Binko wrote:

pmcaleer wrote:The overall sandwich is acceptable. It's lacking the subtle spice I'm used to with Johnnie's. In the battle of the Chicago chains, I'll actually take Portillo's over this.

With Johnnie's as a benchmark, you're really holding your beefs to an almost impossible standard. However, you might be interested to know that the guy at the Skillet Doux food blog agrees that Portillo's is better than Al's...and he's talking about Al's Taylor Street location!

It should be noted for the record (and I intend to do so at the Beef-Off's conclusion) that the Portillo's beef I had for the Beef-Off was better than the Al's beef I had for the Beef-Off. I suspect I may have gotten a particulary bad sandwich, as the beef was overcooked, tough and dry, which is the biggest reason it's still languishing at the bottom of the list. That said, I happened to catch a Mr. Beef sandwich last week that was awful, and would have hit rock bottom of the list by a wide margin if it had been the one I had on the day I judged.

None of this is to say that I'm overly enamored of Al's... though it was my favorite once upon a time, it strikes me as rather one-dimensional lately... but given a larger sample, it certainly wouldn't be sitting where it is now. Inconsistency has proven to be the biggest impediment to any kind of scientific survey

magpie1140 wrote:The River Road location in Franklin Park is dark & shuttered. I'm not too suprised since I was usually the only customer in the place each time I went. And then there was one time I went and they were OUT OF BEEF. Like Midas, I live 5 minutes from there and I'm sad to see those fries slip out of my immediate reach.

I actually tried the Al's on Higgins between Cumberland and East River. It was actually pretty good. Not as good as Rosevelt, but not much is. And a billions times better than that River Rd. location.

For the record, even though I used the surprise smiley at the end of my post, I actually can believe a Portillo's sandwich is better than Al's. I stopped going to Al's about ten years ago, mainly because I've been dissatisfied with the quality of their beef, their portion size, and their prices. That, and I live only a mile away from Chickie's, so why would I want to go out of my way to Taylor Street? I still go to Mario's Lemonade every summer, but I cannot bring myself to pay good money for a sandwich that is mediocre to my tastes.


I understand that ten years is a bit a of a long time not to check out a place, and I probably will one day pop in to see if I'm being unreasonable, but when I see others who seem to like the taste profile I like (people who like Chickie's and Johnnie's, for instance), I just think Al's is probably not the beef for me.

Portillo's has suffered an unjust chain store rap in some earlier postings., like how could a chain store put out a good beef? Well, Portillo's Forest Park store consistently puts out a very good combo every time I try it. Juicy, hot and sweet, it always features a large hunk of good sausage and a generous amount of never overcooked beef, and terrific sweet peppers which seem to have been cooked in a highly seasoned broth. I put a Portillo's combo right up there with the best of them.

Binko wrote:

pmcaleer wrote:The overall sandwich is acceptable. It's lacking the subtle spice I'm used to with Johnnie's. In the battle of the Chicago chains, I'll actually take Portillo's over this.

However, you might be interested to know that the guy at the Skillet Doux food blog agrees that Portillo's is better than Al's

i have had some pretty LOUSY flavorless sandwiches at the Al's on ontario... so much so that i always left thinking "never again" ...

i feel like portillos never really gets the credit it deserves (though i'm glad to see in this thread it seems to be getting some praise). to me, its reliable and tastes quite yum... gimme an italian beef and a chocolate cake shake and i'm set.. and they have good fries..

someone said portillos is "closer to arby's than al's" ?? . ... apparently Al's on ontario is closer to Arby's than Al's on Taylor... and if arby's were as good as portillos italian beef, i think there'd be a heck of a lot more around

thick wrote:Portillo's has suffered an unjust chain store rap i

Thick,

Though it's been a while since I've been to Portillo's the chain store rap is not unjust, at least in my experience. Far has Portillo's vs Al's, to put it mildly, Al's is my preference.

I need to try Portillo's again, but unless ducks have started flying backwards I can't imagine them giving Al's (Taylor Street only), Chickie's, Johnnie's, Roma's (Cicero location only), Max's or Mr. Beef* a run for the money.

Enjoy,
Gary

*Never, ever, accept a lunch rush premade beef at Mr. Beef, even if the alternative is waiting a few minutes. If you can't wait skip lunch.

I was always familiar with the Al's on Ontario. I loved their fries but chose hot dogs over their second rate Italian beef. Now I know it's because it was a franchise operation.

I've now tried the Al's Italian beef on Touhy in Niles. Not even "OK" anymore - Way too salty. Raw green peppers were extra and they added this to my order without asking or disclosing.

I tried the fries at the new Davis St. location in Evanston. Not the same old fries. I ordered "extra crispy". They were "fresh out of the fryer" but weren't even hot. They now taste like some kind of starch is sprayed on them, then fried in a vegetable oil. They are still better than many fries, but are beginning to approach the taste of Burger King fries.

abc222001 wrote:I was always familiar with the Al's on Ontario. I loved their fries but chose hot dogs over their second rate Italian beef. Now I know it's because it was a franchise operation.

I've now tried the Al's Italian beef on Touhy in Niles. Not even "OK" anymore - Way too salty. Raw green peppers were extra and they added this to my order without asking or disclosing.

I tried the fries at the new Davis St. location in Evanston. Not the same old fries. I ordered "extra crispy". They were "fresh out of the fryer" but weren't even hot. They now taste like some kind of starch is sprayed on them, then fried in a vegetable oil. They are still better than many fries, but are beginning to approach the taste of Burger King fries.

If it's not Al's on Taylor, than it's not really Al's, but a franchised operation instead. Al's excercizes very little (if any) quality control over their franchisees.

agreed. there is only one al's and that would be on taylor st. where it originated 50 or so yrs ago. stop thinking that an al's in the burbs w/valet parking and a salad bars are one and the same. they're so not.

The Al's in N'ville had a short run, now closed, and I never did make it in. Oh well.

By all accounts, there is no reason to make a point of getting to an Al's franchise. On the other hand, the Arlington Heights Johnnie's is pretty good. Not as great as EP, but I always stop there when in the neighborhood. It is not a franchise, though, but shares the same owners and recipe. Since I know Al's and Chickies have both expanded with disastrous results, it is pleasantly surprising that Johnnies has pulled this off.

And I completely agree that Al's is overpriced. But I go anyway, so call me a fool .

It's funny, I live close to the EP Johnnies, but I work close to the AH outpost. I've always thought the original better. But I just had a combo today from AH and it was better than almost any I've had the EP location. Maybe the planets were just lined up right, I don't know.

Before I begin my post on my visit to the Taylor St. location of Al's #1 Italian Beef, a brief rant. As much as I enjoy the staunchly local and independent stance of LTH, it has its shortcomings. Namely, a lack of organization and glaring information holes. Yes, a message board is only as good as its members, but it's shocking to me to not find an official thread on Al's, what many would consider an iconic Chicago eatery, in a sea of only marginally related posts about Italian beef sandwiches. The only thread with the proper name and relevant discussion is locked under the GNR restriction. As someone who thrives on both food and logical order, this makes me sad.

Okay, with that out of the way, my large beef sandwich today was pretty damn delicious. The bread is crappy enough that it's objectively too soft, its crust unnaturally stretchy. Within the context of this sandwich, however, this works wonderfully. The spongy bread acting, well, like a sponge, sopping up all the juices, and the elastic-y crust just barely holding everything together.

The spicy giandinera is also quite wonderful. Salty, crisp yet pleasantly mushy. I wish it was spicier still and there was more of it.

The fries here are pretty interesting. It's almost like they're tough. Not really greasy and and chewy, just, like, rope-y, sort of, or something. The textural sensation was actually somewhat pleasant. Objectively I don't think the fries are very good, but they were different.

Also tried a hot dog for the hell of it. Not very good. Pretty much the whole thing was overwhelmed by the bun. Dog was too small, toppings too scarce and not assertive enough.

I'll go back.

"it's shocking to me to not find an official thread on Al's"

Okay-who's been slackin' on the job? Who here is responsible for not maintaining a proper thread on Al's, and any other interesting Chicago spots that don't have a proper thread?
BryanZ-take a gnarly curmudgeon's word for it-there are too many other things in the world to feel sad about-have another spongy beef, some ropey fries and wash it down with some chilly delight from Mario's across the street. Life is still good. (If not perfect.)

stewed coot wrote:"it's shocking to me to not find an official thread on Al's"

Does Al's GNR thread count, among others.

BryanZ wrote:Before I begin my post on my visit to the Taylor St. location of Al's #1 Italian Beef, a brief rant. As much as I enjoy the staunchly local and independent stance of LTH, it has its shortcomings. Namely, a lack of organization and glaring information holes.

Is this a shortcoming of LTH, or of the software which it uses? Bulletin Boards are not designed for re-organizing information, although some LTHers have taken it upon themselves to manage some threads as indexes, like the Northwest Indiana (NWI) Index or the LTHForum Recipe Index.

Others have undertaken things like mapping the Great Neighborhood Restaurants.

These are just things people do when they are so moved. Next time you find this situation, feel free to start a new thread, because you're right, a place like Al's does merit its own.

That said, if you have an insightful idea about how to help the LTH community organize its information better, I'm sure people would be happy to discuss it on a thread in the Site Chat board (that link won't work unless you're signed in...)

BTW, I would say that the Al's GNR thread doesn't count, because it's locked and Bryan couldn't have added his experiences there.

germuska wrote:BTW, I would say that the Al's GNR thread doesn't count, because it's locked and Bryan couldn't have added his experiences there.

Indeed, what is the point of a message board thread when one can't add to it?

What I said has nothing to do with the software that LTH uses (though don't even get me started on the built-in search engine), just a certain cultural quirk that LTH has. For some internet message boards are and should be the anathema to order and regulation. Me, I like consistent thread titles, moderator merging and splitting, and stuff like that.

Next time I will start a thread, as I've done on numerous occasions in the past

And to to bring this marginally back on point, I did have some more Mario's with my beef sandwich. A half pineapple, half lemon was good, but I think they need to up the lemon juice quotient and make them more sour.

BryanZ wrote:Indeed, what is the point of a message board thread when one can't add to it?

Bryan,

GNR threads are the only ones that are locked. They are reopened when the restaurant is up for recertification, as happened a few months ago.

Frankly, I am a little surprised there is no Al's thread, if you don't start one in the next bit I will do so myself. I am a fan of Al's on Taylor.

A bit of searching and there is, in general, an Al's thread, Al's Beef Question, though not specifically Al's on Taylor.

Enjoy,
Gary

I've been eating at Al's on Taylor St. since the late-1960's. What it is now is not what it was then, and though the place now serves a "good" sandwich (compared to what I once thought was a "fantastic" sandwich), sometimes, today - I think it's reputation is not particularly worthy or accurate for the product served today. There was a time when I'd drive a half-hour out of my way for an Al's beef sandwich (on Taylor), but I wouldn't consider doing that now. On a nice Summer day as today, though - the thought of an Al's beef followed by dessert from Mario's across the street . . . is mighty tempting.

G Wiv wrote:A bit of searching and there is, in general, an Al's thread, Al's Beef Question, though not specifically Al's on Taylor.

That's this thread

Anyway, to BryanZ: if you come across any more restaurants that don't have a dedicated thread, why not start one? Even better, you can link to all the other threads that tangentially mention it in that first one, so there's an index.

Of course, there's always places like Metromix and Yelp that guarantee each restaurant has only one thread

gleam wrote:That's this thread

Maybe I have heat stroke* from walking around the Green City Farmer's Market all morning.


*That or I'm dumb as a box of rocks.

there's a new Al's at Adams & Jefferson. Will be trying it out in about 90 mins.

Hopefully the quality lies somewhere between Taylor St. and Luke's on Jackson.

the new Al's IMO isn't *quite* as tasty as Taylor St. but it's better than Luke's. I got there at 11:15 and the place was slammed by 11:45. The staff was predictably somewhat in the weeds so get yer beefs early. The cops have already found it.

it's got a nice, large dining area as well.

Haven't been to Al's on Taylor recently (not since last summer, when I was a little underwhelmed), but I can tell you not all Portillo's outlets are alike: the ones on 95th in Oak Lawn and on Harlem south of 55th/Archer Ave. are nothing to brag about re: the Italian beef. Disappointing!! Same for Al's on 95th in Oak Lawn: ya-a-a-a-wn. Not going back there. I've taken to making my own beef sammies instead (which is to say, buying Gonnella bread, Scala's beef sliced thin with sauce, then improving the sauce myself with thinly sliced green peppers, Lea & Perrins, celery salt and oregano and simmering for an hour; many decent local giardinieras will do). But if anyone finds a redeeming Italian beef joint on the SW side, do let me know.

webdiva


A challah, a challah! My kingdom for a challah!!

webdiva wrote:Haven't been to Al's on Taylor recently (not since last summer, when I was a little underwhelmed), but I can tell you not all Portillo's outlets are alike: the ones on 95th in Oak Lawn and on Harlem south of 55th/Archer Ave. are nothing to brag about re: the Italian beef. Disappointing!! Same for Al's on 95th in Oak Lawn: ya-a-a-a-wn. Not going back there. I've taken to making my own beef sammies instead (which is to say, buying Gonnella bread, Scala's beef sliced thin with sauce, then improving the sauce myself with thinly sliced green peppers, Lea & Perrins, celery salt and oregano and simmering for an hour; many decent local giardinieras will do). But if anyone finds a redeeming Italian beef joint on the SW side, do let me know.

webdiva


A challah, a challah! My kingdom for a challah!!

duke's 83 & harlem

webdiva wrote: But if anyone finds a redeeming Italian beef joint on the SW side, do let me know.

Pop's Beef
10337 South Kedzie Avenue
Chicago, IL 60655
(773) 239-1243
Plus several other locations

stevez wrote:

webdiva wrote:But if anyone finds a redeeming Italian beef joint on the SW side, do let me know.

Pop's Beef
10337 South Kedzie Avenue
Chicago, IL 60655
(773) 239-1243
Plus several other locations

The "other location" you want to know about is the one in Palos Heights. I believe this one is run by "Pop" himself. I've been a proponent of Pop's for a long time and love the one on Kedzie but I think the Palos location may be even better. I've only been four times so can't say that with certainty but I feel confident recommending Pop's in Palos. I'm becoming increasingly fond of the "fresh" style of giardiniera and think Pop's does it better than anyone (better than Chickie's, infinitely better than Mr Beef on Orleans).

Beef, hot, sweet from Pop's in Palos


[The Best?] Pop's Italian Beef
7153 W 127th St
Palos Heights IL
708-361-0087

Rene G wrote:

stevez wrote:

webdiva wrote:But if anyone finds a redeeming Italian beef joint on the SW side, do let me know.

Pop's Beef
10337 South Kedzie Avenue
Chicago, IL 60655
(773) 239-1243
Plus several other locations

The "other location" you want to know about is the one in Palos Heights. I believe this one is run by "Pop" himself. I've been a proponent of Pop's for a long time and love the one on Kedzie but I think the Palos location may be even better. I've only been four times so can't say that with certainty but I feel confident recommending Pop's in Palos. I'm becoming increasingly fond of the "fresh" style of giardiniera and think Pop's does it better than anyone (better than Chickie's, infinitely better than Mr Beef on Orleans).

Beef, hot, sweet from Pop's in Palos


[The Best?] Pop's Italian Beef
7153 W 127th St
Palos Heights IL
708-361-0087

My first beef! My benchmark, ate one nearly every friday night of my youth!

To get back on topic, there was an Al's in Addison that really was pretty good. Then it closed for at least a year, then re-opened. It was still pretty solid. Then it closed again. It was almost always nearly empty when I would go there. Now that I work near home, let's get one in Northbrook and cross our fingers! There doesn't seem to be any great beef places on the North Shore that I can think of save Portillo's in Skokie, but I know many of you don't think it's that good.

In the last 4 months, I've had the Taylor St., Evanston, and Touhy Ave locations. The Evanston one should be shut down. Bland, flavorless beef, with WEAK giardineria. The Touhy location was slightly better. Obviously Taylor St is the way to go. I can't believe Al's would let their product be ruined by these franchises. But then again, look what happened to Uno.

abc222001 wrote:I've now tried the Al's Italian beef on Touhy in Niles. Not even "OK" anymore - Way too salty. Raw green peppers were extra and they added this to my order without asking or disclosing.

Did the Al's Touhy Ave drive thru today for lunch. Was worried about beef dipped with giardiniera messing up the car, not a problem as they wrapped the sandwich up tight as a carp in plastic wrap. Bland flavorless meat, soaked soggy drippy bread, scant no-punch giardiniera and a not all that big portion. At least the drive up was convenient.

Should have known better, original Al's on Taylor for me, only.

Al's Italian Beef
5948 West Touhy Avenue
Niles, IL 60714-4610
847-647-1577

Al's No 1 Italian Beef
1079 W Taylor St
Chicago, IL 60607
312-226-4017

There is but one Al's.

Also, do not trust any Al's w/valet parking or a salad bar.