Al’s #1 Italian Beef

Al’s #1 Italian Beef is the Taylor Street original of a Chicago Italian beef chain that dates itself to 1938, at 1079 W. Taylor St. in Little Italy, a block west of Aberdeen. The stand still cooks and slices the beef in back, and the bread takes a full dip in jus without falling apart. Sandwiches come with sweet or hot peppers, alongside sausage combos and hand-cut fries, and customers eat standing at the counter in what the restaurant calls the Italian stance.

What to know

• Other locations are in Avondale, Wrigleyville, River North and Tinley Park.
• Time Out listed the Italian beef at $11.25 in October 2025.
• The company’s site keeps a Wall of Fame and lists TV appearances and awards.
• Nationwide shipping is offered through Goldbelly, and the chain runs a loyalty program.
• The Blue Line’s Racine and UIC-Halsted stops are each about a five-to-ten-minute walk, and the #157 bus runs Taylor.