Another trip out to IL so another place to check off for Italian beef. I went with a friend so I was able to split a few items. We had a Beef & Sausage Combo (dipped) an order of fries with cheese, and a Maxwell Street Polish. Service is pretty quick. We had our food fast and dove in. Starting with the Maxwell, it's a great sausage with some snap. The sport peppers give the acidic bite balanced by sweet onions. I tried stuffing some fries on as well. The Beef & Sausage Combo was good, but that's a tough one to eat when dipped. You're not putting it down. I probably could have gone with a fork and knife. The beef itself is lightly seasoned, so the addition of the sausage boosts the flavor. read more

Al's Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Tinley Park, Illinois

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I was excited to try a classic. As usual I might have overdone it, but no regrets at all. The Italian beef and sausage combo was beautiful. Recommend it with both sweet and hot peppers and dipped. Amazing, rich flavor from the gravy. Fresh cut French fries are excellent but could use some salt (beyond however much of the beef juice you drip on them). As a Southern Californian, I can get great tamales, but these, while closer to something you'd get in a gas station, are pretty tasty and a good value at $1.99 each. Will be back next time I'm in Chicagoland. read more

I was in Chicago for business and wanted to try popular Chicago food. Stopped in Al's for lunch and tried the Italian beef sandwich with peppers and onions. I ordered mine dry with the juice on the side. You have the option to have it dipped so it's wet. I also had a side of fries well done. Everything was tasty as I spent about $20. The service was good and the restaurant was very clean. I would definitely recommend! read more

First time trying it and it was so good!! I had the Italian beef with hot Giardiniera and the fries. The best beef sandwich I've had in a long time. I loved the FRESH cut fries especially since they had no salt on them. Perfect for me to season how I like. Highly recommend over any fast food place read more

Thought I'd give Al's another try so I stopped in and ordered the Italian Beef dipped with hot giardiniera, it was blander than my last beef from them and the giardiniera tasted like it had ginger in it. The sandwich was oily and barely had any beef on it. How can a popular establishment like Al's screw up a menu item that there's supposedly known for? read more

While the flavor of the beef is not exactly my favorite, compared to french dip, I can't deny the meat quality, fresh bread and thin slicing make this a special style of sandwich, so I appreciate what it is. The standouts were actually the rich and flavorful tamales with chili and the amazing fresh-cut fries drenched with their cheese sauce. So good!! Service was fast and friendly. The place was clean and well-maintained. Great experience!! read more

Al's Beef - Fresh Cut Fries with Cheese - Sandwiches Near Me - Tinley Park, Illinois

I tried I wanted to like it but the Italian beef us just not as good as others in Joliet. I think it was the giardiniera it was so disappointing The staff was excellent and super friendly, the parking can be tight since it does share parking with several other businesses. The inside was spacious very clean, and well decorated. This is why I am goving a 2 vs 1 was the service, speed, and inside. But the sandwich and the bowl is a hard pass. read more

Al's Beef - a close up of a sandwich - Sandwiches Near Me - Tinley Park, Illinois

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Just are here and my how the mighty have fallen! Ordered a big beef with hot and it was more bread than beef. Hardly any Gardiniera on it and while boiling temperature, the beef was bland. The fries were outstanding the only saving grace. Place was a mess and the Mens bathroom hadn't been cleaned. Very disappointing for what was one of my fav beef places. read more

Went here because Mr.Beef was closed and I was inspired by the show The Bear while I was in town. Chose this place based on reviews and was very pleasantly surprised! It was DELICIOUS. My first Chicago beef and certainly won't be my last. It was so very flavorful, I got the sweet n hot with gravy on the side. Eat fast or it will fall apart, but it's so tasty you won't mind picking it up with your fingers! One star deducted because some employees had an attitude. read more

Ordered a beef sandwich, it was very dry. Looks like the beef might've been left out for quite some time and they just dipped it gravy to warm it up. Beef was pretty scarce. Also, the sandwich is more of a gravy bread than a beef sandwich. This used to be the place to go if you wanted beef. However, looks like the quantity and the quality has taken a big hit. read more

I have always loved a good sammie & Al's Beef does not disappoint! I love my business trips & figuring out the local joints is a Fav! I'll be eating here again later this week, simple walk up counter service in a clean, modern building, simple & delicious! I had the big beef with hot giardiniera & requested "crispy fries" - I'm a happy man . read more

Al's Beef - A smashed big beef! - Sandwiches Near Me - Tinley Park, Illinois

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Very good food very good service.. first time time eating here highly recommend. Had the combo and a polish. Both were excellent

We went on Friday when they open at 10:30 delicious sandwiches and hot fries it was so awesome and the service is wonderful we will keep coming back over and over read more

Food is good...service is okay...Al's is just getting too expensive. It would get more stars if not for the price. There's no benefit for getting a meal so just get a small drink and keep refilling. read more

Frankly, the food hit. Fries are top tier, best fries I have had in IL. Chicago dog smacked. And the beef and gravy are so comforting in this cold weather. Taste like hugs and kisses. I thoroughly enjoyed the food and next time would try the "wet" as I feel like I didn't get to enjoy the bread too much. The real seller is the beef. read more

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Always a wonderful Italian beef sandwich. Great gravy makes this a winner. Do the hunch and sink your teeth in deliciousness. Don't forget to get a hotdog on the side. It comes with real French fries and they are super good. read more

had GoPro Le experience with manager Dave very disrespectful and disappointing customer service after they messed my order up and I left a message with the young lady at counter I had to call back and then get treated like I'm the one to blame by Dave ! ever will we go back and we have been customers for years !dave really messed up!! read more

Totally satisfied. I had the Italian beef and Dave had the beef and sausage combo. Both so good we forgot to take pictures. Excellent service, courteous, friendly staff. Great atmosphere in the dining room. 100% recommend (and we'll be back!) read more

Al's Beef - Al's Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Tinley Park, Illinois

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I went to this Al's beef hoping for the same tasty burger like the one on wells street in Chicago. Instead, I got a fake piece of meat that felt I was eating rubber. They don't charbroil the burgers here. They use a burger king device which is a8 machine like cooker that the burger is sent through. Very disappointed. The customer service was not so friendly. How dare you ask a question. But my question is "where's the beef" when it comes to the hamburger. If you want a hamburger from here, go to burger king across the street instead. read more

Hard to beat!! However I tested this place over and over, no tip/- no beef!!! You tip for ordering and picking up at counter-- youre beef will be loaded- no tip-- little baby beef - way it goes these days read more

The food was presented great I think they needed to put some seasoning on the meat while cooking it. That would take it to the next level. Everything was made fresh read more

Best Italian sausage sandwich. But I wish they would bring back the junior size beef sandwich. Consistently good fries and you don't have to get American cheese on your burger. They also have mozzarella and provolone on beautiful brioche buns. read more

Looked forward to coming home. Italian beef was on the list to get, a little disappointed. Ordered an I italuan beef and maxwell street polish. Beef didn't have it. Was not the taste I remember and maxwell street polishwas to well done almost could say burnt. read more

Something, different but really enjoyed the mess. All the way from Florida and I enjoyed it next time may go with it not being wet just to keep my clothes clean. read more

Al's Beef - Al's big beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Tinley Park, Illinois

This is the best beef in Chicagoland - closest thing you will get to beefs an Italian grandmother's Sunday dinner ... and anyone that compares this to French dip should be banned from Chicagoland :) read more

We stop every time we're in the Chicago area! We'll drive an hour out of our way to eat Al's Beef

Friday 9:03. Open until 9:30 - door says 9:30. Online 9:30. Staff inside. We walk up and they hold a hand up and lock the door. Unreal. Smile and turn their backs. read more

I've always loved Al's beef, I've only eaten the beef, and sausage combo from there, I've always found them to be better than Buona beef, and Portillo's. Their fries are awesome!! read more

I love Al's. Best beef out but of course Taylor street is my favorite but You guys rock as well. read more

Al's Beef - Regular Italian beef double dipped with hot peppers and a small order of fries. - Sandwiches Near Me - Tinley Park, Illinois

A taste of Chicago!!! Always a must have when I come home. Best Italian beef sandwich with tender beef perfectly cooked and with peppers. Aww so so good. Quick service and great price. Can't wait to come back read more

Al's is the best beef in Chicagoland. Buona is also good, but a tad spicy for my taste. Portillo's has gone downhill since they were sold to a large corp. I have always had wonderful service at Al's on 183rd and Harlem. I have never been there when not greeted with a welcoming smile. I get my beef dry with the au jus on the side, so it's always exactly how I want it. read more

It had been a while since I last visited so passing by one day I decided to stop in. This place really took a turn for the worse. In addition to the rising prices; the cleanliness and upkeep were terrible. The dispenser buttons on the soda fountain (picture uploaded) had layers of dirt which must have built up for months sans regular cleaning. The only "clean" spots where-where people would normally push to fill their drink. It was sickening to think about touching the machine to fill my drink. In addition, there must be at least 1/4" of dust all over everything not in arms reach. Door closers, lights, decorations, etc. all were coated in dust. The counter along the window also had a section that said "do not use" where the wall was cracked and the counter was falling off. To top it all off, during the normal lunch rush, it took about 15 minutes to get our sandwiches. Furthermore, people in the food prep area could be seen without hair nets or gloves. This is not what I expect from Al's Beef - especially for the "premium" price and I won't be returning to this location. read more

Al's Beef - Absolutely disgusting filth build-up on soda machine buttons! This has to have built up for quite some time. - Sandwiches Near Me - Tinley Park, Illinois

Ok I love Al's fries. I have a personal hotdog philosophy which dictates I have a hotdog on all American summer holiday weekends-Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, (and anytime I go to a baseball park)-you get it. I do love Al's-the fries remind me of my days at DePaul when I lived on Demon Dogs-they too had the same fries and they were outstanding. What I don't love is the wait time. Even if there is no one in the place and you order a hotdog, you will wait. It boggles my mind. read more

check and recheck, then check your carry out order. I just left, ordered two beef, one hot peppers, one sweet and hot, along with one order of fries. They called my number and handed me the bag, it felt a little light as I was walking out so I checked...one beef and one fry. went back in. They said "oh sorry, I only charged you for one". Ok...mistakes happen, I told them my order again, they charged me for another sandwich, took the bag back behind the counter and said it would be up shortly. A few minutes later they said "here you go, sorry about that" I took the bag and left. Drove home...opened the bag...there's one beef and one fry. WTF! so I found out they screwed up my order the first time, went back, they CHARGED ME FOR ANOTHER SANDWICH AND NEVER GAVE IT TO ME. I am so angry with them right now. Complete incompetence and disregard for their customers...not to mention ripping me off. I'm done here, plenty of other beef stands around. Do not go here read more

I have to say I must give them 5 stars. I am now hooked on their beef and oh my the fresh cut fries and perfect. Thank you for being open on the inside to dine in. I only patronize businesses that are open on the inside. Beats Buona beef by far. Eating there weekly now and sad to say 3 times this week. I have never done that with any place before. Thank you for just putting out great beef and fries! read more

This place blew my mind I got a regular dipped hot and sweet Italian beef sandwich it was amazing! It was messy and dripping all over and I loved it! I got extra juice on the side to dip the gravy has the best flavor ever I will definitely be back read more

Al's Beef - Dipped hot and sweet amazing! - Sandwiches Near Me - Tinley Park, Illinois

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Rather than deciding between the Little Al (their 4" Italian Beef sandwich), dipped with hot peppers, and the Chicago Polish (a perfectly blackened 1/3rd lb Polish sausage topped with mustard, relish, onion, tomatoes slices, a pickle spear and sport peppers), I decided I deserved both (heck, I'm not from the area... not to mention I'd just finished working out). The Italian Beef was lean, juicy (the fact that the sandwich was dripping with au jus probably helped), and spicy hot. I demolished it first. Then, the sausage... damn, that was amazing. Huge (huge!), and unbelievably amazing. I forgot I'd even eaten the beef. Pricey (almost $12 for the small sandwich, sausage and a soda), but I will return for another sausage! read more

Italian beef has traditionally been an iffy food for me. I've had good and bad, but usually it's just "meh;" which is the experience I had with Al's. Not bad, but not exactly good. If you get the Italian beef, I highly suggest getting peppers and cheese for moisture and flavor that would otherwise be lacking. The fries are phenomenal! Freshly cut on site, they are perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are already seasoned so you don't need ketchup unless that's just how you roll. The place is really clean, including the bathrooms. The dining room was really warm when we were in and it got progressively hotter towards the kitchen. It wasn't like a warm, "we're just cooking" kind of hot; it was more like fiery damnation hot. I legitimately felt bad for the kitchen staff! Will probably stop in again, but I think I'll go for a dog and fries next time. read more

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Super disappointed. I live in Oaklawn so we had to decide whether to drive downtown or save 15-20 mins by going to Tinley. I should have stuck to my instincts and gone to Taylor or Ontario. While service was quick, they didn't put much effort in making my actual order. I didn't check the food before I left and I kind of regret that now. I usually like to trust it and just gtfo of there. I ordered a beef, dipped. It was on the receipt so didn't think there would be any issue. As soon as I opened the beef, internally I started sobbing, uncontrollably. I threw myself to the ground kicking and screaming (not really) because I seen a whiteness in my bread. It was dry. Not dipped, which is a deal breaker for me and ruined my meal. + French fries were abnormally soggy with grease. Absolutely no salt. It was as if they didn't shake them out enough (which makes sense as to why there was no salt) I knew the ride home would sog the fries but this was more than that. I was able to salvage them. Patted them down with paper towels and toasted them in the oven a bit to get my crunch back. Too much work and emotional distress for the price I paid to have them make it. My side of cheese was good. My Coke was good. Anyway, it's safe to say this location needs improvement. Long story short: ALWAYS DIP THE BEEF, GUYS! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SHAKE AND SALT YOUR FRIES!! read more

Al's Beef - I asked for my beef dipped!!! Seeing white bread = Disappointed - Sandwiches Near Me - Tinley Park, Illinois

Ordered a Big Beef sandwich today and was expecting a bigger than the regular beef sandwich. Bad assumption on my part. I didn't know if it was a bigger sandwich with more bread or just extra meat. This sandwich didn't look any bigger than a standard beef, in fact the bread seemed like the same size and it less meat than a regular beef. The first bite was almost all bread... Very disappointing. read more