Al’s #1 Italian Beef In Chicago, we argue over whether Mr. Beef or Al’s reigns supreme, oblivious to the culinary riches we alone enjoy. With its slices of beef sopped, along with the Italian bread, in a juicy gravy, and heaped with hot giardiniera or mild peppers, Al’s Italian Beef crafts a sandwich that can only be described as a hearty wonder. Eat it with a bag of hand-cut fries, and, at the original Taylor Street location, at a counter (no chairs or stools here, bub) where you can watch the staff bustle around the open-coal stove.
