always interesting to have some recent data points on the beef joints that have been profiled here and elsewhere forever -

The Tribune article - when I read that the author would put the chain beef spots like Portillos, Buona, in his top tier thats where I stopped reading.

BTW - The Original Mr. Beef in Homer Glen is still probably my top spot for an IB in Chicagoland.

I've been in the midst of hitting every notable beef joint in the area, so I've done a lot of the ones listed in the article. Mr. Beef on Orleans is nowhere near the top for me as it once was. Maybe they let it go downhill? Maybe because they use mild giardineria? Maybe because we were young and didn't know any better? My current top 5 (in no order): Al's on Taylor, Johnnie's (either location), Portillo's, Mr. Beef and Pizza (Harlem) and Chickie's (Hillside). There are a few big name ones I have yet to try, so by no means is my top 5 final. For the next outing my brother and I are going to probably do Scatchell's, Bubba's Place, Novi's, Little Joe's, and maybe Buona.

Jimswide, I'll tell you why Portillo's should have a spot among the leaders, and it's for a reason nobody mentions. It's the only place where you get can the ingredients to go and make your own personalized beef, to your own specifications.

For example, I love the hot, sweet & wet at Al's on Taylor--the confluence of tastes is absolutely incredible, but try picking that greasy SOB up. I'd rather try--and I have--re-creating it with Portillo's makin's. A little crushed red pepper in the au jus. Their giardiniera is certainly passable, if a little heavy to jalapeno ends--it should be sport peppers in my book. Anyway, I use a 3" roll--mini-beefs is my personal preference. I don't know who Portillo's Italian bread purveyor is, Gonnella, Turano, who knows? It's pretty good, and always fresh because their turnover is awe-inspiring. Half-slice the roll, toast it for maybe half-minute, spoon a few tbsp.'s of au jus on each side, let it soak in, put a little giardiniera in there, layer the beef, a tad more au jus, little more giardiniera, then finish off with sweet peppers to hold it all together. Voila--a beef that has all the best characteristics from my favorite beef stands over the years.

^
This isn't necessarily true, since you can get the separate components at nearly any serious beef stand. My present favorite for do - it - yourself beef fixins is Jay's Beef's Narragansett & Montrose location.

Ram4 wrote:There are a few big name ones I have yet to try, so by no means is my top 5 final. For the next outing my brother and I are going to probably do Scatchell's, Bubba's Place, Novi's, Little Joe's, and maybe Buona.

When you go to Novi's, make sure to get fries. Their fries are better than their beefs. Their beef is just fine, but their hot giardiniera is a mystery. You'll see. It's a little cup of red oil with some form of a sediment in the bottom. I tried it once, and it added almost nothing I could detect. I usually get Novi's as a "blank slate" beef, and add my own giardiniera. I'm not trying to sound negative about the place, plenty of peeps dig it. But, if you're envisioning some beef "flavor explosion," temper expectations. Their fries are 100% fantastic, though.

We happend upon the Time Out Sports Bar & Grill when we were looking for a place to eat prior to visiting the Illinois Railway Museum. It's an unprepossessing place on the highway, but our first look at the menu was a pleasant surprise because of its variety of bar fare - pizza, several different burgers, a tuna steak sandwich, etc.

What caught my eye was the "Italian Beef Grinder", which featured house-roasted beef. I was a little hesistant to order an Italian beef that had been put in an oven but I was knocked-out by this sandwich: Good quality roast beef, a crusty roll that with a crispy crust and soft interior despite spending time in the oven, melted mozzerella, sautéed sweet peppers and onions and a nice garlicky jus on the side for dipping. This was a very fine variation on the classic beef and I thoroughly enjoyed this tasty concoction.

Time Out Sports Bar & Grill
11419 S. Grant Highway
Marengo, IL 60152
(815) 923-2400

Finally getting the chance to hit the Taylor St "Al's" up this Sunday. #3 son has us a table at the hog roast event at County BBQ...he thinks it great, me...I just like spending time with him so we'll make the 300 mile round trip. I'll score the much ballyhooed Al's beef as a bonus. But mention Portillo's as a worthy opponent and I'll have to start questioning your cred.
I've tried to find why they are exulted so and simply can not. I admire their program and it's success for sure, but if the Al's beef is on par with the Portillo's...I'm changing up my advertising.

D.G.Sullivan wrote:Finally getting the chance to hit the Taylor St "Al's" up this Sunday.

I'm pretty sure that the Taylor Street location is closed on Sundays. You may want to call before you head over there.

D.G.Sullivan wrote:Finally getting the chance to hit the Taylor St "Al's" up this Sunday. #3 son has us a table at the hog roast event at County BBQ...he thinks it great, me...I just like spending time with him so we'll make the 300 mile round trip. I'll score the much ballyhooed Al's beef as a bonus. But mention Portillo's as a worthy opponent and I'll have to start questioning your cred.
I've tried to find why they are exulted so and simply can not. I admire their program and it's success for sure, but if the Al's beef is on par with the Portillo's...I'm changing up my advertising.

I don't know about others here, but I've eaten hundreds of Portillo's beef sandwiches in the last 20 years and it's not that I compare it directly to Johnnie's or Al's, but in a rotation among the best joints, I still would include Portillo's. And that's after having many of the so-called best of the best. If I had to rank the best, Al's and Johnnie's would be higher for me.

ld111134 wrote: What caught my eye was the "Italian Beef Grinder", which featured house-roasted beef. I was a little hesitant to order an Italian beef that had been put in an oven but I was knocked-out by this sandwich: Good quality roast beef, a crusty roll that with a crispy crust and soft interior despite spending time in the oven, melted mozzerella, sautéed sweet peppers and onions and a nice garlicky jus on the side for dipping. This was a very fine variation on the classic beef and I thoroughly enjoyed this tasty concoction.

'Italian Beef Grinder'....yikes, brings back memories of the Eastern Style Beef, made by Eastern Style Pizza which was formerly on Dempster in Skokie for many years, now the only store left is on Touhy in West Rogers Park. Although they also do an Italian Beef Grinder, this beauty is on garlic bread, pretty much what's described above but with a little bit of red sauce. Absolutely something that I could eat twice a week in my teens, really have to pick my spots now!

Eastern Style Pizza
2911 W Touhy Ave
Chicago, IL 60645

ld111134 wrote:We happend upon the Time Out Sports Bar & Grill when we were looking for a place to eat prior to visiting the Illinois Railway Museum. It's an unprepossessing place on the highway, but our first look at the menu was a pleasant surprise because of its variety of bar fare - pizza, several different burgers, a tuna steak sandwich, etc.

What caught my eye was the "Italian Beef Grinder", which featured house-roasted beef. I was a little hesistant to order an Italian beef that had been put in an oven but I was knocked-out by this sandwich: Good quality roast beef, a crusty roll that with a crispy crust and soft interior despite spending time in the oven, melted mozzerella, sautéed sweet peppers and onions and a nice garlicky jus on the side for dipping. This was a very fine variation on the classic beef and I thoroughly enjoyed this tasty concoction.

Time Out Sports Bar & Grill
11419 S. Grant Highway
Marengo, IL 60152
(815) 923-2400

Hey, thanks for this heads-up. I enjoy an occasional road trip to the west country, and a good place to eat in Marengo would come in handy. When I make Italian beef sandwiches at home, I like to put them under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the edges of the bread and melt some cheese on top (yes, sometimes I like mozzarella on my IB sandwich). So Time Out's IB grinder sounds like a sandwich worth a stop.

jnm123 wrote:'Italian Beef Grinder'....yikes, brings back memories of the Eastern Style Beef, made by Eastern Style Pizza which was formerly on Dempster in Skokie for many years, now the only store left is on Touhy in West Rogers Park. Although they also do an Italian Beef Grinder, this beauty is on garlic bread, pretty much what's described above but with a little bit of red sauce. Absolutely something that I could eat twice a week in my teens, really have to pick my spots now!

Eastern Style Pizza
2911 W Touhy Ave
Chicago, IL 60645

Years back I lived across the street from them for a while and absolutely loved their sandwiches.

Portillo's is serviceable for a beef but what keeps it out of the running of best beef's for me is the texture of the meat. I think this is due to the temp the jus is kept. The jus is kept too hot. It makes the beef tough and the appearance is ruffled.

It drives me crazy when I'm at a party and beef sandwiches are on the menu. Usually, the hosts add the beef when the jus is boiling and it just ruins the meat. The beef turns out tough and leathery. The jus just needs to be warmed up to the point where you see just a whiff of steam. The beef is already cooked and only needs a gentle re-heating.

PreFlopRaise13 wrote:Portillo's is serviceable for a beef but what keeps it out of the running of best beef's for me is the texture of the meat. I think this is due to the temp the jus is kept. The jus is kept too hot. It makes the beef tough and the appearance is ruffled.

It drives me crazy when I'm at a party and beef sandwiches are on the menu. Usually, the hosts add the beef when the jus is boiling and it just ruins the meat. The beef turns out tough and leathery. The jus just needs to be warmed up to the point where you see just a whiff of steam. The beef is already cooked and only needs a gentle re-heating.

I've had a handful of beefs where the texture was a little off, but normally no problem at all for me. And come on - you can't judge a restaurant by how some idiot prepares their beef at home. Not only do some people not know what they are doing with the meat (I separate all the meat carefully) or juice (keep the fat/spice block in the juice! My mom threw it away once ), they don't bother to lightly toast the bread in the oven that Portillo's gives you (and tells you to do). It's the same thing as steaming a Rosen's bun for a hot dog - the term I use is it 'activates' it to the proper texture. Even if you dip it, the bread is much better that way.

I'll chime in for Portillo's Beef as well!

I had a customized beef at the Skokie location last week:

Ordered a Beef with Grilled Onion and Provolone - moderately dipped.

Was one of the most outstanding beefs I've ever had. Succulent, perfectly shaved beef, toasted bun, surprisingly fantastic thick cut grilled onions (which they might have sauteed instead?), and the best part was the provolone strategically placed at the BOTTOM of the beef.

I've always only had cheese on top of the beef - the bottom placement made for much more pleasent eating experience.

Really outstanding if certainly not traditional - love peppers and giardineira but my body no longer does.

@Ram4: I agree. Al's is my all time favorite, but I'd still put Portillo's near the top. I love Portillo's, and I've ate at all the top places over the years, too. Hopefully, the new ownership will not mess with success.

I've had been from Buona several times, and beef from Jay's just once, but I'll take a Portillo's beef over either of those any day. It's not in the same league as Johnnie's or Al's, but I think it's decent and I like their giardiniera, which also provides plenty of spicy oil. Johnnie's (hot) though is still my gold standard.

The River North Portillo's was at the top of my beef list for a long time. Their beef and gravy was consistently good but their secret weapon was their roll. I think it was toasted in their conveyor oven so it got nice and crusty on the outside, to better stand up to a serious dipping. Unfortunately they recently fell out of my top spot. The past few times I've gone the sandwich has been bland and fell apart even as I unwrapped it (construction is important!). I guess they got too comfortable at the top.

It's too soon to name a new king but the best I've had recently? Jay's in Harwood Heights. I really enjoyed the fresh jalapeno-based giardinera and the portion size was ridiculously large even by beef standards.


Jay's
4418 N Narragansett Ave, Harwood Heights, IL 6070

Wow I just cannot understand the passion for Al's Beef on here???

The two worst beefs I've ever had were at the Niles Al's on Touhy and one off 55 down in Joliet - just outstandingly awful food - a notch north of inedible. Disgusting, really!

Fries were terrible too!

I understand food preference is highly subjective but hard for me to fathom anyone even liking those two abortions.

Ewwwwwww.

To each his (her) own I guess.

Bster wrote:Wow I just cannot understand the passion for Al's Beef on here???

The two worst beefs I've ever had were at the Niles Al's on Touhy and one off 55 down in Joliet - just outstandingly awful food - a notch north of inedible. Disgusting, really!

Fries were terrible too!

I understand food preference is highly subjective but hard for me to fathom anyone even liking those two abortions.

Ewwwwwww.

To each his (her) own I guess.

When most folks talk about Al's Beef, they are referring to the flagship company owned location on Taylor street. The franchises (of which you just named two) are notoriously bad, with little oversight from the parent company. I don't think it's fair to condemn Al's based on a visit to a franchise location(s). I'm just sayin'.

stevez wrote:

Bster wrote:Wow I just cannot understand the passion for Al's Beef on here???

The two worst beefs I've ever had were at the Niles Al's on Touhy and one off 55 down in Joliet - just outstandingly awful food - a notch north of inedible. Disgusting, really!

Fries were terrible too!

I understand food preference is highly subjective but hard for me to fathom anyone even liking those two abortions.

Ewwwwwww.

To each his (her) own I guess.

When most folks talk about Al's Beef, they are referring to the flagship company owned location on Taylor street. The franchises (of which you just named two) are notoriously bad, with little oversight from the parent company. I don't think it's fair to condemn Al's based on a visit to a franchise location(s). I'm just sayin'.

Right - I'm talking about the one on Taylor. I've visited two of the franchised locations with terrible results.

Bster wrote:Wow I just cannot understand the passion for Al's Beef on here???

The two worst beefs I've ever had were at the Niles Al's on Touhy and one off 55 down in Joliet - just outstandingly awful food - a notch north of inedible. Disgusting, really!

Fries were terrible too!

I understand food preference is highly subjective but hard for me to fathom anyone even liking those two abortions.

Ewwwwwww.

To each his (her) own I guess.

There are people who can't stand Al's because it's got such a unique flavor profile (my brother in-law included). Of course Taylor St is the one to go to, but I would go out on a limb and say the Touhy location is very good (never had a bad one there) and you can sit down and enjoy the meal at a normal pace. They always drop the fries fresh when you order and I LOVE Al's fries. I have no idea what you were served Bster, unless Al's strong flavor took you by surprise. They are pretty skimpy on the meat, so I usually get a Regular Al with extra meat. But Al's is absolutely near the top for beef.

I've never been a big fan of Portillo's. I lived closer to both Johnnie's and Jay than Portillo's. And while the Johnnie's in Arlington Heights wasn't that close to work, I'd still make that trip as my first choice. But now that I'm no longer working and have moved to Montgomery I'm actually glad to have a Portillo's relatively close. We've tried a few local options so far and haven't been impressed. And I'm through wasting money trying any other local spots unless someone actually recommends it.

There is a Buona relatively close, but I don't really consider that a better option. So while it's great to have good local spots, when none exist it's nice that Portillo's is around.

Bster wrote:Wow I just cannot understand the passion for Al's Beef on here???

To add to the chorus, I'm not even a big fan of Al's (it is a solid beef, though), but the franchised locations bear little resemblance to the beef at the Taylor Street location. Maybe they have a reasonable outpost here and there, but I wouldn't trust it. Any and all opinions I have of Al's are based on Taylor Street. I've been to a few "Al's" other than that, and they've been disappointing to say the least.

And, speaking of Italian beef, today Ronnie over at Cigars and Stripes had his smoked Italian beef on the menu and holy shit is that a good sandwich. Not traditional Italian beef, but smoked top round, served in a lightly toasted Italian beef roll, standard type giardiniera, with a little plastic shot glass of jus on the side. This was one fantastic sandwich. Juicy, smoky, soft, medium rare-ish. Good god.

Cigars and Stripes
6715 W Ogden
Berwyn, IL
(708) 484-1043

This is not a regular menu item, so you need to check in to see when it's available.

Damn Binko I was right down the street from there today. But I probably didn't have enough room...

My brother and I shared a sandwich at Scatchell's, Bubba's Place, Novi, and Little Joe's. The first three were all solid beefs, but Little Joe's was a big letdown. The big surprise was Novi, which I was told wasn't that big of a deal, but both of us were very impressed. The unique, Al's-like giardiniera was about as hot as any beef stand (Johnnie's is the hottest I've had, and this was just as hot). Scatchell's was the most tender, though the bread fell apart pretty fast. The vinegary giardiniera was so-so. It had a stronger green pepper flavor to the meat, but I liked it a lot. Bubba's Place (the Brando's Beef recipe) was a classic version of a beef sandwich. Very generous sized, though the meat was a hair thicker. Novi had a little Al's thing going which was kind of cool. To me, another solid beef sandwich. We also tried the fries, which were fresh cut and great. Little Joe's was very small in size compared to the other 3, and it just didn't compare to the other for us. It wasn't really bad, but it wasn't anything special either. Didn't care for the housemade giardiniera. It reminded us of Chickie's giardiniera which we don't care for (though I love Chickie's beef). Anyway, a very successful tour today, with 3 out of 4 definitely worth returning to. None of them however cracked my starting 5 at this point. And to prove what a Chicagoan I am, we picked up a couple of pizzas from Vito and Nick's too! It's been a lot of fun trying all these beef joints all over the place.

I wonder why there is a singular lack of decent beef stands in the Loop?

Ram4 -

Impressive. As a Novi's "giardiniera" naysayer, I'm gonna give a Novi w/ hot another try on Tuesday.

ld111134 wrote:I wonder why there is a singular lack of decent beef stands in the Loop?

Luke's is decent, and pretty much in the literal Loop (just west of the western end of the Loop el tracks on Jackson.) But other than that, I got nothin'.

Luke's Italian Beef
215 W. Jackson
Chicago, IL

Binko wrote:

ld111134 wrote:I wonder why there is a singular lack of decent beef stands in the Loop?

Luke's is decent, and pretty much in the literal Loop (just west of the western end of the Loop el tracks on Jackson.) But other than that, I got nothin'.

Luke's Italian Beef
215 W. Jackson
Chicago, IL

Thanks, Binko. I've been to Luke's a number of times, most recently to get their pepper & egg sandwiches that they only serve during Lent. I've never sampled their beefs.