Carm's Beef & Italian Ice

Had the Hotdog with fries and the Polish with fries, both dragged through the garden. Fries were nicely crispy and seasoned. The Polish had a nice snap and spiciness to it. Hotdog was pretty typical. Their version includes hot peppers, pickles, onions, mustard, but no tomatoes. The overall meal felt very acidic. Also had the Italian Beef hot and dipped here. I am not sure if their homemade Giardiniera was really oily or if the gravy had alot of fat, but the sandwich was drenched in fat. The bread actually held its structure really well and the beef was nice and tender (not shredded!) I had to add a little bit of salt to the beef to really bring the flavors out. Hot peppers were not hot, I think the peppers in my hotdogs were hotter. Definitely one of the messier Italian beefs I have had to eat. The place was popping during lunchtime, so it does take a little bit of a wait. The menu has a pretty wide range between the burgers, tacos, sandwiches, and italian ice.

Great food & homemade fries A must have is the Italian ice Burgers with sport peppers are good also

Prices are out of control here. 1 meatball sandwich that doesn't come with fries or drink and I was charged almost $14. In fairness, the sandwich was delicious but come on...just a few years ago, this would have been 1/2 the price and come with fries.

I'm a UIC person and have always loved the area as a kid so it's no surprise that I will always have a soft spot for Carms plus Steve is awesome I have had most of the hot side of the menu but loves me a good old fashion bacon cheeseburger with the fixings from Carms. It reminds me of a simpler time where all you had to choose from is the toppings and cheese or no cheese. I'll always have my burger place close to home which I'm hoping will never changeAnd with his sisters attitude it's part of the old neighborhood charm if you know what I mean Came back during the summer for the horchata Italian ice and this is so good I'm going to have it as long as summer is around

Service was great and food was ready fairly quick. Their Italian beef and giardinera is a little different than what I'm used to, but still good. They add a bit of cardamom or other spice to it. Lots of options on the menu that I'll have to come back and try. They also had pumpkin favored Italian ice for the fall.

I have driven by this place a lot, living in the area, and I have to say it's a little underwhelming from the outside but holy moly was I underestimating it.I finally stopped by a sunny spring day when Mario's was closed still and I was craving Italian ice. The Italian ice was a bit pricey ($3 for smallest size) and not as mind blowing as Mario's but still QUITE good with fresh frozen chunks of fruit. The COOLER part was the wide variety of food they had - sandwiches and entrees and even tacos! The taco was SO crazy good, like the ones in Pilsen.The service was friendly and they've got little tables in an outdoor patio. Neighborhood gem.

In from out of town, I'm wandering the streets of Little Italy, wondering "where, oh where, am I gonna get real Chicago food after that super long UIC campus tour?"I see a sign on the horizon, promising real Italian beef and hot dogs. And that's what I got, and i couldn't imagine a more authentic experience.First off, the value is great. Yeah, it's $15 for an Italian beef sandwich, but portions are heaping, and I was full for a long while afterwards. Definitely worth the dough. Plus, that lemonade? And the crispy, salty fries? They both made the experience that much better. And the beef was drenched in a perfectly made au jus, with peppers and condiments galore to accentuate the beef's already delectable natural taste. 5/5.

My best friend/cousin and I stumbled upon this location, and I was so happy we did! I had read good online reviews about this place, so I wanted to try at the very least their Italian Ice. They were refreshingly unique compared to other Italian Ice places! I had the horchata flavored one, because I really like horchata! It was not overpoweringly sweet, and my cousin was happy with her selection too (e.g., lemon). I will update my review once I try their other food options!

Moved out of Chicago some years ago sure do miss your food. I go all the way back to where Carmi started on Cicero Avenue next to Magic kiss carpet company been a long time, but you guys always had the best beef in the whole city. God bless anybody that can remember when Carmen was on Cicero Avenue if it's still the same company, if I get into Chicago area, I will try to find Your shop Five star

For 10 years this has been one of my go-to spots for an Italian beef. I took 20 of my students the other day though, and I felt bad; after raving about this place, every kid who got an Italian beef thought it was disgusting. I got one as well (as always) and they were right. It was so awful!!! That had never happened at Carm's before. The kid who got a cheeseburger loved it though. I'll go back but I may get the burger for once before giving up on an old favorite.