I have a thing for a beef. Wet with sweet and hot peppers. I can eat my weight in them. Found a little place down here in Montgomery AL that has a decent one. My favorite is Portillos in Chicago.

 

What do you all say?

Portillo’s is the closet thing you can buy outside of Chicago proper. 
They used to import thier bread from thier main store on the No Side but I can tell they stopped a while ago and bake it locally. 
 

It’s not the same as the water is different all over the country. 
Down here it’s close, just not the same. 
 

Take it from a transplanted So Sider, what makes a great Chicago Italian Beef sandwich isn’t the meat, it’s the au jus and the bread in that order. 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike
 

Had one in a nasty dive outside of wrigley field, been dreaming about it ever since. Best food I’ve ever had 

 

I was about 13-14 yrs old, walked in and some guy yelled at me “sweet or hot?” I had no idea what he was talking about so I just said hot. We were eating them and my buddy says “I can feel my metabolism slowing down with each bite”

56 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Had one in a nasty dive outside of wrigley field, been dreaming about it ever since. Best food I’ve ever had 

 

I was about 13-14 yrs old, walked in and some guy yelled at me “sweet or hot?” I had no idea what he was talking about so I just said hot. We were eating them and my buddy says “I can feel my metabolism slowing down with each bite”

Oh my god I just laughed out loud 😂🤣 

59 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Had one in a nasty dive outside of wrigley field, been dreaming about it ever since. Best food I’ve ever had 

 

I was about 13-14 yrs old, walked in and some guy yelled at me “sweet or hot?” I had no idea what he was talking about so I just said hot. We were eating them and my buddy says “I can feel my metabolism slowing down with each bite”

Yeah Buddy!!

They tend to stay with you a while too!!

 

 

 

 

Mike

That must be very regional.  I’ve never even heard of that before.

26 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

That must be very regional.  I’ve never even heard of that before.

You must get one . It’s heaven on earth 

15 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

You must get one . It’s heaven on earth 

They are absolutely divine. Imagine if you Will a roll piled high with thin sliced beef, and peppers (sweet AND hot for me). Pretty tasty, right? Now, dunk that bad boy in “the juice” and it’s otherworldly. The bread gets all soggy and juicy. The flavors just blend. You hit a hot pepper that lights you on fire and then a pc of beef hits you and remedies it. I advise anyone that is anywhere near Chicago to go and try one. Heck, to me, it’s worth taking a trip just for a beef!

47 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

That must be very regional.  I’ve never even heard of that before.

If you're gonna have one from outside of chicago, it should be your first.  It is extremely regional, like most Illinois can't do it.

 

Hot and Wet for me.

 

scott

The way you describe it is very much like my wife does a beef roast in the slow cooker.  But we just eat it with vegetables, not on bread.

16 hours ago, Smirak said:

My favorite is Portillos

 

There's one about 10 minutes from me.

 

I've never had anything else to compare it to, so I just keep going there.  The Italian beef sandwich is a little messy but its very good.

Italian beef can be purchased at dozens of places around Chicago and the suburbs. Most are pretty good. Portillo’s is easily the most famous. Mr. Beef and Al’s Beef are also tops. 

@TnRiver46 it was probably Al’s if it was right outside Wrigley. If you’re standing at the front gate looking at Wrigley, there is an Al’s just down on the left. While I’m not a Chicagoan, the last time I was there, I probably ate 10-15 beef’s in 2 weeks time. Most of them were Portillo’s. To me Al’s just isn’t the same. I haven’t eaten a Mr Beef. 

You'all are making me hungry.

never had one,  but I will.