Chickie’s first timer

I’ve been reading a lot of postings concerning Chicago Beefs, including the latest Beefathon. So today at lunch I tried Chickie’s. I got a beef sweet and fries. The fries were awful: soggy, mushy, mostly bits.

I thought the beef was good, I guess the word that comes to mind is solid. The quantity was large. The peppers were good. But I guess it was missing something. It tasted like very good beef, but not what I think an Italian Beef should be.

I like Johnnies and Big Al’s. I used to like Big Al’s the best, but the downsizing of the sandwich and the fact that they are not as convenient geographical as Johnnies has turned me off. I know some don’t like the flavor of Big Al’s, but I do.

I would (personally) rank it behind the above 2, plus Roma’s. I know I am in the minority on Roma’s and I too have had some problems at Roma’s: mostly a lack of consistency. But I have never had a bad beef, some were just ‘OK’. But there is spice at Roma’s that I like, again, just personal opinion.

I am going to give Chickie’s another try, but right now:

Johnnies,
Big Al’s
Roma’s
Chickie’s

Oh, while I was there I actually saw the people behind the counter put ketchup on a hot dog. Call me ‘anal’ or ‘OCD’, but I think a true Chicago stand should give the customer a ketchup packet. I have seen others who do.

r.

Big Al's?

I slipped up. I used an office slang my friends & I had back in the early 80's for it. We would yell over the office cubes:

Hey how about a beef at Al's. It didn't take long for it to turn into: "Big Beef, Big Al's"

But I meant ---

AL's #1 Italian Beef
1079 West Taylor St.

r.

dodger wrote:
I thought the beef was good, I guess the word that comes to mind is solid. The quantity was large. The peppers were good. But I guess it was missing something. It tasted like very good beef, but not what I think an Italian Beef should be.

Chickie's beef certainly seems to me to be less heavily seasoned than most of its Chicago counterparts--at least to me it does. It also seems to have a slightly different texture--a little more "pulled" than sliced. But that's part of why I like it so much. It's a place where the beef really stands out on its own. The celery-and-jalapeno giardeniera is a nice accent, without being overpowering. I think it's a much lighter grace note than your standard-fare giardiniera. It's much "greener" and crisp. Some people like this, some prefer the more traditional giardiniera. Both are good.

In fact, while I live only a mile from Chickie's (yay!), my favorite beef is Johnnies, just because it is a little more heavily spiced. But Chickie's is a firm #2 for me, and I need to have both beefs in my life, as they're different sandwiches for me, and each satiate a slightly different craving.
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Oh, while I was there I actually saw the people behind the counter put ketchup on a hot dog. Call me ‘anal’ or ‘OCD’, but I think a true Chicago stand should give the customer a ketchup packet. I have seen others who do.

Sad to say, you've lost this battle. Some stands don't even know ketchup doesn't belong on an everything-on-it dog. I've gotten to the point where I have to say "hot dog, everything on it, NO KETCHUP" just to be sure. And, yes, this is in Chicago. And, yes, I was at a hot dog stand near Randolph and Wells (almost in the literal Loop), and asked for a hot dog with everything. Next thing I know I have ketchup on my dog.

It's one thing for hot dog stands on the outskirts of the city or in the suburbs to do this. It's quite another for a place in the heart of Chicago to do so.

Must have been at Harry's. It's more than a little quirky. I practically work on top of it. Try it a couple of times a year, always leave shaking my head and say to myself. . . ."self, never, ever go in there again".

dodger wrote:I've been reading a lot of postings concerning Chicago Beefs, including the latest Beefathon. So today at lunch I tried Chickie’s. I got a beef sweet and fries. The fries were awful: soggy, mushy, mostly bits.

Doger,

To my taste Italian Beef at Chickie's has never been anything but very good, but I've learned to order the fries crisp and crisp fries at Chickie's are very good indeed. Crisp seems to be the magic word in the wide world of french fries, rarely, if ever, have I been disappointed in a fry I've asked for crisp.

Chickie's Fries (Crisp)


Chickie's Italian Beef


I'm also a fan of Chickie's giardiniera, though it's not a typical in that it's mainly thin sliced jalapeno with a little celery. Carm's is the only other place I can think of, at the moment at least, that uses jalapeno/celery giardiniera.

Enjoy,
Gary

Chickie's
2839 S Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL 60623
773-277-2333

Carm's Italian Beef
1057 W. Polk St.
Chicago, IL
312-738-1046

Did anyone notice this large sign on the front?

http://www.gwiv.com/BeefaThonFinals6.jpg

Say it ain't so!

Phil wrote:Did anyone notice this large sign on the front?

http://www.gwiv.com/BeefaThonFinals6.jpg

Say it ain't so!

In the last Beefathon wrapup, dicksond discusses this. The Chickie's sale is not imminent, but was described as a "line in the water" to see what he catches. Either way, for you Chickie's fans, enjoy it while it lasts because he could find a deal to his liking any day now.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:The Chickie's sale is not imminent, but was described as a "line in the water" to see what he catches.

Michael,

Maybe just a line in the water, but still........................

Chickie's 10.28.06


Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:I'm also a fan of Chickie's giardiniera, though it's not a typical in that it's mainly thin sliced jalapeno with a little celery. Carm's is the only other place I can think of, at the moment at least, that uses jalapeno/celery giardiniera.

Pop's as well.

PIGMON wrote:Pop's as well.

Right you are Mr. Pigmon, right you are!

dan1234 wrote:Must have been at Harry's. It's more than a little quirky. I practically work on top of it. Try it a couple of times a year, always leave shaking my head and say to myself. . . ."self, never, ever go in there again".

Yes! I actually drove by it on Saturday, and made a point to remember its name. Sure enough, it was Harry's.