The juicy, tender Italian beef sandwich is a culinary icon in Chicago. Thinly sliced roast beef is simmered for hours in a spicy, herb-infused broth, then piled high on a crusty Italian roll. The sandwich is ubiquitous in Chicago, with hot beef stands, delis and pizza joints all claiming to have the best version.
Yet outside of Chicago, authentic Italian beef can be difficult to find As a born-and-raised Chicagoan who has since relocated, I’ve learned that finding a proper Italian beef sandwich requires some sleuthing. Though rare, they can be tracked down if you know where to look
The Origins of the Italian Beef Sandwich
While origins cannot be pinned to a single creator, most food historians agree that the Italian beef sandwich first appeared in Chicago in the early 1900s Italian immigrants stretched inexpensive cuts of beef by slow-roasting it in the spicy broth used to make giardiniera, an Italian pickled vegetable mix The thinly shaved meat was then served on fresh Italian bread loaves.
The affordable sandwich quickly became popular across Chicago’s Italian American community. Over the ensuing decades, Italian beef became ingrained in the city’s culinary identity. Today it is one of Chicago’s most iconic foods.
The Struggle to Find Italian Beef Outside of Chicago
Part of what makes the Italian beef sandwich special is its hyper-regionalism The sandwich evolved from a specific immigrant community in a particular city As a result, it’s difficult to replicate outside of Chicago. The city’s old-school Italian beef joints have made small tweaks and refinements over generations to perfect their version. Without this legacy, restaurants in other cities struggle to achieve authenticity.
Of course, some places come close. To find worthy Italian beef, look for restaurants owned by Chicago transplants. In particular, check cities with large numbers of former Chicago residents like Phoenix, Atlanta, and Austin. Also look for places with the name “Chicago” in it – homesick Chicagoans will sometimes open restaurants that telegraph their roots.
There’s also a new crop of restaurants trying to reverse-engineer the Italian beef using recipes and techniques straight from Chicago. These spots meticulously source the right bread, grade of beef and giardiniera to nail the taste. Through painstaking trial and error, a handful of them succeed in making near-perfect recreations.
Key Elements that Define Authentic Italian Beef
To find a great Italian beef outside Chicago, look for a few defining characteristics:
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Thinly shaved beef: The meat should be sliced paper-thin and tender enough to eat without chewing. Roasts like top round or top sirloin are traditional.
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Caramelized meat edge: The beef should have crispy, caramelized edges from being cooked in broth. This adds texture and richness.
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Juicy and warm: The cooked beef sits in the hot broth, so the sandwich is served deliciously wet and steaming.
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Italian bread: A crusty, thick-crumbed Italian loaf is ideal for soaking up juice. Bread should be fresh, not pre-packaged.
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Giardiniera: The tangy, spicy pickled veggie mix adds flavor and crunch. It must be homemade, not store-bought.
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Jus: The broth should be peppery, beefy and opaque with fat. Good jus requires hours of simmering.
Notable Spots to Find Italian Beef Across America
Though difficult, it is possible to discover tasty Italian beef sandwiches beyond the Chicago city limits. Here are some respected spots across the country:
Mr Beef – Las Vegas
Part of a small Chicago mini-chain, they serve classic Italian beef soaked in spicy jus along with Chicago-style hot dogs. Their Italian sausage and Italian combo sandwiches are also recommended.
Tommy’s Italian Beef and Sausage – Phoenix
Founded by a family with Chicago ties, Tommy’s nail’s the thinly shaved beef and zesty broth. Their Italian sausage sandwich and chili cheese fries are local favorites.
Portillo’s – Multiple Locations
The most famous Chicago export, they now have 70 locations across several states. While best known for their Chicago dog, Portillo’s Italian beef hits the mark.
Santullo’s – New York City
This NYC deli is owned byChicago natives. Their Italian subs and Chicago-style hot dogs are excellent, but regulars rave about their Italian beef sandwiches oozing with gravy.
Baciami Italian Eatery – Dallas
After perfecting their Italian beef recipe, the owners realized Dallas needed an authentic taste of Chicago. Beyond the faithful sandwich rendition, they also offer Italian ice and Vienna hot dogs.
Key Takeaways on Finding Authentic Italian Beef
With attention to detail and a passion for Chicago food, some restaurants have cracked the code on making proper Italian beef outside of the Windy City. Look for these signs:
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Owned by nostalgic Chicago transplants
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Uses ultra-thin roast beef in broth
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Fresh, crusty Italian bread to soak up jus
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Zesty, garlic-forward homemade giardiniera
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Strong Chicago branding and menu items
It can be hard to find in most cities, but the search is worth it. That first bite of a tender, dripping Italian beef sandwich delivers a taste of Chicago wherever you may roam. Just be ready for the gravy drippings to run down your arms!
Carm’s Beef and Italian Ice
If youre a giardiniera fiend, youll want to go to Carms Beef and Italian Ice. Carms is another Little Italy classic surrounded by beef giants such as Als and Fontanos. Like Johnnies, it also specializes in Italian ice, so if you want a beef-and-ice combination within the city limits, this is the place to go. Youll be able to choose lemon, strawberry, or blue raspberry ice, a perfect cool-off after bites of the spicy giardiniera (or, more randomly, the tacos).
And, spicy the giardiniera is. Instead of using Chicago-classic sport peppers, Carms uses a mix that has bright green jalapeños, which create a totally different flavor that is both bright and fresh. Perhaps the jalapeños are a nod to the Mexican menu items, which include tortas and burritos, or maybe they were once an affordable swap when the sport peppers were not available. Besides the unique giardiniera and flavored Italian ice, Carms also serves one of the best breads, a tight race among the Chicago greats that largely use bread made by Gonnella or Turano. Some say you could even get this sandwich dry — Id personally never recommend a dry Italian beef, so Ill still urge a hot, dipped order.
1057 W. Polk St, Chicago, IL 60607
Right down the street from Carms is another Little Italy favorite owned by the same family: Fontanos, largely known for its subs but also boasting a great Italian beef. Fontanos is a much more of a typical sub shop than most of the others on this list, with all the trademarks of an Italian deli: colorful writing on the windows, packed aisles with dried pastas, and sandwiches messily wrapped in thin parchment paper. You order your sandwich from behind a deli counter with a long list of both cold and hot subs. The deli experience is one you should seek out in Chicago, whether for the cold cuts or the Italian beef.
If the Italian beef is what youre looking for here, you should try this one as a combo with beef and sausage. Even without the sausage, the sandwich is packed with meat, so youll want to come especially hungry. The generous serving of meat is what I like the most about Fontanos. Its an impressive amount packed into a sturdy roll dipped in jus. If you didnt like the jalapeño-heavy giardiniera from Carms, head down the block to Fontanos for the much more classic sport-pepper mix thats made in house and sold by the jar.
1058 W. Polk St., Chicago, IL 60607
Youll find a high concentration of Italian and Polish Americans on Chicagos northwest side along with a lot of spots for good Italian beef and polish sausage. Should you be on a long layover at Chicago OHare International Airport or on business in the northwest suburbs, you can actually find Italian beefs within an easy 15-minute drive — of course, you have to fight through the traffic, so make sure you have enough time for a round trip. Bob-Os Hot Dogs is a favorite for this area and a strong contender for one of the best Italian beefs in the whole city.
The sandwich at Bob-Os is a classic most comparable to Johnnies or Mr. Beef. The dipped sandwiches (called standard here) are extra wet, and the meat is rich with a straightforward Italian-seasoned flavor. The giardiniera is the typical sport pepper kind with plenty of celery slices and julienned carrots. While Bob-Os is heavy-handed with the jus, the amount of giardiniera is light — a good thing for those who prefer a beef-forward sandwich. The sweet peppers, on the other hand, are generously applied in large strips. Now, Im of the opinion that Italian beef should never have cheese, but should you want to try a cheesy beef, this is the place to get it. It comes coated in perfectly gooey mozzarella. Finally, the best part about Bob-Os is the price point: The sandwiches are a mere $8, and you can try a trio of the famous beef, meatball, and sausage for just a few dollars more.
8258 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago, IL 60634
Roma’s Italian Beef & Sausage
Another near-northwest side pick, Romas Italian Beef & Sausage is an authentic Italian spot that specializes in Italian beef and sausage. What is unique about Romas is its proximity to Albany Park and Mayfair, which have among the highest Hispanic populations behind the Pilsen neighborhood. This is notable because of Romas menu, which includes Italian beef empanadas, a must-have if youre in the area. Of course, theres a chance the creation of the empanadas had nothing to do with the surrounding neighborhoods. For what its worth, they are a great fusion item with a crispy, flaky shell and giardiniera-filled, beefy insides.
Italian beef is, of course, the main reason to head to Romas, and it is often compared to Johnnies for taste and quality (but we wont compare them here). Its stuffed with thinly shaved meat and is one of the best places to get the combo because of the extra sauce included within the messy sandwich. Youll want a Romas combo if youre looking for big flavor, and youll enjoy it hot if you like a particularly chunky giardiniera, as the peppers are cut in larger slices than most.
4237 N. Cicero Ave., Chicago, IL 60641
The BEST Italian Beef Sandwich Outside of Chicago is in MEXICO CITY! #italianbeef #mexicofood
FAQ
Is Italian beef only a Chicago thing?
By the 1980s, the sandwich was ubiquitous throughout Chicago and celebrities such as Neil Diamond and Jay Leno reportedly enjoyed the sandwich. Still, the sandwich was mostly unknown outside the city until the release of The Bear in 2022.
What city is famous for Italian beef?
The Italian beef sandwich is a Chicago culinary institution that originated here back in the 1930s. Known for its tender, seasoned beef soaked in rich juices and served on French bread, the Chicago hot beef sandwich is an iconic part of Chicago history.
Where did Italian beef originate?
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The Skydeck Chicagohttps://theskydeck.comThe Origins of the Italian Beef Sandwich – The Skydeck ChicagoThe History of Italian Beef Sandwich. While the exact origins of the Italian beef sandwich are unknown, it made its first appearance during the early 1900s in C…
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312 Beef & Sausagehttps://www.312beef.comThe History of the Italian Beef Sandwich – 312 Beef & SausageMay 12, 2017 — Created on the South Side of Chicago in the Italian enclaves around the now defunct Stockyards, the classic Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich is a uniqu…
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What is Italian beef?
The first misconception about Italian beef when people hear about it for the first time is that Italian beef refers to some kind of beef from Italy, however, it is actually the short way to call Italian beef sandwich. This kind of sandwich originated in the region of Chicago, Illinois.
Where to buy Italian beef in Chicago?
In the end, it’s clear that Italian beef is a favorite and delicious dish in Chicago and other parts of America. With so many places to buy this mouth-watering food around town, you’ll never be without your favorite type of meat again. You can find Italian beef at many grocery stores, restaurants, or food trucks near you.
Where to buy Italian beef?
The third place to purchase Italian beef is at Italian-American restaurants. You can order and enjoy a piping hot Italian beef sandwich in the restaurant or takeaway as a snack to enjoy anywhere anytime you want. 4. Grocery stores or supermarkets [amazon fields=”B00KPX1XHG” value=”thumb” image=”1″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center”]
What to eat with Italian beef?
An Italian beef is frequently ordered with a side of French fries, or sometimes an Italian ice. Some restaurants sell “gravy bread,” bread dipped in juices without meat or toppings. This is cheaper than a full sandwich.
What is Italian beef filling?
In a grocery store or supermarket, you will find Italian beef filling, which means the roasted and sliced beef with gravy rather than a whole sandwich with the French bread. The beef is usually packaged in a plastic bowl or package that is well-seasoned and cooked completely so you only need to place it into a bread roll and serve.
How do you assemble an Italian beef sandwich?
To assemble an Italian beef, the meat is transferred to the bread still wet, followed by the desired toppings. The completed sandwich is then traditionally dunked in juices before serving. The amount of juices added can be customized using terminology such as “dipped,” “dunked,” or “wet,” but the definitions vary among restaurants.