can't go wrong with an authentic chicago beef sandwich (and yes, make sure you get it wet). service was quick and easy, and the ambiance was your classic fast-dining joint vibe, perfect for grabbing a quick bite on the go. the sandwich absolutely lived up to the hype and is definitely something you have to try if you're not a chicago native. simple, flavorful, messy in the best way, and super satisfying. will absolutely be returning! no pics cause the phone did not eat first haha i could not wait read more

No food pics before we threw our Italian beefs away. The worst I've ever had . We went here directly from the airport when we touchdown in Chicago and that was the worst mistake we made. We should've just stuck with Portillo's. read more

See all

Would've given 3.5 stars if I could. I think it's highly dependent on what you get. If you get a sandwich, I'd round up to 4 stars. If you get one of the equivalents of loaded fries, I'd go 3 stars. And the only reason for that being the portions. I think you get your value for the sandwich, but not for the other. The beef itself is decent though, regardless of how you get it served. read more

See all

I can't wait to get back here. The big beef sandwich with peppers & dipped was phenomenal. I didn't want to share. I'll definitely be back!

GOT BEEF? If you have beef wth this restaurant, it's a good thing! Sandwiches stuffed with heaps of meat and other fixings piled into a French-type bread roll. The meat is slighty greasy, in a good way, keeping the moisture in the meat. The bread is thick and a little chewy to give it a nice bite. I got my sandwich not "dipped". Dipped consists of the whole sandwich being dunked in the au jus. The sandwich is doused with flavor but the b read also becomes very soggy. I didn't opt for soggy bread, I'm not practicing for the Nathan's Hot Dog-eating contest. In other regions of the country, this form of sandwiches are call Subs, submarine sandwich, hoagie, hero, grinder, spuckie, po' boy. No matter where you are from, you can call it good eats! read more

See all

Absolutely incredible Chicago dog! My first one but I must say it was delicious. Also cheap. I think this plus fries was around $7. read more

See all

It is one of the best places in Chicago to get an Italian beef sandwich and a Chicago hot dog. The service was very quick and the staff was very nice and friendly. It's a small place, so seating is limited, but there was a counter area and a small patio area to sit as well. I personally think the small restaurants are the best places to go, they always have the best food. I will be back next time I am in town. read more

See all

mmm my dog and fries were perfect for thinking time. ate in silence. dog and fries do enough sweet talking. glory and power. dreams and shooting stars. lilo and stitch. read more

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

See all

Ohmygoodness. Where to begin? The impossible burger was red in the middle. I know it's not meat, but it should be cooked all the way through. I literally took it apart to cook the burger on the stove. The fries & cheese sauce had zero taste. How can fries taste like nothing?? All their desserts (cookies, rice crispy treats, brownies) are not using butter. They are clearly using some cheap canola oil. Again, they all taste like nothing. Desserts should be sweet, right? Awful. Just awful. Oh, how far you've fallen, Al's. read more

My boyfriend and I ordered from Grubhub. He loves Al's. I don't. You'll learn why. Typically the burgers are overcooked. I wrote a note to assuage that concern. I never considered for one moment that they'd send slop! I couldn't even enjoy my food, thinking about pigs at troughs and I suppose Al's identified me as one of them! read more

See all

Good food Was in town for family and wanted to show my daughter and son in law a good Chicago beef. It was good but a little on small side I grew up on buffos in highwood and comparing the two buffos is a five so can't give this a five but would recommend it if you are in Chicago read more

Favorite Italian beef in the city. I love how they make there giardineria peppers and of course it's fast. The fries are fresh cut but greasy. They're OK, but a little nacho cheese makes them better. You're welcome. read more

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

I came here after a full day of moving and unloading boxes, and this place did not disappoint. The service was really fast, and the sandwich was amazing. I'll definitely be coming back when I need a large but fast meal. read more

Loved it. Wanted an Italian beef and a Chicago dog and the Italian beef was top notch! Pretty busy after the game but they had it down to a science. Service was super friendly for how busy it was. This was can't miss. read more

The food was great The customer service was good I would definitely eat the food again read more

See all

The Italian beef was just okay overall. The flavor was decent, but the meat was a bit dry, and it's definitely not close to the classic Italian beef you'd find in Chicago. I also wish the peppers had more heat. The service is friendly and quick, which is great, especially late at night. Just keep in mind that you can't eat inside late night, and the interior itself is pretty underwhelming and very old-school diner vibes. That said, it's still a solid late-night bite after going out. If you're grabbing it to-go, make sure to ask for the dipping sauce on the side so it doesn't get super soggy by the time you get home. read more

it was for chicago Italian beef it was ok. a good solid average middle ground. The bread was soft and the beef juicy. the service here was good. The street parking was plentiful. read more

See all

I ordered a regular Italian beef sandwich not dipped with hot peppers and provolone. The sandwich was soft and easy to eat. The meat was thinly sliced and had a unique taste. This was my first time trying this style of sandwich and I am happy that I stopped at this place. If you are in the area I recommend stopping here . read more

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

Great spot to stop in for some authentic Chicago food on the go. I got the Beef and Sausage sandwich Dipped, hit the spot for sure. Would go again for sure, good vibes in the shop too. read more

Al's Beef - Beef + Sausage Combo - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped in literally 40 min before a 1:20pm Cubs game. First time here, been wanting to try it. Old school looking building. A few patio tables outside. A few tables inside. There's a pad to place tour order, l imagine when it gets busty. Today, they took our order at the register. Self serve pop and ketchup station. Also had cafeteria style trays and ketchup dispenser. It was a nice day so we ate outside. Our order came up faster than we thought-BONUS! I ordered the #1- Hot Italian beef, pop and fries. (I'm from MI so it is pop!) Hubby ordered the same, but Sweet, i.e., mild. The giardinara was perfect! Hot in flavor, but not burning your nose hairs. It was wet (dipped in the beef juices) so be careful what you wear! The beef was perfectly cooked and chopped up nicely so l did not have long pieces hanging out of my mouth. Fries looked wimpy, but were hot, salty and not as wimpy as they looked, really good. Get a lot of napkins, those WERE wimpy! Highly recommend! read more

See all

Another incomplete order, don't bother adding cheese to your sandwich, they'll charge you for it, but won't put it on your sandwich. Plenty of other beef joints that are honest with their customers. read more

The Italian beef was incredible. Great flavor, great bread and tender meat. I'd gain 50 lbs if I lived anywhere near that place. read more

See all

I just moved back and took a friend here after 8 years away. This place is a disaster now. The quality is gone. No giardiniera, just some weird fake version. The beef was dry, the bread was mush, and it tasted like nobody cared. The most upsetting thing was that they kicked us out because it was "after hours" so we ate in the rain with a soggy mess. I hate it. A key part of the Chicago experience is eating it standing at a counter. Don't bother. read more

Iconic spot in Wrigleyville. I got the hot peppers with provolone on the combo with a side of gravy. Super rich and salty but tasty. Wish they put more hot peppers on there but overall it was good. I got Grubhub pick up and pick up was very fast. read more

came here with many friends at their recommendation. I got the #1 (Italian beef, wet) with small fries and a drink and I updated my sandwich to have peppers per the cashier's recommendation as that is how he eats it. Definitely recommend the peppers!! Italian beef sandwich 4.5/5; I've never tried an Italian beef sandwich before but the meat was very juicy and seasoned well and the peppers added a nice spicy kick to it There is limited indoor and outdoor seating but there were about 9 of us in a group and we managed to snag an outdoor spot on a Saturday night ! read more

I wish 3.5 stars was a possibility. This was my first experience with Al's Beef, my family and I were in town, and were looking for someplace to eat. When we walked in, we were hit with the most delicious smell of food cooking, and we thought for sure that we were in for a treat. I decided on the regular beef, wet, with sweet peppers and a side of hot giardiniera. We also ordered fries and a drink. Our family ordered the beef sandwiches with cheese and fries as well. I was disappointed in the sandwich, the flavors were flat, I'm so glad we ordered sweet peppers, since there wasn't much going on there. Our family got theirs with cheese, and they seemed to like it more. The hot giardiniera seemed like it was mostly celery and not very good. We thoroughly enjoyed the fries, though. The service was good and the food was made quickly. That's why I wish I could leave 3.5 stars, since the fries and service were good, but the Italian beef was just boring. I've had Italian beef sandwiches before (at Portillo's and at Wrigleyfield, and they were both better than this one). read more

See all

As a big fan of Philly cheese steaks, and Portillos... this was fantastic. I got mine dipped with onions and it was delicious. The giardiniera Al's uses is great with the beef & fries. The people are very chill and the service is very fast. I like how they are open late, until 3am most nights. This could easily serve as a meal for dinner or a snack after the bar. Super close walk from Wrigleyville, and the shop has a lot of history memorabilia in the back. It feels pretty vintage in here, almost like you're in a movie. A the regular beef is perfect by itself, but I will totally order the fries with cheese next time. Definitely recommend! read more

Al's Beef - Regular Beef, Dipped with Onions. - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is open late, there's no seating in the late hours so you can only take your items to go. The fries were so delicious it didn't make it home. The Italian beef was good, I probably should have gotten the bigger size. read more

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

Traveling through Chicago and decided to try Al's and it was amazing. Staff was very friendly and food was ready within minutes. read more

See all

Al's Beef was briefly featured on Somebody Feed Phil, Season 3 Chicago, and it looked good! And it almost lived up to expectations, almost! Just know there is no atmosphere here and very little seating we were stuck standing and eating at the window counter. Guys working there were Chicago-Friendly enough. Bad news first...the $7 Chicago Dog was good but way overpriced. The dog itself was rather small. Portillo's $4.30 Chicago Dog was the same quality, but bigger and cheaper. My buddy got the Polish Chicago which was much bigger, and he loved it. $8 Italian Beef sandwich, regular sized...now this lived up to expectations! Despite being the smallest sized, this sandwich was packed beef and drenched in the au jus, with hot and sweet peppers. So meaty, juicy, and delicious! $3 fries...best fries in Chicago? Super crispy, but still soft on inside. Do they double deep fry these like the Belgian Frites? So awesome! read more

My favorite Italian beef! I really don't care for beef sandwiches but this one!!! Definitely the best! read more

I don't have an als the area I live in Tony's Italian beef is great but when I am on Taylor Street Al's it's definitely a stop no doubt about it with the fries and the gardener an extra juicy and a small cup of gravy to go great beef read more

Food was terrible and the price are very high I would not recommend this place at all

Just like any other Al's Beef. Great place to get a beef or a hot dog before heading out to Wrigley. Customer service is good. They greet you, charge you, make your food and call out your number. Very simple and the food is fairly priced. Although a little higher than most. My son ordered their hot dog. It comes with all the traditional fixings, tomato, pickle, mustard, sport peppers, onions and celery salt. The dog had a nice snap. Can never go wrong with a hot dog. I ordered an Italian beef sandwich, dipped with hot peppers. Al's makes one of the best tasting beers in the city. I like when you say wet, and they give you this soggy ass bread full of the best juices. The beef has so much flavor and I love their hot peppers. Al's is definitely on my Italian beef rotation. read more

See all

Al's Beef gives me nostalgia of the old days of Maxwell Street. Surprisingly I have ever been to Al's Beef before even though I've walked past this location for years. I'm not a huge Italian beef fan so I assumed that's what they main do, which they are known for their Italian beefs but they also offer a few more items. Anytime I can get a classic Maxwell Street polish I jump at it enthusiastically. During my visit I ordered the classic polish meal and it came out to under $10 which isn't surprising for the area. After ordering the food it didn't take too long for the food to come out, 10 minutes or less. When I first got my meal the polish was disappointingly small. I know times are hard but I really thought they were reducing the size of the polish. But I discovered after opening the wrapper that it was a hotdog instead of a polish. That was a relief while also slightly annoying when you are at prime hunger stage. I brought the hotdog to the employee at the pickup area and he quickly took the hotdog and got to work on my correct order. He was apologetic and friendly. My corrected order came out quicker than the original meal which was a plus. Unsurprisingly the sausage was delicious! I loved the freshness of the polish and the grilled onions were oh so good. The fries that came with the meal were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Those are my favorite type of fries. They are currently offering indoor dining so I was able to take advantage of getting out of the cold. They offer roughly six mini tables but they are paired off close together so it roughly three places to sit. When I visited it wasn't too busy so I felt comfortable but as I was wrapping up it got busy. The mask usage or properly wearing of masks wasn't as high as I normally would feel comfortable with for customers and employees. read more

See all

Al's Beef is the quintessential Chicago hot dog/beef stand combined with a mini chain vibe. There's several locations around the city and they all offer the same delicious food with a location twist. This one happens to be in Wrigleyville which is both convenient after the game as well as can result in long waits. This time I was in and out within a few minutes. The sandwich was good and portioned decently. The price point is a bit high compared to some of the smaller places but that comes with the "Al's Beef name". The staff is a bit short handed and understandably brisk but overall efficient. Yet another good experience at Al's! read more

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

really yummy beef and super yummy fries definitely recommend, good price too will be back !! read more

Business hours say open until 3am Stoped by after Cubs game at 10pm, chairs on top of tables, bathrooms closed & got kicked out of eating in door way. Business hours should read take our only after 10pm. Will not return. read more

Al's Beef - Got here at 10:20, all chairs up o top on tables & bathrooms closed ? - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you've never had an Italian beef sandwich, I highly recommend getting one from here. Just ignore any place that isn't Aman Al's. After trying one the other day (from the restaurant that will not be mentioned in this review), this one is 10 times better. The other restaurant sandwich was a dry flavorless mistake - here it was a hot, juicy, delicious meal. See the photo of my Italian beef spicy wet sandwich. This small shop was really clean, everyone was friendly and the owner/Mgr stopped by and chatted for a bit. read more

See all

$15 for a 6 inch beef really isn't worth the 5 bites. The quality and quantity is not worth the price.