Al's #1 Italian Beef

The Italian Beef Sandwich – thinly-sliced roast beef dunked in rich jus – is one of Chicago’s true culinary claims to fame, and no restaurant is more closely associated with this iconic sandwich than its inventor, Al’s Beef. Back in 1938, taking inspiration from his father’s idea to slice roast beef super-thin to feed wedding crowds, Al Ferreri opened a stand in Little Italy selling these sandwiches and grilled sausages. The sandwich exploded in popularity and spawned countless imitators, but Al’s is still the original. Today, Al’s has six Chicagoland locations, has racked up countless awards and accolades, is still family-run, and still adheres to the recipes developed all those decades ago.

To make this Windy City legend, beef is slow-roasted each morning with a little water, fresh garlic, and Al’s super-secret spice mix. The beef roasts are separated from the gravy, cooled, hand-trimmed, and then sliced super-thin. The thinly-sliced beef is dropped back in its own cooking juices and forked onto a sturdy fresh baked Italian roll, then the entire sandwich is dipped backed into the signature gravy, bread and all. The sandwich is then topped with your choice of homemade sweet peppers and/or hot giardiniera. So assume the “Italian Stance” and get ready to dig in, because for the first time ever, this taste of Chicago is shipping nationwide!