The Best Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich And Its History

If you’re headed to the Windy City, here’s where to find the best Chicago Italian beef sandwich.

Hulu’s television show “The Bear” made Italian beef even more famous than it already was. But the truth is, there isn’t just one sandwich. Different shops make it different ways. To make what I think is the best version, check out my Chicago Italian beef sandwich recipe.

History of the Italian beef sandwich

Where did this delicious combination of meat, drippings, and pickled vegetables come from? While the exact origin is unknown, the Italian beef sandwich was probably created by Italian immigrants in the early 1900s whose fortunes lifted them poverty (and using cheaper ground meat) up into the middle class, where they were able to afford beef for roasting. One anonymous reader has written to me to tell me the inventor of the original Italian beef sandwich recipe was a Southern black man in jail with one of the Scala brothers. A South Side butcher and sausage maker, Pasquale Scala, popularized it.

During the Depression, in the late 1920s, when food was scarce, Scala’s simple Italian beef sandwich recipe of thinly sliced roast beef on a bun with drippings and fried peppers took off. Today, beef sangwitches are a staple at Italian weddings, funerals, parties, political fundraisers, and lunches “wit my boyz”. 

Heading to Chicago? Here are the best Italian beef stands

There are scores of Italian beef stands in Chicago, and Italian beef sandwiches are available at most hot dog stands. Some purchase pre-cooked beef and juice from Scala’s, but the best make it from scratch. Prices typically range from $3.50 to $6.50 for a sandwich. Below are some of my faves listed in order of preference. Let the arguments begin! Post your opinions below in the comments section.

Note:

Since I wrote these reviews the Travel Channel did a showdown between Al’s & Mr. Beef, with Mr. Beef winning 3 votes to 2 from their “judges,” one of whom confessed on air he’d never been to either. I mean how can you live in Chicago and never get to either and know anything about Italian Beef Sangwiches? DOH! There were several problems with the judging. Worst of all, they topped both sandwiches with giardiniera, an optional topping, that is very hot! You can’t taste the meat through giardiniera, so it was really a giardiniera tasting! STOOPID!

I stand by my ratings.

Our list

1) Al’s #1 Italian Beef. Reviewed: 1079 W. Taylor St., Chicago. Now franchised to several locations, the original, founded in 1938 in Little Italy, is on everyone’s top five list. The meat is top sirloin. The gravy is rich and flavorful, and that’s their secret. Great, buttery, skin-on fries, that are not too salty. No toilets, the counter will handle 6-8 people standing up, there is no indoor seating, but there are three picnic tables out front. Watching the world go by in Little Italy is as entertaining as the opera. There is a parking lot, and Mario’s Italian Ice is across the street.

2) Mr. Beef. Reviewed: 666 N. Orleans St., Chicago. A celebrity and tourist fave. Jay Leno has said it’s his favorite authentic Chicago Italian beef sandwich, and his picture is prominently displayed on the wall along with numerous other lumiroti. The parking lot and attendant are worth the price of admission. Not far from downtown. They cook the beef butt on the premises.

3) Johnnie’s Beef. Reviewed: 7500 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park (just west of Harlem on North Ave., in an Italian suburb). Long and skinny inside, there is standing room only for about 20, and 5 outdoor picnic tables alongside ample parking. The beef is juicy and tender with lots of fresh black pepper. The shoestring fries are first-rate. Don’t miss the homemade Italian ices.

4) Freddie’s Pizza & Sandwiches. Reviewed: 701 W. 31st St., Chicago. In the shadow of Comiskey Park (sorry, I just can’t bring myself to call it by the official corporate-sponsored name). Plenty of real tables with seating for about 50, two toilets, a TV for watching the Sox games, and a mural of Venice. There’s always a table or two of gray hairs talking with their hands. The standard Italian Beef Sandwich is very wet, almost too hot, and crumbly when you pick it up. I’ve been known to resort to knife and fork here. But I’m not complaining because the juice is among the best. The giardiniera is more vinegary than most.

Other noteworthy joints

Carm’s Beef & Snack Shop. Reviewed: 1057 W. Polk St., Chicago. Old-fashioned Little Italy family-owned and operated sandwich shop on a back street. Honestly, I don’t love the crumbly meat, but I do love the clean ambiance (even the unisex washroom is spit-spot), and that there is a long counter with stools. Alas, parking is nigh impossible. The staff is colorful and familial. Owner Mary DeViro is awaiting your order.

Ricobene’s. Reviewed: 252 W. 26th St., Chicago. This long-time Bridgeport favorite, founded in 1946 and revered by many, alas, has fallen out of my top ranks of Italian Beef destinations, perhaps because they are opening branches everywhere. The meat is tough and the gravy bland. Stick with the excellent Breaded Steak Sandwich washed down with a beer.

Buona Beef and Portillo’s (above) make good beef sandwiches, but they are not among my top 10. They do sell beer, though.

Like said before, if you really want to taste the best, make it yourself with my Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich recipe.