If you like Italian beef, this place is worth a visit. Not even close to the best beef in the Chicago area but for sure a Chicago institution because of the history, I have seen many great reviews from famous chiefs to top restaurants on Mr. Beef so I was excited to try it...starters this sandwich is small then or there places. A dipped italian beef sandwich is amazing when made proper. It Tasted like they dipped in water had really no flavor of the aju, the not so hot giardiniera was weak in flavor and the amount put on the sandwich, meat was okay kinda dry but the bread was soft and actually held up to the last bite...in my opinion the original Al's and johnnies in elmwood park is way more superior then Mr. Beef...but man does the place have a lot of character super hole in the wall. I wish the guy that took our order made my sandwich...I felt he would have put more love into the sandwich making...then the guy who actually made it...you can tell the order taker was straight from the south side super heavy accent and funny attitude. read more

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It's MR. BEEF! intellectual property law be damned. This place is a chicago classic. Jay Leno once ate one of these beefs on Letterman, shouting out "Mr.Beef on Orleans." Awesome beef sandwich with wonderfully seasoned gravy. There's nothing like a bite into that disintegrating Italian bread bun. Sweet or hot are both good. The giardinierra tastes very homemade. The fries are on the thin side but perfectly dark golden and crispy. Peanut oil maybe? The cheese sauce is in a league of its own. It has that deep cheddar flavor you'd expect from cheese spread (think fatsos or paradise pup). But it's thin and "dip-able" like regular cheese sauce. The decor is kinda charming. Very "old chicago". Complete with snarky instructions to customers and faded celebrity photos/newspaper clippings. Service is quick and generally polite. Be prepared to get messy! Don't worry they'll wipe the counter off when you're done. If you're only in Chicago for a short trip and only want beef, come here or Al's. But if you're with a pickier group and need more options/better quality non-beef items, try Portillos. read more

Simple and sweet - can't beat a sandwich for under $7. We came in on a later Friday afternoon and told us the credit card machine was down, lucky we barely had $7 in cash on us. Tried the Italian beef and opted for the sweet peppers. A good soft bread and freshly grilled meats made for a great pick me up to finish off our afternoon. read more

Mr. Beef - Inside - Fast Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's a hot dog joint. But you can almost never go wrong with Chicago classic menu items. I ordered thru uber eats which made my order double what it normally costs (no fault of theirs). What I didn't like was that 75% of my fries were burnt. A burnt fry here or there no big deal but no way who made this order didn't notice that all the fries they were putting in its bag was burnt. I'm not sitting there so they know I can't bring it back to the counter. Probably won't order again. The fries that aren't dark colored I can't even bite through read more

Mr. Beef - Fast Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've had better beef at home Depot. Everything else was okay. The Coca-Cola tastes like Coca-Cola. The french fries taste like french fries. The ketchup taste like ketchup read more

Mr. Beef - Here's a photo of the outside with me standing on the street - Fast Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This Town Has One Of The Best Treats To Offer And It Definitely Is Mr. Beef. Superior In Quality And Service For Decades. The Best Italian Beef In Chicago. "Mike" Is Top Notch In Customer Friendly Service. Absolutely A Staple In Chicago Food, Don't Pass This Up. Recently Travel Channel Just Filmed There And They Have Been Hailed In Hundreds Of Reviews. This Is Also A National Celebrity Stop. Check The Walls For Accolades. I Love This Place! read more

Went here after seeing reviews on yelp and YouTube. I loved the beef. My family was happy with their hot dogs and fries. Service was excellent. read more

Out of all the Italian beef spots in Chicago, this reigns supreme. The sandwich is perfection. Add hot peppers and it's a masterpiece. Go to order: Italian beef, dipped, add extra hot peppers. Throw in a side of crispy fries or fried mushrooms and you're set. My top Italian beefs in Chicago: 1. Mr Beef 2. Doghouse 3. Portillos 4. Als read more

I was visiting over the weekend from Houston, TX. I was thinking to visit another "Italian Beef" joint, but a friend who lives in Chicago suggested we go to Mr. Beef. It was definitely a treat. Not only was the food on point. But I started chatting with Sarah who took out order. Her service and suggestions for things to do for a tourist were just as good as the food. I will definitely visit Mr. Beef every time I'm in town. The picture was taken after I ate, you could see my happiness in my smile. Lol read more

Mr. Beef - Fast Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great tasting beef, straightforward restaurant no frills. In response to the bad reviews for charging for water. They do have a fairly large sign thats says they will give you a straw and advised to walk east until you get to Lake Michigan, haha! read more

What was once a Chicago Institution is now a shell of its former self, the only redeeming quality is the old celebrity pictures on the wall! Keep in mind they are old pictures from when it USED to be good. Back in the day when you walked in here at 11am there was a line/ now? Nobody was there? First off, the sandwich is half the size and double the price. The quality of the beef is good but the "Hot Giardinera" was total shit! Think tiny diced up celery pieces and no heat or flavor. Ruined the sandwich! To top it off the fries weren't cooked all the way and cold? Service could best be described as "cold" as well/ $30 for 3 tiny beefs with fries! Take your muney to J&C Inn on Van Buren for a real beef.. Get dat did read more

What an AMAZING device of gastric destruction. Chicago Yelp folks came through big time on this pick. So on the Friday after Turkey Day, we finally decided to try this staple of Chicago culinary bliss. Heeding the warning of fellow yelpers, we decided to park in O'Hare long-term parking and ride the blue line on the way into town. After much walking and sight seeing, we built the appetite of a neglected hippo. As soon as you come in you are greeted by a sign that is posted right next to the cooks. Be sure to read it. We ordered two Italian Beef's wet with peppers. This sandwich is coincidentally similar to a Louisiana style roast beef Po-Boy (coincidental because the locale is on "Orleans Ave"). Both sandwiches also share French Bread and when ordered "wet", the Italian Beef is extremely similar in texture. The sandwich isn't anything mind-blowing, but it absolutely pummels your taste buds with this home cooked hearty goodness. The meat is extremely juicy and flavorful. But the bread...............sigh........... the taste of home for me. The bread in this sandwich is BY FAR the most authentic French Bread I have ever had out of Louisiana. Take It from a chi-town outsider and please be sure to make this a part of your Chicago escapades. read more

Beef by the pound Beef by the pound... One of the best Italian Beef spots in the city. If you looking for a good Italian beef that simple, this is the spot. Run in and grab you one and fries and you are set to go. Beef is always juicy, sweet or hot peppers and the bread is delicious. And if you really like it, you can order their Italian beef by the pound to take home with you. I've done it before and they give you well enough beef and juice to almost recreate it at home. read more

I was really hoping this was a strip club. So imagine my dismay when I realized this was a freaking dumpy sandwich shop. It was even more of a letdown when I realized I dragged my vegetarian friend to an Italian beef shop (Oopsie!) with the word "Beef" in its name - which as I explained to her was basically a Philly cheese steak without the Philly or the cheese. But man, the food and experience more than made up for itself. The guy who takes the orders stepped right off the set of The Sopranos and repeated verbatim to his staff (who were just inches away) everything we had just ordered out loud. Efficiency, baby! We took our greasy subs loaded with sliced beef provolone and sweet peppers and headed for the "Elegant Dining Room" which transports you to a stunning ambiance of picnic tables, grimy walls and movie posters. Romantic. I love it. I take one dip of my french fry into my cheese sauce and am hooked. This is how you do it with street food in Chicago. My sandwich did not disappoint. And the Soprano guy took it a step further and (all impromptu-like) made my hunny a *special* veggie sandwich concoction with cheese and bell peppers. Awesome. At $20 for two, it's a little pricey for what it is, but worth it for the delicious food, experience and elegant dining room. Cash only. ATM on premises. read more

Guy taking orders today 9/7/2018 around 12:10pm .. he had a horrible horrible attitude !! Rude and distasteful appearance. Bring the girl back she was much better!! I walked out I refuse to ever give my money to a company with poor customer service! read more

Dude, What the heck is all the buzz about? This place is so boring and bland. They have a big bucket of unseasoned beef, they slap it on a bun and that's it. It's not that it's simple and good - it's just simple and boring. I hate to say it but portillo's is a few blocks away and is lightyears better. read more

After 16 hours of flying home from Dubai, I was craving a slice of home. I landed at 9:40 AM and at 12:15 PM I was sitting at Mr. Beef's giant picnic table housing some deliciousness. I didn't want a combo, but because of the lack of pork in the Emirates I decided to order a sausage on the side to satisfy my pork craving. The beef as usual was tender and well seasoned. I ordered mine wet with plenty of giardiniera. Mr. Beef does a great job and I knew I could count on them for a good ole fashion Chicago beef sandwich. The sausage was so so. The fries were delicious and much better than I remembered. I washed it all down with a Root Beer, which they also don't have in the Middle East. As always, the place was jam packed with businessmen, cops, and construction workers. The seating arrangement is ideal for the fare and it just felt like home. Is it ok to cry over a beef sandwich? I sure hope so. 1 Beef 1 Sausage on the Side 1 Fry 1 Root Beer --------------- $12.00 read more

I'm probably going to make a few enemies with this review. I'm guessing that if you took a pool of random Chicagoans, and asked them to name their favorite Italian beef joint, Mr. Beef would probably come out on top. Many of the local food critics routinely put Mr. Beef at the pinnacle of Italian beef-dom, and the place has built a strong reputation over many years of business. But I gotta tell you, while Mr. Beef's pretty good, it's far from the best around. On my visits, I've found the beef to be too much on the dry side, and I am not a fan of the fact that they mix the peppers directly into the beef (I like mine placed on separately, thank you very much). The location is most inconvenient, and it's kind of dirty (and I have a very high tolerance for dirt at my fast food joints). So, there you have it. Mr. Beef is an institution, so if you've never partaken, I think you should. As for me, I'll take my repeat business to Luke's or Portillo's. read more

Looking for a real Chicago beef sandwich? This is your place, hands down. The service is great and the food is even better. The juice from the beef soaks into the bread just enough. It doesn't fall apart on you and get too mushy, it is just right. The prices aren't bad either. On the weekends they are open until four or five which is nice for people like myself who have to eat after a night of drinking and debauchery. You can order your beef spicy or dipped. I don't like spice so I normally just go with dipped. Don't expect anything fancy here, this is no frills and cash only. They have an ATM is you don't have the cash on you so be prepared. The line also moves along quite fast so make sure you know what you want when it's your turn or people will give you a hard time. There is a counter that you can stand at as well as a more formal dining room but nothing in here is meant to do anything but serve a functional purpose. Most of the time, I get my meal in less than a minute and that works for me! read more

The freshest Italian beef taste in Chicago. You'll know what I'm talking about if you've been to the other Chicago favorites. It still looks like how you remember it from back in the day, with the room-length communal long table in the side room. The service is friendly and quick, just what you need for the lunch hour. Have your lingo down to expedite: wet/dry, hot/mild, fries and your choice of drink--that's it. Oh, and no bathrooms. read more

Mr. Beef - Finish him! - Fast Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been to Mr. Beef on Orleans about a half dozen times over the years and I think my most recent visit will be my last. There is just better beef to be had in (and around) the City, imo. Their's isn't necessarily bad, a bit above average, but why get average when you can get great at Al's, Johnnie's, Paradise Pup or (most times) Portillo's. Here are my main *beefs* w Mr. Beef: For one the actual beef is sliced a bit thicker than I prefer (and tougher) and it also just doesn't seem to be as high quality. Again not bad, but the beef always seems more tender, less fatty, and all around better flavor at the places mentioned above. Next is the almost stale-like bread they use...and I get it dipped, so this shouldn't be an issue but it is. Bottom line here, the bread just doesn't seem to be fresh. Finally the hot peppers, a critical component to a great Beef. Theirs has too many diced up celery chunks and not enough actual peppers. The peppers they use are sport peppers (again diced) which I really like but there are no jalepenos or other peppers included as a solid and respectable giardiniera should have. * Quick rant // There is always a guy out in the parking lot directing cars, usually terribly so, and making a general mess of the parking situation. And then when you get back in your car to leave he's banging on your window demanding money b/c "I keep the parking lot clean and Mr Beef gives me food for that, but helping park cars is something I do on my own, so can you spare some money ?" I can honestly say, if he were to actually do a decent job i might oblige but he always seems to make a clusterfvck of the situation. Apparently we Chicagoan's are incapable of parking our own cars in a lot, ffs, b/c this isn't the only place this happens at. End Rant // * read more

Dayum! Sausage and reg dawgs along with a Chicagoan accent made this place quite unique! For a moment I thought I was in a Marky Mark video but realized these peeps are the best at customer service. Friendly and nice. Great experience. Enjoy. read more

My top 3 for Chicago Italian beef. Pros: Great beef Great au jus It falls apart when you don't eat it fast enough You need napkins The staff Homemade shakes Cons: They have a photo of Jay Leno How have I not reviewed this yet? When people ask where they should go for Italian beef, they should go to Mr. Beef. From the changing hours of operation, the change in staff, the construction, Mr. Beef sandwiches and shakes have remained consistent in taste and quality. It's so delicious here, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Gonna have to cut this review short - I'm getting too hungry. read more

I like a place where the staff calls me 'boss.' Honestly, think about how comforting that is. Before saying this is the best Italian beef in the world, I had to be sure. Long story short, after a long and fattening journey. I'm going to put it at #2 on my list with a bullet. Not bad Mr. Beef, not bad at all... Only one small downside: On the right wall they have maybe a dozen photos of Jay Leno inside the joint over the years making that awful smirk and looking like a jerk. Something about eating Italian beef and seeing Jay Leno's idiot face just puts me off. Hope it's good for business, I guess. read more

Mr. Beef's is one of the best Italian beef stands in Chicago. It's an old school kind of place with good food, reasonable prices, and no frills. The perfect place to get a bite for lunch or after having some drinks in the River North neighborhood. The Italian beef sandwich is loaded with tender, seasoned beef and comes on a great soft french roll that makes the sandwich. The hot giardiniera gives the sandwich some crunch - but it's is a little on the mild side. A San Pellegrino soda and a milkshake round out a great meal here. There's no seating inside - just a counter along the wall - and the place is a total hole in the wall - but it's a great place to stop before or after visiting the Green Door Tavern or the other bars in the area. It also has one of the best beef sandwiches in the city. read more

The absolute best in Chicago beef, hands down. If you're looking for fine dining, and not to get your hands messy, then this isn't the place for you. Here you eat fantastically messy sandwiches either sitting on the picnic table or off of the counter. If you can handle all that, you'll be treated to some great beef, sausage and burgers. read more

Chicago is a city with thousands of food options and it typically takes some effort for a place to set itself apart from all of the other options. What set Mr. Beef apart from all the other lunch places in this area is the extremely poor hospitality that their employees dish out. I gave it a try on a weekday at 11:30am and upon entering there was not a single person in the place. I was unsure what to order, so I asked the guy if I could take a minute to check out the menu. The menu looked good, but it was one of the more expensive hot dog/beef places in the area. Right off the bat I saw that all the fries were already cooked and not made to order. As I continued to check out the menu the employees continued to glare at us with displeasure, like we were being bothersome to them. I ended up going with a dog and my colleague went with their beef. The employees couldn't have been less friendly, even though I was trying to be talkative with them. My dog was decent (I would rather have a dog from US Cellular) and my colleague did love his beef. My real problem is that the place adorns this wall with pictures of celebrities, yet you get anything but celebrity treatment here. read more

Yeah, this joint has such good beefs and combos. Al's... forget about it! Al's is so over hyped and priced it's pitiful. Mr. Beef is in the top five on my list of best beef's that I've been to. Their home made giardiniera is a really good change of pace, not super oily, just really good. Love the combo's dipped wit da hot giardiniera. Heyyyy! read more

This place has the best steak sandwich in town. I legit crave it every day. The beef sandwich is pretty good, but a steak sandwich with fries and a milkshake is on point! I started working next door, so this is definitely where half my paycheck is going too! HA read more

So I just HAD to get out of the office today, and I went for a ride to the Kinzie bridge to take a photo of what I consider to be one of the best views of the city. Then I swung by Mr. Beef because I've heard great things about it. I like Italian beef, but I don't have it very often. I ordered an "Italian hot" with giardiniera. My sandwich was in front of me in about three seconds along with a soda. I paid the man and sat down at the lunch counter in front of the window. I could not help but scarf down my Italian beef sandwich. It was so good. The giardiniera was not too spicy, and had a strong celery flavor. Service is minimal at best, but Mr. Beef is big on old-school Chicago ambiance. Minus one star for no bathroom, my hands were so messy after I ate my sandwich. read more

Jay Leno has expressed his love for the beef sandwiches here and with one bite, you'll understand why. When i lived in Chicago, i begged my dad to bring one of these every friday. the sandwiches are huge and freshly made. almost a pound of beef nestled in a hoagie with au jous linger in my thoughts. decor? autographed pictures of celebrities who have expressed their love for these monstrosities. read more

The most tasteless combo in history....I'm noticing that a lot of 4&5 star reviews for this place mention this a "post drink" spot which makes sense cuz I'll eat anything to soak up the evil....BUT....as a born and raised resident of this great city- this is a huge disappointment. 22 bucks for sammiches and a fry and 2 drinks= high expectations. Let down. DRY sausage- even tho it was dipped, fries tasted like the bag they came in and the hot peppers (giardiniera) were not even hot. Epic Fail. Should've gone to The Patio or Johnnie's or Portillo's..... read more

First stop after landing in Chicago. Incredible Italian Beef sandwich. Beats ALL the other now chain beef type places in Chicago. Mr Beef is the real deal. Excellent service with the real Chicago bust your balls attitude. I loved it and will return every time when in Chicago. Simply fantastic!!!! read more

The hype was right. i saw this place wreck on Al's Beef on Food Wars so I decided that I absolutely needed to come here. The beef was on the sandwich was plentiful and super flavorful. The jus complemented it perfectly. I wish all beef could be made with the flavor that it had. If you get a sandwich here, get it double dipped. It'll be less messy. Really Joe? you ask. More dip = less messy? how? Well you see, the bread they use is tougher to bite through if its not wet right? Well if all the bread is soaked, it'll all have the same consistency, so as you bite into it, the meat won't get pushed back. It also makes it a lot easier to bite through, which means you don't need a knife or fork. AND, you get a lot more of that beef flavor. And who doesn't want more flavor? However Mr. Beef fails in one spot, it looses points for not having plates. Seriously, no plates? I seem to remember it being cash only as well. read more

What's with the hate people... this place has damn good Italian Beef. Way better than Al's a few blocks away, that's for sure. I've lived in Chicago all my life and Italian Beef sandwiches are probably one of my favorite things about Chicago. I've been to about twenty different beef places in Chicago and this definitely ranks right up there on the best beef. FYI I also call the sandwiches "Magical Beef"... after a night of drinking be sure to have a beef sandwich and wake up with no hangover. It's magical! read more

I knew a Mr. Beef located on 666 would taste delicious just like a newborn's blood... Go italian beef! I also heart how they factored in the tax so the $5 price on the menu is what you pay. Go no-change! read more

Mr. Beef. Open Late. Has Parking. Yay! Last night, after too many tequilas, we (myself and sober fiance) decided that Italian Beef was the way to go. We needed a place in the city, open late with a parking lot and that served Italian Beef. Enter Mr. Beef. The walls are filled with photographs of famous patrons and the dining room sparsely populated with fellow drunks. The scent of french fries thick in the air. Short order cooks at the ready. Ahhh, yes- this will do. The Italian Beef was great and the french fries a gift from the potato gods. It was possibly the best meal of my life, but then I was drunk as all get out. I will reserve the final star for a sober tasting. Here is the breakdown: * Wait staff: Cooks were fast and cool. * Drink Menu: Soda, I think * Menu: Italian Beef and sandwiches * Parking:Lot, a free lot.... * Dress: Casual read more

Came here after seeing it on "best daym takeout" on the Travel Channel and I'm pretty disappointed. Mr. Beef had all the makings of a promising place to score an Italian beef sandwich, but it fell short for me. It's a small place a little west of where I normally hang out. Small and old timey, it's a place that's a bit anachronistic, which I think is part of its appeal. Don't get me wrong it wasn't bad, but I didn't think it was special by any means. The sandwich is simple enough, and simple with Italian beef is always a good thing. The beef was flavorful, but I felt the ratio of of bread to meat was off. Add in the fact that I wasn't as big a fan of the bread itself to begin with and, well, there's your two star. Giardiniera was also far too oily and really took away from the beef. I'm by no means an Italian beef expert having moved to Chicago from Texas, but I know what a good sandwich is supposed to be and this just isn't it for me. I honestly think Portillos is better, especially if you get the Italian beef and sausage combo. read more

I walked inside Mr.Beef when they just closed (did not know they were closed) and one of the staff told me "We are closed, GET OUT!" This is not how a customer should be talked to. If they respect their food like they respect a customer then I will not eat here. read more

I have thought about that sandwich every day since we had it. We will go back to Chicago again and again....for that sandwich. Yes, Chicago has a lot to offer; The Art Institute, the refreshingly real people, the architecture, and next visit we intend to check out the Blues clubs. But that sandwich....oh my damn, is it f-ing good!!!! Eating at Mr. Beef was one of those wonderful times when our expectations were actually exceeded. The beef itself is delicious, the bread is a perfect compliment; the only thing I'd change is the spice level ~ next time I'll get extra peppers.....my husband thought the spice level was fine, for the record. The fries were crispy, hot, and yummy. I'd heard the staff was kinda rowdy, so I wasn't expecting too much there, but I was pleasantly surprised; the guys were friendly, funny, and totally willing to chat. Mr. Beef, we love you and think of you often. Til we meet again. read more