The infamous Al's Italian Beef. If you don't know, now you know. A piece of bread able to withstand a mound full of beef soaked in it's own beef juices, topped off with hot or sweet peppers to cut through the fat, and the whole sandwich is literally "dipped" into the au jus (if you order it this way - I recommend you do). If you like anything related to a French dip sandwich, this place will blow your mind. And taste buds. Obviously Man v. Food brought me here, but the history of Chicago's Italian beef speaks for itself. There's no doubt that this staple is the forefront of this city. Surprisingly the bread does not get soggy - just make sure to eat the masterpiece immediately. Make sure to stop by Mario's Italian lemonade right across the street for a refreshing dessert. A meal for a beast and dessert for a sweet tooth - all on a budget. read more

Al's Beef - Al's Italian beef, dipped, with hot peppers - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Um chi is legendary for the locals and beef sandwiches ..With that said.....mm mm not at all....worth the 16 dollars for beef; fries and drink. Not even close...we should identify best sandwich oh yea I forgot...The service........was forgettable.... read more

Al's Beef - 16 dollas.......nuff said - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Eh, not really a fan. 12 bucks for this sandwich and fries. Next time I will pass. Not that the sandwich was bad, it just wasn't my cup of tea. Not sure why. I love roast beef, like french dips. For some reason the seasoning just wasn't my fav. Compared to my favorite sandwich of all time in South Florida this doesn't come close. Give it a try you might like it. Just wasn't for me. read more

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

I have to say the first time I came here I was such a fan then I got what was suppose to be a bigger sandwich and it truly wasn't any bigger than the regular sandwich! I still like this place and I would go back... I do have a problem with the fact they only take cash...you should have seen me and my gf going through our purse for change and I do mean coins...lol, because we forgot they didn't take cash! It is not a place to go if you think you will be sitting and hanging with friends because the sitting is limited outside the restaurant! I will never buy a large sandwich again because it is not worth the extra cost! I also don't like hot dogs that are very skinny like a finger and when I got my grand daughter's hot dog it was just that a skinny dog and meat! I still say give it a try but remember to bring to cash!!! read more

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Wow. When I say that the sandwich melts in your mouth, I am not exaggerating at all. I swear I could have not chewed and just swallowed the food. This sandwich was so freaking good. If you're wondering, I had the entire sandwich dipped in the au jus, which I feel is the best and only way to eat it, but I can totally understand why people would not order it this way if they're trying to avoid the sloppiness. I did not get the cheese on it cause I think the sandwich would have been too sloppy to eat then, but I'm willing to experiment with different combos to find out. Honestly, I love the Philly cheesesteak so much and have traveled to Philly many times just for it, but I would argue that this sandwich rivals the Philly cheesesteak. Depending on my mood, I may even choose this over the cheesesteak. They're different sandwiches for sure, but the melt in your mouth factor is hard to beat. read more

Yummy!!! This place is delicious! My husband and I first saw it on the TV show Man V Food, and decided to try it out. Wow, what a great surprise. Many people may be turned off by the fact that it is dipped in the juices, but it doesn't make the bread soggy, it makes it chewy and adds a ton of flavor! I cannot wait to go back to Chicago and eat here because it is truly a gem! read more

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

Beef had serious potential, if it wasn't bland. Tasted old, so a fresh batch probably would have helped. Hot peppers added a bit to the taste to make up for it. Service with a snarl definitely wasn't happy we were there. Cashier cut me off in the middle of my unfinished order to tell me my total, and the receipt tells you that if you don't finish eating in 15 minutes, you're getting towed. Holy cow! read more

For those of us who have traveled beyond the limits of the great Wind City and cannot get a good Italian beef sandwich, Al's is always a must stop place when we return to the city. I love the fact that you can get a humongous sandwich with tons of beef, have it dipped and enjoy the thing with some fries and a pop. Al's never disappoints. We always come back with great expectations and leave fully satisfied! read more

Pros: the best Italian beef in town, fast service Cons: no dine in (well they have a long table with no seats), a bit pricey- a regular Italian beef measuring about 5-6 inches will cost you $5.50+tax Must have: check duhhhhh establishment name!!! GET THE BEEF! Al's (Italian) Beef. They only have like 6 items on their menu. Don't die without ever eating at Al's! read more

Italian Beef Crawl Stop #3: Al's #1 Italian Beef One of Chicago's most beloved beefs, Al's carries acclaim and accolades for their version of the Chicago classic. I've never quite fallen in love with Al's despite trying my hand at this beef more than once. The beef gods answered the call this round and delivered a soaking dripping beef. Unwrapping the layers upon layers of paper I was much please to discover that each subsequent layer was more and more soaked. Al's doesn't have a lot of spice or kick to their house giardiniera but what it lakes in heat, it makes up in pure juicy deliciousness. This beef was soaked and the bread became one with the meat or the ideal level of sogginess. Once in awhile you'll get bread that's too soaked, leaving it unable to hold any beef at which point you're left holding hunks of beef. Al's can hold its ground, but the peppers do not stand up against the elite beefs of the city. read more

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

The original Al's. If your going to go why not go to the original? I got a big Italian Beef, with HOT peppers of course. I didnt think it was very hot, but it was still delicious. The default is to get it dipped once in the yummy juice... I almost asked for a double dip but happy I didnt because this thing was super wet!! Shared some fries with my friends too, very good fries with the skin still on em. There are no chairs/tables inside, just ledges to eat off of. Great hole in the wall blue collar feel. There are some picnic benches outside too if you really must sit. mmm I just went here for lunch and I want to go back for dinner!! oh yeah, CASH ONLY. So hit an ATM before!! I am lucky I actually had money on me. read more

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

Cool ambience within Little Italy. The Big Beef was enjoyable but I was expecting the beef to taste better than it did. Perhaps seasoned better? I guess I was expecting something more memorable. I got mine "dipped," which just means they dip it in the beef broth. The bun remained composed and didn't fall apart. Overall, just "meh." You can find better tasting beef if you do it yourself. I would come back though, but perhaps give something else on the menu a try. read more

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

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Wanted to try AL's because it's the original but I was not impressed at all . Italian beef was small and dry . We asked for American cheese and for it to be dipped and it wasn't NOT RECOMMENDED read more

The sausage and beef are pretty good, but this place is filthy! The people inside are rude and totally unwilling to do the smallest thing like do a sausage extra brown even though they have no other customers. No seating except a couple picnic tables outside and a few bar stools. No restrooms to even wash your hands after a messy sandwich. There are much better beef places in the city!. read more

Every so often you want a meal that fills you up and leaves you feeling like a sinner. Italian Double Beef dipped in the sauce here will do just that. Yeah, it tastes pretty good, You should probably only have half a sandwich and water, but some times we make bad choices like getting the full sandwich, fires, and a soda. I have made this mistake. My heart did not stop, but I would not have blamed it if it had just quite and said screw you. read more

I give Al's 5 stars. We came here while visiting town from New York and it was everything we could have hoped for with a typical hole in the wall type feel. The big beef sandwich, hot dogs, and fries were great. Highly recommend. read more

Mediocre at best. Being from Philly, these sandwiches don't come close to what you get when eating a cheesesteak.

Where's the Beef? Long gone... I've been a fan of Al's for 10 plus years.. Today I stopped by the Taylor st location and ordered a #1, beef fries and drink $15 plus change. The sandwich was none existent.. Their prices have gone up considerably and the size of the sandwich has shrunk to four bites.. Literally.. four freaking bites.. the smallest beef sandwich I've ever seen. I took it inside and asked what happened to the sandwich.. Their response was that's a small. Like I said.. Iv'e been eating their beef every week for at least 10 years and I've never seen one this small... I'm done with Al's.. never again.. taking my business elsewhere.. read more

We were visiting Chiacgo, walking randomly and very hungry and ran into this place. I checked out the reviews and decided to try it. I got Al's beef sandwich, it comes in 2 sizes small and a large. Small is about $7 . Added in hot peppers which costs extra and got a small fries. Fries were good, kind of weird there was no ketchup stand for eating in. There are only seats outside, inside you have to stand. The sandwich was a decent sized for small, good amount of meat in it. However it was so so so greasy. It was wrapped twice in paper and both were completely soaked with grease. The sandwich and bread was drenched in grease. Too much. The beef was ok also, nothing special especially for price. read more

Al's beef is highly overrated and highly priced they charge you.83 cents to dip your beef then another 1.66 for hot peppers so now for two sandwiches my total came to 28.08 that's ridiculous never again I will make my own beefBig Beef Sandwich read more

went to this place last saturday. after seeing the place in the food networks man vs food, we just had to try. i had the italian beef with hot peppers (no dip) and it was excellent. good italian bread, very tender and flavorful beef, and the hot pepper gives it a little kick. the wife swears the dipped is much better. read more

Pricey. Yes it's a good sandwich but it's pricey. Once in a while seems fine. I am not sure I would go back.

Poor service bought two pounds of beef loafs of bread fries n bag rips as soon as I step in my car went back n manager gives me another bag n said throw the other bag away gives me a dirty look n walks away what an a$$ read more

Great late night spot. Get the Italian Beef sandwich! Beef is tender and juicy, and the spices are just right! Cash only. Super greasy. read more

Al's Beef - #1 - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This Place Is Definitely Overhyped & Overpriced. I've Always Wanted To Try Them Out But I'm Disappointed The Beef's Has No Flavor. The Fries Were Good & The Customer Service Was Pretty Good Too. read more

First time trying Al's beef. Ordered the combo sandwich and asked for it dry with gravy on the side.They gave it to us wet/soggy. Went back inside to ask for a new one and we were told no and that it was just the juice from the meat. Disappointing experience and customer service. read more

I've intended to post this testimonial for quite sometime, it has been a little over 30 years since I first stepped into Al's #1 on Taylor Street. I've been a frequent visitor over the years, stopped in last night on our way to the Boat Show, captured some fresh photos and here we go. Of all the things to see or do in this great city, the experience of enjoying an Italian Beef from Al's should be near the top of your list. And of course if you live here you have the enviable luxury of having easy access to great Italian Beefs in just about every neighborhood. Al's has several other locations but there is nothing like the experience at this historic Taylor Street location. Legend has it that this is where the original was invented. The city offers many other fantastic Italian Beef options but without a doubt Al's is the best you will find anywhere. This establishment also produces some outstanding French Fries, consistency can slip from time to time but when they are on these French Fries are an incredibly crispy delight. read more

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Skimpy beef sandwich. You would think when you pay $11 for a "Big Beef" it would have a little more beef. To be honest I was kind of let down. I mean the beef tasted very good, but I can't overlook the small amount of meat. Usually when I buy a beef, the bag has some weight to it. While carrying this sandwich into my car I noticed it was kind of light. I'm a Chicago native and I have had most of the famous beef this city is known for and when you unwrap that thing it's supposed to be bursting with beef. The beef to bread ratio should be 2:1 at least not the other way around. I don't know if it's just this location or that they started to enforce portion control since they became a franchise. Either way I got to pass. read more

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

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Saw this on one of the food network shows (adam richman?) and husband decided it was non-negotiable on our trip to chitown. He said it was one of the best things he's ever had. They dip the whole sandwich in the jardiniere! That's not really my thing - but the cheese fries were awesome and the hot dog was good too. I liked the divey atmosphere. Being from Pittsburgh, I kinda feel like Al's is the equivalent of primanti brothers for us. Good times! read more

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So this is the place where the Italian beef was born. I've eaten at a few Al's and this one takes the cake. Ordered the Big Beef. I did think it was a little bigger but I'm not complaining because it was spectacular. Stuffed with beef, sweet and hot peppers. Soaked in the delicious gravy. My mom ordered the gypsy fries which is their hand cut fries with I think is cheese sauce and hot peppers and beef. This will be the only Al's I go to from now on. read more

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It's a good tasting beef but the fries suck and the owner is a jagoff. The guy weighs like 400 pounds. Cheap bastard read more

Whenever I'm in Chicago I always try to stop in ALWAYS delicious beef and peppers. Great fries. Gotten pricey but well worth it read more

Al's Beef - Beef w/ peppers - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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.. I would say ManVsFood over-rated it! Pros: The beef was nice, the peppers were good, Fries were GREAT, BUT ... Cons: - the soaked break wasn't as good as it looked like - No Service at all - no seating - expensive (in comparison) Worth the visit? YES, but a 1 time thing. Maybe the next time I'll try it DRY! read more

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I didn't like it very much, the sandwich was kind of nasty. I got the Beef soaked in gravy, was pretty nasty. Just the flavor was funny, was greasy like I was eating a slab of grease with a funny flavor. The sausage they got here is average at best and the best thing I have tried. Sandwich tasted funny and stuff. Felt like a stomach was going to come on, left a funny flavor in my mouth. Sandwich looks good on paper, but man eating is another story. Didn't care for the Sandwich. read more

It's been a while since I've visited Al's but I was not disappointed .The beef is pretty good plenty of meat very tasty. Fries were delicious and fresh. read more

Al's Beef - Al's big beef & fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If I could give this place ZERO stars I would! I used to eat at this location all of the time when I was younger. First, the prices have gone through the roof! I was charged $20 for a beef, fries, and diet soda. The beef was so tough I could've chew it! The fries were flavorless, except for the burned oil they were cooked in. It was so bad, after one bite I went in and asked for a manager, that is when I met Oscar, the manager. This man asked what was wrong and when I told him he assured me that it was the same recipe for the last 40 years or so- I had no idea it was also the same beef (Yes it was THAT bad). He then asked if I had ever eaten a beef sandwich BEFORE! I am a Chicago native and have eaten them my whole life, from this location too! He was beyond useless and rather insulting. Makes me miss the days when Big Al was behind the counter! AVOID this place unless you have a lot of money to spend on horrible food, and please don't judge Chicago by the level of beef this police has fallen to. I will NEVER come back! Just dawned on me, this place only accepts cash, now I know why- they never have to give any back, no matter how poorly they treat the customer... pretty sad when a beef from ANY other establishment is leagues better than this Chicago institution! Also, NO bathrooms and they got rid of indoor seating. read more

My favorite one to visit, lady behind the counter is super sweet. Everything I bought was freshly made right in from of me. Their beef is so good here and I love the gypsy fries they make! They offer combos, and the hot dogs are delish too! It's cash only but you can easily find parking here. This is the best location of al's beef, hands down!!! read more

I ordered the Italian beef & fries. The beef was delicious!!! The customer service was slight rude but everyone has their bad day I guess

Employees were far from welcoming & personable. They honestly just seem like they hate working there. I asked to use hand sanitizer after handing them cash and they refused to share the giant container laying on the other side of the counter. I paid for hot peppers and cheese on a dipped sub combo. Only received a dipped sub, no cheese or peppers. For $15 I expected a much tastier meal. Place is not what it used to be! read more

I dont get the hype. The meat isn't great and it's me honestly inedible. The sausage was decent but the guy didn't even tell us we had a choice of sweet or spicy. The guy who took out order had no personality and seemed annoyed to be there. Never again read more