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 dishes: Italian beef dipped, Cheesy beef
Must 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.
Address: 1079 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607
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.
Superdawg in Chicago is the 1948 Norwood Park drive-in on Milwaukee Avenue, with car-hop service and a pair of giant Superdawg-and-Maurie figurines on the roof.
Signature: Superdawg with everything, Crinkle fries
Order: Superdawg with everything (mustard, relish, onion, sport peppers, pickle, fries inside the box).
Tip: Use the car-hop. It is the same price as the counter and the experience is the point.
The Wieners Circle in Chicago is the Lincoln Park late-night hot dog counter on Clark Street, open since 1983, famous for the staff-and-customer banter past 02:00.
Signature: Char dog, Chocolate milkshake
Order: Char dog with everything; cheese fries on the side. A chocolate milkshake to walk home.
Tip: The shouting is the show. If you are not up for the banter, the daytime queue is exactly the same dog without the audience.
Gene & Jude's in River Grove is the 1946 hot-dog stand on River Road, west of Chicago: no ketchup, no tomato, no cheese, no chairs, just dogs, fries and drinks.
Signature: Hot dog with everything (no tomato, no cheese)
Order: Double dog with the works (mustard, relish, onion, sport pepper) and the hand-cut fries.
Tip: Fries are tucked into the same paper as the dog. Eat them off the dog as you go, that is the point of the design.
Big Star in Chicago is the One Off Hospitality taco room at Six Corners on Damen, with an outdoor patio, a frozen margarita machine and tacos al pastor on a trompo.
Signature: Al pastor taco, Frozen margarita
Order: Three al pastor tacos, a frozen margarita, chips with the smoky tomato salsa.
Tip: The patio queue is long in summer. The walk-up window pays out a perfectly good takeaway dinner in five minutes.
La Chaparrita in Chicago is the Little Village taqueria off 26th Street with handmade-tortilla tacos from a small storefront counter, run by the Loera family.
Signature: Suadero taco, Tripa taco
Order: Suadero and tripa tacos, with a sip of agua de jamaica.
Tip: Cash only. The salsas at the counter are unmarked; ask which is the hottest and start there.
