Italian beef was once Chicago’s little secret, a result of Italian immigrant innovation, this sandwich was enjoyed with pride. It was highly customizable — get sweet peppers or submerge the French roll in jus. Newer variations allow for melted cheese. Others have even begun selling meat-free versions.
Where to Chomp on the Best Italian Beef Sandwiches in Chicago
The craveable treat is getting national recognition thanks to that TV show
But, of course, The Bear has shined a spotlight on the sandwich, and chefs around the country have started to create their own versions hoping to catch lightning in a bottle. Though Season 2 of the FX show moved away from the sandwich, Chicagoans remain enamored and ready to argue over which beef stand sells the best sandwich. Follow Eater Chicago’s guide to the most sought-after beef in the city.
Where to Chomp on the Best Italian Beef Sandwiches in Chicago
The craveable treat is getting national recognition thanks to that TV show
Italian beef was once Chicago’s little secret, a result of Italian immigrant innovation, this sandwich was enjoyed with pride. It was highly customizable — get sweet peppers or submerge the French roll in jus. Newer variations allow for melted cheese. Others have even begun selling meat-free versions.
But, of course, The Bear has shined a spotlight on the sandwich, and chefs around the country have started to create their own versions hoping to catch lightning in a bottle. Though Season 2 of the FX show moved away from the sandwich, Chicagoans remain enamored and ready to argue over which beef stand sells the best sandwich. Follow Eater Chicago’s guide to the most sought-after beef in the city.
The Original Nana's Hot Dogs
Visit this hot dog stand in Streamwood for a host of delicious greasy delights. The tender housemade beef arrives thinly sliced and covered in a flavorful gravy that’s full of dried herbs. There’s also a cheesy beef variant and a mini beef for folks who want to pair the sandwich with an excellent Vienna Beef Depression Dog. Online ordering is available here.
The Original Nana’s Hot Dogs [Official Photo]
Mugshots Sports Bar & Grill
The family who founded Mr. Beef on Orleans (who subsequently sold the restaurant in 1979 to the current ownership) ran their own beef stand in Homer Glenn, also named Mr. Beef, until the pandemic crushed business and forced them to close. However, the owner of a nearby bar, Mugshots, bought the restaurant’s equipment with a promise that they’d open up their kitchen to Mr. Beef’s ownership when the time was right. For the past few years they’ve been serving up the same family Italian beef recipe that Mary Bonavolanto has passed on for generations.
Bob-O's Hot Dogs
Though Bob-O’s originally started off as a hot dog stand, Italian beef is now arguably the main attraction. Beef connoisseurs would do well to head to Dunning for a top-notch sandwich featuring meat made in-house. It’s seasoned, sliced, and cooked daily and should be coupled with an order of the impeccable hand-cut fries. Order online here.
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Santa Masa Tamaleria
This Northwest Side Mexican restaurant specializes in tamales. One of the stars is chef Danny Espinoza’s Italian beef variety — served with vinegary giardiniera that will remind diners of escabeche, the Mexican pickled veggies found on many tables at taquerias. No, this isn’t a sandwich, but fans of the original will enjoy this genre-bending variant.
Ashok Selvam/Eater Chicago
Johnnie's Beef
There will never be an agreement on the best Italian beef in Chicago but Johnnie’s is the closest to a consensus. Its sandwich is considered by many to be the shining standard others strive for — a perfect balance of sweet or hot peppers and well-seasoned beef that soaks up all the jus. The line often snakes out the door and it’s easy to understand why. This is an iconic bite that every Chicagoan and tourist should experience. There’s a second location in Arlington Heights.
Mr. Beef and Pizza
The Mr. Beef name carries a lot of expectations. Fortunately, this Northwest Side eatery, which is unaffiliated with the River North location (that’s the restaurant The Bear takes inspiration from), lives up to that legacy. Cheese isn’t a usual Italian beef topping but diners can get their sandwiches with mozzarella, American, or cheddar here. A nice mix of herbs and spices season the meat while the giardiniera is flecked with red pepper flakes for extra oomph. Order ahead online. A second outpost is located in Forest Park.
Novi's Beef
Established in the ‘60s, Novi’s is an institution out in southwest suburban Berwyn. The thick-cut beef marinates in gravy laced with 15 different spices and the hot giardiniera, a reddish blend of celery and chili oil, bursts with heat and is a must for spicy food lovers. The restaurant offers catering packages and ships its sandwiches too. Online ordering is available here.
Novi’s Beef [Official Photo]
Serrelli's Finer Foods
Located about a mile and a half from beef goliath Johnnie’s, this Italian grocer often gets overlooked in the discussion of best sandwiches. The meat is mildly seasoned, but the extra hot cauliflower-sport pepper giardiniera helps balance the flavors out. For those who’d rather make their sandwiches at home, Serrelli’s sells its beef in large buckets that are packed to the brim.
Jay's Beef
What sets Harwood Heights favorite Jay’s apart from the competition is its quality accoutrements. The sweet peppers sing, the hot peppers are a pleasant mix of celery and jalapeños, and cheeseheads can add provolone or American cheese.
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Freddy's Pizza
Freddy’s showcases the power of giardiniera. The mix of carrots, celery, olives, and sport peppers perfectly complements the beef served at this mom-and-pop grocer and deli, which has been operating in Cicero since 1968.
Scatchell's Beef & Pizza
The eye-catching signs and bright lights outside this longstanding shack beckon passersby in for a messy-yet-glorious Italian beef sandwich. It boasts finely-shaved meat, fantastic gravy, and crunchy giardiniera that’s made with celery and red pepper flakes.
Scatchell’s [Official Photo]
Tony's Italian Beef
South Siders swear by Tony’s, where the thick-sliced beef pleases and the unique giardiniera contains garbanzo beans. Traditionalists will be happy with the standard beef sandwich but for an unbeatable combo, order it alongside Italian sausage. The restaurant also sells beef by the pound in party trays.
Tony’s [Official Photo]
BiXi Beer
We can hear it now — there are too many fusion sandwiches on this list that don’t represent true Italian beefs. We get it, but what if it’s possible to push the genre in exciting new directions while honoring the standards that make this a great sandwich? Enter Bixi Beer from chef Bo Fowler, known for her fanatical devotion to sourcing and not taking shortcuts. She recently added banh mi to her menus with the best French bread loaves in the city. She’s already featured Italian beef bao on her menu. All the ingredients are there. Just ask your server to sub in Italian beef on the banh mi and for giardiniera and you’ve set yourself up for magnificence. It’s an off-the-menu treat.
Phodega
The Italian beef meets Southeast Asian flavors at Phodega, the local noodle shop and convenience store that relocated in 2023 to a prominent perch on Division Street. Owners Nathan Hoops and Anthony Ngo have come up with a variety of fun bites, and among them is a Viet dip consisting of shaved rib eye, cilantro, onions, and jalapenos on French bread. It’s also served with a side of pho jus for dipping so beef lovers who like their sandwiches wet need not worry.
Kasama
From stunning Instagram-friendly pastries to traditional Filipino dishes featuring modern twists, there’s tons to love about Kasama — one of the country’s best new restaurants. Chef-owner Tim Flores even manages to put his own spin on Chicago’s revered Italian beef with a “Kasama Combo” sandwich that layers shaved pork adobo with longganisa sausage and giardiniera. It’s an ingenious riff that’s every bit as good as the original, if not better. Online ordering is available here.
The Duck Inn
As its name suggests, duck headlines the menu at this cozy retro-themed gastro-tavern. But chef-owner Kevin Hickey also delivers mouthwatering Midwestern comfort fare, including a “Decent Beef” sandwich. His take on the Chicago classic features thinly sliced prime rib and beefy jus flavored with Calabrian chilies, garlic, oregano, basil, and rosemary. The beef is tucked inside a crusty Italian sub roll and topped with optional accompaniments like giardiniera, sweet peppers, and melted cheese. Diners can also dial up the decadence by adding black truffle shavings. Online ordering is available here.
Bari
The beloved Italian deli and grocer in West Town is renowned for its selection of subs, but don’t miss the Italian beef. The meat is tender, juicy, thick-cut, and served on a roll that stands up to its beefiness. Get it with the extremely hot house giardiniera for a kick that’ll humble even the most seasoned spice fanatics. Place online orders here.
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Al's Italian Beef
The purported origins of the Italian beef sandwich can be traced back to this Taylor Street stand in Little Italy. That’s where Al Ferrari and his sister and brother-in-law, Frances and Chris Pacelli Sr., set up shop in 1938 and started popularizing what would become one of the city’s iconic foods. Today, the original location is still in business and the beef remains unchanged — marinated in secret spices and dipped in gravy. So stop in, assume the proper upright eating stance, and savor a bit of Chicago history. Online ordering is available here.
Carms
While the giardiniera isn’t as formidable as Al’s — the original is just down the street — the beef at Carms is solid, with a garlicky jus. This might be an instance to order sweet peppers which won’t overwhelm the sandwich. Carms has been around since 1929.
LIttle Joe’s
This University Village dive off of Taylor Street recently added what management feels is a game changer. The birria beef sandwich comes on toasted French bread with slow-cooked birria-style beef with cheese, onions, cilantro, and a side of consomme. Customers can also get hot or mild giardiniera from Caruso Provisions.
Little Joe’s
All Too Well
A new Lincoln Park deli and market debuted earlier this year, offering prepared foods, grab-and-go items, dips and spreads, and more. Owner Mitchell Abou Jamra, who also runs All Too Well’s neighboring restaurant Evette’s, pays tribute to his family and upbringing through a lineup of delectable sandwiches. The “Sheffield & Westwood” (named after streets Abou Jamra and his grandparents have lived on) is a Lebanese-influenced Italian beef that gets elevated with sumac giardiniera and crumbled pieces of ground beef kafta. It’s dipped in jus to finish. Online ordering is available here.
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James Beard Award-winning chef Jonathon Sawyer has taken on the project of creating what might be Chicago’s most opulent Italian beef. The $26 sandwich takes each component to it’s most over-the-top form: its beef is sourced from a boutique farm in Georgia and its bread is from 3D Baking, a well-regarded local commercial bakery. Chicago’s famed J.P. Graziano’s makes the giardiniera, and those who like to gild the lily can add “raclette whiz” for a slight upcharge.
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Aliya Ikhumen/Eater Chicago
Perilla Korean American Steakhouse
The team at Perilla has championed the diversity in Korean food from soups to noodles to, yes — even barbecue. It’s sometimes lost that chef Andrew Lim and GM Thomas Oh are true Chicagoans and that means they grew up eating Italian beef. Their sandwich inside the restaurant on the ground floor of the L7 Chicago uses French bread from legendary Italian baker D’Amato’s in West Town. They include a thin layer of beef and serve the sandwich moist with a giardiniera that’s fermented like kimchi. It’s a grand take on an old favorite.
Ashok Selvam/Eater Chicago
Southtown Sub
This family-owned sub shop has been around since 1994 and recently moved from Bronzeville to Park Manor. The secret to their subs, which use Turano French loaves, is the homemade gravy which packs a little bit more zest than the traditional Italian recipe.
Ciccio
Widely known as one of the most touristy corners of Downtown Chicago, Navy Pier is also home to one of the newest, hottest Italian beefs in town. Longtime beef maker Mario Ferraro launched Ciccio Italian Beef in January 2023, stunning critics with tender meat cut slightly thicker than most and crusty rolls that hold up even when soaked in jus. In Ferraro’s telling, his father Sam Ferraro began selling Italian beef in 1935, which would make him one of the earliest documented Italian beef vendors in town.
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Can't Believe It's Not Meat
With three locations, this mini-chain specializes in taking Chicago classics meat-free. Its Italian beef comes with cheese and uses slices of soy instead of thinly sliced beef. The danger here is the sodium level, but for a meat-free option, this one is good.
