I am going to have to go for 2 stars - this place is a big overpromise-underdeliver experience.
While the meat is good, the only thing which can be said about the service is that it’s quick.
Due to this I felt very underwhelmed - definitely not worth a detour from downtown.
Also beware that it’s cash only.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Madison Sage
The best Italian beef I’ve ever had. All you need is the beef it’s the star of the show, get them dipped. Also there’s parking so definite plus. Best way to eat the sandwich is with your hair tied up and bent over which adds to the experience. 10/10 AL
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hagz
Al's Beef is one of many Chicago staple's the originator of the Italian beef sandwich, a must try when visiting the CHI! If you ever get the chance to have a Chicago Italian Beef sandwich Al's is one of the places to go. The beef has some of the best flavor with just the right amount of spice to it. They pack on the beef and it was cooked to perfection. I add both types of peppers sweet and hot. You also want to make sure to tell them to dip it so that it is juicy. It's hard for me it's a toss up between Johnnie's beef in Elmwood Park and the original Al's Beef both amazing!! 100% recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anita Williams
The hand cut french fries were hot and delicious!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Fries
dave martin
Skimpy high price appetizer size sandwich. 😉
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Ernest Jackson
The regular size and the big beef size are only 1 in difference but the price is $6 difference. That's not right
Food: 1
Cynthia Bowman
I ordered Italian beef, hotpeppers, dipped & fries. It was terrible. The fries were scraps from the bottom of the bag& greasy. The sandwich was small. The meat was over cooked & flavorless. I'm really sorry I spent my $17. Soooooo disappointed.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Ryan-Kirk Bautista
If you're grabbing a classic Chicago bite, Al's is a solid choice. Getting in and out is pretty easy; they have their own parking lot, so navigating the city is simple, provided you’re not hitting it during the main lunch rush. Seating is what you’d expect for a local spot—a few counter spots inside by the window, and some picnic tables outside for nicer weather.
The ordering was a little confusing at first because they display these combos everywhere, but everything is really sold a la carte. It’s not a huge hurdle, just manage your expectations before you get to the register.
We tried the staple Jumbo Italian Beef with both sweet and hot peppers, and the Polish hotdog with everything. A critical piece of advice: the Polish comes with its own order of fries and a regular side was good enough for at least 2.5 to have a reasonable portion. Only order one side of fries unless you're feeding a small army.
In terms of quality, the beef is delicious, packed with meat, and already pretty wet without even being dipped. The polish sausage was the real pleasant surprise; it had a great snap to it and was genuinely better than Portillo's.
Now, a couple of notes on the logistics. If you order gravy on the side, you get a ton—enough for maybe two Jumbo Beefs. Also, be prepared to skim it; the gravy we received had about an inch of oil floating on the top. It’s not a dealbreaker, just something to know about the presentation.
Finally, a pro-tip from experience: bring hand sanitizer and wet napkins. This food is authentically messy, and you’ll want them handy. It's a great spot that delivers on portions and flavor.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Kristin H.
Best beef in Chicago. It's an icon. It's the taste of Chicago. It's a must if you're visiting!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
snoboardz1972
I was on a cross country roadtrip and part of the experience was to seek out establishments that had a storied history or was credited as the creator of a new food item. I knew Al’s #1 Beef met both criteria. I arrived just after opening and there was no line, in fact I was the only customer, which was awesome. I had my order pre-planned so the ordering process went fairly smoothly. I went with an original beef sandwich (regular sized) combo. It included an order of fries and a soda. I am not an Italian Beef connoisseur so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had ordered my sandwich wet vs. dipped. I’m glad I did because I imagine the dipped version would have been hard to handle, considering how juicy my wet sandwich was. The flavor of the sandwich, while not what I anticipated in my imagination, was amazing. The juice was complex and full of bold, savory seasonings. It permeated the meat as well with the same luxurious flavors. The spicy gardineria peppers were a nice accompaniment to the sandwich. The fries were prepared perfectly. The soda was a nice finish to wash everything down. I sat outside next to the sidewalk on a beautiful and quiet weekend morning. Only a few college students milled about, up and down the sidewalk. I would imagine I was there at a most perfect time. Al’s gave me a taste of true Chicago. I drove away, back towards the interstate with a glowing smile of satisfaction and I wasn’t hungry again for the rest of the day.
The beef was not seasoned and it wasn't tender like I remember as a kid. They aren't any better than portillis in my opinion
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
J. Kramer
It's the best...on another level from the others.
Food: 5
Curtis Park
Al’s is amazing. I appreciate the staffs and managers kindness to me even though I have autism and their food is amazing and really good. Owner Chris and manager Edwin is very nice. The restaurant is in good condition. Amazing Italian beef. Must come back. 10/10.
Simone Sanders
$16 and literally could not eat the fries sandwich was ok
I am going to have to go for 2 stars - this place is a big overpromise-underdeliver experience.
While the meat is good, the only thing which can be said about the service is that it’s quick.
Due to this I felt very underwhelmed - definitely not worth a detour from downtown.
Also beware that it’s cash only.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
The best Italian beef I’ve ever had. All you need is the beef it’s the star of the show, get them dipped. Also there’s parking so definite plus. Best way to eat the sandwich is with your hair tied up and bent over which adds to the experience. 10/10 AL
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Al's Beef is one of many Chicago staple's the originator of the Italian beef sandwich, a must try when visiting the CHI! If you ever get the chance to have a Chicago Italian Beef sandwich Al's is one of the places to go.
The beef has some of the best flavor with just the right amount of spice to it. They pack on the beef and it was cooked to perfection. I add both types of peppers sweet and hot. You also want to make sure to tell them to dip it so that it is juicy. It's hard for me it's a toss up between Johnnie's beef in Elmwood Park and the original Al's Beef both amazing!! 100% recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The hand cut french fries were hot and delicious!
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: French Fries
Skimpy high price appetizer size sandwich. 😉
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
The regular size and the big beef size are only 1 in difference but the price is $6 difference. That's not right
Food: 1
I ordered Italian beef, hotpeppers, dipped & fries.
It was terrible. The fries were scraps from the bottom of the bag& greasy. The sandwich was small. The meat was over cooked & flavorless. I'm really sorry I spent my $17.
Soooooo disappointed.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
If you're grabbing a classic Chicago bite, Al's is a solid choice. Getting in and out is pretty easy; they have their own parking lot, so navigating the city is simple, provided you’re not hitting it during the main lunch rush. Seating is what you’d expect for a local spot—a few counter spots inside by the window, and some picnic tables outside for nicer weather.
The ordering was a little confusing at first because they display these combos everywhere, but everything is really sold a la carte. It’s not a huge hurdle, just manage your expectations before you get to the register.
We tried the staple Jumbo Italian Beef with both sweet and hot peppers, and the Polish hotdog with everything. A critical piece of advice: the Polish comes with its own order of fries and a regular side was good enough for at least 2.5 to have a reasonable portion. Only order one side of fries unless you're feeding a small army.
In terms of quality, the beef is delicious, packed with meat, and already pretty wet without even being dipped. The polish sausage was the real pleasant surprise; it had a great snap to it and was genuinely better than Portillo's.
Now, a couple of notes on the logistics. If you order gravy on the side, you get a ton—enough for maybe two Jumbo Beefs. Also, be prepared to skim it; the gravy we received had about an inch of oil floating on the top. It’s not a dealbreaker, just something to know about the presentation.
Finally, a pro-tip from experience: bring hand sanitizer and wet napkins. This food is authentically messy, and you’ll want them handy. It's a great spot that delivers on portions and flavor.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Best beef in Chicago. It's an icon. It's the taste of Chicago. It's a must if you're visiting!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I was on a cross country roadtrip and part of the experience was to seek out establishments that had a storied history or was credited as the creator of a new food item. I knew Al’s #1 Beef met both criteria. I arrived just after opening and there was no line, in fact I was the only customer, which was awesome. I had my order pre-planned so the ordering process went fairly smoothly. I went with an original beef sandwich (regular sized) combo. It included an order of fries and a soda. I am not an Italian Beef connoisseur so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had ordered my sandwich wet vs. dipped. I’m glad I did because I imagine the dipped version would have been hard to handle, considering how juicy my wet sandwich was. The flavor of the sandwich, while not what I anticipated in my imagination, was amazing. The juice was complex and full of bold, savory seasonings. It permeated the meat as well with the same luxurious flavors. The spicy gardineria peppers were a nice accompaniment to the sandwich. The fries were prepared perfectly. The soda was a nice finish to wash everything down. I sat outside next to the sidewalk on a beautiful and quiet weekend morning. Only a few college students milled about, up and down the sidewalk. I would imagine I was there at a most perfect time. Al’s gave me a taste of true Chicago. I drove away, back towards the interstate with a glowing smile of satisfaction and I wasn’t hungry again for the rest of the day.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The beef was not seasoned and it wasn't tender like I remember as a kid. They aren't any better than portillis in my opinion
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
It's the best...on another level from the others.
Food: 5
Al’s is amazing. I appreciate the staffs and managers kindness to me even though I have autism and their food is amazing and really good. Owner Chris and manager Edwin is very nice. The restaurant is in good condition. Amazing Italian beef. Must come back. 10/10.
$16 and literally could not eat the fries sandwich was ok
Food: 1
Service: 1
Okay place for late dinner
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
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