Al & Joe's "Home of the Submarine"

I found only one or two mentions of Al & Joe's using the search function and after numerous visits I think it needs its own launching pad. A&J's is located in Franklin Park at the end of Addison right before Manheim.

I randomly drove by this place when I was waiting out a flight delay and upon seeing it, knew I had to try it. Its been there since 1960 and it looks as though much hasn't changed. A&J's is a delicatessen that doubles as a mini grocery selling convenience goods and booze opening at the crack of dawn at 5am.

Right in the middle of the store is the deli counter where they have a nice offering of sandwich's ranging from an Italian, mile high corned beef, meatball/sausage, chix-parm, pepper & egg and the usual deli cuts. They use fresh gonnella bread and the turnover rate is fast and the fresh sliced meats paired with the homemade giardinara is one of the best sandwich's in Chicagoland. They also serve pasta, pizza and homemade dessert's. I have only tried the Italian and a "Mile high" corned beef which is the special on Wednesday's for $6 and they have a daily special everyday that includes a sausage and pepper, meatball and some other promising offerings. I haven't been disappointed yet, the pastas looked to be huge portions and the chicken parm also looked and smelled really good but I just found this place a couple weeks ago so I have only been three times.

Its right up there behind Bari but better than the rest I have had, the oil mixture is great with the homemade hot peppers and the meats/cheese are sliced fresh upon ordering and they dont skim on ingredients here.

On the way home today I stopped and picked up a lg. Alpine sub to compare with a large A&Js sub and there was no comparison. The alpine sub was half the size with half the ingredients and the bread was much better on the Sub from Al & Joe's as were the hot peppers. Great place to stop before or after a flight out of O'Hare. If your coming from the lake just drive down Addison til you get to the end where it meets with Manheim Rd (It gets cut off by a forest but you can go around either way and turn back onto Addison.

Anyone that wants to bring some of their "secret sandwich sauce" which is just their homemade giardinara to a friend upon leaving O'Hare, they sell two sizes at a really cheap price with the smaller jar being only $2.29 and the lg jar $3.49. Its really good and the sammy is better than anything youll find in the airport. I really like this place.

AL & Joe's Delicatessen
(847) 678-6788
10348 Addison Ave
Franklin Park IL 60131

Amen to that. My office was located up the road on Mannheim for 12 years. A&J was a regular stop. In all those years, I never tried any of the "cooked" dishes (pasta, veal parm, etc.) because the subs were so good.

One of my favorites. Around lunch time they have a large pre-made selection of Italian subs, both full and half sizes. I personally prefer those since the ingredients are still same day fresh (probably same hour) and they've had a chance to co-mingle for a while. Sorry though, it's the only thing I've ever had.

I grew up in the neighborhood, and it was a regular treat. Now out of that neighborhood, it is something that will actually get me to drive and pick up people at O'Hare since I can do the quick detour to get some subs.

The Italian sub and the American sub are both fantastic. Even the ones that are already made at lunch are great, but they will happily make you a fresh one if you want. They usually start making the pre-made ones about 10am, and they keep making them through the lunch hour.

A few years back they did have a decline in quality (I think it was the late 90s) but the last time I stopped there, they were back up to the old standards.

brings back good memories...they do have great subs

seebee wrote:OT, BUT -
Just in case you're in the area again,
Maybe you'll like these sammiches?

Well I did like Alpine at a time and for a while thought that they might be 2nd only to Bari in the Italian Sub race. Then I randomly found A&J's one day. This is a great little place tucked away at the very end of Addison.



I haven't had any trips out of O'Hare since finding it but I am now a little more likely to pick up friends and family at the airport just so I can stop by for a sub and a jar of homemade giardinara.


half of a an Italian from A&J's

The day I found this place I was in a food frenzy and had been to Frannie's beef, Gene & Judes and then stopped at Alpine for a comparison between its Italian and A&J's. The footlong from A&J Usain Bolted the alpine. It was gone in under 10 seconds and much preferred by me and my three friends who I had vote.

Since my first post in this thread, I have tried one other thing there, the Herbie. A truly awesome sandwich. It's basically an Italian, with more meat. LOTS MORE MEAT. It feels like it weighs 2 pounds. Obviously more expensive than the regular sandwiches. But truly an enjoyable feast.

I just want to chime in again to say that these simple sandwiches are truly amazing. As a kid I had two choices when we went to my cousins house...Al & Joe's or Jene and Judes....I could never choose so I left it up to my cousin. These days, since I have a car now, I go to both.

(I can't say anything about the cooked items/pastas because I haven't tried them but to be honest I don't think you'll need to once you've tried a sub....I'm definately going there soon )

After you grab your "sangwich", drive your car over to one of the gravel lots nearby underneath either the Mannheim or Tri-State overpasses to eat your meal. It's as close as you can get to a real Jersey experience!

chainey wrote:After you grab your "sangwich", drive your car over to one of the gravel lots nearby underneath either the Mannheim or Tri-State overpasses to eat your meal. It's as close as you can get to a real Jersey experience!

Yeah, too bad there's no toxic waste puddles to park your car in.

Cogito wrote:

chainey wrote:After you grab your "sangwich", drive your car over to one of the gravel lots nearby underneath either the Mannheim or Tri-State overpasses to eat your meal. It's as close as you can get to a real Jersey experience!

Yeah, too bad there's no toxic waste puddles to park your car in.

You sure?

Picked up an Italian sub and a peperoni sub at A&J yesterday. Both were very good.

stopped at al & joe's for sub samies for bears game . this is my favorite italian sub in chicagoland. they have other stuff deli conter, pizza ect. but i always go back for the italian sub .

al & Joe's
10348 w addison st .
franklin park, il.
847-678-6788
since 1960

stopped back at al & joe's for a sub tonite. alway's great

I really love this place, which I've hit a couple of times in the past 6 weeks or so. Today, I made the trek down to Al & Joe's from Deerfield to pick up a bunch of sandwiches for our office lunch. Needless to say, they were snarfed down early and often. I made it back to the office about an hour before we normally eat lunch but that didn't stop 5 of us from making 7 sandwiches disappear before noon. Among our faves were the Italian and the Herbie (Ham, salami, capacolla, pepperoni, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, vinegar & oil). A couple of custom jobs (a wide selection of meats and cheeses is offered) were also very well received.

The bread is excellent, with great flavor and a near-perfect resistance to the bite. You have to tug at it just a bit but the sandwich fillings are never in danger of sliding out of the sandwich. The meats and cheeses are very tasty and in most cases, they're sliced to order (a couple of their more popular sandwiches are made in advance, right before lunch). The giardeniera -- especially the hot -- is fiery, flavorful and full of crunch. Lettuce is torn into large pieces, which work very well on the sandwiches. The overall ratio of bread to fillings is just about perfect. The sandwiches are generously filled but not to the point where the meats and cheeses outshine the bread. There's some very nice balance here.

A couple of large dill pickles were among the best I've had lately and some cracked olives were excellent, although cold sides of marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts and pasta salad were just ok. Service is excellent and notably friendly. I called in our order before I left the house, so the entire trip from Deerfield to Al and Joe's and back to Highland Park took less than an hour.

Thanks, to all who posted about this place. Turns out my step-brother has been going here since he was a kid (his Grandma lives in Franklin Park) but for whatever reason, he never bothered to mention it. When I suggested trying it out for lunch, after reading about it here, he was all over it like it was his idea.

=R=

ronnie suburban wrote:I really love this place, which I've hit a couple of times in the past 6 weeks or so.

Turns out my step-brother has been going here since he was a kid (his Grandma lives in Franklin Park) but for whatever reason, he never bothered to mention it.
=R=

Back in the day, for some of us 50 somethings growing up in the northwest neighborhoods of Chicago, this was a semi destination spot for a cheap date. A couple of Alpine's to go and then parking along the side of Irving Park Road by the O'Hare runways, for the ambiance of the jets roaring in about 50 feet over your head.

T Comp wrote:

ronnie suburban wrote:I really love this place, which I've hit a couple of times in the past 6 weeks or so.

Turns out my step-brother has been going here since he was a kid (his Grandma lives in Franklin Park) but for whatever reason, he never bothered to mention it.
=R=

Back in the day, for some of us 50 somethings growing up in the northwest neighborhoods of Chicago, this was a semi destination spot for a cheap date. A couple of Alpine's to go and then parking along the side of Irving Park Road by the O'Hare runways, for the ambiance of the jets roaring in about 50 feet over your head.

Funny, I woulda thought you'd get "Alpines" at the Alpine sub shop?

Cogito wrote:Funny, I woulda thought you'd get "Alpines" at the Alpine sub shop?

Ya got me. This 50 something brain can't keep his sub shops or their sandwiches straight.

Anyway, this thread did get me over to Al & Joe's for the first time in many years. Had a Herbie with extra oil/vinegar and easy giardiniera which was just delicious. The packed 100% male populated lunch room also provided this solo diner with some classic, I've a feeling were not in Wicker Park anymore, sights and sounds.

I never drive by without picking up at least one sandwich and have for decades. Tastes a bit better as it sits anyway, well not for decades.

The bread is just Gonnella, but somehow it tastes better here.

-ramon

midas wrote:Since my first post in this thread, I have tried one other thing there, the Herbie. A truly awesome sandwich. It's basically an Italian, with more meat. LOTS MORE MEAT. It feels like it weighs 2 pounds. Obviously more expensive than the regular sandwiches. But truly an enjoyable feast.

The Herbie is my go to.

Today I tried the meatball, the meatballs were HUGE, good tasting, yet the red sauce didn't have enough brightness, sauce was completely lost in the monstrosity of the meatballs. So I won't be ordering the meatball again.

Has anyone tried the pizza?

BTW, on their website in the about us section it states: "Al & Joe's is now in the process of opening its second location in Crystal Lake, IL. As of this writing no date has been set."

Sweet Willie wrote:Has anyone tried the pizza?

I like Al & Joe's pizza quite a bit. It'll never replace D'Amato's as my favorite but it's more than respectable.



It's a weighty slice, noticeably heavier than most, but the crust's density is not at all objectionable. Sauce edges toward sweet, but with the salty, pungent cheese, it somehow works for me. A sub and a slice makes a very hearty lunch.

Had my first sub from them last Friday and loved it. The pizza not so much. I thought it was a little too bready

Al and Joe's is my all time favorite Italian sub, and the sub I grew up on. It was our neighborhood Italian deli, and it really hasn't changed all that much. I love the sharp imported provolone used on their Italian subs, and their meats are excellent. I know various food writers prefer the crustier bread from places like D'Amato's, but for me it's all about the "insides" of the sub- the meats, cheeses, hot giardiniera, and the vinegar and oil mixes. And in my humble opinion, Al and Joe's housemade vinegar and oil mix is the best in the business. They have been selling it by the bottle for years as their "special sauce." Big Joe will even refill it for you when you run out. Al and Joe's vinegar and oil mix is what really sets Al and Joe's apart from everybody else.

That said, I'm not a huge fan of their pizza, but when it comes to Italian subs, Al and Joe's can do no wrong. Places like these are fewer and far between these days, and hopefully they will always be around. They are the quintessential old school Italian deli from the neighborhood.

Rene G wrote:I like Al & Joe's pizza quite a bit. It'll never replace D'Amato's as my favorite but it's more than respectable.

thanks for the feedback.


Mrs Willie is off on Fridays during the summer and after hearing about my delicious Herbie sandwich, she wanted to go to Al & Joe's for lunch, so off we went.

When I had been there on Wed, which is hot corned beef day at Al & Joe's, I questioned my choice of going with the meatball & Herbie as the corned beef looked & smelled sooooo good. When we showed up yesterday Friday, pastrami is the hot sandwich special so I wasn't going to miss out this time and it is what I ordered. Pastrami is sliced ultra thin & piled high on light or dark rye.

Mrs got an Italian.

Both of us scarfed down our sandwiches on the outdoor tables. They were great. I look forward to getting back on a Wed to try the corned beef & a slice of pizza.

I really love this place. It's a bit of a trek but as I was reminded recently, it's definitely worth it . . .


Italian Sub with Extra Meat and Hot Giardiniera

=R=

I know this is completely subjective, but as I stated in my previous post, Al and Joe's is my all time favorite Italian Sub. If you get the chance, purchase their "secret/special sauce." They sell it by the bottle, and they will refill it for you when you run out. It's their housemade vinegar and oil mix, and I've never had a vinegar and oil mix as good as Al and Joe's anywhere else.

I love it. Al and Joe's is as old school as you can get in the world of Italian delis. We should celebrate them every chance we get in this modern era.

This place is about a 10-minute drive from my office, but in a location I never find myself. And somehow I missed this thread when originally posted. But I finally made it there and happily join the Al & Joe's fan club.

I was very impressed with the Italian sub, though I like Ronnie's idea of increasing the quantity of meat. My lone complaint is very minor - the regular Italian sub is just a tad bread-heavy without the addition of extra meat.





But I really loved the pizza, which I think compares to the Grandma/Sicilian-style slices you find many places, with a thick doughy base. If you don't like that style, you probably won't like the pizza here. But I like this style quite a bit, and Al & Joe's sauce is nicely balanced and the slice had just enough sausage. Even better, the flavor of the bread which had the well developed flavor of a slow-fermented dough. I was grinning ear to ear while I was eating it. I can't recall a slice of Grandma-style pie where the crust tasted this good. From the comments here, I wonder if I got lucky, if something changed, or perhaps some people just don't like this style of pizza.





In any event, glad to have made my first visit to Al & Joe's. There will be many repeat visits.

BR wrote:But I really loved the pizza, which I think compares to the Grandma/Sicilian-style slices you find many places, with a thick doughy base. If you don't like that style, you probably won't like the pizza here. But I like this style quite a bit, and Al & Joe's sauce is nicely balanced and the slice had just enough sausage. Even better, the flavor of the bread which had the well developed flavor of a slow-fermented dough. I was grinning ear to ear while I was eating it. I can't recall a slice of Grandma-style pie where the crust tasted this good. From the comments here, I wonder if I got lucky, if something changed, or perhaps some people just don't like this style of pizza.

I've returned a couple more times, and most recently had the pizza again and it was the complete opposite of my first visit. The crust was bland and unseasoned and the toppings unbalanced. So, I guess I'll find out on future visits where the real Al & Joe's pizza experience lies. On the plus side, the Italian subs seem to be very consistent.

BR wrote:I've returned a couple more times, and most recently had the pizza again and it was the complete opposite of my first visit.

agreed, pizza has been hit/miss with me as well

BR wrote:On the plus side, the Italian subs seem to be very consistent.

amen