Sandwiches lacked flavor of other Italian beefs I've had. Also super greasy. When they forgot a part of my order, they insisted on checking security footage before they would give it to me. That was weird and off-putting. read more

Wanted to love this so much!! Nothing wrong with it, overall. The meat was bland, without the gravy. Got thru Uber Eats, so i was glad for side gravy. Fries ok, after I crisped them up. Husband liked polish sausage enough, but we felt it was "meh." So, Portillo's remains my favorite. read more

Al's Beef - Italian Beef & Polish Dog - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had Al's beef yesterday and it is by far the best beef I've had my fav and the beef and cheese frys are the best

The workers here can give a rats you know what about any customer or customer service. Asked for our sandwich to be cut in half it wasn't went back and they said too late it's opened, turned his back to us. Asked for a sausage and pepper sandwhich they literally put a plain sausage in bread. The place looks like crap, dirty and no one has dropped a dime into this place for decades. I got Al's a decade ago and it was memorable, this place has fallen from grace and they really suck. Get your Italian beef somewhere that cares. read more

Food: We ordered a beef sandwich and some fries. The fries were soggy and greasy and the beef sandwich was ok, however, my husband liked the au jus here. We probably would have left 3 stars if not for the terrible service. Service: I ordered pick up through GrubHub and when we arrived, GrubHub listed the order as already picked up. We were confused, so my husband asked the young tall guy at the counter (Francisco?) about our order status. He was rude and told my husband that my husband was wrong about the picked up order message, but said our order was ready (my husband obviously wasn't wrong, I was looking at the picked up order message on my phone). Then Francisco turned around without telling us where our order was. Confused again, we asked where our order was. Francisco's responses were short, rude, and confusing. While we were waiting for our order, he was rude to another customer who also was confused. With service like this, better to go to Portillos, Buona or just about anywhere else. read more

Met friends last week and sat out at picnic tables and had Mario's lemonade across street. Al's is good. Great? No. It is not what it was when I was in high school, and even then there was better Italian beef on Taylor street. But, Al's remains. The sandwiches are smaller, the beef is less, the prices are higher. It's still very good. I place it maybe 4th or 5th in the Chicago area. As for cash only? It's always been that way. Be happy there's an ATM inside now because that wasn't always the case. It's a good sammich. read more

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Al's is a Chicago staple so I felt that I had to do my due diligence and visit the original location. After trying Johnnie's Beef, Al's was gonna have to do a lot to take the top spot. Unfortunately I was left a little disappointed. Both the beef and the peppers seemed to be lacking that extra umph. A five inch sub will run you about $8 which didn't feel worth it to me. Once was enough at this spot for me. read more

Al's Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I think this place does Italian Beef well but the price is just a tad bit unreasonable. You could still be hungry after the sandwich. And the order of fries? Pretty skimpy amount in my opinion. You end up going around $13-$16 for this meal... and I can't justify that especially if I'm trying to "ball on a budget." read more

I used to love Al's, it was #1 for me since the 80's. I went last week and was very disappointed. The meat was not flavorful and there was an aftertaste like the juice that it was in was not fresh. I will not be back. read more

We read a lot of Chicago foodie-type articles online to find the best Italian beef, and Al's was consistently at the top, so we tried it. It was cool to visit the iconic Al's, but I was underwhelmed. It was quite warm and muggy outside, and there was no AC, so we sat outside. It seemed cooler on the patio than it did inside the restaurant. We had cash on us, so that was fine, but nowadays, I find myself perturbed with businesses that refuse to accept cards. Get with the times. Everyone takes plastic. Shoot, it seems like even homeless panhandlers accept credit cards now. I guess I can appreciate Al's is trying to keep prices low, but I actually found the food quite pricey for what you get. What's a couple more bucks to use a card? We got a #1 (beef sandwich with fries and a drink) and then a "big beef" for the two of us. We also added cheese sauce for the fries. We spent about $32 and change. FYI, Pepsi products here. I asked for cheddar on my sandwich, and my husband asked for American, but they both had cheese sauce on them, not slices of cheese. Don't wear white to eat here! Sandwiches are very messy, and the bread got soggy quick. But if you like your Italian beef juicy and dripping, you may prefer Al's to others. Overall, I thought the food was okay. I wasn't blown away like I thought I might be. read more

DDD Highlighted restaurant...Al's Beef is one of many Chicago staple's...a must try when visiting the CHI! If you ever get the chance to have a Chicago Italian Beef sandwich Al's is one of the places to go. The beef has some of the best flavor with just the right amount of spice to it. They pack on the beef and it was cooked to perfection. I add both types of peppers sweet and hot. You also want to make sure to tell them to dunk it so that it is juicy. It's hard for me it's a toss up between Johnnie's beef in Elmwood Park and the original Al's Beef both amazing!! 100% recommend! read more

Al's Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Al's Beef is worth going out of your way for. The Au ju dripps with delicious drops of flavor on your tongue. The fries are just the right consistency and so yummy. If you go across the street for an Italian ice you can enjoy your beef on the patio on a nice summer day. The atmosphere is totally Chicago. Totally recommended by locals! Locals top choice. Must try! read more

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The Italian Beef was . Hands down a good azz sandwich!! And I got fries with cheese sauce on the side with a lemonade!! The customer service was awkward as shyt though... the old lady at the register was rude as ever. Tough old bird. read more

The Big Beef is absolutely humongous! Wonderful flavor lot's of juice. Totally loved it. Parking was easy and service was fast. Nice outside seating. read more

I had to try at least one Italian beef while in town. I ordered it wet with garnish and have to admit it was tasty. Kind of wish I would have added cheese, but it is good all by itself. read more

second time here $32 for 1 combo sm italian beef w/sausage fries and pepsi combo sm italian beef fries and drink i want the jus on the side $1.85 read more

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Pretty disappointed... Live in Houston TX but have always dreamed about visiting Chicago for a Bears game and eating all of the traditional Chicago foods. When you search best Italian Beef, Al's is always at the top. And if you're gonna go, why not try the original location right? Food was the most mediocre thing I've ever tasted. Sandwich was small, way to expensive and the most bland thing I've ever eaten. Literally no taste or wow factor. On top of that, the staff was EXTREMELY rude. Told them we were from out of town and excited to taste the beef and they said "Yeah we can tell" with an eye roll of annoyance. Restaurant was also extremely dirty. Don't waste your time. Heard Johnny's was good too so we'll head there next and see how it goes. read more

Delicious and messy as it should be! Worth the pit stop for lunch. Dipped in the gravy is the way to go!

First it is a good sandwich. But charging more for fucking peppers on a 10 dollar sandwich is kinda fucking ridiculous. Also I ordered hot peppers on it and I didn't see one. So I knocked them two stars for that bullshit. Is the sammy good? Hell yes, it has an amazing flavor. would I eat it all the time. 10 bucks a pop and I was still hungry. Shit I would go broke, I ain't a millionaire. After I ate here I went to Jims and got a polish because I was still hungry. Hate to say it, but this was a one and done I think in my life. Great flavor but tooooo rich for my blood for Blue collar food. read more

I was disappointed. Sadly it's not what I expected. I tried one from Potrillos and the famous one from here but it's not what I thought. Coming here, I completely thought the meat would taste like Philly cheese steak type or even steak but the way the meat is made, it's bland, dry, sorta stale, etc. Even with the gravy it sucks lol. After watching episodes and blogs about Italian beef sandwiches I just had this different mind set. Nothing about this famous sandwich is appealing. The marinade or spices that are blended in the meat is not good. It has an herb taste that I don't like. I'm glad I got the chance to try it but it's not worth trying again. Sorry! read more

Al's Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Extremely overpriced for the quality. The staff was not friendly. The workers seemed aggravated by being "busy".

WORST SERVICE EVER!!!! We have been going there for over 50 years and will NEVER EVER EVER go back again!!! The staff was ignorant and rude when they goofed up our order. Made us pay for THEIR mistake. Never seen anything like it. Ownership should review their staff. read more

Al's beefs are good, but they can be considered a snack now. A regular beef was much larger a decade ago, and even bigger a decade before that. When they layer more beef in that bread, I'll reconsider my stance. Having three sizes of a beef sandwich ain't right. Make a big beef and a bigger beef at a reasonable price. Stop jagging us around! read more

Show Me Da Beef! If you're lookin' for da best Italian beef sammie in Chicago, you have to give The Original Al's #1 Italian Beef a try. If you're lookin' for the fanciest Italian beef place keep lookin'! Don't go here expectin' a lotta frills, thrills or a fancy meal. In fact, Al uses the KISS method aka "Keep It Simple Stupid" & it seems to be workin' out! Al doesn't give you much: no tables or chairs to dine at (limited counter space/standing room only); limited menu (no salads or healthy options offered at The Original); no plastic accepted & no ATM on site aka no dinero, no beef; no booze; and no public bathroom available here, but big Al delivers on da beef! It's the quintessential, hole in the wall Chicago beef stand & it happens to be The Original Al's Beef on Taylor Street in Chicago, IL. It's been frequented by many travel shows & celebs & endorsed by the likes of Adam Richman. Sure, it can be considered a tourist trap but Al does serve up legit, hella good Italian beef & great, fresh cut french fries. FYI: You gotta order your beef the right way aka the "Chicago Way": dipped with hot & sweet peppers." It's the only way to order your beef for maximum taste & if you forget just look for Ditka, he will remind ya!  My most recent visit to Al's was another gemlicious one. My beef was thinly sliced, piled high & very juicy/flavorful! My fries were soft, greasy (a lil too greasy but yummy) & piping hot! A perfect pre-Bears game meal! If you've never experienced an authentic, Chicago Italian beef, I highly recommend going to The Original Al's #1 Italian Beef on Taylor Street in Chicago, IL, a Gem fave & Chicago icon! You won't get red carpet treatment at Al's, but you will get to sava the flava of arguably one of da best Italian beefs in Chi-town! read more

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Great beef, let us in 15 minutes before closing. Quality is consistent. The staff provides the full Chicago experience (if you live here, you know what I mean ). read more

I used to love Al's a couple years back, especially this location. I was excited to take my boyfriend because he never had it, but now I regret taking him. Note that this place is CASH ONLY. Al's beef is very overpriced for okay food. The Italian beef sandwich I expected to be dripping with juice was very dry - even when dipped. They used to really pile the meat up, but this time I had to open it up to take a picture so you could see what was actually inside. The reason I came was for those famous greasy fries! I remember Al's fries being greasy, soggy, and fresh. I WAS HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED. When they came out, the fries were way overcooked to the point of crisping and they weren't even warm - suggesting that they weren't fresh. I had noticed prices had gone up since the last time I came as well. My unsatisfying meal cost me $16. The line wasn't too long, but the small restaurant was still a little crowded because of the people standing and eating. Ordering our food was fast and the wait wasn't long either. The man taking our order was neither friendly nor rude, he was simply doing his job. The place was small and kind of shabby - not somewhere I really wanted to be eating inside. If you're going to Al's Beef, you're betting off getting take-out than dining there. Seats are extremely limited. There's a counter where you can stand and eat inside but those are usually taken. There's seating outside you have to rush to, but there are only three tables. There was no place to sit so we ended up walking down the road and asking the burger place if we could sit in their outdoor seating area. Maybe I'll give Al's fries another chance, but everything else was just okay. With prices being so darn expensive for a subpar meal, you probably won't see me coming back. read more

Al's Beef - Had to open my sandwich up so you could see what's inside. - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ok I saw all the accolades, awards, and heard the hype, finally got over there to check out the Italian beef for myself. where should I start? the greaziness of the fries, the miniature sandwich, or the salty gymshoe tasting meat. It was a complete waste of almost eight dollars, ( beef and fries) These guys recently won best beef in Chicago I think, I'm wondering how... read more

Al's Beef - Notice tiny $8 sandwich I'm holding - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The Italian beef is still one of the best, though they've suddenly gotten very pricy: Me: Gimme a large combo, hot peppers, fries & a Coke. Al's order guy: That'll be $18.00 Me: (silence) Are you serious? Order guy: Yep Me: (frantically rifling through my wallet) Do you take credit cards? Order guy: Nope. Me: (defeated) OK, skip the fries, make it a small beef & Coke. Order guy: $10.50 Me: Arrrrrrrrgh. read more

Sloppy packaging and are those hot peppers like sent thru a food processor or something? Complete slop. Overpriced. Dirty store. Cant believe people associate this place with CHICAGO BEEFS. Grrrrrr Makes me very angry! ALS BEEF SUCKS. read more

I arrived at Al's and got locked outside in the rain by a "security guard" when 4 people were in the building. I'm not sure if this was supposed to be a Covid protocol but nobody (including the security guard) was wearing a mask or socially distancing. The food was below average and service was borderline harassment. DO NOT RECOMMEND. read more

Honestly is the best policy. I love coming and visiting the great city of Chicago. Smart people and everything, but i do not see how this place is a landmark. I have been here 2 separate times with 5 different people and we have came up with the same conclusion...disgusting. The bread, the beef, the jardiniere (i guess that's how you spell it) everything just was nasty and off ( this is after watching the travel channel time after time featuring this place and them boasting about all these factors). I gave it two stars because i do think there cheese fries is good. Maybe i will try it again as i keep coming to Chicago with new people looking to try this place for the first time (wouldn't want to rob them of their experience), but i have experience better and it is Mr Beef on Orleans and that's real talk. read more

The food is okay nothing to write home about but what gets me are the prices of the food they are so overpriced and if the food is good I don't care about the price but high prices and day old beef AKA (leftovers) cmon Al him self would not recommend this beef . Go to Johnnie's Beef and it will cost you half the price and way better food YOU BEEN WARN read more

Went here b/c its beef sandwich won MIDWEST REGIONAL CHAMP on Adam Richman's "Best Sandwich in America" show (Travel Channel) in June 2012. Although it was good... our sandwiches did not look anything like they did on TV. Place was a total dive... dirty, bad service, no bathroom, and just sketchy all the way around. Don't expect to feel welcomed, warm, or comfortable. Thus, even though the food is good, the place is such a dump, and service so bad, that I will never go back or recommend it. Yo Yo read more

Al's Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had to try the original Al's and it was worth the trek. Beef was superb you must get it dipped and with peppers. You can stand at the counter area to eat or take it to go but it's much better fresh. A must try when in the area! read more

Al's Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Al's was the originator of the Italian beef sandwich back in the days of the Great Depression. They say the recipe hasn't changed since they first started. And the truth is you can taste it. The hot peppers aren't quite hot enough and the beef sauce doesn't have the strong salty taste you come to expect from a Italian beef sandwich today. This is not to say the sandwich isn't good. But for the amount you pay, you expect a premium product. Instead, you get novelty that has seen its better days behind itself. If the Italian beef sandwich had a museum, Al's would be the place. For a one time museum lunch/dinner meal, I don't mind paying about $13 for an Italian beef, fries, and a Pepsi. I'm paying to be a part of Italian beef history! But it's not my first choice for Italian beef. read more

Al's Beef - Good but doesn't live up to Al's advertising and branding - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

You gonna go get some local Chicago eats?? Al's Italian Beef is a must go to place!!! You might have to overlook the place and forget if it doesn't look like a bright clean subway... But it's definitely a must try. This location that I went to in little Italy while I was on vacation in Chicago is small and didn't have chairs to sit on... So I stood while I scarfed down my first Al's. I got the combo sub dipped!! So the combo comes with Italian beef and Italian sausage. You can have peppers or no peppers so I went with peppers. And you can have the bread dipped or not dipped. Dipped is when they dip the bread in the sauce the beef was cooked in. I really really enjoyed all the flavors and the tenderness of the beef. I'm normally not a big sausage fan (food wise haha) but this Italian sausage and beef was so good together with all the flavors blending together and the sweet peppers just solidify how good this place really is. Only getting 4stars coz the lack of seating, I can't in my right judgement of rating give this place 5stars but just based on food alone it's pretty bomb and def deserves 4stars no doubt! Luckily there's one location here in Vegas so I feel definitely be going back for the beef!!! If it's your first going... Should go combo dipped all the way!! Happy eating read more

Al's Beef - First time at Al's - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've been to the Touhy ave location several times and the beefs and combos are one of the best. I just don't like the price.

Oh geez this place hurts, but it's so good. Being from Chicago, I was amazed to find that I've never checked this place. My first time back in 10 years I decided to pay it a visit and it had it's ups and downs... I loved the food. I got an italian beef with a sausage in the middle dipped in a sauce that puts your lips on fire. That thing is spicy. Maybe too spicy (and I like spicy). I have to say it was good and better than any I've eaten in Houston but, for the pain I endured after eating such a creation. I probably can't find myself going back every month to get one. Maybe once year. Need some recovery time. read more

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Although Al's Beef is one of the many staples of the Chicago Favorites, this location was subpar. My boyfriend and I grabbed a early lunch. We've ordered a Two Italian Beef combo. They give you a lot, but poor quality. The Italian Beef was small, the fries was disappointing. They fried it in old grease. The customer service was sorry. The cashier was nice, but the cooks was very nasty because we was checking our food when was leaving, but they was so nasty and had a nasty ass attitude because we was checking our food. I had told the cook to check his delivery and attitude. My boyfriend money went to waste. We will never patronize this place again. Their customer service is disrespectful representing Al's Beef brand. Also they need to respectful to ALL people! Especially people of color...Need I say More. Terrible! read more

I have been eating Al's since I was a little kid. I traveled over to Taylor just for this Combo. I was very surprised at the price, it has gone up like crazy and the sandwich has gotten smaller. As to expect in the world economy as we live in. I tried to stay loyal to the original but now it's open season to eat at the franchises. It may not be as good as the original but neither is the original. There is an extra charge for peppers..REALLY?! On a $10 Combo it should be built into the price. This place is not a shell of what was once a glorious spot. I don't have a problem spending money on a good meal. Don't nickel and dime your customers. Every burger place in the world has gone to value packages. Come on AL, update the menu for a value package. Remember MySpace was once on top, don't be like MySpace. You can go form the top to the bottom very quickly, remember customers made you who you are today. read more