Thin-sliced roast beef on Gonnella French bread, ladled with peppery jus, finished with sweet peppers or giardiniera. Dipped wet is the canonical order.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
The Italian beef sandwich was invented in Chicago in the 1930s among Italian-American workers in the Taylor Street neighbourhood, who stretched cheap roast beef by slicing it paper-thin and serving it on jus-soaked bread. The Ferrari, Pacelli and Cingari families each claim a piece of the origin story. Al's Beef opened in 1938 on Taylor Street; Mr. Beef on Orleans, in River North, became the cabbie favourite a generation later. The 2022 FX series The Bear made the sandwich an international object, but inside the city it has always been a 4pm-after-work staple. Hot (with spicy giardiniera) or sweet (with bell peppers) is the first decision; dry, wet or dipped is the second.
Common allergens: Gluten
Tip from the editors. If you don't have a slicer, freeze the cooked rested beef for 45 minutes before slicing. It firms up and slices much thinner.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Mr. Beef on Orleans in Chicago is the no-frills Italian-beef counter that inspired The Bear, opened by Joe Zucchero in 1979, with a sandwich line out past the kerb.
Signature: Italian beef dipped, hot peppers, Italian sausage combo
Order: Italian beef, dipped, hot peppers. The combo if you want sausage on top.
Tip: Cash only and counter only. Closes by 16:30 on weekdays, earlier on weekends.
Al's Beef on Taylor Street in Chicago is the original 1938 storefront opened by Al Ferreri, the Italian-beef sandwich on Gonnella bread that defined the genre.
Signature: Italian beef dipped, Cheesy beef
Order: Italian beef, double-dipped, sweet peppers. A side of fries to mop the jus.
Tip: Eat standing at the counter with the lean-rail. The sandwich does not survive a sit-down booth structurally.
Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park is the suburban-edge Italian-beef counter on North Avenue since 1961, known for the combo (beef and sausage) and the Italian lemonade.
Signature: Italian beef combo, hot peppers, Italian lemonade
Order: Combo, dipped, hot peppers. Italian lemonade in the lemon-and-ice flavour, large.
Tip: Cash only. Two lines: one for sandwiches, one for Italian lemonade. They are not the same staff.
Portillo's in Chicago is the Ontario Street flagship of the chain founded 1963 by Dick Portillo, with Chicago hot dogs, Italian beef and the chocolate cake shake.
Signature: Chicago hot dog, Italian beef sandwich, Chocolate cake shake
Order: A Chicago dog, an Italian beef dipped, a small chocolate cake shake.
Tip: Drive-thru is faster than the counter. The chocolate cake shake is a chocolate shake with a slice of chocolate cake blended into the cup.
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