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 dishes: Chicago hot dog, Italian beef sandwich, Chocolate cake shake
Must 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.
Address: 100 W Ontario St, Chicago, IL 60610
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.
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.
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.
