Mr Rusty's Taste of Chicago

NO! NO! NO!!
The wait time was crazy long and I never received my food. I had a co worker to go so we could give it a fair chance. I shouldn't have done that. The polish was not it. I'm from Chicago and everyone knows the polish does NOT come on a sesame seed bun. The polish was not a vienna beef polish. It was very similar to a regular smoked sausage. The taste was very off. I could not eat it. Then on top of that you have to buy the fries. So for me I will not return nor recommend. This is my personal experience.

Food: 1

Service: 1

We drove from Muscle Shoals, AL to go to this place. The Italian Beef was the best I’ve had! I got it “wet”, which was totally dunked in au jus. It was fabulous! My Dad loved his and thought their onion rings were the best ever! I highly recommend you visit them and support small wonderful businesses.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Food was fast, delicious, and reasonably priced! Thanks! We ordered a hot dog, gyro, fries, and onion rings.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Good vibes only
Great Chicago style food

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Italian Beef Sausage Combo Dipped with Hot Extra Hot Peppers, Polish Sausage

Googled “Lunch” in Memphis. I usually go for some BBQ when visiting Memphis for work, but I wanted something different. Chose Mr. Rusty’s. Glad I did. Ordered a Gyro and a sprite. Gyro was delicious , not too heavy , very tasty. I like the atmosphere, small business hole-in-the wall type. I will come back here again before I leave.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Gyro

Quick fresh hot and delicious

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Very good, Chicago-style beef sandwiches.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Italian Beef Sausage Combo Dipped with Hot Extra Hot Peppers

This place is so so good! Makes me think of my sweet home, Chicago!

They have some good food but Wise Guys is better. At least Wise Guys put more meat on their sandwich

This place is right beside the airport. I was lucky to find this place. The reviews dont lie. I had 3 hours till my flight and starving. I had the Hot Italian Beef loaded. Amazing!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

If you've ever been to Chicago, you know there are some things that are just unique to Chicago and cannot be duplicated. These people are from Chicago because the food is true to the City's Finest Eats!!! The Italian Beef, Pizza Puff, turkey burger, Cheese Fries, mix... Its *chefs kiss*. The service is good whether you call it in or pick it up. My only complaint is that there isn't much space for dining in, which I'm sure is intentional. And also they close at 3 pm daily so you can't eat here for dinner. There's also a bunch of Chicago memorabilia hanging around the place to remind you where you are. I highly recommend you try this place if you haven't already.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Italian Beef Sausage Combo Dipped with Hot Extra Hot Peppers, Strawberry Shortcake, Pizza Puff, Gyro

I tried a Chicago Hot Dog on yesterday and it was amazing.

Parking: There was plenty of parking.

Recommended dishes: Original Chicago Dog w All the Toppings

This may be the most difficult review I’ve written. Mr. Rusty’s Taste of Chicago has been my go-to for seven years of living in the Memphis area and as such, I’d hate to see this owner-operated business inundated with newfound traffic and become a different version of itself but after speaking with Mr. Rusty himself for quite a while today, I’d be remiss to not offer the Memphis area my candid take on my favorite restaurant in the city.
Chicago is top three in weekend getaway cities for my wife and me, Mr. Rusty’s is not a taste of Chicago, this food is Chicago. The hot dogs taste like a better version of the ones you get walking to the pier and about half the price. Before I’m even able to take a bite, the nostalgia is overwhelming. At under five dollars, this is an absolute must especially with two or more people dining. The peppers are fresh, the hot dog is substantial, not the bologna-esque cheap ones that some restaurants attempt to pass, and the sesame-covered buns merge and you’re taken back to that first Chicago hot dog you ever ate.
The Italian beef is untouchable. This isn’t good for Memphis, I would pit any one of the at least fifty I’ve eaten from this establishment against any Italian beef in Chicago. I stand by that and my full name is in the review. The giardiniera is unlike any I’ve ever had with each flavor married but somehow distinguishable. I prefer mild with a touch of hot oil for a very manageable kick.
Good lord, the tacos were otherworldly. You’re given three choices for meats but I’ll never be able to get anything other than the steak. I’ve personally never seen any flavor combinations like the tacos so this review stands on its own, try the tacos for yourself. In the same vein as movie spoilers, I’ll leave it at that.
Absolutely everything on Mr. Rusty’s menu will be one of the best versions of that food item you will have ever eaten but the one in my mind that will forever remain synonymous with Mr. Rusty is the gyro. The meat is fresh off the spit, something I rarely see in restaurants specializing in gyros. It’s perfectly marinated and flavored exquisitely. They are incredibly generous with portion sizes so I order an extra pita and have two gyros every time. The tzatziki is phenomenal and that’s coming from a Greek man. This single dish has been the opportunity cost I couldn’t miss out for years and delayed me trying others on the menu. If you have two or more people dining, get the gyro just for a bite or two, there isn’t a better one in Memphis.
With everything else so masterfully done, Mr. Rusty would get a pass on a subpar burger but even that is amazing! If you want a no-frills burger with fresh ingredients, this is it.
I have left tons of items out but I hope I have included enough to help at least one or two people decide to stop in for the friendly environment, amazing food and a version of customer service that died around twenty years ago everywhere else. This is without a doubt one of the best eateries in Memphis, thank you to Mr. Rusty for being a staple in the community for almost three decades.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Original Chicago Dog w All the Toppings, Italian Beef Sausage Combo Dipped with Hot Extra Hot Peppers, Double Cheeseburger, Wings, Burger, Cheeseburger, Philly Steak Sandwich, Gyro

This was my first and last time getting food from here. I ordered a Chicago hotdog & Italian beef sandwich. The Chicago hotdog bun was very hard and the hotdog tasted old. The Italian beef sandwich had homemade giardiniera peppers but the meat was good. The lady at the counter was very pleasant. The music was loud and too close to the counter where you order your food. I am very familiar with Chicago style food (being from Wisconsin) and this wasn't made/prepared like it is up north.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 5

Native

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Sandwich