

The last 2 out of 3 to go orders (never have eaten at this place) were wrong and basically ruined my order both times. I traveled about 10 miles to get there and when I got back found out that, this time they didn't include the peppers on my Italian beef hot and wet order but did charge me the extra $1. I have no plans on giving them another chance as it is clear they just don't care about what they are doing. more

Boy, I don't think an ""eh"" expresses my aversion to this place. I wouldn't just dismiss it, I'd actively warn people against the place. We put in a phone order for pick-up. We were told it would be ready in 12 minutes. (!) Wow, a place that could make that claim must really have it together, right? Wrong. We left right away and to make a long story short, it was over a 45 minute wait while we watched other people come in, order and receive their food. Understandably irate, we demanded to know why this was happening. The cashier shrugged and muttered that they were working on the order. When still more people received their orders, we asked why. This was his response: ""THEY MAKE WHAT IS EASIEST FIRST."" So everyone who came and went after us apparently had ""easier"" food to prepare. The food wasn't bad (not worth rushing back for, though) but unless you don't care if you wait an hour for what should take 15 minutes, avoid this place. more

I tried the Italian beef and was very disappointed. This was nothing like the Italian beef I ate in the Chicago area. This was more like a French dip type of sandwich. If my wife tried her first Italian beef here, she would not have had another. Fortunately, her first try of an Italian beef was in my hometown in Chicago. I agree with some of the other reviewers about the price. Too expensive for what you get. If your homesick for Chicago and looking for a good Italian beef this is not the place. more

The girl at the cashier always seem so grumpy. When I discussed with her about my order, she was rude. I'm not going back again, and I'll make sure all of my friends know how I feel about this place. \r There are plenty of restaurants out there with good food and nice services that make me feel like I'm one of their important customers. more

My fiancée and I have been here a few times and have been consistently disappointed with the service. The cashier is rude and impatient. While trying to order he consistently interrupted me making it impossible for me to get more than two words out at a time. Of course when he screwed up my order and I asked that it be re-made he gave me attitude and AGAIN did not let me speak. The cashier then turned to the cook and made a chauvinist remark in Spanish about me thinking that I would not understand. Disgusting! Unfortunately it appears that the management does not take as much pride in customer service as it does in their food. Stay away from this place and spend your money elsewhere! more

I have eaten here many times and I just love the food. It reminds me so much of the great food in Chicago. I don't understand these people who complain about the hot dogs. Where do you usually go? I think this place is a God send for Chicago transplants and it never fails to satisfy. Any regional food is going to taste best in that region. This is as close as it comes. Get over yourself! Pros: Food, Food, Food! Cons: I need better napkins more

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 more

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! more

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! more

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 more

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 more

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 more

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

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. more

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. \r \r 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 more

A friend turned me onto this place, so we loaded up the car and tried it for lunch. Everyone got the italian beef sandwich, each slightly different (cheese, peppers, etc), and we were all happy with our selections. Mine was plain, with provolone cheese - plenty of juicy meat and cheese, and the buns were great. I added a slice of pizza, and was almost too full to finish. Although the menu wasn't huge, there are plenty of other things I plan to try at future dinings. Oh yeah - we ran into Joe Mantegna (his wife owns the place), and he was very friendly - such a change from a lot of the Hollywood types you run into. Pros: Good Food, Fast/Friendly Staff, Decent Prices Cons: Not Much Parking more

Originally from California I did a 2 year internship in the Windy City - and in those two years I was blessed to experience the best food in the world! I've had Chicago Dogs, Stuffed Pizza, Italian Beef Subs, if it was Chicago style, I've enjoyed it over and over again. So I kept driving by this ""Taste Chicago"" and was so excited but never got around to popping by until now. As I walked in and felt the Chicago Style Environment, It was decision time and I figured since this will be my ""new place to live at,"" I figured to go first with the Italian Beef. So here's my take on the Italian Beef: The bun was good but the beef was a little dry. It wasn't as juicy as I remembered. But as I said, it was only my first of many items I have to try to really give it a yea or nay vote - regarding it's ""authenticity"" - but you know what, nothing is going be the real deal if your not in the real place - so with that being said, the people who run it are from Chicago and are trying their best to get as close as they can for Burbank, CA. ***** I recommend you check it out several times, I know I will! Pros: Chicago Roots are running this Chicago Style place! Cons: 1 Italian Beef Sub + 1 Large Coke = $9.30 - and I didn't even get fries? more

ok i was born and raised in chicago,\r so i know what the food is sapose to taste like...\r i live in cali now, so i hear of this place, people said they have chicago food.\r so i say ok i'll give it a try. so i go in there and i order a chicago style hot dog and a beef sandwich, my 2 fav things to eat in this whole world! i get my food and sit down to eat,\r i pick up the hot dog and say to myself ok they got the bun thing going cool, then as i go for a bite i noticed the hot dog is thick as a 7-11 big bite hot dog, so i stop and say to myself thats not a regular sized chicago dog? i take a bite, then i stand up and go to the counter and tell the guy give my money back cause that taste like trash, and its not a chicago sized dog? he looks at me with shock? he ask's if i want another i tell him i wouldnt eat another one if you gave me it and all the food free of charge...now on to the beef sandwhich, it was not a chicago beef?\r the bread was not the same and the meat was cut so thick i was laughing, chicago beefs are know for there shreded meat and soft buns and the taste of the juice on the meat did not taste like it at all! Taste chicago is a nuisance , to REAL chicago Food!!! this place might be ok if you never ate in chicago, cause then you wouldnt know the real and good taste, you would be like ok i was born and raised in california and always wanted to eat chicago food but never got the chance to get down over there, so let me eat it at this place that claims to be the same as in the city of chicago, then you would probaly say this is great food , but realy you wouldnt know that it was bad , cause you never realy ate in the city of chicago to know the diff, thats what i think happens when people go eat at taste wanna beeeeeeeeee in burbank..... Pros: nice try Cons: taste nowhere near real chicago food more