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Categories: Fast Food, Hot Dogs, Burgers
Neighborhoods: Near North Side, River NorthHey Everyone we just placed 11th out of 101 places to chowdown in the country. We owe it to all you loyal customers.
Announced 1 week agoChicago (Purple Express, Brown)
Grand (Red)
Mon-Thu. 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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I think I was expecting something different. The sandwich was good, missing cheese which I think would have brought it all together, but not amazing. A mess to eat, but you know that already.
Fries are great, nice crunch.
The celery hot sauce is great though, nice sweetness and spicy kick.
Nice break from the typical, hero/grinder/sub/etc...
I gotta call shenanigans on Al's. A Chicago style Italian beef is one of my cravings when I'm back in town and normally I hit Portillo's to get my fix, but I was persuaded by my brother to try this spot. Between the rude service and the sub-par sandwich I was left with much to be desired.
The order taker was very unpleasant and after a few moments of deciding what to get we were told to "hold our horses for a second" when we started to order. At first I thought the woman was joking, but shortly realized she wasn't. I wouldn't have minded this if Al's was a themed restaurant that treats the customers discourteously like Wieners Circle or Dick's Last Resort or something, but this visit I wanted an Italian beef minus the bitchy-ness.
The sandwich was average at best in terms of taste, but my real beef with their beef is the fact that it was thrown together with such carelessness. I realize these are usually a mess no matter where you order it from, but this was so sloppy I couldn't even pick it up. About as soggy as toddlers pjs in the World Series of Bed Wetting, I took three bites with a fork and called it quits.
I'm giving it 2 stars because my brother swears by the burgers, but when your name is Al's Beef, shouldn't you have a great beef? Next time I'm sticking with my guns.
The food here was fine, but I have to admit being a little disappointed. Even with the hot giardinera, the sammich lacked flavor. Don't get me wrong, I finished the whole thing, but my mouth was kind of bored. I also thought the gravy dipping was too heavy-handed because by the end of my sammich, it was mushy.
I also got the bleu cheese fries, and those were great, albeit a little salty (salted fries plus bleu cheese crumbles plus bleu cheese dressing = too much salt).
I agree that the prices are a little out of line with the portion sizes. I'm glad I came to try it, but I won't come back next time I'm in town. I will go check out Portrillo's or Mr. Beef to sample some Italian Beef sammiches.
I have just had one of the worst lunches EVER! How you can utterly screw up a turkey sub and potato soup, I don't know. I've had better subs a Jewel. The last time I had something this bad was sushi at the airport.
YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The only reason I'm not throwing up is because I don't want to taste it again.
I usually describe Italian beef as flavorless and dry. Al's is anything but. Ate here for the first time recently and was very impressed. So much so that something I typically don't like at all, I am now craving. Really nice spice flavor and I like the chopped texture. I got the combo (Italian sausage and beef) with cheese and it was delicious. Fries were pretty good too. Nothing extraordinary, but not at all bad. Staff was friendly and service was speedy. Would definitely go back...and hopefully soon!
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS PLACE.
My husband and I saw it on the tv show "Man vs. Food" one night and the sandwiches looked great...and we live in Chicago now.
Went there and loved them!
Definitely a sandwich you want to eat there because you have to get the sandwich dipped :-)
Every time we go in we're always greeted and have a nice little conversation with the employees.
My favorite beef in Chicago for it's nice ratio of wet to dry and if you get cheese it's layered on rather nicely.
The italian beef was kind of a disappointment. I didn't like the way the beef was shredded really small, and the flavor was ok, but just did not compare to Mr. Beef, which is just a block away.
However the Buffalo Bleu Cheese Fries were ridiculous and amazing at the same time.
I'm sure I ingested 6000 calories right there, but it was worth it.
I might try a sub sandwich next time, but I'm going to have to wait a while. I don't want to die from cardiac arrest just yet.
Ehhh its ok
Lets start off with there is some flavor but not a big amount of flavor, after its tv spotlight i was expecting more of a explosion of flavor but i received a ok beef.
The fries are tasty I will admit to that. However the prices are a bit high for a beef and Friends wtih a small drink.
Johnnies out in near melrose park is amazing more flavor and better prices.
Al I do recommend you if someone is looking for a beef and they are in the area. Just not very impressed.
I promise to update this review when I actually have the Italian Beef. I've been here four or so times, and each time I am entranced by their hot dog lunch special. So cheap, so good.
I promise to try the beef on the next go-around.
My boyfriend and I went to pick up some food to bring to a Millennium Park concert. He was super hungry so he wanted to eat his italian sausage meal in the restaurant instead of waiting. I shared his fries and sausage and holy moly it's sooo good! i've had the Al's in Evanston and they sucked! This sausage was hot and juicy and addicting! The fries were the perfect texture, crispy outside but still soft and a little mushy (but in the best way) on the inside! So good, that I had to order a 2nd sausage on top of my italian beef.
An hour later when we were at Millennium Park, my italian beef was still delicious! I loved it even though it wasn't super hot anymore. I also ate the other half of my bf's 2nd sausage sandwich.
YUMYUM!
Italian sausage, fries, Italian beef and some root beer= perfect for the opera!
Great Italian beef...reminds me of my Mom's. Saw them on Man v Food and it looked delicious then and certainly did not disappoint. I will say that the portion sizes are a little on the small side for the price. For the big sandwich (not that big), fries and a drink was $12. I can get a decent size pizza for that price.
However, price aside they have great beef, fries, and the service is really friendly. Only thing I would change are the prices and the location...Needs to be closer to my house.
This place came heavily recommended while in Chicago so I had to try what the fuss was all about. I ordered the regular Al's Italian Beef combo with hot peppers.
When I first tasted the sandwich the meat was tender but just lacked seasoning and flavor. It really didn't meet all expectations that people were recommending. I really liked the fries but the overall experience was just normal.
Yuck is the best way to describe the italian beef sandwhich that Al's serves. Just because you saw a place on TV doesn't mean you should visit it. Rather than your typical italian beef, Al's does a sort of shredded beef sandwich which makes for a really odd texture to eat. It's giving me a bad feeling just thinking about it now. When I'm in the mood for an italian beef I'm gonna stick with Mr. Beef, it is only a few block from Al's.
Friends tell me that Al's is overrated, and that there are better places in Chicago to get Italian beef. Is it possible that the tourist knows more than these jaded locals? I say: YES!
I loved this place. The dipped Italian beef with hot peppers was OUTSTANDING! I also tried the Italian sausage with peppers and onions, and it was SUPERB! Great fries too. I'm already looking forward to the next time I eat here when I'll get the Italian beef/Italian sausage combo!
Sure, the seating is cramped, there's no beer, and the place isn't going to win any design awards, but so what? There's outdoor seating in the summer, and the staff is competent/friendly. As a frequent Philly visitor, I enjoyed waiting in line with a guy from south Philly discussing cheesesteaks as we both anticipated our 1st foray into Italian beef.
Also, the Rock and Roll McDonald's next door is worth a visit. It's really a museum with nostalgic memorabilia and nice bathrooms. Al's didn't have bathrooms.
Nicely decorated, clean small diner with amazing beefs and a nice full menu... besides, who can beat free parking downtown?!
I just moved a few blocks from this place, and I always used to drive by it on getting on the highway. I get the same thing everytime: italian beef with hot peppers and fries with cheese. The staff are super nice and the beef is amazing. It actually has a small parking lot too, which is nice if you are coming in from the suburbs and want to stop in for a sandwich. I haven't tried anything else, but I can speak to the beef and say that it's the best I've had (I like it much better than Portillo's). Highly recommended. I don't cook much (well, at all), so I frequent this place a lot. Definitely worth trying for those of you who haven't.
So this review is based on my delivery experience for a meeting - so please understand that, but none the less.
HOLY STREET BEEF BATMAN! Yes, I said STREET and BEEF together. And I'm not talking about food you get from a street vendor. Straight up street beef yo.
My boss was having a large group meeting with a bunch of non-Chicago chaps who all flew in for the occasion. So we planned a Chicago themed week long meeting and she insisted we add Al's Beef to the list. I have eaten at plenty of Chicago food staples - clean, dirty, you name it so I'm not one to judge but I think this was a turning point.
I ordered delivery of a number of things for 12 pm, and opted out for the heaters for the food since it was coming at 12 and I knew the crowd was going to dig in right away. Alas, food arrives at 11:05 am. I head down to the mezzanine area to pick up my food and I see a guy standing out by his car, who I think? May be the the delivery guy?
He apparently doesn't feel like coming inside even though we just dropped about $150.00 on food, but whatever. He takes our beef out and puts it on my cart I brought. He then opens the container of beef out on the street in the pouring rain, with cars racing by, and then pulls out a giant portable drink container from his trunk and proceeds to pour beef juice into our container of food out on the street.
I just thought this was a little gross. I know, I know - bad things happen at restaurants and if I probably knew about them, but seeing this first hand grossed me out. And I had hoped for spending $150 we would have gotten a little bit of nicer service.
****Thanks for the update - owner/worker? Yes you couldn't come up to my floor, but I said you could come inside to the security desk on the main floor which is not outside on the street, in the rain.
Five stars for the fries!!! They are fat and super crispy, but not dry. This means they're crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a nice, salty potato flavor. I would eat these every day if I lived near by, and I would have no problem justifying them as my carb and fat intake for the day.
0 for the chipotle sauce - The chipotle fries are like eating their awesome fries, but smothered in a nacho cheese sauce that has been spiked with some ground chipotle peppers. It was pretty gross in terms of texture (too thick) and taste (too processed-cheesy). The sauce definitely ruins the fries. Don't fall for it!
1 stars for the italian beef, because the beef was cooked too long and falling apart. It had no chew, at all. Also, for an extra 40+ cents, the hot peppers were not spicy at all. Fail.
My beef, dipped with hot, was fine, but not outstanding. Somewhat due to my preference for the other kind of giardiniera (I like green peppers and carrots, not the red dried chili pepper style). The meat was tender, but again, fine, not outstanding. Given 1.5 blocks from Portillo's I know where I'll pick.
Gold stars to both places for being open on Sunday
Hot Dog is the best known food in Chicago. We passes by AL's Beef several time when we take the bus. My brother in law told us that we need to try this place because there is a sign said #1 hot dog in Chicago. I am glad that we did because the hot dog is so good. We order #7 with 2 hot dogs , small fries and drink. The hot dog is so good. I love the sauce in there. I never can eat that good hot dog in California,.
We sat outside and it is really nice too. The seating is really different because we were sitting at the parking lot. it is nice...
It was interesting to get a reply from whomever was in charge of monitoring the Yelp page for the restaurant, asking that I come in again soon and see if I would have a better experience next time. I did and unfortunately, that was not the case...
It happened to be the day of their $1 Beef Special. Now I could understand if it was in the middle of the rush with a line around the block but I got there early, before the line started going out the door. I was feeling more hungry than usual and got a $1 beef with hot peppers that I asked for easy dipped, A Maxwell Street Polish and Onion Rings.
I got back to my office and was sorely disappointed with what was in the bag...
The beef was sopping wet, the "easy dipped" sandwich's bread disintegrating by the second and almost unwieldy save for the paper and some extra paper towels. It tasted OK. The Polish which I had ordered before and enjoyed immensely paled in comparison to what I got: Chopped, raw onions and nothing else. A "Maxwell Street" Polish has grilled onions and mustard, which was what I got last time without needing to ask. This thing wouldn't dare show up on Maxwell street back in the day. Lastly, the onion rings were barely warm. Aren't those cooked to order...? In a fryer...? One of the easiest cooking methods invented?
Another thing that really miffed me - it was $1 Beef Day, in celebration of some food award they had won... Where was the advertisements? The hand drawn sign on the outside of the building that read "Today Only, $1 Beef"? With the failing economy where restaurants are dropping left and right, wouldn't they want any excuse to get more people into the restaurant? And one line on their website does not count...
I eagerly await the next reply from the rep for their explanation for this bad experience. I, however, will not wait with baited breath, for I would rather trek to Portillo's for a sure thing...
Now I've frequented Al's semi-regularly since last year and would've given the place 4 stars then… Read more »
We went to Al's for a late night snack in May 2009 and thought the food was good, but the prices a little steep relative to Portillo's a block away. The dipped italian beef sandwich was tasty, with tender, finely chopped beef and good "gravy," but was smaller and more expensive than the italian beef Ive had at Portillos, which I thought was its equal. The Vienna Beef Chicago-style dog was very good, but again was smaller and more expensive than Portillo's with comparable quality.
What I liked better about Al's relative to Portillo's were the friendliness and quickness of the service, and that they offered us free cups of water. Also, there were a couple of groups of regulars dining there, almost filling the small sit-down area, and they were wolfing down an impressive amount of food. They didn't seem like the Yelping type, so I figured I'd factor that into my review and bump it up from 2.5 to 3.0 stars.
I just had the Italian Beef sandwich for the first time. I feel like God kissed me on the cheek and said "I love you." Because love is tender, juicy, drippy, spicy roast beef.
I can not and will not visit Chicago without ordering the "Big Al" - Italian beef sandwich with Homemade "HOT" Giardiniera. The Big Al is best eaten with fries (also good) and a large coke.
The beefy, drippy, goodness just can't be reproduced (trust me, I've tried) - if only we had a Al's in California.
Heartburn sufferers beware.
Beef at last, beef at last, great god almighty you gotta try Al's beef and fast. I don't want to say much about it.
It's beautiful.
It's paradise dipped in heaven and topped with nectar of the gods.
Al, please come to Los Angeles.
My bf was raving about how good this place was so we checked out last time we were in Chicago.
The guy at the front counter is nice and they have good customer service. The place is cute and small and the walls are just window's so it's good for people watching since it's at the corner of a pretty busy intersection.
I wasn't super hungry so I ordered a Little Al w/ cheddar.... which i was disappointed wasn't melted, since it would have changed the flavor of the whole sandwich. My bf had one with hot peppers which tasted much better than the cheese, I would also recommend a splash of hot sauce.
The beef was nice and tender...but the bun was a little too soft and soggy from the beef water. It was good for what it was but I guess i was expecting more of a philly cheese steak type sandwich, so if you're hoping for that... this isn't the place. Someone take me to Pat's in Philly please!
Pretty much the standby when the folks on my shift and I decide to order lunch/dinner (same thing for us since we work 3-11).
The nice thing about this Al's location is you can order online. This makes it really easy, especially when we're kinda busy, or I just don't feel like talking on the phone (most of the time).
The big beef sandwich is good, but my favorite meal is a barbecue bacon burger and cheddar fries. With delivery charge and tip it can get a bit pricey but still CRAZY DELICIOUS!
3.5 stars. The deliciously excellent fries bump it up to 4 stars if I have to choose between 3 and 4.
The italian beef was respectable. The beef was incredibly thinly sliced and the bread was delicious and just about perfectly moistened from the beef sauce. The problem here was the giardiniera. It wasn't good. I know it is homemade and supposed to be a selling point, but I thought it was worse than the canned stuff. I like my giardiniera hot and this wasn't it.
My advice? Come here for 3 large orders of fries and call it a day.
In the midst of one of chicago's most touristy streets, sits al's. i wasn't extremely impressed with the sandwich, but understand its appeal. the meat is tender and has an interesting, distinct flavor that i believe is related to it being dipped. the greazy fries and sandwich def veer more towards drunk food.
i give props on the hot dog which outshines the sandwich. order a chicago style with all the toppings. they serve vienna beef which tastes of a higher quality than most dogs. this place is a nice alternative to the mega mcdonald's or hard rock with much more chicago flavor.
Ok, why all the celery?! When I ask for hot peppers, I expect..you know...hot peppers?! 100% celery, with some red pepper flakes, is NOT acceptable? There should be peppers, and carrots, and olives...you know...food!
The beef is fine, I've had better
I edited to add the cheese fries are pretty dang good
Yum! I love this place so much. It is just a few blocks from our apartment, and my husband and I go here at least 3 or 4 times a month. I always get the cheeseburger and fries. SO good! I highly recommend. Please - if you're headed to the Rock 'n Roll McDonalds for a burger, just go one block further west, and get a burger at Al's instead. The staff behind the counter is great, also, and the food is really speedy. Enjoy!
Love, love, love this food. Big Al's with the giardiniera, dipped in au jus, very messy but worth it. Cheese fries are a treat as well. I always mean to try the tamales with chili but never have the room. Next time !
Yum !!! The Italian Beef and Sausage Combo is just too good for words. I am glad I don't live in town or else I would visit this place too often. Definitely one of the places I try to visit whenever visiting Chicago.
I visited another location near UIC, and that place had better character than this location, but both just as good food.
You tasted pretty good going down but not so much on the way back up... I am pretty sure that your sandwich almost killed me but hey, the fries tasted great and washing my hands behind the counter made for a nice experience (no bathrooms on the premises)
Not the best beef I've had in the Chicagoland area, but in the River North area, it's one of the better choices. There are two sizes to the beef (the Little Al is usually enough to fill you up), and of course sweet and hot peppers for you to enjoy. If you are taking the beef to go, keep in mind that your beef will likely be a bit juicy or oily. Don't miss out on the fries, which are great!
They also serve other greasy delights like burgers and hot dogs.
There's an outdoor seating area as well.
Who orders a grilled chicken sandwich at a beef joint?
That would be yours truly.
I love chicken and thought I'd try to be somewhat health-conscious. The boss likes to venture out for some grease every Friday (hey, we're a 'keep it healthy' M-Th duo) and while trying to appease him yet stretch out one more day of healthy eating, I settled on some chicken.
Only... it was topped with some cheese and mayo. Mmm.... good.
Lines move fast and the menu is surprisingly diverse-- wraps, burgers, salads, subs and of course, their trademark beef. Nice little picnic-like area adjacent to Al's... perfect for some lunchtime scopin'.
I'll admit, the beef and hot dogs looked much more delicious than my chix grill. I'll save Al's for a truly indulgent Friday.
Curl your toes right up to your kneecaps!
I love Bleu cheese ... I like French Fries
Together? HOLY HELL!! Who KNEW they'd rock so much?! Nirvana, it is -- easily the best French Fries EVER!
Whoever said "pony up for your own fries" is right -- I couldn't share these - they are that mind crazing good! Though, I must say, the portion they give you is certainly GENEROUS (certainly enough TO share, if you're so inclined)!
Featuring Italian beef sandwiches: kinda like a cheesesteak but with cheese not being a key ingredient and surprise hit being the fries.
Cost to worth it rating: 4 (~$5 sandwich)
Highlights:
- Atmosphere: plain fast food-like seating area but zagat and other accolades all around. Big sign out front and drive thru were cool. I know it's a tourist spot, but made me feel like a local.
- Staff: friendly, didn't scoff at us asking bout the menu and recommendations and asked us how we liked it after finishing
- Fries: these are going on my Eve's wall of food on my office door. One of the best--crispy and medium sized cut (bigger than McDonalds but thinner than Red Robin). Don't look like anything special, but they are. Pic: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
- Italian beef: thin slices of beef on a hoagie roll. The traditional version has a combo of hot and sweet (really just plain bell) peppers and the whole thing is dunked in the oil right before it's served. With the hot peppers and what might have been peanut oil, it tasted like a Thai dish to me. Pic: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
- Quick: since it's like fast food, you order, wait a few minutes, chow down, and you can be on your way to explore the city.
Lowlights:
- Hot peppers: I've become a crushed red pepper fan--I have it on most everything these days--but these are some spicy burn your mouth hot peppers. Beware if you're spice adverse, as the hub had a hard time eating his.
- Oily: if you get it dunked, prepare for a good amount of grease which makes it a bit challenging to eat, as my bun got soggy.
Enjoyed our trip here--next time I'll get one lighter on the peppers, skip the dunk and get a large order of fries--maybe topped with chili or blue cheese. :-)
The best late night joint I've been to in a while. We left Y bar & my friend spotted the golden arch & was craving fries.
I hate McDonald's so much that drunkenness couldn't even get me there, but luckily there was Al's and Al's was a good call.
I'm a vegetarian so I can't comment on its "1 Italian Beef", but these fries were probably some of the best I've ever had, and my friend loved her chicken sandwich.
We killed our fries and then bummed some off these guys sitting next to us, yes that good- 10 steps up from the nastyness that is known as Weiner circle.
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