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Nobody’s quite sure which local spot served the first commercial beef sandwich back during the Depression—maybe Al’s #1, maybe Carm’s BBQ. “They’re all from that same period,” says beef expert Pat Scala, whose family’s meat-packing business has been supplying the raw ingredients for the city’s best beefs since 1925. There’s more consensus, however, on which stand serves the best Italian beef now: Johnnie’s in Elmwood Park is the champion, and since it’s also famous for short-tempered countermen, we’ve provided a lexicon of beef to help you place your order:
Combo
An Italian beef sandwich with a grilled sausage in the middle: the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of the Italian beef world.
Jus (pronounced “zhü”)
It’s the natural by-product of wet-roasted beef, drippings usually fortified with garlic, dried spices and a little broth.
Sweet, hot, mild
Your choice of simmered green peppers, or spicy or mild pickled giardinera. We recommend being bold and going for both.
Wet, juicy, soaked
A “wet” beef has a little jus spooned over the top; a “juicy” beef is dunked; a “soaked” beef is guaranteed to end up in your lap.
Practice your lingo with a standard order—“Gimme a juicy combo, with sweet and hot, and a small lemon ice”—and take it to Johnnie’s, or our other recommended spots.
Top five spots for Italian beef
1.Johnnie’s 7500 W North Ave, Elmwood Park (708-452-6000). The constant line around this cinder-block shack guarantees rapid beef turnover: You always get a sandwich at its peak potential. Bonus: The lemon ice is the perfect foil to a perfect sandwich.
2.Carm’s Beef Original 1801 S Wolf Rd, Hillside (708-449-0125). Co-owners Michael and Joseph Nebren still follow their grandfather’s recipe with delicious results: Rich jus flecked with spices, tender beef and better-than-average bread make this sammie a winner.
3.Al’s #1 Italian Beef 1079 W Taylor St (312-226-4017). Skip the franchises—the original on Taylor is the best. Al’s serves a greasy masterpiece with rich, crumbling beefy debris; spicy jus; and excellent hot peppers.
4. Patio 1503 W Taylor St (312-829-0454). Patio’s jus comes close to Al’s in beefy richness, but the meat itself—classic medium-rare roast beef—makes this sandwich stand apart.
5. Max’s Italian Beef5754 N Western Ave (773-989-8200). Max’s squeezes into our top five on the strength of its jus—bright red with paprika—and the plastic tubs of fiery giardinera that dot each table.
Plus:
The ’wich is back: Fast, easy, and—by definition—cheap, sandwiches are the ultimate bargain eats. We think our favorites (listed here in no particular order) are the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Saga of the sandwich: A brief history of the Earl’s famous invention.
