Luke's on Harlem

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

There are quite a few Luke's beefs around Chicagoland and some are related and some are not. There is no debating that the original Luke's is the location on Harlem which was established in 1973. The original Luke's is a popular spot in the neighborhood for pizza, dogs and of course Italian Beef. I hadn't been to this location in over 15 years but I remembered visiting it back in grade school and was eager to try it again through the years. I finally got back to it this past year to see how it compares to the other beefs around town. The night I made in here it was a cold winter weekend night but there were still a good amount of people eating here around 10p so that was a good sign.


The Original luke's on Harlem ave.


The original rock outside Luke's

The beefs at Luke's are more than serviceable and I would call them good. Luke's has been making the same recipe for their beef that they used when they first started. It has a good spice in the gravy and the beef has a little kick itself from extra black pepper. I thought the peppers were average and maybe the weakest part of the beef but that everything else was good. I could see myself enjoying a beef from Luke's from time to time if I lived or worked near it. It also gets a big bonus for being open late nite and it is a more than passable beef after midnight when there are very few to be found.


beef with hot from Luke's on Harlem

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 3
bread: 3
gravy: 4
hot peppers: 3

Score: 13/20

Luke's on Harlem
3130 N Harlem Ave
Chicago, IL 60634
(773) 889-4000