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Al's Beef

4.3 (498 reviews)
Open • 10:30 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
Updated 2 months ago

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AL'S BEEF ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Touristy
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Al's Beef

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Reviews With Photos

Callie K.

It was Friday night, and I was running solo this evening on my visit to Chicago. I decided I wanted something unique to Chicago that I couldn't have back home. I saw Al's beef was a half mile away, and I'd heard of them before. I was greeted as soon as I walked in. The cashier informed me the traditional way is dipped with both peppers. I decided to go dipped with cheese, as I wasn't feeling peppers. I also ordered a small fry. Food came out within 5 minutes, and I had to dive in. The beef had a lot of flavor. It had a slight kick to it, but they definitely season the juice very very well. It was delicious. The fries were good but could have been crispier. I did enjoy that they were different than a standard fry. Overall I'm very glad I tried this place out.

Amy D.

This place turns around orders like there is no tomorrow. The Italian beef looks plain but it was so good. Super thin and tender slices of beef. The burger was pretty good but I don't know if it's something I would try again. Good but it's a burger I can get at a burger spot. Fries were good enough. Kids loved it and it was filling but doesn't really stand out. I would come back for the beef sandwich.

Regular Beef
Matthew C.

First time in Chicago and have been wanting to try an Italian dipped beef sandwich. To my surprise, I consider this one of the best meals I've had thus far on my trip. Went on a rainy Saturday afternoon with the queue out the door but was moving at a good pace. Staff was friendly and food came out very quickly, a key trait of a well ran establishment. I got the regular beef sandwich with sweet and spicy peppers, and a side of fries. I love that the sandwich was soggy but held itself together, and the flavor was amazing in itself as well. Definitely coming back here when I find myself back in Chicago!

Brigitte M.

Holy sandwich..... Had been to a different location years ago, but saw this was a 5 minute walk from my hotel and had to go. Spot was super cute. Staff was also incredibly friendly. There was a girl in front of me asking for guidance on what to order, since she was coming from out of town, and he helped perfect her order, and I followed suit, with both peppers and wet. So good. Juicy, good portion of meat, and great flavor. Will be back.

David S.

This spot was highly rated by a friend of a friend for some authentic Italian beef sandwiches so of course we went. There was a very long line out front but you can avoid the craziness and order online. Just make sure you have the right location. They work extremely quick and within 5 minutes we had all of our food. The restaurant was as expected and the food was also very good. Don't expect anything fancy but the service was okay and it was relatively clean and kept up despite how busy they got. It had an old school vibe with a very busy and loud environment to match. Highly recommend checking them out

Tia Y.

Talk about over indulging! Make sure you walk here and walk home, your stomach will thank you. Best place to get a Chicago dogs, Chili Cheese dogs and the famous Al's Beef Sandwich. Fries were a hit too! Definitely a must and add this to your list for Chicago Eats. It's an order at the register and find a table dining experience. Food is prepared pretty quickly and people are in and out!

Big Beef with hot giardeniera
Jack G.

Classic! Place to come for real Chicago food. I like mine with provolone and hot giardiniera. Quick and friendly, Chicago institution

Regular Beef
Susan Z.

Brought my partner here to try Chicago's classic italian beef sandwich at Al's and it did not disappoint! We got the hot giardinara on the side since we don't eat too spicy typically, but it wasn't very spicy at all! Quick and friendly service. Definitely recommend the sandwich dipped!

Regular Combo
Ying X.

One of Chicago's most renowned Italian Beef Sandwiches, originating in 1938. A special trip to try it, and it was truly satisfying. Regular Combo: A combination of beef and sausage. The meat portion was very generous; the beef was thinly sliced ​​but juicy and not dry or hard at all; the sausage had a rich smoky flavor, not too salty, and tastes a lot like Harbin red sausage. Al's Classic Hand-Cut Fries: They were piping hot when I received them, so touching! I couldn't taste the hand-cut texture, but there was a spice powder similar to salt and pepper, and the flavor was quite good.

Italian beef with fries
Richard T.

We finally made it to Al's Beef. The beef was really good. I like mine dipped and it held up pretty well. I also had an order of fries which were very good. If you are in the area, it is definitely worth doing by here.

Regular Beef
Taylor H.

Really good italian beef! I see why people recommend this spot. Staff was super nice and our food came out quickly. I highly recommend the spicy giardiniera. The chicago dog was delicious as well! I have had better italian beef sandwiches in the city, but this is a solid spot.

Beef Italian dip dip with sweet peppers
Roman B.

Place was popping and people were looking for something to warm up their bellies for that cold day in Chicago. I got the Italian Sausage with beef, extra dipped and fries. This was my first time trying one of these in Chicago and I must say, I'm glad I picked it. Super juicy, fries were perfectly crispy and crunchy. The dog combo extra dipped was out of this world ( from an Cali perspective haha), id definitely try it again. I also added the sweet peppers, nice touch

Dipped Italian Beef with Provolone and Giardiniera
Matthew N.

Recently stopped by Al's Beef on a late Friday night and had a great first experience. It wasn't too busy, which made for an easy visit. Since it was our first time, we used the self-serve kiosk to browse photos of the menu and decided on a dipped Italian beef with provolone and giardiniera, plus a side of chili cheese fries. The food came out quick and fresh. The Italian beef was the star! Juicy from the dip, loaded with tender, flavorful beef, and perfectly balanced with that slightly zesty, tangy kick from the giardiniera. Pro tip: eat it standing and leaning forward like the mural on the wall suggests, unless you want those delicious juices all over yourself. The chili cheese fries were generously loaded, though I wish the fries themselves were a bit crispier. Still satisfying, just not quite as crunchy as I expected. Overall, a solid spot for an authentic Italian beef and one I'd gladly come back to.

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4 years ago

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3 years ago

Love Al's Italian beef. Hot peppers and juicy is the way to go. It's a classic for a reason.

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

Everyone here is SO friendly and welcoming. Definitely get their Italian beef sandwich with provolone cheese!

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

Great spot - loved the Spicey Italian beef sandwich. Amazing sandy - I'd come back if I lived anywhere close - good thing I don't

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4 years ago

Everything was really good. Very happy with the meal exactly what I expected. Will go back for an Italian beef.

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4 years ago

Got the original beef sandwich and Chicago dog with fries. Everything was delicious! Fries are so fresh! Staff was nice and fast!

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4 years ago

Every time I come to Chicago, IT'S A MUST..the food is always good and it hits every time!!!

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5 years ago

Best Italian beef I have ever had. Hot and dipped, period. Have been here 3 times in the last week. Definitely recommend!

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4 years ago

Perfect Chicago classics ordered and delivered. Everything was still fresh and not soggy.

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5 years ago

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3 years ago

So good! The staff is always so friendly and the food is delicious! I love the big beef with sweet and hot peppers.

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5 years ago

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3 years ago

Italian beef sandwich with mixed peppers (hot and mild) with provolone was tasty! Chicago Polish with fries was excellent!!

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5 years ago

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

A lil shack that got some good ole roast beef. I didn't get it dipped though. I got the "juice" on the side

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5 years ago

The food was terrible The Italian beef tasted funny. The only thing worthwhile was the fries

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3 years ago

The hot dogs were very good the meat sandwich not so much. No flavor even with the sauce. Was very disappointed.

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Page 12 of 13

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Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna

4.5(283 reviews)
0.0 mi•River North, Near North Side

Kari's Rating 9.25/10…read more TLDR: -2 types of pizza, tavern = thin, Artisan = doughy -Opens at 4pm-Can have a line when opening! -One of my personal favorites for pizza in River North! Came with a friend for dinner around 4 PM and man was it crowded as soon as those doors opened. It had been my first time there and I'm more of a lover of pizza that has a little bit of dough, so we started off with the crispy calamari appetizer, and then went straight in with the artisan style vodka, pizza while adding Italian sausage. Calamari was pretty good, it was lately battered, and not very oily which I appreciated. It came with a lemon as well as some kind of mayo, dipping sauce. It was very delicious and light and came out relatively quickly after ordering. I was trying to see room as the pizza was the absolute star of the show-The cheese came almost the ends of the perfect puffy and doughy crust. Although, the middle of the pizza was thinner than the artesian, puffy crust, yet you could taste everything when you took a first bite. The combination of cheese, sauce, banana peppers, and the Italian sausage was incredible. Now, normally I would think vodka anything would be a little heavier, but it actually was a perfect light bite pizza. We seated in the secondary dining room and it had a very interesting layout, but it was very trendy and modernly decorated. I can't believe how packed it got considering we went in on a Monday. We left around 6:30 and the place was almost fully packed, including their first entrance seating. I fake to the bathroom as I was paying the check, and it was interesting considering the bathrooms were only one stall per gender, which is very unlike River North considering the bathrooms, usually take up a significant portion of the restaurant layout-but who knows, maybe they didn't have the space? We finished off our early lunch with a tiramisu and it didn't come out traditionally looking like a tiramisu, considering it came in a bowl almost as a pudding. It was coated in a dusting of cocoa and chocolate crispy rice balls, but was surprisingly not very coffee flavored. I don't personally like the strong coffee taste into tiramisu-and I found it absolutely delightful, although I would consider it more of a vanilla tiramisu than a traditional. Overall, a very positive experience, the servers were relatively attentive, the prices were moderate for pizza in River North, appetizers and dessert was relatively good as far as pizza goes in Chicago and I look forward to returning sooner than later!!

Love the vibe here. Modern and warm pizza spot in Chicago…read more Service was nice and friendly. Food was absolutely delicious and shareable. We ordered two savers style pizzas for a group of three. This is a place that certainly merits the appreciation for the space. I heard there's a speakeasy?

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Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna - The super thin, perfectly cooked crust

The super thin, perfectly cooked crust

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Portillo's & Barnelli's Chicago

Portillo's & Barnelli's Chicago

3.9(7.4k reviews)
0.2 mi•River North, Near North Side
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Kari's Rating 8/10…read more As someone who is always at This Portillo is considering it's very close to where I live, it was decently busy this Sunday evening around 7:30. There was a large cluster of individuals in line to use the kiosk because they seem too scared to talk to a human-even though there's absolutely no line to talk to the women up front. It's kind of sad realize how antisocial people have become but also, I know it's beneficial to use a kiosk for the company because they're getting really fast data results, people tend to add more of their order because they're not being watched and they're able to do it in an antisocial way. Honestly, it's actually really fascinating. This place is always busy so as normal, we waited for about 20 minutes. It's OK, it looked like they were a little bit short staffed as 95% of the population of the restaurant was waiting in line. It's usually backed up at this location as it's super busy and very popular but tonight, I can't tell if it's because they're just backed up, or if no one can hear the number because they use those funny one liners after each number which makes it harder to hear the actual number called. I think this location-as it is mostly a tourist spot-is usually very clean. Tonight, it was not. I think it might've just been that one table around us, but whoever sat there before the fries were all strewn about and the sauces were all over the table cloths and there were napkins everywhere, and it just looked kind of bad. Since it's not normally like this, I figured it just was a one off or it might've just happened.

This place is wild. From the ordering system to the wonderful lady calling out the orders ready,…read moreit's a food hall trip. And the French, er, Italian Beef, outstanding, even with all the hype. And I can't compare it to the others, I can only compare it to the French, sorry, yea, French dips I've had everywhere else. Great. HOWEVER....the chocolate cake shake stole the show! Period. Yes, definitely worth a stop here when in Chicago.

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Portillo's & Barnelli's Chicago
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Al's Beef - sandwiches - Updated October 2026

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