Augustino’s Rock & Roll Deli

Heh heh — they are closed. Couldn’t be happier!

Wait, first off, why is Augustino’s closed?
I venture to Augustino’s on random lunches because it has: buffalo chicken sandwiches (without blue cheese!), BLT club, chicken fingers and more recently, I discovered they had chili cheese dogs and onion rings.
I am not a deli girl, if you couldn’t tell (I rarely order sandwiches for lunch, and if I do, its usually a panini or some other served hot sandwich but I do not like roast beef sandwiches interestingly) so the deli part of Augustino’s doesn’t lure me in. Its the other options that I like and the fountain soda. Again, this is not a healthy lunch place so you need to be prepared to eat 1000 calories in one meal (or why would you come here?). Sometimes I try rinsing it all down with water… but usually the fountain coke calls my name.
But if Augustino’s is now closed… where to now for a buffalo chicken sandwich? I hope something else opens up in Sears Tower soon — we need more lunch places!

Whatchu Talkin Bout Willis … errr Sears?
Here’s what:
Big sandwiches in a big building. The Italian sub was huge, pretty decent, ok priced, and the service good enough. Nothing special about this place compared to the myriad of other wannabe Italian places.
How does a place become «Rock and Roll» anyways? Checkered floor and some signed memorabilia and you’re good to go? What’s next … Rap Delis?

This place is always packed! Of course I’m always there during lunch but everytime I’ve even walked by it’s crowded. I work in the Sears Tower and there aren’t a whole lot of food options there believe it or not.
You can order and wait at the counter for your food or else you can be seated and they will bring it to you. They have a great selection of salads, burgers, sandwiches, etc. I’ve had a few salads and I also tried the turkey reuben which was really good. Portions are good and prices are reasonable. The only negative is that it’s not the fastest place to go to. The service is good but it’s just really crowded so it takes a while to get your food.
If you are visiting the Sears Tower or work in the area I would definitely check this place out, you won’t be disappointed!

Close to work, yet far enough away from my desk… lovely. Crinkle cut fries are some of my favorite things. Followed closely by huge burgers. With cheese and bacon on them. At Auggie’s you can get a whole plate and a drink for under $ 10 (I’m a fan!). You order from the counter like anywhere else, but then they bring it out to you, on real plates with real silverware, and use compostable cups for your drinks… I think it could be a challenge to find something healthy to eat here… this should be more of a once in a while caloric splurge than a regular lunch spot if you try to be healthy.
Yummy food, generous portions, reasonable pricing, and environmentally friendly=somewhere I will eat.

I’ve become rather fond of Augustino’s. It’s close to my office, service is always friendly, and there are not a lot of loop lunch options under $ 10 that come served on a real plate with real silverware. It’s located in the Sears Tower so there is always some fun people watching to be had during a solo lunch.
They have a really tasty reuben, although I usually go for the burger or cubano because they both include fries in the price. Their regular fries are great, but their sweet potato fries are off the charts and you get a huge portion of both.
The burger is a great steal because you can add any toppings for free, even bacon! I’m pretty sure it’s a frozen patty, but the taste is good and it’s pretty hefty in size.
The cubano is a pretty huge sandwhich as well, I can never finish the whole thing. It’s pressed nice and crisp and is really delicious. It could be half the size and I’d be happy with it because those sweet potato fries are so amazing. It’s not on their permanent menu but I hope it doesn’t disappear anytime soon!

I’ve eaten here several times and never had a complaint about any of the food. The sandwiches are good, although not generally the most healthy choices. The salads are monstrerous, maybe a bigger plate/​bowl would be nice.
Been there many times and will go again.

I finally found my new lunch spot! Best bang for your buck in the loop. Great atmosphere, quick service and delicious food. OH, and always important, large portions. They have sweet potato fries as a side option and they are awesome! Great burgers, great sandwiches, great time.
Thank you Augustino!

Only been here once but it was pretty good, but not the best deli in the city. I will say it is the most convenient, based on where I work.
Had the pastrami sandwich and it was good, but not mind-​blowing (like at a Manny’s). They did have a great selection of food, so it’s worth a try for sure.

Good first experience at Augustino’s today. I ordered a turkey club which came with fries! Much to my delight, they were crinkle fries! Bonus. They were lukewarm when they arrived, but the fact that they were crinkle made up for that. My sandwich was pricey (nearly $ 7) but easily could have been shared with another person.
Food came out pretty quickly; 3 of us walked 3 blocks to get there, navigated our way through the building and escalator, stood in line and ordered, got condiments, sat down, got our food, ate, and got back in an hour flat.
A good option if you need a quick lunch near the Sears Tower.
They are quick to clear the tables as you’re finished, which is nice.

Sweet Mother of God. I’m officially obsessed with the grilled chicken and bacon wrap. First, it’s huge, so you can save half and have lunch for tomorrow. Second, it’s served with the most heavenly fries I’ve had in a really long time. Salt and pepper those bad boys up and you’re in for a tasty treat. They’re crispy on the outside, so soft on the inside and you get a really hearty portion. Again, great for having a sweet repeat lunch the next day. (Hint: If your office has a toaster oven, warm up your leftover fries in it.) And those deli pickle slices are heaven. Heaven, I say!
I’m not sure I’m 100% sold on the ordering process. You kind of shuffle along a long line and have to read the menu, which literally sprawls for about 10 feet above the deli counter. Then you get a number and a food runner brings your order to you. Fine, great. Just make sure to stop at the condiment exchange before you sit down. Those food runner guys sure as hell aren’t going to bring you anything after they drop off your grub.
So in my perpetual quest to find a yummy lunch spot by my office, I think I found a solid choice in Augustino’s. Yay!

I’ve had lunch here with my S. O a couple of times, and i really enjoyed it both times.
They make an awesome burger. You can get whatever you want on it. I just followed my S.O. lead with that and got whatever he gets on it (for that read his review he really takes advantage of getting whatever toppings that you want on your burger and for the life of me cannot remember everything). They also don’t mess up getting it less than well done, which is a plus in my book, because a lot of places won’t even bother to ask how you want your burger. They also come with a super crisp yummy pickle wedge, and decent fries.
Also I love how its a rock and roll deli. They have some really interesting nick-​nacks, statues, and records all over the place. They also play really good music and at a not too loud volume.
Now I have made myself hungry for their burger…

Augustino’s is pretty much the best place for lunch inside the Sears Tower. There are just a couple of secrets to knowing how to maximize your enjoyment of this place.
Tip #1: Eat dine-​in, but only between 12:45pm and 2:30pm. Before 12:45pm, the place is crowded and service gets slow. After 2:30pm, they don’t like taking your order as dine-​in since they’re getting ready to close at 3pm.
Tip #2: Make use of their condiment bar. Not a lot of restaurants have dispensers for mustard and mayo, but this place does. You’ll need a bunch of little cups of ketchup if you went with the fries, but it’s nice to know I can dip them in whatever I want. I prefer a secret mixture of ketchup, mustard AND mayo in a 3:2:1 ratio. Try it — you might like it. Of course, I’m also the weirdo who prefers a soda fountain mixture of Coke, Sprite and Pink Lemonade (regular works fine) of 3:2:1 as well. I’m just a guy who likes the freedom to choose and make weird decisions like those. Speaking of which…
Tip #3: Get the burger. It seems a little pricey for just a burger ($ 6.99 without a drink), until you realize that they’ve given you the power to choose your toppings — and to totally abuse that power like I do. You can see the list of cheese and other topping choices, but the knowledge is in the fact that you can get AS MANY as you want and it’s the same price. I prefer my burger with: cheddar, swiss, provolone, bacon, raw onions, grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms, and BBQ sauce.
That’s right, three cheeses, bacon, two kinds of onions and mushrooms with a tasty BBQ sauce — and it’s still just $ 6.99 for the burger that comes with fries and a pickle wedge.
Tip #4: THE PICKLES. If you’re a person who likes pickles, this place has some of the best deli pickles in the Loop. I’ve even come here (while on my short-​lived Atkins diet) just to get a whole pickle, cut into spears. If you’re a person who does not like pickles, be sure to offer yours to a pickle-​loving friend.
If you have no pickle-​loving friends, call me and I’ll come down from my office to meet you and eat your pickle. (This is not a joke, send me a private message and we’ll make this deal, no questions asked.)
Tip #5: The windows. Grab a seat by the windows and get ready for some delightful antics to accompany your meal. Whether it’s busloads of rowdy tourists taking pictures, regular Chicagoans pointing and ridiculing the busloads of rowdy tourists, or just watching the hat of an old man fly off his head and travel across the entirety of Wacker Drive while he chases it — these windows are primed for people-​watching. My favorite seat for doing this is at the table underneath the Rock-​Em Sock-​Em Robots. Speaking of which…
Tip #6: The memorabilia paired with the music. In fact, the music alone is worth a five-​star rating. I can’t even REMEMBER all of the great songs that they play while you eat with life-​sized statues of the Blues Brothers or gaze at the old toys or vinyl record album covers — but every time I eat here, at least one time for each member in my group will say, «I love this song!» That’s something you’ll rarely find.
All in all, this place rocks — and not just because it’s the «Rock and Roll Deli». I hope that my tips, if followed, will have you nodding in agreement. Or giving me your pickle.

I would probably give this more like 3.5 stars, but I’ll give em 4 since half a star isn’t an option. This place is decent.
I went in about 12:30, and there wasn’t any line. Judging by the number of people chatting around their empty plates, I think this place could be pretty crowded around 12:00.
The food was good, but it wasn’t anything to die for. I would go back again. I had the Chicken Bacon Wrap. They did manage to get my fairly picky order correct (no tomatos, easy red onions, ranch sauce on the side) so kudos to that.
Overall, decent place for a quick lunch, but nothing outstanding.

If you need to eat in Chicago, you need to eat three things:
1) Chicago Deep Dish Pizza
2) Chicago Style Hot Dogs
3) Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich
If you like sandwiches with over 1 lb of meat in a 6″ sub, then go to Augustino’s. I have a big mouth, but I still needed to take two-​three bites just to break through. The meat is very tender (since it sits in that «juice» since last Tuesday) and you have the options of hot peppers + a full all out dip in the sauce.
Not your wussy Au Jus dip for French Dip, but the entire sandwich is DUNKED into the juice. Do it if you dare.
I hear you can get this anywhere, but might as well go to Augustino’s for the experience and the Rock and Roll ambiance. You can’t beat the price either.

I’ve never dined in Augustino’s, but my company has ordered takeout from here. The Sears Tower location is relatively new, though there are two other locations in the suburbs. It claims to be some sort of rock and roll diner, which is something I have yet to experience. I will say that the classic reuben is stacked, messy, and delicious. The not-​too-​dry corned beef is generously piled on marble rye with swiss cheese, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing, and goes along with the tasty cole slaw and pickle spear. The menu has other interesting sandwich choices, but I really do like that reuben.

It feels almost like cafeteria style because you place your order at the register and they give you a card number where they bring the food out to you. It can get pretty busy during lunch, so avoid the rush hour. I had the chicken cobb salad and it was incredibly huge! Um, basically you could have 2 meals with this salad. They don’t really give you enough dressing, so I’d ask for more. You are getting a pretty good value for your money. They seem to have plenty of other options here. I saw sandwiches and other tasty sounding items. There’s not as many restaurant options as I thought there’d be in as big as a building as the Sear’s Tower. You shouldn’t be surprised that a lot of people that work in the building are eating here.

Lunch, Sears Tower!
Great food for lunch sandwiches are great. Service is good! We eat here all the time!

Augustino’s has the best Italian beef sandwich I’ve had in a really really long time. The meat was moist and tender the way an Italian beef sandwich should be. Though I work on the other side of the Loop, it was definitely worth the trek out there.
That said, I didn’t give them five stars because they charged me extra for hot peppers. First of all, who eats Italian beef sandwiches with no hot peppers? And secondly, even if those people exist, I’ve never been to a place where you get charged extra for hot peppers on your Italian beef sandwich. That’s like getting charged extra for having relish on your hot dog. Ok, perhaps that’s not the same thing but I’m peeved nonetheless.

I love coming to this place. On fridays they have a band playing for everyone outside. The food is really good and the servers are very friendly. The manager John is really friendly and gives you a special tour if you stop by.
I had the chicken fingers which were very good, especially the fries. Another time I had the Augie’s Cobb Salad. It had all kinds of stuff in it like black olives, chees, romaine lettuce, eggs, bacon, avocado and chicken. I think I’m missing something… Really good.
Make sure that you order in advance if it’s during lunch because they cook everything fresh.