Tore's Italian Beef

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Its back into the city limits for our next stop which is to a place I first went to years ago and that's Tore's Beef. Located in Avondale on good old Western ave its been around for some time but I believe changed owners over the years too. It was actually years in between visits and wasn't until I started this here site that I had a reason I needed to go back. Its your typical Chicago beef stand with a pretty extensive menu ranging from pizza to hot dogs but today its all about the Italian beef.


a popular stop with city workers

Tore's makes their beef in house and is a popular stop with the blue collar crowd with the Italian beef being the most widely ordered item. I would consider it a must to get fries with your beef sandwich at Tore's because they do an excellent job with them. I really liked Tore's when I used to get it now and then back in high school and then hadn't gone there for a few years up until a couple months ago. As noted above there are some other good menu selections to be had but today its all about the beef, I'll feature Tore's again one day and take a look at the other items.


Tore's fresh cut fries are the real deal

On my first trip back things didn't go as smoothly as I would of hoped. The fries remained the same but my beef came without the hot peppers I ordered on it and I was taking it to go but also knew I would be back. I was checking to make sure it hadn't gone totally downhill and aside from them forgetting my hot peppers it wasn't as good as I remembered but it was also very worthy of being scored over here at beefwithhot. So I made a return visit a week or two later and ordered my beef with hot for dining in and took my mental notes upon finishing. Well the beef had the potential to score a 4 but like the previous time it just wasn't tender enough but did have good flavor. I thought the hot peppers were pretty good as well and the bread and gravy were the stronger points. The best thing were those fries and I did enjoy a few with some beef wrapped around them. All in all it was good but nothing great in the hunt for best beef in Chicagoland.


beef with hot from Tore's

Rating Scale 5/5

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

Score: 14/20

Tore's Italian Beef & Pizza
2804 North Western Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 486-2600

fRedhots

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Beep, beep all aboard the beef bus, next stop fRedhots in Glenview. this months beef comes from the getting to be world famous fRedhots. The popular "gourmet hot dog" stand opened its doors a few years back and has become an instant favorite not just in the suburb of Glenview but all of Chicagoland and anyone who's been there. I don't want get to get too in depth about this favorite food stop of mine since this is the beef with hot bus but there will be a full post with everything you need to know about fRedhots and all of its other food items that make them one of the leaders in Chicago's top notch five star fast food culture. But this is all about their Italian Beef and we will stick to that subject...


a popular stop in Glenview

...Especially since when you first walk into Fred's you might see this on the wall in the picture below. Fred's is a place similar to Chicago's famous Hot Dougs but they do more than just hot dogs and fancy sausage. While both of those are popular at Fred's place he also makes his Italian Beef in house and calls it the best I will ever taste. That's a pretty bold claim to make to DaBeef. Its also one I was ready to try especially since I'm a big fan of fRedhots anyways. So I got a beef with hot on a visit this past summer and scored it and mental noted it after I ate it like I always do.


Re-ha-ha-ha-ha-elly? Lets see...

I have three thing to say before we get to the actual beef. So the first thing I will say is that everyone has their own taste. The second I will say is Fred better keep working at it if he wants to make that claim with me. So finally the third thing is that this was still a good beef sandwich and totally gettable if you need a beef and are from near there. The beefs strongest part was the gravy. You can indeed tell that its a homemade stock with lots of flavor with a strong presence of fresh black pepper. The bread was also good and the hot peppers were too. My only complaint with it was the beef itself. My preference is to have the beef shaved as thin as possible which it wasn't so here. The beef was more like a roast sliced by hand with a knife by an expert chef. It wasn't awful but it tasted and had the texture of pot roast more than it did an Italian Beef sandwich. I still ate the whole thing and would never call it a bad beef. Believe me I've had bad ones and this isn't a bad beef by any means. Its good, just not great. However please (later this month) check the main site S'C&C for the other items on the menu at fRedhots, some are great. Make sure to get fries from here, they're great.


beef with hot from fRedhots

Rating Scale 5/5

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

Score: 15/20

fRedhots and Fries
1707 Chestnut Avenue
Glenview, IL 60025
(847) 657-9200
Website

Fiore's Italian Deli

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

When you love a good Italian beef as much as I do you tend to try alot. Now over the years I have learned that you don't order a beef from any and everywhere but rather the places that specialize in it. If you want a good beef you gotta go to a place that has them in their name or at least where its the focal point of the menu. it should be made in house and sliced fresh daily and the hot peppers should be unique to the stand. The delivery of fresh bread every morning is also a way of the day at the best beef shacks around town. In some cases you will find a place like Uncle Johnny's or Rosangela's where they might not be a beef shack but they are able to produce a product that can be classified as a good beef sandwich. So while you wont catch me trying a beef from some gyro place on the westside, I will try one from Italian corner deli's, some restaurants and other neighborhood spots. One day last winter I drove by Fiore's Italian Deli in the Ukrainian Village and knew from the looks of it that it was my type of spot.


Old School Chicago

Fiore's is a fun little place to stop into and pick up some groceries and lunch. Just like every other spot worth a visit, it will get its day and we will look at what else they have aside from Italian beef sandwiches over at S'C'&C. But since this is about the beef we will stick to that. I wasn't expecting Fiore's to have anything close to an all beef 1st team chance but I have to report that the beef should be skipped when going to Fiore's. The best thing it had going for it was the bread, that was fresh and not bad. The hot peppers were also average but the beef and gravy were a big no-no. I would guess they simply took some water added some beef bouillon and proceeded to put pieces of deli sliced roast beef in it and plop it on a sandwich. The Italian cold cuts are much better and the way to go should you stop in at Fiore's.


beef with hot from Fiore's

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 2
bread: 4
gravy: 1
hot peppers: 3

Score: 10/20

Fiore's Italian Deli

2258 West Erie Street

Chicago, IL 60612-1322

Get Directions

(312) 942-9419

Portillo's

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

The next stop on the beef bus is to a place known to many. I'm not one to hate on Portillo's despite their fast food status. The truth of the matter is that Portillo's is a fine example of the American dream and a result of what can happen if one works hard. Odds are if you've visited Chicago then you heard of or stopped into Portillo's downtown for one of their famous hot dogs and or many other menu items including beef. What originally started off as a shack on North ave in Villa Park, IL is now a monster in the food game with almost 50 locations in Chicagoland. Its a spot I loved as a kid and whenever I was running around downtown with friends we would eat at the location on Clark street to eat. My order back then was always a dog with everything and a beef with hot. Not much has changed these days except I don't get there as much as I used to and now I always get a chili cheese dog and an Italian beef to go with it. I also always get these in the drive thru nowadays too.


The best drive thru beef in the city


Portillo's Menu

One reason I have always had a great deal of respect for Portillo's other than just their quality despite being a fast food place was also their consistency. Over the years I have had beefs from different locations and they always seem to be the exact same as the others. I also respect a place that can go thru so much beef like they do and continue to put out an acceptable product. If anyone is telling you Portillo's has the best either or well then they just haven't been around or simply aren't from here. However if someone, such as myself, tells you that they have good examples of each (dogs and beef) and its better than some spots and not as good as others, well that's the truth of it. I find that everything from the bread to the beef and the gravy and peppers to be better than average but not great. When put together as a whole its a well made Italian beef sandwich and easily one of the best in the downtown area. Its nice that they are also throughout Chicagoland and are always a good option for a quick drive thru meal. Much better than BK, Wendy's, Subway, Taco Bell, McD's etc...Just another reason Chicago is fast food king.


beef with hot from Portillo's

Rating Scale 5/5

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

Score: 15/20

Portillo's
100 W Ontario
Chicago, IL
(312) 587-8910
Website
locations throughout Chicagoland

Carm's Beef (Hillside, IL) Closed

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Its unfortunate it had to happen but the next stop is no longer open. Carm's Beef in Hillside, IL (no relation to Carm's on Polk) closed down a couple months back and I never got a chance to posting about it. Since Carm's is in Hillside which is nowhere near Lincoln Park its a spot I only got to a few times before it closed. I have no idea why it closed and thought it was a very popular neighborhood joint which was located on Wold Road across from the large cemetery. It was your typical Italian Deli serving all the usual's including Italian beefs which were their most popular item. I am unsure if this family of Carm's Beef has any outposts left. Feel free to post in the comments section and let me know.


Unfortunately Carm's recently closed...not sure if its for good or not

I think the beef you grew up on and neighborhood in which you lived has alot to do with what your favorite Italian Beef is. Some people might not be from a neighborhood with any good ones and seek out the best and others haven't had beefs from anywhere else but the place nearest to them. Since I am a seeker of the Great Beef and always on the prowl for the one's worthy of any "best of" list-I have had more beefs than most. Pretty much everyone as a matter of fact. If you grew up on a beef that has a unique characteristic to its flavor than its easy to see why that one will always be your favorite. I think Carm's in Hillside was a good example of a unique beef sandwich. The gravy had a real beefy taste to it almost as if it was a roast. The beef was sliced a little thicker than most places as well so it was a very roast beefy Italian beef sandwich. One of the other quality's that made Carm's stand out was their hot peppers. They had two different types of peppers-a mild blend made with celery, jalapenos etc.. and the hotter more traditional blend with carrots, sport peppers etc...seen on the sandwich below. I always gave Carm's credit for having above average everything went it came to their Italian beef's.


Beef with hot from Carm's (Hillside, IL)

Rating Scale 5/5

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

Score: 16/20

Carm's Beef
1801 South Wolf Road
Hillside, IL 60162-2110
(708) 449-0125

Beef with Hot from Captain Nemo's

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Captain Nemo's has been serving sandwiches and soup to the people of Chicago since 1971. The original location is the Rogers Park store which is still open but I have been visiting the Lakeview location on Ashland since my early youth. It was a frequent stop after basketball and football games and its always been in my rotation for a few visits a year since. I'm not sure much has changed at Nemo's except the prices. Its been the same since the early 90's as far as both the food and the interior go. Each booth has a wooden painting attached to the backrest. Each booth has different Chicago famous people of the time eating a Captain Nemo's Sub. When I was younger I always sat in the booth with the Chicago athletes. I think maybe once or twice I might of ordered an actual sandwich from there because I knew the beef was legit the first time I tried it and that was the first thing I tried. Whats even more amazing is that the taste of the sandwich and ingredients used to make it haven't changed a bit.


familiar sign along Ashland in the Lakeview neighborhood


Hey Ozzie is still in town and so is Capt'n Nemo's

Captain Nemo's is a great beef during the winter months. As soon as you walk in they offer you a free small cup of the days soups before taking your order. Its always been that way and always makes me order a combo which is a sandwich, soup and drink. I would highly recommend the combo, beef for your sandwich with their split pea soup. Its a great deal, one of the best in the city. The Italian beef definitely has a strong roast beef flavor, more so than most other beefs I have had. It's homemade and is also sliced a little thicker than most places so that also makes it very close to a warm sliced roast beef sandwich in gravy. But the gravy is its strongest element and much better than many other places around town. Just like any other beef joint I have had really good beefs from there and on a few occasions just OK ones. But when the beef is fresh and fall apart tender in the peppery spiced gravy its a great beef and one I get a few times each winter. Its a great takeout beef because the bread holds together the sandwich and they know how to wrap one up right. Wrapping beef in aluminum foil is a complete no no.


Nemo's has always had the stickers and wrapped it right


beef with hot from Captain Nemo's

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 4 (when on)
bread: 3
gravy: 4
hot peppers: 3

Score: 14/20

Captain Nemo's Subs & Soups

3650 N Ashland Ave

Chicago, IL 60613

Get Directions

(773) 929-7687
Website

Jimmy's Place in Da Burbs

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Its a special month for the people of Arlington Height's and the lifelong patrons of Jimmy's Place. Its this September that Jimmy's celebrates its 50th anniversary. The only way to describe Jimmy's place located on Northwest Highway in the Northwest suburbs is a world class grease dive. I actually got to try Jimmy's for the 1st time ever last week and just loved it. Stepping into this bar/fast food joint is like stepping back in time because nothing has changed. Upon your entry you are greeted by a dark room with a bar with a some regulars drinking and some old TV's showing the games and there's also tables for food patrons. On the walls are a bunch of Jimmy'd memorabilia and newspaper clippings from thru the years highlighting their excellent hot dogs and Italian beefs. Its been all in the family for three generations now.


Everything is old School over there

On top of all that, its been the same bartender and food prep people going on 30+ years so when I say nothing has changed I mean it in every sense. Same atmosphere, same beer, same people, same food. Same as it ever was or so I'm told anyways and I can see why. We were greeted by the lady who had been there 30+ and she was very alive if you know what I mean. I did the ordering so my buddy said he "was fine" when she asked what he needed. Lets just say she told him that she was just fine too. It was all in good fun because obviously they knew we were new. It was really easy to feel that this was a classic Chicago hot dog and beef kind of joint. The dogs are served up somewhat Chicago style minus the poppy seed bun and were a real winner if your in the area and craving yourself a hot dog. Guess what? for the month of September they will be rolling back the prices on the hot dogs to the same price when they first opened.


Jimmy's Place always gets love when best dog in Chicago is discussed

The hot dog was very good but it was the beef that I came here for. Its very rare that I just randomly drive by a beef joint that's been open for fifty years and I've never been to it let alone heard of it. So it was a special day and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I guess I wasn't expecting all that much because I was shocked at the old school taste of Jimmy's Italian beef. It reminded me of the beefs i used to eat as a kid from the places that are long gone. I especially liked the gravy which was seasoned very well and took me back to a time when everyone made their own beef and didn't order it pre-sliced from one of the many distributors of it these days. It really tasted like a beef I hadn't had in over ten years. The meat was tender and the peppers were average and served on the side even when ordering a beef with hot. So that was its only blemish and I would give it my signature of approval any day of the week should you be in the Arlington Height's area near Jimmy's Place.


beef with hot from Jimmy's Place

Rating Scale 5/5

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

Score: 15/20

Jimmy's Place
640 W Northwest Hwy
Arlington Hts, IL 60004
(847) 398-9783

Joe Boston's Beef

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Lost in the shuffle of Grand ave and Chicago ave and all the vacant buildings and old warehouses and factories is an all time favorite of mine-Boston's Beef. If your asking yourself "I didn't know they had beef in Boston" stop right there because they don't have anything close as good and its Joe Boston's Italian Beef. It sits there on an island and is a favorite of 1000's and 1000's of lifelong Chicagoans and people that lived here and left but will never forget it. While I feel like an original custy (customer) since I've been eating here for 15+ years, I'm really not. There are people that have been eating here for 60+ years. If you were to ask me which beef stand around town is the most stuck in time and hasn't changed a thing, Boston's would jump quick to my mind. Its still family owned and still dishing out one of the best beefs in the city.


a Chicago original

When I say nothing has changed at Boston's that pretty much means everything with the exception of the prices and those are still some of the best around. I think a beef with hot with fries and a drink will set you back $6.75 and its not just the price that makes it a winner. I've always thought that Boston's must be using the same high quality cut of beef from the same butcher and roasting them perfectly in their special seasoning which they haven't changed that makes for a great gravy. In fact if you live in or are from Lincoln Park/Wicker Park/Bucktown or anywhere on the near Northside then this and the best beef joint in the area . Now I know that I am known for saying that a beef sandwich with provolone and sweet peppers isn't an Italian Beef sandwich. However like I also said, I've been going here forever and a beef with hot and orange cheese ooze is better than any cheesesteak from Pat's or Geno's. Sometimes I liked a beef with cheese as a change of pace in my youth. Its still a pretty good sandwich. So if you gotta get a beef with cheese try this one. Its the only one I'll eat.


Chicago Style Cheesesteak & one of my 1st food pics

When a place wants to make itself one of the best at what they do then a good way to do that is to pick something you do good and stick with that. The menu at Bostons is a great example of this way. Other than Italian beef they got Italian sausage, an old school favorite-BBQ beef sandwiches-gravy bread & combos, hot dogs, Polishes, along with fast food Chicago style tamales, fries and of course the old school beef stand standard-the pepper and egg sandwich which is of course on Fridays only. If you haven't figured it out by now Boston's homemade thinly sliced beef with well seasoned gravy is one of the best sandwiches in the business.

I used to spend summers doing some labor type work for my dad and uncle and spent one summer working with my grandpa building gliders at a space they own right down the block on Chicago ave. While the job with my grandpa wasn't bad the labor projects sucked (but it was $$$ which is always needed in H.S) and the best part about them was lunch from Boston's. My dad would run down and get it for us 3 of the 5 days a week. Back in the day I could eat a beef almost everyday and sometimes I did.


beef with hot from Joe Boston's Beef

Rating Scale 5/5

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

Score: 16/20

Boston's Italian Beef
2932 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60622-4307
(773) 486-9536
Menupages Page w/ Menu

Ferro's Beef

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Ferro's is one of those places that almost everyone has seen while driving southbound on the Dan Ryan. It sits on the corner of 31st in Bridgeport overlooking the highway and is the definition of a street and sans type eating spot. I have been to Ferro's maybe five or six times in my life but had not been there in over three years until early this past month. I figured then and there was as good of a time as ever to check it out for the beef blog. Whats up to all the beef hounds over at Facebook.


familiar sight along the Dan Ryan?

I swear that nothing had changed since the last time I was in there. Same people eating the same things and same people behind the counter making them. Its all in the area over at this place. The menu is about as broad as you can get for a Chicago style fast food joint. It includes all the regulars like beef, dogs, breaded steak and sausage along with burgers and all things breakfast. It doesn't try to be anything but what it is and that's a good place to get a quick, cheap and filling meal. Its been serving the blue collar people of the area for as long as I've been around. While the menu list is long and takes a half day to read there are only two things I have ever gotten-Italian beef and Italian Ice.

As far as Italian ice goes this is some of the best to be had in the city. Its a damn shame they only have it for 3 months of the year because its good enough to eat in the winter. All flavors are made with fresh fruit so there's lots of chunks of whatever flavor you get. The most important thing to a good Italian ice is fresh fruit and lots of it but the next most important thing is the consistency of the ice. Its perfect at Ferro's so that its a smooth texture with no clumps whatsoever. It just might be the best Italian ice in the city of it.


Cantelope Ice is perfect on a hot day before or after a Sox game

Now I had remembered enjoying the beef on my last visit but that had to be at least five years ago if not longer. I wish I could say the same for my most recent visit but it was nothing to write home about and I live just a few miles down over on the Northside. What it did have going for it was it being some of the thinnest sliced beef I've come across since keeping score. Unfortunately that was about all it had going. The gravy was without a doubt straight from a metal can and tasted like it was made with boullin cubes and not the actual drippings from a roast beef. Which is probably because they don't make the beef in house. The hot peppers and bread were ok but that's it...just ok. I will stick with the Italian ice which is some of the best anywhere.


beef with hot from Ferro's

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 3
bread: 3
gravy: 1
hot peppers: 3

Score: 10/20

Ferro's
200 W 31st St
Chicago, IL 60616-3702
(312) 842-0702‎

Scatchell's Beef

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Scatchell's beef and pizza is a tiny little shack located right along the border of Chicago and Cicero on Cermak and is technically in the Village of Cicero. It's a place that I had been to once or twice in my time at a younger age and for whatever reason never got back to it until a year or two ago. The fact that its not too far from Midway airport makes it one of the best if not the best beef available upon your arrival into Chicago should you land at Midway. Scatchell's has been a fixture of Cicero since 1953 when Stubby and Eddie Scatchell opened its doors. When driving down Cermak it is very easy to recognize at night the sign with flashing lights. It was around 1995 that the owners of Scatchell's decided to let the people of Cicero get a days worth of work done in one swoop when they opened a car wash and laundromat in the same strip mall as the restaurant.


Since 1953

The idea was that maybe if the current owners who bought the store from the original owners brought people into the lot to wash their cars or do laundry they would pick up a quick bite to eat from the dog stand. Scatchell's is a classic Chicago dog stand, there's no where to sit but you can eat at the counter along the walls, take outside or take it to go. The menu is features all the usual suspects. Along with the Italian Beefs they offer up all the others like Italian sausage, Polish Sausage, Vienna Hot Dogs and slices of pizza which were introduced in the 90's and is about the only thing that's changed since it got its start over 50 years ago. I'm glad I finally made it back to Scatchell's because they really do a good job with everything including this Italian sausage. It had me thinking that maybe there's another combo out there worthy of a shot at Johnnie's crown.


Scatchell's sausage with hot peppers is a very nice version

The star of the show on this menu is the beef and its not hard to taste why. The beef is sliced thin and tastes great in the spiced gravy and is loaded into the sandwich and topped off with some of my favorite housemade giardineria. They go thru alot of beef in a days work so the bread is always fresh and the price is right as far as a great lunch and one of the better beefs in Chicagoland. It was on my last visit that I realized that Scatchell's is one of the best Italian beefs in the only city to get one of them. Anyone traveling into the city thru Midway airport might want to check this place out if you already aren't. Its no secret that Scatchell's is a player in the beef game.


Scatchell's beef with hot

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 4
bread: 4
gravy: 4
hot peppers: 5

Score: 17/20

Scatchell's Beef & Pizza
4700 W Cermak Rd
Cicero, IL 60804
(708) 656-0911

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

Beef with hot from Tony's Subs

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Tony's Subs in Deerfield puts out what I feel to be the best Italian beef in the Northshore. I first read about this place five maybe six years ago in a magazine article about chefs favorite places to eat when they aren't working. A well known chef mentioned that she loves Tony's and cant enough of the homemade Italian beef when shes not in the kitchen. She went on to call it the best beef in Chicago. Like I always do when I hear that and its a place that I haven't been to I make a mental note and put it on my to beef list. Tony Viti opened his sandwich shop more than 44 years ago in his hometown of Deerfield. There was a time when Tony operated six locations of the sub shop including outlets in North Chicago, Libertyville, Highwood, Waukegan and two in Deerfield.

Here we are 43 years later and Tony and his family are still supplying the families of the area with the same great sandwiches as always. Unless your from the area, in which case you've been eating here since your childhood, you might not expect this sandwich shop next door to a Citgo to be anything worthwhile. The daughter of Tony recently opened a second location in Lakewood with her husband running it up to par with the one she grew up on.


a Deerfield, IL stop

Tony's menu is filled with a wide selection of both warm and cold subs along with soft serve for the kids which is a must when you have a place in the Northshore and you want kids to demand their ice cream and sandwich to their parents. One of the most popular sandwiches is the Launcher and it consists of salami, bologna, mortadella, ham and provolone cheese with a total of 19 slices of meat. When you walk inside you are immediately greeted by pictures of all the wonderful options to help make your choice a little easier. I have enjoyed the launcher but prefer the warm subs made with toasted bread and enjoy the meatball but nothing there is as good as the homemade Italian beef. Its a nice mixture of thin sliced beef and shredded beef with a gravy that has nice flavor topped with what may be store bought giardinara but it is still a good one.

What separates this beef from others is the toasted bread and it doesnt hurt that a large is a real mans size beef bigger than most out there. The toasted bread is an interesting addition to an Italian beef and it works for Tony's. I wouldn't want a beef from Johnnie's or any other place this way but from Tony's its a real treat. Long time customers also really like to devour an order of their air crisp fires. Different in that they bake them in a machine instead of deep frying them. They are good and taste like a light version of McDonald's fries.


large beef with hot from Tony's

Rating Scale 5/5

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

Score: 14/20

Tony's Submarine
1480 Waukegan Rd
Deerfield, IL 60015
(847) 940-7352

Pop's Beef

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Maybe the reason I have such a picky palate when it comes to Italian beef is because I have been exploring the different beef joint's of the city since my youth. While y'all were eating at Mr. Beef and Portillo's thinking you were heaven, I was in beef heaven. I have two favorite beef sandwiches that I was introduced to in my youth, Pop's and Jay's. Pop's is out on the south side and I would consider it the best IB out south and still in my starting five for the all Chicago beef team. I have been eating at Pop's for 15+ years. Back in the day when me and family would be at our grandma's for Sunday dinner, me, my brother and my cousins would always ride bikes over to Pop's to eat beef and gravy bread before dinner. Yes, I was taking food journeys before I even had a license.


Pop's in Beverly is one of the King's all time favorites

Pop's does everything above average and it makes one of the better beef's in the city no matter where you are. They slice their beef ultra thin and dont skim on it by any means. Im a huge fan of the hot peppers at pop's, some of the best around. This was my favorite restaurant as a kid and still one of my favorite beef joints in the Chi. It really hasnt changed aside from a few more locations throughout the area. Unlike other places that expand they seem to do the same good beef at each location. I would still recommend the original on Kedzie though. Folks on the south side are lucky to have such a good beef that hasnt changed. Its always got a constant flow of traffic and they aint dumb, they do a beef dinner to go for all the family's busy with school and sports activities. You get the beef, roll of bread, gravy and giardinara and do it all up at home. This way the wife doesnt have to cook and dad and the kids are happy, everyone loves Pop's. Ill be goin here til the day I die. Go Cub's.


beef with hot from Pop's

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 5
bread: 4
gravy: 4
hot peppers: 5

Score: 18/20

Pop's Italian Beef and Sausage
10337 S Kedzie Ave
Chicago, IL 60655
(773) 239-1243
Website

Danny's Pizza & Beef

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Ever since I decided that I was going to start my own Italian Beef rating site I have found that there are quite a places that I hadn't/haven't been to yet. On a trip this past winter to Katy's Dumpling House in Westmont I drove by Danny's: Italian Beef-pasta and pizza in Brookfield. I'm sure that I passed it before but it didn't really hit my radar until I realized I had to stop in and document a beef. If there are going to be any really good beef spots that I haven't been to than they will be in the far suburbs somewhere so if you have any suggestions let me here them. I'm always excited to try a spot that I haven't been to yet hoping it could become an all first team type beef.


First time beefer here

Danny's is a little pizza/beef shack that has a few tables for dining in but seems to do a pretty good business in take-out and delivery. Quite a few people coming in and out when I went in to try the beef. The pizza slices didn't look half bad but those NY style slices aren't really my thing not to say that what they had was real NY pizza. It was just what most people would consider thin crust cut in slices. I was tempted to get a chicken parm sandwich because I felt that this place could do a nice version due to the fact that most of the Italian stuff on the menu is homemade including the beef. I settled on just the beef with hot and was pleasantly surprised when I opened it up despite the fact it was wrapped in tin foil-a big no no. The places that wrap the beefs in tin-foil tend to have very soggy beefs if they aren't opened up within 15 seconds of eating it. Luckily for me I was dining in on the beef and so I dug into a Danny's beef for the first time.

I said it before and I'll say it again-8 out of 10 places that do a homemade beef do it right. Danny's was a pretty good beef and much better than I was expecting otherwise I would of been there a hell of alot sooner. The beef was a little thicker than your most thin sliced beef but still had no rubbery effect whatsoever and decent beef. I thought the best part of the sandwich was the bread which was above average and I liked the highly seasoned gravy. Unfortunately the worst part was real bad and that was the hot peppers. This giardinara clearly came from a bottle that came from the fridge. It wasn't good to begin with but the fact that it was freezing cold made for a beef that would of been much better plain. If Danny's is going to take the time to do everything else right and make most of their dishes in house they might want to start making homemade hot peppers. Otherwise I suggest getting a beef no hot or with sweet...as long as they don't come cold from the fridge.


beef with hot from Danny's in Brookfield, IL

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 3
bread: 4
gravy: 4
hot peppers: 1

Score: 12/20

Danny's Pizza, Beef & Pasta
9123 Ogden Ave
Brookfield, IL 60513
(708) 387-7730‎

Beef from Rosangela's Pizza

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Rosangela's is a pizza place in Evergreen park that also happens to serve a pretty good Italian beef sandwich. While its more like a seasoned hot roast beef sandwich in texture, flavor and preparation its still pretty damn good. You might not expect it to be much so it doesn't come with high hopes and really exceeded my expectations on the particular day I visited. Just like I had very clear memories of eating at Rosangela's way back in the day I also had a memory that I really enjoyed the Italian beef as a kid. I remembered that I liked it because it was so different and the fact that the bread was toasted creating a crunchy exterior with a juicy interior.


Hidden beneath the pizza is a good beef

Just like I had remembered the pizza hadn't changed a bit the same goes for the Italian beef. Rosangela's offers up a homemade beef cooked in a spiced up red gravy which is served on the aforementioned toasted bread with some nice hot peppers which may or may not have been made in house. I have rule that I rarely if ever order an Italian beef from a non-beef joint. Despite the fact beef sandwiches are available at almost every Chicago fast food and pizza place in Chicagoland most of them are anything but authentic and more important- tasty. Rosangela's is an exception to that rule. I look at it as a "grandmas" beef, something that an Italian grandma would make for a Sunday night family dinner. I'm willing to bet that the Italian beef in general has evolved in some ways in Chicago and this might be the most classic example of an old school sit down beef that could be had at many of the pizza taverns around town in the 1950s. I have yet to find a better beef that comes with waitress service or a better appetizer at any of the great pizza places around town. Its worth getting a sandwich or two as an appetizer for your group before the pizzas. Check Smokin', Chokin' & Chowing later this month for the pizza review.


half of a beef with hot from Rosangela's

Rating Scale 5/5

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

Score: 14/20

Rosangela's Pizzeria
2807 1/2 W 95th St
Evergreen Park, IL 60805
(708) 422-2041

Novi's Beef

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production


Novi's Beef (Berwyn, IL)

There are a few scattered mentions of Novi's beef throughout the 'net but nothing specifically about it so im going to document it here on the "official Italian beef board of Chicago" for those curious.Novi's has been at their location in Berwyn since the 1960's and is a favorite stop for many eaters in the area. I first tried Novi's when I randomly spotted it taking the old route 66 route down Ogden and immediately gave it a try since I had not heard of it which is rare for me.

Nov's does a decent homemade beef, not bad, just not special. In my opinion it's similar to the beef served at Tore's but still not better. The gravy has a nice little spice kick to it. The problem I had with Novi's was their homemade hot peppers, which are bad, sorry but they are. You only get a little tiny cup (which they charge for) when you order a beef with hot. Why cant they just put the peppers on the beef like everyone else? its better that they didn't though because these were some of the worst homemade I have had. The fries are some of the best I have tasted and by the looks of the burgers and dog's of others, they may be the way to go here. Novi's also seems to do a popular catering business and they did have some nice deals on catered buckets of beef with bread and everything else you need.


Novi's beef has some of the best fries in Chicagoland

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 3
bread: 4
gravy: 4
hot peppers: 1

Score: 12/20

Novi's Beef
6746 Ogden Ave.
Berwyn, IL 60402
708-749-0895
Website

Little Joe's Homemade Beef & Sausage

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production


Lil' Joe's (Countryside, IL)

Its not often that I find a beef spot that I previously had no knowledge of but it happened this past year in Countryside, IL.

I found Lil' Joe's tucked into a strip of other business's hidden behind...you guessed it, one of those Al's beef/Nancy's pizza franchise's. The sign said "homemade beef since 1969" and the place looked like it hadn't changed much inside and that was all I needed to give it a try, that and the fact there were about 10 people eating in and taking out of Joe's while there was one person in the drive thru at Al's and no one inside. When I got a 2nd chance to go back to Joe's I was glad to taste it was no fluke. The first thing I thought when enjoying a Joe's IB was "this is what the beef's at Mr. Beef used to taste like". Its really a melt in your mouth type beef, very thin and very tender. The giardinara is not hot at all, so thats a small minus but it is loaded with celery, a small plus. Little Joe's is new to my all-beef team and its in the starting five maing it one of my five favorite beefs in Chicagoland. Its worth the drive down Ogden via Route 66 coming from Chicago for any beef connoisseur.

The meatball sandwich was also above average and worth getting again even though there were just two meatballs they were large. If LJ's was a little closer to me, they would see me in there often. Another big plus is this has to be the best place to get a beef and a beer, which they have on tap.


Beef with hot from Lil' Joe's

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 5
bread: 4
gravy: 4
hot peppers: 3

Score: 16/20

Little Joe's
20 E. Plainfield Road
Countryside, IL 60525
(708) 352-9696

Max's Beef: Since 1957

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

Max's has been doing Italian beef in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood for over 30 years. When you cruise along Chicago's Western ave, the longest street in the world, your going to find some Italian beef joints. Max's is one of the more well known along the street. Anyplace that has been around that long has to be doing something good and have a loyal following. You know that Max's does. First lets start out with the menu. Max's has an amazing menu selection that can take care of everyones taste palate. Max's does all the usual Chicago beef & dog stand foods and most are homemade and they have more than a few unique items as well which is also a plus.


Max's on Western ave. (Chicago, IL)

Max's has a unique beef and with this comes the argument of whether or not it is on peoples favorite's list. Max's has a very unique gravy that is a dark distinct red and loaded with garlic and other spices giving it a very unique flavor. One thing you have to give love to Max's for is the fact that they have a big tub of homemade peppers that are also unique that rest on each table. I for one hate when places charge extra for peppers. They are a part of a IB so add them into the price of the sandwich if you have to but they should come standard and not be extra. With all that said I am not a big fan of the giardinara at Max's, it is too oily for me and not green enough. The beef is also unique and I am also not a big fan of that. I think that Max's hasnt changed his approach which I cant knock anyone for but it just taste's like what a real old school beef would taste like before they had the machines to slice it up thin. It seems they havent changed their recipe to improve what a beef has progressed to. The meat is sliced medium and not thin and it gets a little rubbery sitting in the gravy all day.


Max's will allow you to order their signature gravy so you can have it with anything

I am not wasting anyones time with places I think you need to avoid at all costs. Therefore Max's gets love here on my site or else I wouldn't bother with it. Try a beef if you dont like it then you know that this isnt your style in the future. Just make sure to get an order of Ghetto fries. These are potatoes topped with barbecue sauce, raw onions, cheese, beef gravy and giardinara. Sounds good? it is. You can be sure ill have a fried out special coming soon.


Max's famous "ghetto fries"--Deal with it alderman.


Beef with Hot from Max's

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 2
bread: 3
gravy: 2
hot peppers: 3

Score: 10/20

Max's Italian Beef
5754 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60659
(773) 989-8200
Menu

Jay's Beef

--Got Beef? Italian Beef
a chibbqking production

After watching the long overdue Chicago episode of Anthony Bourdain's "No reservations" show I feel rejuvenated and ready for a brand new beef post. There is no doubt that Tony's show is the best food show and travel show for that matter on TV. For those of you that follow Smokin' Chokin' & Chowing With the King you can probably see how me and Mr. Bourdain are very alike (except when I do my Jamaica special this March there will be NO reservations) I love you and I love the show Tony but you really fucked up by not getting an Italian Beef. Just because you see the mosquito bite that is Rachel Ray eating a beef at Portillo's or the ultra corny Jay Leno praising Mr. Beef didn't mean you had to take a pass. The Italian Beef is king of all regional sandwiches and for the locals its Chicago's signature fast food item, even ahead of the hot dog. Go figure what a shock that Rachel Ray and Jay Leno dont have no clue on where to get a real Italian Beef.


Jay's Beef in Harwood Heights

Every Chicago resident has a favorite place to get an Italian Beef be it the local place in the neighborhood where they grew up or a place they found later in life that made them ask "What the fuck was I eating at Mr. Beef for all these years for" For me that place is Jay's Beef. The story goes that the property that Jay's original location sits on used to be owned by Tony "Big Tuna" Accardo and was opened up in 1976 under the original owner Justin Fortuna. Originally in the dry cleaning business he decided to start his own beef joint with the help of his family. Jay’s Beef was originally a small building that was torn down and rebuilt in 1994 and has been serving the residents of the area with one of Chicago's best beef's since the day they opened.

One of the questions that I often get asked is how did I come to love the Italian beef sandwich and everything it is. Aside from the obvious answers of my ethnic background and city that I was born and raised in comes the fact that my whole family loves beef. My grandpa, dad and uncles have been regular customers of Jay's since they terrorized the neighborhood and it was the first beef that made me really love beef and understand that not all beef are created equal. Jay's has been using the same family recipe that my dad and uncles ate as kids and that I enjoyed so much as a kid and thats what makes it so good. I still remember my first sandwich from Jay's when my uncle drove me up there around the age of seven to show me "what a real beef is" Despite the fact they now have multiple FAMILY owned locations they still make their own beef, gravy and hot peppers on site and still get the same bread supplied they did back in the day. There is no doubt that one of Jay's Beef's piled high like a New York deli sandwich with thin sliced seasoned beef is on my all Chicago beef first team and one of the best in the city.


beef with hot from Jay's

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 4
bread: 4
gravy: 5
hot peppers: 4

Score: 17/20

Jay's Beef
4418 N Narragansett Ave
Harwood Heights, IL 60706
(708) 867-6733
Website