Ronny’s Original Chicago Steak House

Wow! Best breakfast I’ve had in awhile! Had the number 7, huge pieces of toast, great bacon, eggs cooked perfectly, it was fantastic. I’ll definitely be back on future trips!

I was there for second time actually, good place of course it’s loud but thats part of the atmosphere I love it.

Review alert: I didn’t order steak or meat of any kind.
No doubt about it… they… were… slow. I stopped in for a to-​go order after the gym. They had a salmon caesar salad special listed and I was like yeah… let’s do that. I didn’t time it, but it took a fantastically long time for my food to be prepared. Once I got home to eat, there was a pool of saucy water something on the bottom of the styrofoam container. Sigh* I’m just hungry at this point so I still dig in. To my surprise, it was GOOD! LOL. The salmon was cooked quite well and had a ton of flavor. The salad had seriously too much dressing on it but after I moved the wetness to the side, I was still able to enjoy it.

Located in the Thompson Center, the State of Illinois office building; despite the Randolph Street address (which refers to the entire Center), the entrance to Ronny’s is a block north, at Clark and Lake, adjoining the Clark-​Lake station on the Loop «L» and Blue Line. This is a cafeteria-​style cheapish steak restaurant, reminiscent of the Loop’s old Tad’s Steakhouses (at about four times the price). We came in for Sunday lunch, and both ordered the weekend special, at $ 9.99: an 8-​ounce steak (supposedly T-​bone, though I’d like to compare notes with a butcher on that term), salad, and baked potato. Service at the ordering counter was quick, though with some language difficulties; our steaks came up within a few minutes. Friendly cashier. Plenty of booths and tables, their upholstery somewhat the worse for wear. Bustling busboy.
The steak itself was mediocre, thin and with more fat and gristle than I’d have preferred. Salad was a basic veggie mix (heavy on Iceberg lettuce) with a basic dressing selection. Good garlic toast; big baked potato, for which sour cream would have been a 99-​cent extra. Drinks extra. They do have a small selection of beer, wine, and even a few cocktails.
The one-​person men’s room was a little off-​putting, with graffiti, carving, and missing tiles.
Not, I’m afraid, a place I’ll be likely to come back to.

Diner beware. These guys try to outtalk you when you hit the menu board and TELL you what you want without giving any chance to speak. If you don’t order the most expensive thing on the menu, they act like you are not going to be happy with your food. The food was mediocre. Steak got good review from teenage son. Hamburger steak and ribs were subpar. EVERYTHING was an extra charge. Your $ 8 special can easily double in price with their extras. Not impressed.

Loved the baked potatoes! Yum !
Taking two stars off just cos it doesn’t have much of vegetarian options and it was too crowded felt like standing in university cafeteria

So, if you’ve read the other reviews, then you know what to expect. The food is fine, the staff is friendly, and the décor is… vintage. There were several specials to choose from, many under $ 10. We got the $ 8.99 steak special with potatoes, garlic bread, and salads. The steaks were well seasoned, but extremely thin. The baked potatoes were much better than the mashed potatoes (I sprung for «extras»: sour cream and chives). The garlic bread is pressed on the grill and is perfect. The salads are iceburg with matchstick carrots, sliced cucumbers, and croutons. We also got the macaroni and cheese… I didn’t like it but my teenager did. Go figure.
The food was average and plentiful. We knew this would not be a 5 star place going in to it, but we did want to go to a traditional Chicago restaurant while feeding two hungry teens on a budget. The meal was decent and I might go back.

AWESOME! cafeteria style… surf and turf special $ 23.99! 10 ounce steak, lobster tail, huge baked potato, salad… what a deal! No wait staff with attitude, no wondering when your food is coming (they cook to order right in front of you), no tip, just sign and take your food to a table! Food was very good! LOVE THE CONCEPT!

Food has mostly been catered at work. Breakfast is the one thing where we are on our own. Been working 14 – 16 hr shifts these past few days but was able to have a later start this morning so I had a hankering for something big. I’ve always seen Ronny’s when I walk to the office from the hotel but never stopped in. Decided to try it this morning since there were few options for a «real» breakfast that are not microwaved like DD or McD. Plus on a early Sunday (7am) morning, you don’t have much to choose from either as I walk from the hotel to the office.
The décor reminds me of the now defunct Tad’s steakhouses back home. It was a great place to eat cheap steak if you didn’t pay attention to the «cleanliness» of the place. It was one of the go to spots before catching a Ranger game. Walking into Ronny’s made me miss that place.
There were a couple other people sitting down to eat and my order was quick since I was the only one on line. I look at the menu and choose the 4 egg omelette with steak. The cook handed me my bag and it was HEAVY. Continued on my way to the office and plunked down to eat at my desk. Smelled great and some in the office were talking about smelling hash browns. Hash browns in my mind are browned shredded potatoes, this was more like fried home fries (cube potato) to me with a little bit of chopped onion thrown in. Wasn’t bad though I prefer griddle cooked home fries. The omelette definitely hit the spot. I forgot to ask the chef to grill the veggies before putting them in the omelette as that makes for a better tasting omelette and gets some moisture out of the mushrooms. Oh well. Steak was probably something left over from yesterday. He just reheated on the flame broiler and got some nice grill marks on it. It was edible as long as you ate around the gristle. The best part of the meal, the texas toast. Nicely toasted on the flat top but so soft on the inside. I could have this toast everyday. Meal was so large, I did not finish it all and I’m a big boy.
Overall experience? This is like the old Tad’s I knew but under a different name in Chicago. It gets the job done quick.

8oz steak, LOADED!! baked potato, garlic bread, salad & LG fruit lemonade PERFECT FOR LUNCH…

Went here for a day trip on a Saturday and thought this looked good online. There were many reviews and said that it was one of the best lunches in Chicago. I’d recommend this place Monday through Friday when they have their lunch special of a steak, potato, salad, and garlic bread for $ 9. On weekends the price goes up to $ 15. We thought, why not? They nickel and dime you for every extra and it’s an extra buck per topping (cheese, sour cream, bacon, onions, etc.) we both spent around $ 20 for one lunch! Food was pretty good. A lot of food for the price, but their steak was mediocre — needed more seasoning. Salad and dressing were delicious, potato was a little over cooked and the garlic bread was okay. Overall a decent place to go, but again, go Monday through Friday!

I pass by Ronny’s all the time. TODAY I decided to stop in and try the food. It’s cafeteria style, so I took my place in line. It seemed kinda chaotic. So, I decided to take a restroom break. The door was locked, I learned quickly you needed to be buzzed in. The waitress/​cashier acted like I was a nuisance (very off putting). The restroom was gross.
Back in line, I ordered the 14oz steak. The steak came with a baked potato, garlic bread and salad. My steak was kinda grayish with grill marks. The cook put the garlic bread under the steak. Which of course became soggy from the steak drippings instantly.
Moving down the line, that cashier with the attitude told me to go to the register to pay but then she proceeded to have a full on conversation with some guy, ignoring me and others at the register. Other patrons started passing out the salads (instead of her) because they’d been there before and knew the drill. She instantly got more of an attitude over that.
The salad was warm and limp. The steak was tough (it was cooked medium). My baked potato was yummy (you really can’t mess that up), garlic bread soggy but the bits I could eat were good. The lemonade was good but sweet. $ 27 for what mainly went to the trash. Thankfully, I didn’t get sick from the food. I didn’t HATE IT but I’ll never go back. #RonnysFailed

I happened to stop in today and found out it was customer appreciation week.
8oz. Steak, salad, & a baked or mashed potatoes for $ 6.99 $ 7.72 with tax if u don’t get anything else.
Special going September 14 – 17 2015

Delish lunch for $ 8.99! Baked potato always on point, but 8oz steak just seems to be getting thinner or smaller. I’ve been coming here for year’s, since so convenient off the Blue Line. Might need to try something different or move on.

I love a good breakfast! This place has so many qualities: good prices, great options and excellent portions for big eaters. The hash browns were unique and delicious. The steak was a lower quality meat but done decently. The staff was friendly. I will definitely go again.

Very overrated and bland food. We had the pizza, beef sandwiches and Mac n cheese. The worst part is that they allowed people to come in the place and literally beg at tables. We will not be back.

This is what bbq is. Rib tips on amazing x 1000! The prices should be much higher for the taste and quality of the food. Gotta try them. Take the trip. Get on a train. Über. Just get there

This place is totally off the fine dining radar, as it should be. It is hiding in a corner of the Loop, under the L tracks – as it should be. This is not a steakhouse; this is a cafeteria that serves steak. Think cafeteria food, service, décor, clientele, and prices, and you’ll be fine. Think local color.
Sometimes, if you have x amount of time before a show and want something to eat, and don’t feel like paying a fortune for a rushed pre-​theater dinner in a crowded restaurant, you can sneak into a place like this, eat something, and increase your street cred at the same time. I got some kind of thin steak with a baked potato, a salad, and a slice of garlic bread. I even sprang for one of the extras that all the Unilocal reviewers complain about – a mound of sauteed onions that cost an extra $.99. (I think they call them «extras» because they cost extra and there is a sign right there that gives the prices). Even with this splurge, the whole meal was under $ 20. The steak was tender and tasty; cooked to order, it was medium. You can’t wreck a baked potato and they didn’t. I usually don’t eat iceberg lettuce with Thousand Island dressing that is hot pink in color but I did here and it was fine.
Really, am I recommending this place? I don’t know. I’m just relating my experience. And sure, if I need it again before the Goodman Theater or Siskel Film Center, I’ll be back. Save a leather booth for me.

Walked into Ronny’s because the «1963“sign caught my attention. I had the BBQ chicken and thought I had died and gone to Heaven. Extremely tasty, moist and awesome BBQ sauce. VERY casual, cafeteria style but the food… YUMMY! I’ll be back.

That’s right. 5 stars. Not for being a «steakhouse». Obviously this isn’t in the same league nor the same sport as Chicago cut, Gibson’s, or Bavettes. I’m not a moron. 5 stars for being a value-​oriented, no frills. reliable joint in the sea of overpriced salad and quinoa bowls that is the loop.
The steak special: admittedly hit or miss on the quality of the steaks, mostly depending on if they were made to order or not. But for 8.99, ya can’t beat it especially on a good day. The baked potatoe is always as good as advertised.
Breakfast: this is where Ronny’s truly excels. The steak and egg special for 6.99 is great. Th 4 egg omelette +steak is fantastic, but be prepared not to eat lunch after this.
I also love the décor. Like the style of the restaurant, food, and service, there is something profoundly nostalgic about this place, even for someone with no connection to the era it represents. Sitting in a tacky cross between a diner and retro steakhouse, munching on some cheap tasty chow, and watching the rush hour madness commence from a comfy green vinyl booth makes ya feel like a real 1970s working man when you eat here.