Yummy!!! This place is delicious! My husband and I first saw it on the TV show Man V Food, and decided to try it out. Wow, what a great surprise. Many people may be turned off by the fact that it is dipped in the juices, but it doesn't make the bread soggy, it makes it chewy and adds a ton of flavor! I cannot wait to go back to Chicago and eat here because it is truly a gem! read more

Al's Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Beef had serious potential, if it wasn't bland. Tasted old, so a fresh batch probably would have helped. Hot peppers added a bit to the taste to make up for it. Service with a snarl definitely wasn't happy we were there. Cashier cut me off in the middle of my unfinished order to tell me my total, and the receipt tells you that if you don't finish eating in 15 minutes, you're getting towed. Holy cow! read more

Cool ambience within Little Italy. The Big Beef was enjoyable but I was expecting the beef to taste better than it did. Perhaps seasoned better? I guess I was expecting something more memorable. I got mine "dipped," which just means they dip it in the beef broth. The bun remained composed and didn't fall apart. Overall, just "meh." You can find better tasting beef if you do it yourself. I would come back though, but perhaps give something else on the menu a try. read more

Al's Beef - Big Beef, Dipped - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I give Al's 5 stars. We came here while visiting town from New York and it was everything we could have hoped for with a typical hole in the wall type feel. The big beef sandwich, hot dogs, and fries were great. Highly recommend. read more

Wanted to try AL's because it's the original but I was not impressed at all . Italian beef was small and dry . We asked for American cheese and for it to be dipped and it wasn't NOT RECOMMENDED read more

For those of us who have traveled beyond the limits of the great Wind City and cannot get a good Italian beef sandwich, Al's is always a must stop place when we return to the city. I love the fact that you can get a humongous sandwich with tons of beef, have it dipped and enjoy the thing with some fries and a pop. Al's never disappoints. We always come back with great expectations and leave fully satisfied! read more

Pros: the best Italian beef in town, fast service Cons: no dine in (well they have a long table with no seats), a bit pricey- a regular Italian beef measuring about 5-6 inches will cost you $5.50+tax Must have: check duhhhhh establishment name!!! GET THE BEEF! Al's (Italian) Beef. They only have like 6 items on their menu. Don't die without ever eating at Al's! read more

Italian Beef Crawl Stop #3: Al's #1 Italian Beef One of Chicago's most beloved beefs, Al's carries acclaim and accolades for their version of the Chicago classic. I've never quite fallen in love with Al's despite trying my hand at this beef more than once. The beef gods answered the call this round and delivered a soaking dripping beef. Unwrapping the layers upon layers of paper I was much please to discover that each subsequent layer was more and more soaked. Al's doesn't have a lot of spice or kick to their house giardiniera but what it lakes in heat, it makes up in pure juicy deliciousness. This beef was soaked and the bread became one with the meat or the ideal level of sogginess. Once in awhile you'll get bread that's too soaked, leaving it unable to hold any beef at which point you're left holding hunks of beef. Al's can hold its ground, but the peppers do not stand up against the elite beefs of the city. read more

Al's Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The original Al's. If your going to go why not go to the original? I got a big Italian Beef, with HOT peppers of course. I didnt think it was very hot, but it was still delicious. The default is to get it dipped once in the yummy juice... I almost asked for a double dip but happy I didnt because this thing was super wet!! Shared some fries with my friends too, very good fries with the skin still on em. There are no chairs/tables inside, just ledges to eat off of. Great hole in the wall blue collar feel. There are some picnic benches outside too if you really must sit. mmm I just went here for lunch and I want to go back for dinner!! oh yeah, CASH ONLY. So hit an ATM before!! I am lucky I actually had money on me. read more

Al's Beef - Lunchtime! - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The sausage and beef are pretty good, but this place is filthy! The people inside are rude and totally unwilling to do the smallest thing like do a sausage extra brown even though they have no other customers. No seating except a couple picnic tables outside and a few bar stools. No restrooms to even wash your hands after a messy sandwich. There are much better beef places in the city!. read more

Al's beef is highly overrated and highly priced they charge you.83 cents to dip your beef then another 1.66 for hot peppers so now for two sandwiches my total came to 28.08 that's ridiculous never again I will make my own beefBig Beef Sandwich read more

Pricey. Yes it's a good sandwich but it's pricey. Once in a while seems fine. I am not sure I would go back.

Mediocre at best. Being from Philly, these sandwiches don't come close to what you get when eating a cheesesteak.

Where's the Beef? Long gone... I've been a fan of Al's for 10 plus years.. Today I stopped by the Taylor st location and ordered a #1, beef fries and drink $15 plus change. The sandwich was none existent.. Their prices have gone up considerably and the size of the sandwich has shrunk to four bites.. Literally.. four freaking bites.. the smallest beef sandwich I've ever seen. I took it inside and asked what happened to the sandwich.. Their response was that's a small. Like I said.. Iv'e been eating their beef every week for at least 10 years and I've never seen one this small... I'm done with Al's.. never again.. taking my business elsewhere.. read more

We were visiting Chiacgo, walking randomly and very hungry and ran into this place. I checked out the reviews and decided to try it. I got Al's beef sandwich, it comes in 2 sizes small and a large. Small is about $7 . Added in hot peppers which costs extra and got a small fries. Fries were good, kind of weird there was no ketchup stand for eating in. There are only seats outside, inside you have to stand. The sandwich was a decent sized for small, good amount of meat in it. However it was so so so greasy. It was wrapped twice in paper and both were completely soaked with grease. The sandwich and bread was drenched in grease. Too much. The beef was ok also, nothing special especially for price. read more

Every so often you want a meal that fills you up and leaves you feeling like a sinner. Italian Double Beef dipped in the sauce here will do just that. Yeah, it tastes pretty good, You should probably only have half a sandwich and water, but some times we make bad choices like getting the full sandwich, fires, and a soda. I have made this mistake. My heart did not stop, but I would not have blamed it if it had just quite and said screw you. read more

Poor service bought two pounds of beef loafs of bread fries n bag rips as soon as I step in my car went back n manager gives me another bag n said throw the other bag away gives me a dirty look n walks away what an a$$ read more

went to this place last saturday. after seeing the place in the food networks man vs food, we just had to try. i had the italian beef with hot peppers (no dip) and it was excellent. good italian bread, very tender and flavorful beef, and the hot pepper gives it a little kick. the wife swears the dipped is much better. read more

This Place Is Definitely Overhyped & Overpriced. I've Always Wanted To Try Them Out But I'm Disappointed The Beef's Has No Flavor. The Fries Were Good & The Customer Service Was Pretty Good Too. read more

First time trying Al's beef. Ordered the combo sandwich and asked for it dry with gravy on the side.They gave it to us wet/soggy. Went back inside to ask for a new one and we were told no and that it was just the juice from the meat. Disappointing experience and customer service. read more

I've intended to post this testimonial for quite sometime, it has been a little over 30 years since I first stepped into Al's #1 on Taylor Street. I've been a frequent visitor over the years, stopped in last night on our way to the Boat Show, captured some fresh photos and here we go. Of all the things to see or do in this great city, the experience of enjoying an Italian Beef from Al's should be near the top of your list. And of course if you live here you have the enviable luxury of having easy access to great Italian Beefs in just about every neighborhood. Al's has several other locations but there is nothing like the experience at this historic Taylor Street location. Legend has it that this is where the original was invented. The city offers many other fantastic Italian Beef options but without a doubt Al's is the best you will find anywhere. This establishment also produces some outstanding French Fries, consistency can slip from time to time but when they are on these French Fries are an incredibly crispy delight. read more

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Skimpy beef sandwich. You would think when you pay $11 for a "Big Beef" it would have a little more beef. To be honest I was kind of let down. I mean the beef tasted very good, but I can't overlook the small amount of meat. Usually when I buy a beef, the bag has some weight to it. While carrying this sandwich into my car I noticed it was kind of light. I'm a Chicago native and I have had most of the famous beef this city is known for and when you unwrap that thing it's supposed to be bursting with beef. The beef to bread ratio should be 2:1 at least not the other way around. I don't know if it's just this location or that they started to enforce portion control since they became a franchise. Either way I got to pass. read more

Al's Beef - "Big Beef" - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great late night spot. Get the Italian Beef sandwich! Beef is tender and juicy, and the spices are just right! Cash only. Super greasy. read more

Al's Beef - #1 - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So this is the place where the Italian beef was born. I've eaten at a few Al's and this one takes the cake. Ordered the Big Beef. I did think it was a little bigger but I'm not complaining because it was spectacular. Stuffed with beef, sweet and hot peppers. Soaked in the delicious gravy. My mom ordered the gypsy fries which is their hand cut fries with I think is cheese sauce and hot peppers and beef. This will be the only Al's I go to from now on. read more

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Whenever I'm in Chicago I always try to stop in ALWAYS delicious beef and peppers. Great fries. Gotten pricey but well worth it read more

Al's Beef - Beef w/ peppers - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's a good tasting beef but the fries suck and the owner is a jagoff. The guy weighs like 400 pounds. Cheap bastard read more

I didn't like it very much, the sandwich was kind of nasty. I got the Beef soaked in gravy, was pretty nasty. Just the flavor was funny, was greasy like I was eating a slab of grease with a funny flavor. The sausage they got here is average at best and the best thing I have tried. Sandwich tasted funny and stuff. Felt like a stomach was going to come on, left a funny flavor in my mouth. Sandwich looks good on paper, but man eating is another story. Didn't care for the Sandwich. read more

It's been a while since I've visited Al's but I was not disappointed .The beef is pretty good plenty of meat very tasty. Fries were delicious and fresh. read more

Al's Beef - Al's big beef & fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Saw this on one of the food network shows (adam richman?) and husband decided it was non-negotiable on our trip to chitown. He said it was one of the best things he's ever had. They dip the whole sandwich in the jardiniere! That's not really my thing - but the cheese fries were awesome and the hot dog was good too. I liked the divey atmosphere. Being from Pittsburgh, I kinda feel like Al's is the equivalent of primanti brothers for us. Good times! read more

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If I could give this place ZERO stars I would! I used to eat at this location all of the time when I was younger. First, the prices have gone through the roof! I was charged $20 for a beef, fries, and diet soda. The beef was so tough I could've chew it! The fries were flavorless, except for the burned oil they were cooked in. It was so bad, after one bite I went in and asked for a manager, that is when I met Oscar, the manager. This man asked what was wrong and when I told him he assured me that it was the same recipe for the last 40 years or so- I had no idea it was also the same beef (Yes it was THAT bad). He then asked if I had ever eaten a beef sandwich BEFORE! I am a Chicago native and have eaten them my whole life, from this location too! He was beyond useless and rather insulting. Makes me miss the days when Big Al was behind the counter! AVOID this place unless you have a lot of money to spend on horrible food, and please don't judge Chicago by the level of beef this police has fallen to. I will NEVER come back! Just dawned on me, this place only accepts cash, now I know why- they never have to give any back, no matter how poorly they treat the customer... pretty sad when a beef from ANY other establishment is leagues better than this Chicago institution! Also, NO bathrooms and they got rid of indoor seating. read more

.. I would say ManVsFood over-rated it! Pros: The beef was nice, the peppers were good, Fries were GREAT, BUT ... Cons: - the soaked break wasn't as good as it looked like - No Service at all - no seating - expensive (in comparison) Worth the visit? YES, but a 1 time thing. Maybe the next time I'll try it DRY! read more

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I ordered the Italian beef & fries. The beef was delicious!!! The customer service was slight rude but everyone has their bad day I guess

Employees were far from welcoming & personable. They honestly just seem like they hate working there. I asked to use hand sanitizer after handing them cash and they refused to share the giant container laying on the other side of the counter. I paid for hot peppers and cheese on a dipped sub combo. Only received a dipped sub, no cheese or peppers. For $15 I expected a much tastier meal. Place is not what it used to be! read more

I dont get the hype. The meat isn't great and it's me honestly inedible. The sausage was decent but the guy didn't even tell us we had a choice of sweet or spicy. The guy who took out order had no personality and seemed annoyed to be there. Never again read more

Taylor street Al's beef not worth the buck. Ordered 3 of their "best value" beef sandwich for $9.80 each, dipped. When we got home and unwrapped the sandwiches, we were unpleasantly surprised at how little beef was actually in the dipped gravy bread. When I called to speak with their manager, Anthony, he keep me on the phone so he could review the video tape to confirm I was in the restaurant and my receipt number. Once confirmed he said the cook from the kitchen was helping out in front. He reviewed the portion of beef that was added and confirmed that was the correct amount. When I asked how that was the "best value", he responded that the bread was larger. I responded that I didn't pay $9.80 for a gravy bread. He said when they dip the sandwich, because the beef is so thin, it soaks into the bread, HUH?? read more

So juicy, tender, and amazing. A staple of Chicago. Hands down. Italian Beef Sandwich dunked with sweet peppers and American cheese!!!

Warning: CASH ONLY! There are no visible signs outside, no signs walking in, no signs at the order area, not until the cashier does it say "to keep prices low, we accept cash only". They do have an ATM inside but that's not even worth it, paying an extra $2 to withdraw. Extra side note: They don't use real cheese, it's all liquid artificial; Places looks dingy. read more

Went to Al's tonight to pick up "lunch" while at work. Nobody was really satisfied with their order. Beef was barely okay. They were out of mozzarella cheese not that it makes much of a difference, it wouldn't have improved the sandwich. How do you run out of mozzarella??? I'm only rating my sandwich here. I asked for dipped and the bread was hardly wet, the beef wasn't worth it. I got the larger sandwich and good thing I did because they went cheap on the beef. There weren't any slices only shreds. You get more at Portillo's and it tastes 10 times better. I remember when Al's used to be the best it's terrible now. I guess the only time the pile on the beef is if's it for a TV show. Save your money and go to Portillo's. read more

Al's Beef - Here's the [lack of] beef sandwich! - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Is this stuff even considered edible!?!?! If the American Heart Association got a hold of one of Al's Italian Beef Sandwich, I would no doubt that this sandwich would replace Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo as being the worst food for your heart! In all seriousness, people can actually swallow this stuff!?!? Pros: - None! Except if you're looking for Cardiac Arrest! Cons: - Restaurant is extremely dirty - The staff can't take an order right - The food is cold - The sandwich bread is best described as an oil sponge - Oil seepage from the food alone will rip through Kevlar! - Sodium Poisoning! Overdosed with salt! - Did I mention the excess oil? In all honesty, I can't imagine anyone being able to stomach one of these sandwiches! When first unwrapping the sandwich, I attempted to pick up the consumable and found that my hands were smothered in oil. The bread had literally absorbed all of the oil from the sandwich and could hold no more. The wrapping itself became see through after about 2 minutes of being placed in it! I tried about one bite of the Beef and Sausage combo and wanted to kill myself. Me thinks eating 2 tablespoons of butter is healthier than this stuff!!! What's a matter with you, Al!?!?! Did you have a triple bypass and hate the world so much that you want to relinquish it on everyone!?!? You must be into S&M! There was no saving grace about the food served at this restaurant. It will kill you! It will make you want to kill yourself! You'll be begging for a stomach pump! Did I mention I threw up on several occasions after taking just 2-3 bites? And this is with me throwing away the bread! Simply put... Al's Italian Beef = Suicide Method # Whatever... This restaurant should make anyone go vegetarian! read more

What a shame.. This joint has suffered the same demise as Mr. Beef! Basically using their name to sell very marginal food at CRAZY Prices. I paid $8 for literally half of an Italian Beef! Ok.. They do this "Big Beef" on the menu for like $10.50 but it's a scam/ same size as a normal Italian beef at Portillos or Freddie's. Order a BIG BEEF at those places and that's what you get! The beef is fine but the "Hot Giardiniera" was absolutely PATHETIC/ ruined the sandwich. Think diced up celery in red oil.. No Serrano Peppers, Carrots.. Nothing! Inside of the place is a total dump & they don't even have a public bathroom. The topper was they gave me 3 small napkins.. the kind you get with an ice cream cone! As you can see from the other reviews, a BIG BEEF/ Fries/ Coke is like $18?? Do yourself a favor and go to Freddie's, J&C Inn or Portillo's and skip this joint! It's sad.. Get dat did read more