Luke's Italian Beef - Loop

Can't believe there isn't a post dedicated to Luke's. Although my search returned many a comment in other posts on Luke's, I could not uncover any specific thread. The moderators can repost my comments if one exists.

Hit Luke's today for a very early lunch due to business concerns. The place opens at 10 a.m. on weekdays. The place was deserted as expected around 10:45 a.m. I ordered a beef with sweet peppers, diet coke and fries.

The beef limped into the "pretty good" territory barely making it out of the "alright" category in time, not great by any means. Quality meat product but really dry, lacking in flavor and just not altogether working with the bun, peppers and beef mix. The peppers were alright and though the quality of the bun was good, it fell apart at the second bite despite no request for the sandwich to be "dipped" or even "partially dipped". I know we have our dip lovers on here and that's great. But when I get a partially soggy bun that rips apart and dry beef inside the bun that pisses me off. The Dry-Beef, Soggy-Bun doesn't work for me...ick!

What I like, and shoulda specified, is a "dry" bun, and "wet beef". In other words, when you pull the beef out of the vat, pour some gravy over the beef after putting the beef on the bun for Chrissakes. Don't dunk the bun, rendering the bun drenched and unstable, causing the dry beef and peppers to fall out on the second bite, put the gravy on the inside where it belongs. Sorry, this is a beef pet-peeve of mine.

You know, the quality of the ingredients seemed high, but the execution was way off back in the kitchen area. Someone back there needs to wake up.

The fries were really good, thin, crispy traditional Beef side fries. Nice.

Anyway, the whole experience was, again, "pretty good" and better than my description might lead you to believe. For $9+ for beef, peppers, fries and a drink not too bad for Loop prices but definitely not cheap. Shit, I could get a beef, a sausage, a fry and a coke at Johnny's in A.H. for the same price. Better and more food for the same price. I'll be back with a little more patron-direction during ordering for my next beef.

As an aside, though I did not have one this time around, I've always found Luke's to make a really good Chicago dog.

Bster

Luke's Italian Beef
215 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60606
Tel: (312) 939-4204

Is this one related to the Luke's / Tore on Diversey / Western / Elston,
Also in Arlington Heights, and also up north on Harlem avenue 3000-ish?

If so, I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I'm in the minority, but I think Luke's Tore beef sammiches are my favorite in Chicagoland. Not too salty gravy, extra thin sliced beef, and sizzling hot, no joke, giardinera. I like them more because they are balanced with salt. The beef itself is not overly salty creating a sodium overload when the giardinera is added. Last time I posted something similar in one of the beef-a-thon threads, there were a few other posters who expressed their admiration of the Luke's beef as well.