Al’s Beef
1036 W Higgins Rd, Park Ridge, IL, 60068
Al’s Beef Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Park Ridge for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Park Ridge for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Park Ridge for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1036 W Higgins Rd
Park Ridge, IL, 60068 - Phone (847) 825-2345
- Website https://alsbeef.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :7:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
Categories
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
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Chris S.
I can't stand Als beef, I don't want my beef chopped up and overcooked, so dry like Portillos jerky with watery juice. The sandwich is tiny and over priced, it's so ridiculous you just want to laugh. I hear people say they love it and I've never understood it because I've never had a good beef sandwich from any Als restaurant anywhere!
(1)AJ P.
Great-tasting food at a good price! The spacious dining room is great with 2 flat-screens set to ESPN. Right off the Kennedy and awesome for me since it's walking distance from my job. Highly recommended!
(5)Jack T.
I hadn't been to Al's in years, but when I started working in Rosemont this week, I made it one of my first stops, it will also be my last. The first warning sign should have been that it was lunch time and the place was almost empty. I ordered the "big beef" and no sides or drink, I was already looking at a $10 bill, which would have been fine if it was a good sandwich. The sandwich was embarrassing. If that was their "big" sandwich, the regular must have be all bread. The meat tasted very plain, without the sort of spicing you expect in a good Italian beef. I ordered cheese with it, and they barely put any on. Next time I have a beef craving, I will definitely look to one of the local hole in the wall joints, and avoid this place like the plague.
(1)Jason B.
I will admit, I made a mistake. I realize the place is called Al's Beef, and I admittedly ordered a cheeseburger.....and it wasn't very good. A decent seasame seed bun couldn't save this bland, boring meat. Fries were decent though. I'll go back, but only to try the beef.
(2)Mr. R.
Ya know.... Ordered today over the phone. Online ordering issues, but Palermo's has burned their bridge with us and I was not giving up because I couldn't place an online order. I call and the gal I spoke to was informative and didn't miss a beat with helping me navigate their online menu over the phone. Delivered on time, intact and incredibly delicious. This is South Side pizza at it's best! (Yes, I knocked off a star because of the website issue.)
(4)arpan s.
Awesome beef sandwich. This place is connected with the Nancy's Pizza as well when I had a slice of sausage which was pretty good. The Fries are nice and greasy as well. The reason I gave three instead of four stars because of the service. It seems they are slightly understaffed. Would come back but wouldn't go out of my way. I like to try mr beef. Portillos is really good too I liked AL's better.
(3)Tobin h.
Very big let down. My first Al's experience and it just...disappointed. The sweetness of the beef and lack of freshness of the bread ruined the entire reputation that had been built about Al's being the poster child for Italian beef. The service and atmosphere was on par with the disappointment of the beef and the "greasy, cooked in old oil", fries. The folks just didn't seem to care and the whole restaurant had a feel of neglect to it. I don't anticipate passing up any one of 30 other beef stands to find my way back to an "Al's".
(2)mike s.
DO NOT USE THIS ESTABLISHMENTS DELIVERY SERVICE! I am reviewing the management not the products of this establishment. Al's is adjoined to a Nancy's Pizza I have ordered pizza from them before and Im sorry I cannot fault the pizza recipe of Nancy's, it delicious , expensive but really good! however if you are ordering for delivery forget it , if you have a car pick it up , because poor management has resulted in my last three deliveries being over 2 hours (2 hrs 15 min & 2 & 1/2 hrs )and then , just warm Pizza not hot , after looking thru other reviews I noticed I am not the only one with this delivery problem - yet I have until now always ordered. Today when I called for delivery I was told that they were (still ! its been 3 months now! ) having a problem with ONLY ONE delivery person and at 6 :45 pm they already knew that my order couldn't be delivered to me! I was dumfounded as Im not that far from them but I don't have a car. I realize that delivery is a "extra" service, not a right , but then don't advertise "delivery " when you cannot do it for those in your hood or take an excessive amount of time to deliver, if you will even deliver! further more no "NEXT TIME" offer or any thing to appease a regular customer who spends $50. on a pizza and tips 25%. I take that back I am no longer a Regular customer , there are other pizza places out there that maintain a delivery staff , are timely with delivery's and still taste great. I was told "sorry there's nothing I can do" , well yes there is something that could be done - hire another driver! offer a "Sorry our bad" offer. but to act as if you don't care when I tell you that "third time is not the charm" and " you just lost a customer" and just told again "sorry there's nothing I can do" with any concern, must still have ALOT of customers accepting your bad service and spending$$ - I will however not be one of them anymore.
(1)Jacob J.
During Lent is when I appreciate this place most. They offer one of the best fish sandwiches in the area and pair that with their savory french fries. Not sure why they don't offer it year round and between the two brands offered, no one can tell me which brand offers the fish sandwich. I've been to stand alone Al's Beef locations where the only Lent special was on an pepper egg and toast sandwich. Al's beef is not my favorite location for Italian beef sandwiches. I tend to like Mr Beef a bunch more. If you are trying it for the first time, I'd suggest getting it wet or extra wet and for sho' get the fries! You'll enjoy them. Al's offers many toppings for your fries and it's worth the trial. Blue cheese is my favorite though its heavy on the heart burn. Weekdays are very busy. Inside it's a decent place to catch a meal or salad. Plenty of tables to cover a couple to a large group. Two televisions usually set to the news.
(3)Lisa R.
The italian beef is the BEST!!! Get it dipped with hot or sweet peppers and you won't be disappointed. The fresh cut fries are delicious too!
(5)Matt M.
Ate the "Al's" Italian beef sandwich. Oh crap that's good. Not a "Philly" type but its own thing. Shaved thin steak, "dipped" with sweet pepper and American cheese. Real flavorful. The fries were great as well. Thanks for a great introduction to Chicago Italian Beef Al.
(4)Mitch K.
Underwhelming food, overpriced, and overhyped!!! While in town for work, I decided to stop here for lunch. Since I saw "Al's beef" on a few different food tv shows, I thought "how could I go wrong"... Well, I didn't exactly go wrong, it wasn't horrible... But definitely not the "best beef in Chicago" and for the price not even worth the stop. I think it my partner and I 22 bucks for two 6 in. (Barely filled and slightly above room temp) beef sandwiches one small fry (which were decent) and two reg. size soft drinks... RIP OFF! I have eaten out in that area plenty of times and there are better choices that aren't too far away. Personally paradise pup is my top choice, but Tommy's beef in mt. Prospect is much better. Also, there's a giordanos right down the street. But for the people needing a quick bite to eat I would suggest finding a portillo's (I'm not sure if there's one nearby) but they're beef is better and probably cheaper.
(2)Mark S.
I've been here at least 8 times and have loved it every time. The beef and fries are both great! I never liked Al's when I was younger because it had some different flavors compared to a traditional beef sandwich. It tasted weird to me before. Now it's my most favorite beef sandwich. Funny how that happened. Al's has flavor like no other sandwich I have ever had anywhere. I don't think it's possible to make a better tasting sandwich of any kind. That's just my opinion.
(5)James S.
With efficient service and a reasonably clean dining area you're getting two restaurants for the price of one. This is my review of Al's Italian Beef. I ordered the Big Combo Beef & Sausage with sweet and "HOT" giardiniera. Nothing else. Just the sandwich. The sandwich is approximately 10 inches long. The "oven roasted, perfectly Italian seasoned beef, tender and extremely lean, sliced amazingly thin". It is a very tasty sandwich. But the key words to the above mentioned description are "Extremely Lean". I feel that paying a total of $11.54 for just a sandwich would leave me satiated. This is not the case. The Italian sausage doesn't even come close to the length of the Italian bread. A few inches short from either end. This is topped off with the leanest portion of Italian Beef I've been served from any purveyor of Italian Beef in the Chicagoland area. They tried to hide everything under a mound of giardiniera with a couple of slices of sweet peppers. No where else in Chicago have I ever walked out hungry after ordering a Beef & Sausage Combo! Let alone a "Big Combo Beef & Sausage" sandwich. In the words of Peggy Bundy "Thanks Al"! But seriously. No thanks! Next time I'll stick with my usual, a stuffed pizza from Nancy's.
(2)Mallory S.
Why are people so stingy with their reviews?!?! The beef is delicious, the restaurant is very well-kept and there are a lot of menu choices. I ordered a dipped beef sandwich with spicy peppers and cheese. It's the best beef I've ever had. As a Chicagoan, this is my go-to beef restaurant.
(5)Jose E.
I was a regular for four years and I just went back today it's been two months but wow blue cheese fries were old and watery beef was bland and the bread to the beef was hard.
(1)Eric E.
VISIT... Visited this Al's & Nancy's location for the first time - not too far from our house in Des Plaines. Bought a Groupon, believing good food / service, being familiar with other Nancy's pizza locations. LOCATION... The facility is good sized for up to small groups. Clean, with two large TV's playing college football games at the time of our visit. FOOD... Purchased an Italian Beef combo meal with upgrade to Onion Rings, and a Tamale Boat to share with my wife for a quick lunch. Later ordered a Nancy's Pizza for dinner. Beef was dry, gritty and had only OK flavor. Serving size was only adequate for one - note we tried to split into 3" halves. Hot pepper giardiniera ordered on the side, however, were outstanding! How 'bout a meal of peppers?! ;) Onion Rings were very good, and a decent serving size. Real rings with a nice, thick batter. Not healthy, I'm sure, but very tasty. Tamale Boat was inexpensive, and still not worth the price. Pasty texture with very generic, almost canned flavor. Fair amount of bland chili poured over, but we kept pushing the last bite back and forth for the other to eat. Pizza ordered later for evening was very good! (Ordered NORTHERN ITALIAN VEGGIE PIZZA: Roasted Red Peppers, Roasted Garlic, Black Olives and Fresh Basil) Sauce and toppings were very good, but the thin crust lacked character and flavor. Very basic. SERVICE... The male employee was polite in taking our lunch order, but when I asked about the combo price - full price for all individual items - he told me that this was because of a Groupon. When asked about it, he made like he was being patient, but really wasn't very friendly explaining the extra costs. The combo is another 'special'. No problem, but he needed to say something at the time of the order, and be far more polite when addressing customer concerns. The female employee taking my pizza order was wonderfully friendly. She offered advice on the limitations of a Groupon, and smiled the whole time. LAST WORD... Al's Beef & Nancy's Pizza is NOT the place to go for beef! Many other outstanding beef places in the area! Pizza's are good, but there are other Nancy's locations, as well as many other great pizza places, not far away. If it's convenient, stop in for pizza and to watch a game.
(2)Matt M.
Al's mediocre beef and Nancy's bland pizza all in one place?!!? I used to live right down the street and made the mistake (twice) of coming here. Al's beef is so far from number one that it might as well be from Thailand. Nancy's pizza is so mediocre that you might as well just grab a frozen jacks pizza from Dominick's a couple of doors down.
(2)Frank A.
Not a bad place for beef and sausage sandwiches. Its one the better sandwiches, but it doesn't replace Johnnie's Beef for me. Had a combo with beef and sausage - dipped. This came with fries. - Beef wasn't dry and was actually very good. Also ordered a 10 inch Thin crust pizza with sausage, mushrooms and pepperoni. Thin crust pizza was good. Was typical of other pizzas I could find elsewhere. It is cool that you can take care of your beef and pizza cravings at one place.
(3)Pari S.
This is a 2 in 1 place. I've driven past this place several times before and never realized it. It's an Al's Beef and Nancy Pizza. There are several buildings in this area, with the train station across the street. Has indoor and outdoor seatings... with a good size parking lot... and a drive thru. Nice clean place. Was not busy at all at the time we were there. But there were a few customers. We ordered a combo italian beef sandwich that came with fries and a drink from Al's Beef. Then a small thin crust pizza with sausage, pepperoni, and mushrooms from Nancy's Pizza. The sandwich was good. Was not overly seasoned or salty. We did order it dipped or "wet" and ordered the peppers on the side. But didn't get our order right. We got the sweet peppers on the side. And the hot peppers in the sandwich. Which I didn't mind at all. Thankfully the hot pepper was not very hot... nor was it expremely seasoned... so the sandwich was still ok. I've had italian beef sandwiches from many places before... so it was kind of hard not to compare it to some of my other favorite places. But here is what I thought of their sandwich. I think i prefer Giardenara peppers... vs their hot peppers here. I like the sour vinegar taste with the oils.. which I did not seem to get much of that here. The sweet peppers were very bland. As for the itallian beef, the texture was very good. Soft, tender, and very juicy. So plus on that. The sausage was a little bit too soft for me. It was not grilled, but more like steamed or boiled. Was very soft texture. As for the pizza... it was ok. Crust was ok.. and the sauce on the pizza was ok. No Wow factor for me. It was fresh pizza with fresh toppings. Would I go here again? Yes. But maybe just for the Italian beef sandwich.
(3)Robbin S.
AL's Beef/ Nancy Pizza on Higgins has really gone down in quality and up in prices. The Italian beef Sausage is poor quality compared to what it used to be and portion was reduced but priced increased. I ordered yesterday two Polishes and fries for $12.84. When I opened the package there was exactly 10 fries in one package and 11 in the other package. I could have gone and got two packages of Polish and bread and fed 8 people for that price. It used to be a place that I would bring people from out of town but not anymore.
(1)Ronnie J.
Bad business... Not worth your time. Complete rip-off Manager was no help either!
(1)Marcee W.
Fast delivery of a decent beef sandwich (slightly dipped) and yummy bbq fries. Co-workers weren't very happy with chicken ceasar wrap or garden salad. Chicken noodle soup got good reviews.
(3)Carla G.
Am I able to give a rating on this place since I have not had either their beef or pizza? Well I'm going to anyway because they have Vienna hotdogs and delicious fries. It might sound surprising that I've been to places that have not hit a home run with the standard hotdog and fries, so I have to give some credit to the places that do a good job. The place is clean & there is a drive tru...because of this I will say I'm a fan.
(4)Fred S.
Unpleasant dining room - fixtures have bluish/purple energy saving CFL bulbs - but a dozen or more bright track lighting fixtures blaring away pointed at the counter, two TVs blaring sports inside a huge echo chamber. Fries were okay except the one that was fried twice, Italian beef seemed a bit odd - maybe they caved to Michelle Obama and eliminated all the salt. Pepsi, no Coke. Counter staff was patient and polite.
(2)Lorna S.
I know that many people have given this place terrible reviews, but I did not have a bad experience. I have only been there once for a take out order, but my experience was okay. The girl at the register was not overly-friendly, but took my order alright. The order was ready fairly quickly, and the girl said thank you. As for the food, it was a caprese salad with red peppers. Everything was fresh, but I did not like the red peppers in the salad. I have never heard of this ingredient being added to this salad, and think it should definitely be omitted from now on. If I ever go there again, I will update my review. As for now, it's okay.
(3)ALLEN K.
I have to say that I used to love Nancy's pizza but I haven't had it in quite some time, we used to order all the time form the oak lawn location in oak lawn ill. I figured I would try it our since we were new to the area in park ridge and were looking for a good pizza place in the area. We ordered a large pizza with spinach, and half peperoni. We also ordered fries on the side as well I got them well done since I don't like them soggy. the fries got here and they were still crunchy which is a plus, but I have to say that we were disappointed with the pizza. When we opened the box it looked skimpy on ingredients and cheese as well. When got the pizza on our plate the crust was very soggy so we had to put it into the toaster over to crisp up the crust. I don't complain to much about pizza but this was beyond anything I would eat. I LOVE pizza! But for $30 bucks for a pizza and fries and I highly disappointed. I would not recommend getting delivery and if you do I would recommend to get it well done if you don't like soggy crust. I called to let them know about and they were unresponsive at best so that why they only get 2 stars. we were still on the hunt for good pizza in the park ridge area. If you want pizza here, spend our $30 bucks somewhere else.
(2)JR A.
AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COST! I work a few blocks from this place, but I wish I was farther away. In the past, I was forced to eat their foods because my boss would pay for it. Free Food normally equals Good Food right? Nope, not at this place. So fast forward a couple years later... I decided to give this place another shot (hopefully 2 years of horrible service might have taught them a lesson or 2). I ordered a cheddar burger and cheese fries. Cheddar burger was nothing too great. The actual hamburger patty itself was cold and not hot enough. The Cheese Fries were DISGUSTING!! You know after a restaurant cooks up their fries, they normally drain the oil from the fries? Al's did not do this. My fries were soaking wet from oil/grease. And did I mention they tried to cover up this slop with a bucket of cheese on top? I took one bite and spit it out. The entire thing weighed close to 10lbs with all the grease and cheese they threw on top. So after that experience, I said never again. Little did I know that my girlfriend decided to buy lunch for us there one day. Same order of a cheddar burger and cheese fries. But my girlfriend ordered a grilled chicken sandwhich. She took one bite, and had this weird look on her face.. I ask her what's wrong? she says.."I don't think the chicken is cooked.." WTF?!?!?! What restaurant serves up raw uncooked grilled chicken? I furiously call Al's back and speak to some dumb chick. I tell her I ordered the chicken sandwhich, and it was not cooked. She asks.. "how do you know?" Really?? She then directs me to her manager "Fransisco" or something like that. So this rude manager comes on, no apologies to me, and says "what's wrong" I tell them about the chicken, and this idiot responds back with "What do you want me to do with it?" LOL never again. I hope everyone else stays away from this place.
(1)Stevie V.
They let us use their parking lot for our BMW (chitownM) club all the way through midnight. Food and service was excellent as well.
(5)Ryan H.
Best fries I have ever had, even better when they are cheddar fries! but their hot dogs and polish sausage were very very plain
(2)Len M.
Stay away from the drive thru. As far as the taste goes, this fast food chain ranks high. The choice is extensive, and you can find something for everyone in your group, picky kids included. BUT Al's BETTER start taking more pride in their presentation and drive-thru. I was there just today and waited three cars back for about 10 minutes. I am not sure why the one order took so long, because the next car was quickly served. When I approached the window, there was no apology or explanation. But my burger was dry and the toppings were just thrown on. It was a mess. Last time at the drive through the blue cheese fries turned out to be cheese fries. So stay away from the drive thru... just go inside. It will probably be faster, and it will certainly be tastier.
(2)Sarah C.
Surprised to find the dipped beef I ordered... Was orange with grease. Nasty. Both the bf and i were sick. I will never eat there again.
(1)Donna K.
We've always loved Al's beef sandwiches and fries, but it seems like everytime we find one close to home it gets closed down. We started going to one downtown in Park Ridge and then that one closed. We went to the one on HIggins in Park Ridge and will never again go there. The bathrooms is filthy. Wet toilet paper strewn all over the doors. Toilets not flushed. I almost gagged eating my sandwich just thinking that the people that work there use that same bathroom. Sorry, never again.
(1)Johnny B.
Mickey D quality. Really. And even though their prices are nothing outrageous, for what they offer, pretty much any price is wrong. They should pay the customer just to walk in the store.
(1)Doug W.
We were passing time in Chicago after driving there from a family reunion in Dundee, Ohio and decided to do the town, and being we got to our hotel latish ( Marriott, nice!) we saw this establishment and I remember seeing some comments online while researching our trip. I took one look at the menu and saw " It's why you're here!" staring me in the face, so I said, self what can I say! I got the combo, Italian Beef and Italian Sausage on a roll with everything on it and my wife had a Chinese Chicken Salad?? We foolishly got a side of cheese fries. I've read the other reviews and maybe we got lucky but after 7 hours on the road I thought it was great, dripping off my elbows and all! Fries were good and greasy, yum, and the Mrs. loved her salad ( I think she just needed some ruffage after being on the road) We didn't try the pizza but they look good coming out of the kitchen.
(4)Lamar S.
This was a nice place to eat if you want to get in and get out with a full belly.Yes you will walk out knowing you have yet to experience the best of chicago.But you will also walk out knowing you have the energy that a full belly gives you to put off feeding your face for awhile and do other things non food related that wil not be nearly as quick in service or satisfaction(HELLO...no lines here people).Word of caution though...the Al's famous italian beef sandwich is SOGGY.If you dont like soggy bread stay away.Nicely seasoned beef though. I'd come back to this place in a pinch.
(3)Ralph J.
Al's Beef is so disappointing it's embarrassing. Look at a picture of their beef sandwich and then go and get one. It's pathetic. The bread will be closed with so little beef inside you'll have to open it up to see if there's any actually in there. And the beef itself is all shreds. You won't find a slice in the whole sandwich. Flavor??? You really think there none better? Don't fall for the hype. Do a real comparison and you'll understand. If I were one of the national reviewers, I would make a second secret visit and get a real version of the sandwich to review. I bet you won't get the praise at that time. You can find better beef sandwiches at almost any other place that serves them. The hype about Al's is just that, hype. Don't be afraid to admit that they aren't very good. Maybe it will prompt them to really earn their reputation. They are overpriced as well. Compare it to Portillo's or Buona Beef and you'll never go to Al's again. Didn't try Nancy's so there's no comment there.
(1)Beth A.
hangover food...nothing more greasy fries...top em off with cheese and ive got a meal hot dogs are ok...ital beef is ok...do not eat the stuffed pizza...made me want to gag
(2)Chris B.
Good Italian Beef, with hot peppers. Just what I expected in an Italian beef. The fries were good, and we had great service.
(4)Tony H.
It's a nice place, kinda like a bar w/o the liquor. The interior is all wood and they have tons of chicago nostalgia hung on the walls. The interior is huge and there are two plasmas, always with some chicago sports team on. This is a guy's place. The food is meaty and the fries are greasy. I'd say that's the only way "Chicago Fry's" come: a fresh cut spud, drenched in hot grease. The burgers are one of my favs, a combo meal runs $8 incl fries and a drink. It's nothing fancy like Champps americana, but it's done right. The Italian beef, is an itiallian beef. Get them with some grilled peppers and you either love them or your don't. I pass on them. They're plenty of places that have lines out the door, Johnny's Beef on North ave, that i don't care for either. Their hotdogs are okay not the best chicago dog, that would be Gene and Jude's in river grove, but it gets it's point across. For real chicago style, get the fries and smash them ontop of your dog to let the grease get into the bun, then pry them off and enjoy. Trust me on this one. All in all, it's hidden away almost two blocks off the major intersection but if you're looking for a nice place for a bite to eat, catch the current score and want to get in and get fed, this is the place. I'm hungry, let's eat!
(5)Joe C.
When asked what other foods is Chicago known for (besides the hot dogs and deep dish pizza...btw, don't get me started on pizza), I was told the Italian Beef sandwiches. So, for lunch my friend and I came here. ***Offensive Alert*** I can't help but say, what else can I expect from a Second Rate City but a second rate beef sandwich. Folks, meh at best and for the price, fughedabowdit! Save your money, and if you get the chance, go to Philly and you will know what a good steak/italian beef sandwich is like...and I'm not even from Philadelphia! I say all this only because it was said that this is what Chicago is known for. (Good grief)
(1)Rob R.
Food is ok. Ordered cheese for my fries, they only filled up the cup1/3 of the way, was not happy when I got home. It is also a bit pricy, groupon got me to buy the 5 g/c's. They got me again
(1)Ray M.
At the end of my Chicago trip, I was on a mission to experience Italian Beef and Chicago Style hot dogs. This combo joint was near the airport. It did the trick, but the experience felt lack luster. Like a passive aggressive shot at Chicago's own cuisine. So i can say that i had it... but next time i'll do it right.
(3)Chad O.
Chicago is usually a food fiesta for me but I have to say the Al's Beef was not a stand out. the food was average at best but the restaurant was dirty and the service was really slow - it made for a bad experience.
(2)Matt A.
Ok, first, I know, it's called Al's BEEF. BUT, if I ate italian beef sandwiches all the time, I would look like Jared before he started eating sliced meats wrapped in yoga mats. SO, I have to eat healthy sometimes. Al's has a great chopped salad, usually, and I was in the area, so I came here. I ordered ahead on GrubHub, because it's Al's Beef at lunch time during the week; I would never get in and out of there during my lunch hour if I didn't order ahead. I got there, and there were a few tables with people at them, and a couple people in line. I waited. I got the the counter, and the guy was a little rude... well, maybe just indifferent, he didn't seem to care about, well, anything. When I signed for the food, he turned around, to get my salad (mind you a salad should be made with cold crisp vegetables, and that's how you expect to eat it). My salad was just sitting on the counter, and considering I ordered a half hour prior and judging by the temperature of my food, it had been sitting there the whole time... I got back to my desk, to eat my salad, and I open the lid, and there is this white, thin piece of meat sitting on top of all my salad stuff, there was a little fake black pepper that comes out of cardboard tubes on it, but otherwise, not appetizing... The dressing was good. I would be pleasantly surprised if the salad ingredients didn't come from a bag. Needless to say, I shant be returning to this particular store; no people at lunch time is not a good sign, especially in an area with so many businesses around. Oh yeah, and the food wasn't great. Al's Beef has the best italian beef, and their fries are the absolute best, but stick to those items, and if possible, go to the store on Taylor St. or Ontario. If you want a chopped salad, hit up Portillo's.
(2)David Y.
I stopped in around 3pm. No other customers inside the restaurant but I needed an Italian beef fix. I got a regular with spicy peppers, fries and a drink for about $11. The beef is good as usual and I like their pepper relish. The beef was seasoned pretty good and there was (to me) the right mix of wet and non-wet bread. The fries were just cooked so everything came out hot and made for a nice meal. Some of the low reviews for this place are based on delivery of an Italian beef. I can't ever say that's a good idea. If you can't dig into an IB sandwich just after its made, you're going to have bad experience. I've always preferred Al's over Portillos and this Al's along with Mario's on Harlem Ave and Jonnie's in Elmwood Park are my go-to places.
(4)B S.
If you want one of the better beefs in the Chicagoland area, come here! Most places including portillos give you small amounts of beef, this place gave a huge amount! Fries were hand cut from the potato slicer and they also offer free refills. The seasoning is real good, although not as much as the original Al's on Taylor street.
(4)Sarah L.
I used to love ordering from this location. They have great burgers and hot dogs, friendly service and awesome prices. But the last two times I ordered for delivery, the person taking the order did not ask nor confirm the location to be delivered to and thus, my orders were being delivered to the wrong place. Word of advice to the owners, train the employees a bit more on how to verify orders and info before they hang up, it'll save a lot of headaches and confusion for both your patrons & your poor delivery driver, who is always very kind, apologetic and wonderful, despite the circumstances. :-)
(2)Valerie W.
What a horrible experience with Al's Beef. I recently ordered through Grubhub, an Italian beef sandwich and an order of cheese fries, sauce on the side. 2 hours and fifteen minutes later, after contacting both Grubhub and the restaurant directly, I received a cold, gelatinous sandwich, and soggy fries smothered in cheese. Let's back up a bit, shall we? Grubhub quoted me an hour for these two items. I feel like an hour is pretty standard for Grubhub. After an hour fifteen, I started a chat with Grubhub. They told me that the restaurant was really backed up, so it would be another fifteen minutes. So, I waited. Still no food. So, I contacted Grubhub again. They told me the restaurant told them the driver just left. So, I waited. The third time my food didn't show up, I called Al's Beef directly (about 15 minutes later) and was told by a snotty hostess that the driver was "just walking out the door" with my order. I immediately contacted Grubhub for a refund, which was declined. Refunds through Grubhub are given at the restaurant's discretion. They did, however, offer me 10% off a future order. Yeah, right. The driver asked me upon her arrival if I knew of anyone that was hiring delivery drivers. That was after she called me 3 times because she couldn't find my home. She looked disheveled, and like she was in need of a shower. I get that delivery drivers don't have to be pristine in their line of work, but let's talk about how the appearance of the person bringing your food affects your appetite. So, now we're back to the food has arrived, the order is wrong, and is inedible. So, I throw it away and contact Grubhub, AGAIN. What are we at, 5, 6 times now? Once again, Grubhub refuses a refund, and tells me if I want any chance of getting one, the restaurant will send the driver back to pick up the food that was wrong and horrible. I was so fed up at this point that I just gave up. It was already after 9pm, I had placed the order around 6. I was not going to 1) dig through my garbage for the food and 2) wait 2 more hours for the driver to come back again. Just watch out for Al's Beef.
(1)Dan P.
Meh. Thats how I would describe this place. The burger I had was a frozen flat patty you could get at any average cafeteria. The fries looked fresh cut but I think they are frozen. They were also barely done. The beef a colleague had looked gross and the side of peppers he got looked equally gross and off color. This is no Portillo's, where you can get a real beef or burger.
(2)Cheryl M.
The best stuffed pizza I've had! The pizza is fresh, very tasty, and always hot! And it's a bonus when they have the buy one, get one free deals! We eat pizza all week because we just can't pass up such a deal! I would highly recommend Nancy's for their stuffed pizza!
(5)Christina G.
This review only speaks to the Al's Beef portion of the restaurant. We didn't try Nancy's Pizza. My husband ordered a beef sandwich, I had a buffalo chicken wrap, and we shared the nacho fries. My husband went to pick it up and when he got home, he commented that the place was dead. Not a single other person there when he went in. I took it as a bad sign. The beef sandwich was just OK. No real complaints, but nothing spectacular either. I didn't care for my wrap. It was just grilled chicken with a little bit of buffalo wing sauce and a bit of crumbled bleu cheese. There was way more tortilla than meat. I felt like i could make a better sandwich at home. As for the fries, well, we thought the cheese would be melted shredded cheese. Nope. As my husband arrived he saw the cook squirting, yes, squirting, the cheese onto the fries. Needless to say, my stomach hurt later. With a great place like Spuntino's nearby, I don't think we'll give Al's another chance.
(2)Susan O.
I LOVE Al's Beef. Get whatever size you like and add extra meat for a real taste treat. Fries are perfection. Place is quite noisy.
(4)Brandon V.
Restaurant is clean. Burgers are good. Fries are bad. Service is awful. I have never had a good experience with an employee here - always indifferent at best and slightly rude if you're lucky.
(2)Jennifer P.
I was traveling to Chicago and was so happy to try Al's Beef after seeing it on the food channel. I was taken back when I arrived because I did not realize it is a fast food restaurant. Ok that is not going to stop me from getting my sandwich...I ordered the beef sandwich with the works including spicy and dipped. I am so glad I did because the meat was so dry that I needed the extra sauces to be able to eat it. If Beef is in the name of your restaurant you need to have good beef. I would also mention the staff was not overly friendly. They were rude but I have been greeted better at the DMV. I will retry Al's next time I am in town but not this location.
(1)A S.
SKIP!!! - The place has flies and screeching overhead fans. - It took 15 mins for a beef and fries (most places take 5 mins). No one else was in the place, 5 people working. - Beef was about 4 inches, without much flavor, dry (even though it was dipped). - Fries were mostly raw. - Only had 3 working pop dispensers [out of 8], none of them good. - Price for drink, beef, and fries = $11
(1)Lily F.
The fries were terrible in my opinion. There was no flavor and it just all clumped together. If it's going to be a big ball of grease, I need for it to be seasoned at least. Ordered the combo (beef and sausage dipped) and while the sausage was good, I didn't care for the beef. It just lacked flavor. The hot peppers were also not hot.
(2)Matt B.
This place wasn't as good as the one downtown. I flew in to Ohare for work and headed right to Als to get a italian beef and was disappointed. Willing to try again but I remember the downtown place being so much better.
(3)Chris C.
Don't have high expectations for this place. Its a quick place to grab lunch but nothing else. The burgers and fries are uber salty.
(2)Frankie T.
This place was lame!! I accidentally ended up here and thought to give it a try. What a huge mistake!! Its like an italian sausage sandwich/fastfood burger/chicago style pizza joint. Though I did not try the pizza, i did try the Italian sausage w/ sweet peppers(they say they make them there). What garbage, the bun was kinda stale, the sausage was weird and the sweet peppers were like a lame version of something that looked really good in the picture. Avoid this place unless u want imitation food garbage heave!!!!
(1)Amanda P.
Good in a pinch and better than the available options in the surrounding environs. There's a lot to be said for the selection here. The fresh mozzarella sandwich is a nice, slightly fancy option for lunch on the run.
(3)Daria Z.
The roast beef sandwiches here are really awesome. The portions are just right and they're very cheap. The dining area is really casual and it's a great spot to just drop into and relax at. It has a lot to offer.
(4)Matthew K.
Great food! They also allowed us to move some tables around to accommodate our large group!
(5)Jennifer S.
ehhhh....not really a fan. Bread was way to wet for my liking. Fries had gritty bites left over in my mouth, like the potatoes weren't cleaned before cooking.
(2)Damian C.
I just think burgers/sandwiches should automatically come with fries. Not as a separate side order. Even if it would technically cost the same.
(3)thomas j.
I visited the rest. ad had a burger and fries. The best fresh cut fries I had in a long time. I recommend this place for good meal. They even have two TV for entertainment and sports.
(4)Beth L.
Best pizza and beef in the burbs! The food was super fresh and the service was great.
(4)Jackie W.
DO NOT EAT THE PIZZA HERE!! We ordered sausage pizza and my coworker bit into what 100% appeared to be a tooth - with dried blood. Obviously people jump to conclusions when foreign objects are in their food, but it really did look like a tooth. Turned out to be a piece of a cow bone (per the health department) and I'm sure that happens from time to time but still - finding that in pizza was disgusting (for him, hilarious for those of us seeing his reaction).
(1)Theresa D.
Al's Beef is a well-known Chicago franchise. Better than typical fast food if you've got no other options, but they're inordinately pricey for the fare and kitchen organization isn't the best. When ordering in for a large group, expect to find some items missing. The pluses: they have an extensive menu so everyone will be able to find something they like, and the drive-thru is convenient if you work nearby. Still, I'd recommend searching the area and finding a place you really adore - even out here, there are tons of hole-in-the-wall joints that serve up amazingly greasy and delicious food.
(2)steve c.
Al's beef is the best gressy joint around. Hot dogs and italian combos are great. A lunch combo is around $6. Inside is nice and clean. Outside has a awesome drive thru obstancle cource
(5)Jesselyn E.
Food was fine but not spectacular, however the service was really slow.
(3)Chad E.
As if The Signature Room at the 95th didn't offer enough tongue-tying for the day, we decided to up the ante a little for dinner by visiting a small local place after we returned to our hotel. I had the Italian Beef with sweet peppers and my wife had the Tamale Boat (I think that was what it was called). Even though I would classify this place as fast food, the sandwich was quite tasty. The tamales were good too, and there was a good spice to the chili that came with them, but there was nothing particularly special about them. Though this was also (apparently) a Nancy's Pizza location, we didn't have any Pizza, so I can't tell you anything about that.
(3)B S.
If you want one of the better beefs in the Chicagoland area, come here! Most places including portillos give you small amounts of beef, this place gave a huge amount! Fries were hand cut from the potato slicer and they also offer free refills. The seasoning is real good, although not as much as the original Al's on Taylor street.
(4)Sarah L.
I used to love ordering from this location. They have great burgers and hot dogs, friendly service and awesome prices. But the last two times I ordered for delivery, the person taking the order did not ask nor confirm the location to be delivered to and thus, my orders were being delivered to the wrong place. Word of advice to the owners, train the employees a bit more on how to verify orders and info before they hang up, it'll save a lot of headaches and confusion for both your patrons & your poor delivery driver, who is always very kind, apologetic and wonderful, despite the circumstances. :-)
(2)Matt A.
Ok, first, I know, it's called Al's BEEF. BUT, if I ate italian beef sandwiches all the time, I would look like Jared before he started eating sliced meats wrapped in yoga mats. SO, I have to eat healthy sometimes. Al's has a great chopped salad, usually, and I was in the area, so I came here. I ordered ahead on GrubHub, because it's Al's Beef at lunch time during the week; I would never get in and out of there during my lunch hour if I didn't order ahead. I got there, and there were a few tables with people at them, and a couple people in line. I waited. I got the the counter, and the guy was a little rude... well, maybe just indifferent, he didn't seem to care about, well, anything. When I signed for the food, he turned around, to get my salad (mind you a salad should be made with cold crisp vegetables, and that's how you expect to eat it). My salad was just sitting on the counter, and considering I ordered a half hour prior and judging by the temperature of my food, it had been sitting there the whole time... I got back to my desk, to eat my salad, and I open the lid, and there is this white, thin piece of meat sitting on top of all my salad stuff, there was a little fake black pepper that comes out of cardboard tubes on it, but otherwise, not appetizing... The dressing was good. I would be pleasantly surprised if the salad ingredients didn't come from a bag. Needless to say, I shant be returning to this particular store; no people at lunch time is not a good sign, especially in an area with so many businesses around. Oh yeah, and the food wasn't great. Al's Beef has the best italian beef, and their fries are the absolute best, but stick to those items, and if possible, go to the store on Taylor St. or Ontario. If you want a chopped salad, hit up Portillo's.
(2)David Y.
I stopped in around 3pm. No other customers inside the restaurant but I needed an Italian beef fix. I got a regular with spicy peppers, fries and a drink for about $11. The beef is good as usual and I like their pepper relish. The beef was seasoned pretty good and there was (to me) the right mix of wet and non-wet bread. The fries were just cooked so everything came out hot and made for a nice meal. Some of the low reviews for this place are based on delivery of an Italian beef. I can't ever say that's a good idea. If you can't dig into an IB sandwich just after its made, you're going to have bad experience. I've always preferred Al's over Portillos and this Al's along with Mario's on Harlem Ave and Jonnie's in Elmwood Park are my go-to places.
(4)Valerie W.
What a horrible experience with Al's Beef. I recently ordered through Grubhub, an Italian beef sandwich and an order of cheese fries, sauce on the side. 2 hours and fifteen minutes later, after contacting both Grubhub and the restaurant directly, I received a cold, gelatinous sandwich, and soggy fries smothered in cheese. Let's back up a bit, shall we? Grubhub quoted me an hour for these two items. I feel like an hour is pretty standard for Grubhub. After an hour fifteen, I started a chat with Grubhub. They told me that the restaurant was really backed up, so it would be another fifteen minutes. So, I waited. Still no food. So, I contacted Grubhub again. They told me the restaurant told them the driver just left. So, I waited. The third time my food didn't show up, I called Al's Beef directly (about 15 minutes later) and was told by a snotty hostess that the driver was "just walking out the door" with my order. I immediately contacted Grubhub for a refund, which was declined. Refunds through Grubhub are given at the restaurant's discretion. They did, however, offer me 10% off a future order. Yeah, right. The driver asked me upon her arrival if I knew of anyone that was hiring delivery drivers. That was after she called me 3 times because she couldn't find my home. She looked disheveled, and like she was in need of a shower. I get that delivery drivers don't have to be pristine in their line of work, but let's talk about how the appearance of the person bringing your food affects your appetite. So, now we're back to the food has arrived, the order is wrong, and is inedible. So, I throw it away and contact Grubhub, AGAIN. What are we at, 5, 6 times now? Once again, Grubhub refuses a refund, and tells me if I want any chance of getting one, the restaurant will send the driver back to pick up the food that was wrong and horrible. I was so fed up at this point that I just gave up. It was already after 9pm, I had placed the order around 6. I was not going to 1) dig through my garbage for the food and 2) wait 2 more hours for the driver to come back again. Just watch out for Al's Beef.
(1)Dan P.
Meh. Thats how I would describe this place. The burger I had was a frozen flat patty you could get at any average cafeteria. The fries looked fresh cut but I think they are frozen. They were also barely done. The beef a colleague had looked gross and the side of peppers he got looked equally gross and off color. This is no Portillo's, where you can get a real beef or burger.
(2)Cheryl M.
The best stuffed pizza I've had! The pizza is fresh, very tasty, and always hot! And it's a bonus when they have the buy one, get one free deals! We eat pizza all week because we just can't pass up such a deal! I would highly recommend Nancy's for their stuffed pizza!
(5)Christina G.
This review only speaks to the Al's Beef portion of the restaurant. We didn't try Nancy's Pizza. My husband ordered a beef sandwich, I had a buffalo chicken wrap, and we shared the nacho fries. My husband went to pick it up and when he got home, he commented that the place was dead. Not a single other person there when he went in. I took it as a bad sign. The beef sandwich was just OK. No real complaints, but nothing spectacular either. I didn't care for my wrap. It was just grilled chicken with a little bit of buffalo wing sauce and a bit of crumbled bleu cheese. There was way more tortilla than meat. I felt like i could make a better sandwich at home. As for the fries, well, we thought the cheese would be melted shredded cheese. Nope. As my husband arrived he saw the cook squirting, yes, squirting, the cheese onto the fries. Needless to say, my stomach hurt later. With a great place like Spuntino's nearby, I don't think we'll give Al's another chance.
(2)Susan O.
I LOVE Al's Beef. Get whatever size you like and add extra meat for a real taste treat. Fries are perfection. Place is quite noisy.
(4)Brandon V.
Restaurant is clean. Burgers are good. Fries are bad. Service is awful. I have never had a good experience with an employee here - always indifferent at best and slightly rude if you're lucky.
(2)Jennifer P.
I was traveling to Chicago and was so happy to try Al's Beef after seeing it on the food channel. I was taken back when I arrived because I did not realize it is a fast food restaurant. Ok that is not going to stop me from getting my sandwich...I ordered the beef sandwich with the works including spicy and dipped. I am so glad I did because the meat was so dry that I needed the extra sauces to be able to eat it. If Beef is in the name of your restaurant you need to have good beef. I would also mention the staff was not overly friendly. They were rude but I have been greeted better at the DMV. I will retry Al's next time I am in town but not this location.
(1)A S.
SKIP!!! - The place has flies and screeching overhead fans. - It took 15 mins for a beef and fries (most places take 5 mins). No one else was in the place, 5 people working. - Beef was about 4 inches, without much flavor, dry (even though it was dipped). - Fries were mostly raw. - Only had 3 working pop dispensers [out of 8], none of them good. - Price for drink, beef, and fries = $11
(1)Lily F.
The fries were terrible in my opinion. There was no flavor and it just all clumped together. If it's going to be a big ball of grease, I need for it to be seasoned at least. Ordered the combo (beef and sausage dipped) and while the sausage was good, I didn't care for the beef. It just lacked flavor. The hot peppers were also not hot.
(2)Matt B.
This place wasn't as good as the one downtown. I flew in to Ohare for work and headed right to Als to get a italian beef and was disappointed. Willing to try again but I remember the downtown place being so much better.
(3)Chris S.
I can't stand Als beef, I don't want my beef chopped up and overcooked, so dry like Portillos jerky with watery juice. The sandwich is tiny and over priced, it's so ridiculous you just want to laugh. I hear people say they love it and I've never understood it because I've never had a good beef sandwich from any Als restaurant anywhere!
(1)AJ P.
Great-tasting food at a good price! The spacious dining room is great with 2 flat-screens set to ESPN. Right off the Kennedy and awesome for me since it's walking distance from my job. Highly recommended!
(5)Jack T.
I hadn't been to Al's in years, but when I started working in Rosemont this week, I made it one of my first stops, it will also be my last. The first warning sign should have been that it was lunch time and the place was almost empty. I ordered the "big beef" and no sides or drink, I was already looking at a $10 bill, which would have been fine if it was a good sandwich. The sandwich was embarrassing. If that was their "big" sandwich, the regular must have be all bread. The meat tasted very plain, without the sort of spicing you expect in a good Italian beef. I ordered cheese with it, and they barely put any on. Next time I have a beef craving, I will definitely look to one of the local hole in the wall joints, and avoid this place like the plague.
(1)Jason B.
I will admit, I made a mistake. I realize the place is called Al's Beef, and I admittedly ordered a cheeseburger.....and it wasn't very good. A decent seasame seed bun couldn't save this bland, boring meat. Fries were decent though. I'll go back, but only to try the beef.
(2)Mr. R.
Ya know.... Ordered today over the phone. Online ordering issues, but Palermo's has burned their bridge with us and I was not giving up because I couldn't place an online order. I call and the gal I spoke to was informative and didn't miss a beat with helping me navigate their online menu over the phone. Delivered on time, intact and incredibly delicious. This is South Side pizza at it's best! (Yes, I knocked off a star because of the website issue.)
(4)arpan s.
Awesome beef sandwich. This place is connected with the Nancy's Pizza as well when I had a slice of sausage which was pretty good. The Fries are nice and greasy as well. The reason I gave three instead of four stars because of the service. It seems they are slightly understaffed. Would come back but wouldn't go out of my way. I like to try mr beef. Portillos is really good too I liked AL's better.
(3)Tobin h.
Very big let down. My first Al's experience and it just...disappointed. The sweetness of the beef and lack of freshness of the bread ruined the entire reputation that had been built about Al's being the poster child for Italian beef. The service and atmosphere was on par with the disappointment of the beef and the "greasy, cooked in old oil", fries. The folks just didn't seem to care and the whole restaurant had a feel of neglect to it. I don't anticipate passing up any one of 30 other beef stands to find my way back to an "Al's".
(2)mike s.
DO NOT USE THIS ESTABLISHMENTS DELIVERY SERVICE! I am reviewing the management not the products of this establishment. Al's is adjoined to a Nancy's Pizza I have ordered pizza from them before and Im sorry I cannot fault the pizza recipe of Nancy's, it delicious , expensive but really good! however if you are ordering for delivery forget it , if you have a car pick it up , because poor management has resulted in my last three deliveries being over 2 hours (2 hrs 15 min & 2 & 1/2 hrs )and then , just warm Pizza not hot , after looking thru other reviews I noticed I am not the only one with this delivery problem - yet I have until now always ordered. Today when I called for delivery I was told that they were (still ! its been 3 months now! ) having a problem with ONLY ONE delivery person and at 6 :45 pm they already knew that my order couldn't be delivered to me! I was dumfounded as Im not that far from them but I don't have a car. I realize that delivery is a "extra" service, not a right , but then don't advertise "delivery " when you cannot do it for those in your hood or take an excessive amount of time to deliver, if you will even deliver! further more no "NEXT TIME" offer or any thing to appease a regular customer who spends $50. on a pizza and tips 25%. I take that back I am no longer a Regular customer , there are other pizza places out there that maintain a delivery staff , are timely with delivery's and still taste great. I was told "sorry there's nothing I can do" , well yes there is something that could be done - hire another driver! offer a "Sorry our bad" offer. but to act as if you don't care when I tell you that "third time is not the charm" and " you just lost a customer" and just told again "sorry there's nothing I can do" with any concern, must still have ALOT of customers accepting your bad service and spending$$ - I will however not be one of them anymore.
(1)Jacob J.
During Lent is when I appreciate this place most. They offer one of the best fish sandwiches in the area and pair that with their savory french fries. Not sure why they don't offer it year round and between the two brands offered, no one can tell me which brand offers the fish sandwich. I've been to stand alone Al's Beef locations where the only Lent special was on an pepper egg and toast sandwich. Al's beef is not my favorite location for Italian beef sandwiches. I tend to like Mr Beef a bunch more. If you are trying it for the first time, I'd suggest getting it wet or extra wet and for sho' get the fries! You'll enjoy them. Al's offers many toppings for your fries and it's worth the trial. Blue cheese is my favorite though its heavy on the heart burn. Weekdays are very busy. Inside it's a decent place to catch a meal or salad. Plenty of tables to cover a couple to a large group. Two televisions usually set to the news.
(3)Lisa R.
The italian beef is the BEST!!! Get it dipped with hot or sweet peppers and you won't be disappointed. The fresh cut fries are delicious too!
(5)Matt M.
Ate the "Al's" Italian beef sandwich. Oh crap that's good. Not a "Philly" type but its own thing. Shaved thin steak, "dipped" with sweet pepper and American cheese. Real flavorful. The fries were great as well. Thanks for a great introduction to Chicago Italian Beef Al.
(4)Mitch K.
Underwhelming food, overpriced, and overhyped!!! While in town for work, I decided to stop here for lunch. Since I saw "Al's beef" on a few different food tv shows, I thought "how could I go wrong"... Well, I didn't exactly go wrong, it wasn't horrible... But definitely not the "best beef in Chicago" and for the price not even worth the stop. I think it my partner and I 22 bucks for two 6 in. (Barely filled and slightly above room temp) beef sandwiches one small fry (which were decent) and two reg. size soft drinks... RIP OFF! I have eaten out in that area plenty of times and there are better choices that aren't too far away. Personally paradise pup is my top choice, but Tommy's beef in mt. Prospect is much better. Also, there's a giordanos right down the street. But for the people needing a quick bite to eat I would suggest finding a portillo's (I'm not sure if there's one nearby) but they're beef is better and probably cheaper.
(2)Mark S.
I've been here at least 8 times and have loved it every time. The beef and fries are both great! I never liked Al's when I was younger because it had some different flavors compared to a traditional beef sandwich. It tasted weird to me before. Now it's my most favorite beef sandwich. Funny how that happened. Al's has flavor like no other sandwich I have ever had anywhere. I don't think it's possible to make a better tasting sandwich of any kind. That's just my opinion.
(5)James S.
With efficient service and a reasonably clean dining area you're getting two restaurants for the price of one. This is my review of Al's Italian Beef. I ordered the Big Combo Beef & Sausage with sweet and "HOT" giardiniera. Nothing else. Just the sandwich. The sandwich is approximately 10 inches long. The "oven roasted, perfectly Italian seasoned beef, tender and extremely lean, sliced amazingly thin". It is a very tasty sandwich. But the key words to the above mentioned description are "Extremely Lean". I feel that paying a total of $11.54 for just a sandwich would leave me satiated. This is not the case. The Italian sausage doesn't even come close to the length of the Italian bread. A few inches short from either end. This is topped off with the leanest portion of Italian Beef I've been served from any purveyor of Italian Beef in the Chicagoland area. They tried to hide everything under a mound of giardiniera with a couple of slices of sweet peppers. No where else in Chicago have I ever walked out hungry after ordering a Beef & Sausage Combo! Let alone a "Big Combo Beef & Sausage" sandwich. In the words of Peggy Bundy "Thanks Al"! But seriously. No thanks! Next time I'll stick with my usual, a stuffed pizza from Nancy's.
(2)Mallory S.
Why are people so stingy with their reviews?!?! The beef is delicious, the restaurant is very well-kept and there are a lot of menu choices. I ordered a dipped beef sandwich with spicy peppers and cheese. It's the best beef I've ever had. As a Chicagoan, this is my go-to beef restaurant.
(5)Jose E.
I was a regular for four years and I just went back today it's been two months but wow blue cheese fries were old and watery beef was bland and the bread to the beef was hard.
(1)Eric E.
VISIT... Visited this Al's & Nancy's location for the first time - not too far from our house in Des Plaines. Bought a Groupon, believing good food / service, being familiar with other Nancy's pizza locations. LOCATION... The facility is good sized for up to small groups. Clean, with two large TV's playing college football games at the time of our visit. FOOD... Purchased an Italian Beef combo meal with upgrade to Onion Rings, and a Tamale Boat to share with my wife for a quick lunch. Later ordered a Nancy's Pizza for dinner. Beef was dry, gritty and had only OK flavor. Serving size was only adequate for one - note we tried to split into 3" halves. Hot pepper giardiniera ordered on the side, however, were outstanding! How 'bout a meal of peppers?! ;) Onion Rings were very good, and a decent serving size. Real rings with a nice, thick batter. Not healthy, I'm sure, but very tasty. Tamale Boat was inexpensive, and still not worth the price. Pasty texture with very generic, almost canned flavor. Fair amount of bland chili poured over, but we kept pushing the last bite back and forth for the other to eat. Pizza ordered later for evening was very good! (Ordered NORTHERN ITALIAN VEGGIE PIZZA: Roasted Red Peppers, Roasted Garlic, Black Olives and Fresh Basil) Sauce and toppings were very good, but the thin crust lacked character and flavor. Very basic. SERVICE... The male employee was polite in taking our lunch order, but when I asked about the combo price - full price for all individual items - he told me that this was because of a Groupon. When asked about it, he made like he was being patient, but really wasn't very friendly explaining the extra costs. The combo is another 'special'. No problem, but he needed to say something at the time of the order, and be far more polite when addressing customer concerns. The female employee taking my pizza order was wonderfully friendly. She offered advice on the limitations of a Groupon, and smiled the whole time. LAST WORD... Al's Beef & Nancy's Pizza is NOT the place to go for beef! Many other outstanding beef places in the area! Pizza's are good, but there are other Nancy's locations, as well as many other great pizza places, not far away. If it's convenient, stop in for pizza and to watch a game.
(2)Matt M.
Al's mediocre beef and Nancy's bland pizza all in one place?!!? I used to live right down the street and made the mistake (twice) of coming here. Al's beef is so far from number one that it might as well be from Thailand. Nancy's pizza is so mediocre that you might as well just grab a frozen jacks pizza from Dominick's a couple of doors down.
(2)Frank A.
Not a bad place for beef and sausage sandwiches. Its one the better sandwiches, but it doesn't replace Johnnie's Beef for me. Had a combo with beef and sausage - dipped. This came with fries. - Beef wasn't dry and was actually very good. Also ordered a 10 inch Thin crust pizza with sausage, mushrooms and pepperoni. Thin crust pizza was good. Was typical of other pizzas I could find elsewhere. It is cool that you can take care of your beef and pizza cravings at one place.
(3)Pari S.
This is a 2 in 1 place. I've driven past this place several times before and never realized it. It's an Al's Beef and Nancy Pizza. There are several buildings in this area, with the train station across the street. Has indoor and outdoor seatings... with a good size parking lot... and a drive thru. Nice clean place. Was not busy at all at the time we were there. But there were a few customers. We ordered a combo italian beef sandwich that came with fries and a drink from Al's Beef. Then a small thin crust pizza with sausage, pepperoni, and mushrooms from Nancy's Pizza. The sandwich was good. Was not overly seasoned or salty. We did order it dipped or "wet" and ordered the peppers on the side. But didn't get our order right. We got the sweet peppers on the side. And the hot peppers in the sandwich. Which I didn't mind at all. Thankfully the hot pepper was not very hot... nor was it expremely seasoned... so the sandwich was still ok. I've had italian beef sandwiches from many places before... so it was kind of hard not to compare it to some of my other favorite places. But here is what I thought of their sandwich. I think i prefer Giardenara peppers... vs their hot peppers here. I like the sour vinegar taste with the oils.. which I did not seem to get much of that here. The sweet peppers were very bland. As for the itallian beef, the texture was very good. Soft, tender, and very juicy. So plus on that. The sausage was a little bit too soft for me. It was not grilled, but more like steamed or boiled. Was very soft texture. As for the pizza... it was ok. Crust was ok.. and the sauce on the pizza was ok. No Wow factor for me. It was fresh pizza with fresh toppings. Would I go here again? Yes. But maybe just for the Italian beef sandwich.
(3)Robbin S.
AL's Beef/ Nancy Pizza on Higgins has really gone down in quality and up in prices. The Italian beef Sausage is poor quality compared to what it used to be and portion was reduced but priced increased. I ordered yesterday two Polishes and fries for $12.84. When I opened the package there was exactly 10 fries in one package and 11 in the other package. I could have gone and got two packages of Polish and bread and fed 8 people for that price. It used to be a place that I would bring people from out of town but not anymore.
(1)Ronnie J.
Bad business... Not worth your time. Complete rip-off Manager was no help either!
(1)Marcee W.
Fast delivery of a decent beef sandwich (slightly dipped) and yummy bbq fries. Co-workers weren't very happy with chicken ceasar wrap or garden salad. Chicken noodle soup got good reviews.
(3)Matthew K.
Great food! They also allowed us to move some tables around to accommodate our large group!
(5)Jennifer S.
ehhhh....not really a fan. Bread was way to wet for my liking. Fries had gritty bites left over in my mouth, like the potatoes weren't cleaned before cooking.
(2)Damian C.
I just think burgers/sandwiches should automatically come with fries. Not as a separate side order. Even if it would technically cost the same.
(3)thomas j.
I visited the rest. ad had a burger and fries. The best fresh cut fries I had in a long time. I recommend this place for good meal. They even have two TV for entertainment and sports.
(4)Jackie W.
DO NOT EAT THE PIZZA HERE!! We ordered sausage pizza and my coworker bit into what 100% appeared to be a tooth - with dried blood. Obviously people jump to conclusions when foreign objects are in their food, but it really did look like a tooth. Turned out to be a piece of a cow bone (per the health department) and I'm sure that happens from time to time but still - finding that in pizza was disgusting (for him, hilarious for those of us seeing his reaction).
(1)ALLEN K.
I have to say that I used to love Nancy's pizza but I haven't had it in quite some time, we used to order all the time form the oak lawn location in oak lawn ill. I figured I would try it our since we were new to the area in park ridge and were looking for a good pizza place in the area. We ordered a large pizza with spinach, and half peperoni. We also ordered fries on the side as well I got them well done since I don't like them soggy. the fries got here and they were still crunchy which is a plus, but I have to say that we were disappointed with the pizza. When we opened the box it looked skimpy on ingredients and cheese as well. When got the pizza on our plate the crust was very soggy so we had to put it into the toaster over to crisp up the crust. I don't complain to much about pizza but this was beyond anything I would eat. I LOVE pizza! But for $30 bucks for a pizza and fries and I highly disappointed. I would not recommend getting delivery and if you do I would recommend to get it well done if you don't like soggy crust. I called to let them know about and they were unresponsive at best so that why they only get 2 stars. we were still on the hunt for good pizza in the park ridge area. If you want pizza here, spend our $30 bucks somewhere else.
(2)JR A.
AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COST! I work a few blocks from this place, but I wish I was farther away. In the past, I was forced to eat their foods because my boss would pay for it. Free Food normally equals Good Food right? Nope, not at this place. So fast forward a couple years later... I decided to give this place another shot (hopefully 2 years of horrible service might have taught them a lesson or 2). I ordered a cheddar burger and cheese fries. Cheddar burger was nothing too great. The actual hamburger patty itself was cold and not hot enough. The Cheese Fries were DISGUSTING!! You know after a restaurant cooks up their fries, they normally drain the oil from the fries? Al's did not do this. My fries were soaking wet from oil/grease. And did I mention they tried to cover up this slop with a bucket of cheese on top? I took one bite and spit it out. The entire thing weighed close to 10lbs with all the grease and cheese they threw on top. So after that experience, I said never again. Little did I know that my girlfriend decided to buy lunch for us there one day. Same order of a cheddar burger and cheese fries. But my girlfriend ordered a grilled chicken sandwhich. She took one bite, and had this weird look on her face.. I ask her what's wrong? she says.."I don't think the chicken is cooked.." WTF?!?!?! What restaurant serves up raw uncooked grilled chicken? I furiously call Al's back and speak to some dumb chick. I tell her I ordered the chicken sandwhich, and it was not cooked. She asks.. "how do you know?" Really?? She then directs me to her manager "Fransisco" or something like that. So this rude manager comes on, no apologies to me, and says "what's wrong" I tell them about the chicken, and this idiot responds back with "What do you want me to do with it?" LOL never again. I hope everyone else stays away from this place.
(1)Stevie V.
They let us use their parking lot for our BMW (chitownM) club all the way through midnight. Food and service was excellent as well.
(5)Ryan H.
Best fries I have ever had, even better when they are cheddar fries! but their hot dogs and polish sausage were very very plain
(2)Tony H.
It's a nice place, kinda like a bar w/o the liquor. The interior is all wood and they have tons of chicago nostalgia hung on the walls. The interior is huge and there are two plasmas, always with some chicago sports team on. This is a guy's place. The food is meaty and the fries are greasy. I'd say that's the only way "Chicago Fry's" come: a fresh cut spud, drenched in hot grease. The burgers are one of my favs, a combo meal runs $8 incl fries and a drink. It's nothing fancy like Champps americana, but it's done right. The Italian beef, is an itiallian beef. Get them with some grilled peppers and you either love them or your don't. I pass on them. They're plenty of places that have lines out the door, Johnny's Beef on North ave, that i don't care for either. Their hotdogs are okay not the best chicago dog, that would be Gene and Jude's in river grove, but it gets it's point across. For real chicago style, get the fries and smash them ontop of your dog to let the grease get into the bun, then pry them off and enjoy. Trust me on this one. All in all, it's hidden away almost two blocks off the major intersection but if you're looking for a nice place for a bite to eat, catch the current score and want to get in and get fed, this is the place. I'm hungry, let's eat!
(5)Joe C.
When asked what other foods is Chicago known for (besides the hot dogs and deep dish pizza...btw, don't get me started on pizza), I was told the Italian Beef sandwiches. So, for lunch my friend and I came here. ***Offensive Alert*** I can't help but say, what else can I expect from a Second Rate City but a second rate beef sandwich. Folks, meh at best and for the price, fughedabowdit! Save your money, and if you get the chance, go to Philly and you will know what a good steak/italian beef sandwich is like...and I'm not even from Philadelphia! I say all this only because it was said that this is what Chicago is known for. (Good grief)
(1)Rob R.
Food is ok. Ordered cheese for my fries, they only filled up the cup1/3 of the way, was not happy when I got home. It is also a bit pricy, groupon got me to buy the 5 g/c's. They got me again
(1)Ray M.
At the end of my Chicago trip, I was on a mission to experience Italian Beef and Chicago Style hot dogs. This combo joint was near the airport. It did the trick, but the experience felt lack luster. Like a passive aggressive shot at Chicago's own cuisine. So i can say that i had it... but next time i'll do it right.
(3)Chad O.
Chicago is usually a food fiesta for me but I have to say the Al's Beef was not a stand out. the food was average at best but the restaurant was dirty and the service was really slow - it made for a bad experience.
(2)Len M.
Stay away from the drive thru. As far as the taste goes, this fast food chain ranks high. The choice is extensive, and you can find something for everyone in your group, picky kids included. BUT Al's BETTER start taking more pride in their presentation and drive-thru. I was there just today and waited three cars back for about 10 minutes. I am not sure why the one order took so long, because the next car was quickly served. When I approached the window, there was no apology or explanation. But my burger was dry and the toppings were just thrown on. It was a mess. Last time at the drive through the blue cheese fries turned out to be cheese fries. So stay away from the drive thru... just go inside. It will probably be faster, and it will certainly be tastier.
(2)Sarah C.
Surprised to find the dipped beef I ordered... Was orange with grease. Nasty. Both the bf and i were sick. I will never eat there again.
(1)Donna K.
We've always loved Al's beef sandwiches and fries, but it seems like everytime we find one close to home it gets closed down. We started going to one downtown in Park Ridge and then that one closed. We went to the one on HIggins in Park Ridge and will never again go there. The bathrooms is filthy. Wet toilet paper strewn all over the doors. Toilets not flushed. I almost gagged eating my sandwich just thinking that the people that work there use that same bathroom. Sorry, never again.
(1)Johnny B.
Mickey D quality. Really. And even though their prices are nothing outrageous, for what they offer, pretty much any price is wrong. They should pay the customer just to walk in the store.
(1)Doug W.
We were passing time in Chicago after driving there from a family reunion in Dundee, Ohio and decided to do the town, and being we got to our hotel latish ( Marriott, nice!) we saw this establishment and I remember seeing some comments online while researching our trip. I took one look at the menu and saw " It's why you're here!" staring me in the face, so I said, self what can I say! I got the combo, Italian Beef and Italian Sausage on a roll with everything on it and my wife had a Chinese Chicken Salad?? We foolishly got a side of cheese fries. I've read the other reviews and maybe we got lucky but after 7 hours on the road I thought it was great, dripping off my elbows and all! Fries were good and greasy, yum, and the Mrs. loved her salad ( I think she just needed some ruffage after being on the road) We didn't try the pizza but they look good coming out of the kitchen.
(4)Lamar S.
This was a nice place to eat if you want to get in and get out with a full belly.Yes you will walk out knowing you have yet to experience the best of chicago.But you will also walk out knowing you have the energy that a full belly gives you to put off feeding your face for awhile and do other things non food related that wil not be nearly as quick in service or satisfaction(HELLO...no lines here people).Word of caution though...the Al's famous italian beef sandwich is SOGGY.If you dont like soggy bread stay away.Nicely seasoned beef though. I'd come back to this place in a pinch.
(3)Ralph J.
Al's Beef is so disappointing it's embarrassing. Look at a picture of their beef sandwich and then go and get one. It's pathetic. The bread will be closed with so little beef inside you'll have to open it up to see if there's any actually in there. And the beef itself is all shreds. You won't find a slice in the whole sandwich. Flavor??? You really think there none better? Don't fall for the hype. Do a real comparison and you'll understand. If I were one of the national reviewers, I would make a second secret visit and get a real version of the sandwich to review. I bet you won't get the praise at that time. You can find better beef sandwiches at almost any other place that serves them. The hype about Al's is just that, hype. Don't be afraid to admit that they aren't very good. Maybe it will prompt them to really earn their reputation. They are overpriced as well. Compare it to Portillo's or Buona Beef and you'll never go to Al's again. Didn't try Nancy's so there's no comment there.
(1)Beth A.
hangover food...nothing more greasy fries...top em off with cheese and ive got a meal hot dogs are ok...ital beef is ok...do not eat the stuffed pizza...made me want to gag
(2)Chris B.
Good Italian Beef, with hot peppers. Just what I expected in an Italian beef. The fries were good, and we had great service.
(4)Chris C.
Don't have high expectations for this place. Its a quick place to grab lunch but nothing else. The burgers and fries are uber salty.
(2)Frankie T.
This place was lame!! I accidentally ended up here and thought to give it a try. What a huge mistake!! Its like an italian sausage sandwich/fastfood burger/chicago style pizza joint. Though I did not try the pizza, i did try the Italian sausage w/ sweet peppers(they say they make them there). What garbage, the bun was kinda stale, the sausage was weird and the sweet peppers were like a lame version of something that looked really good in the picture. Avoid this place unless u want imitation food garbage heave!!!!
(1)Jesselyn E.
Food was fine but not spectacular, however the service was really slow.
(3)Chad E.
As if The Signature Room at the 95th didn't offer enough tongue-tying for the day, we decided to up the ante a little for dinner by visiting a small local place after we returned to our hotel. I had the Italian Beef with sweet peppers and my wife had the Tamale Boat (I think that was what it was called). Even though I would classify this place as fast food, the sandwich was quite tasty. The tamales were good too, and there was a good spice to the chili that came with them, but there was nothing particularly special about them. Though this was also (apparently) a Nancy's Pizza location, we didn't have any Pizza, so I can't tell you anything about that.
(3)Beth L.
Best pizza and beef in the burbs! The food was super fresh and the service was great.
(4)Theresa D.
Al's Beef is a well-known Chicago franchise. Better than typical fast food if you've got no other options, but they're inordinately pricey for the fare and kitchen organization isn't the best. When ordering in for a large group, expect to find some items missing. The pluses: they have an extensive menu so everyone will be able to find something they like, and the drive-thru is convenient if you work nearby. Still, I'd recommend searching the area and finding a place you really adore - even out here, there are tons of hole-in-the-wall joints that serve up amazingly greasy and delicious food.
(2)steve c.
Al's beef is the best gressy joint around. Hot dogs and italian combos are great. A lunch combo is around $6. Inside is nice and clean. Outside has a awesome drive thru obstancle cource
(5)Amanda P.
Good in a pinch and better than the available options in the surrounding environs. There's a lot to be said for the selection here. The fresh mozzarella sandwich is a nice, slightly fancy option for lunch on the run.
(3)Daria Z.
The roast beef sandwiches here are really awesome. The portions are just right and they're very cheap. The dining area is really casual and it's a great spot to just drop into and relax at. It has a lot to offer.
(4)Carla G.
Am I able to give a rating on this place since I have not had either their beef or pizza? Well I'm going to anyway because they have Vienna hotdogs and delicious fries. It might sound surprising that I've been to places that have not hit a home run with the standard hotdog and fries, so I have to give some credit to the places that do a good job. The place is clean & there is a drive tru...because of this I will say I'm a fan.
(4)Fred S.
Unpleasant dining room - fixtures have bluish/purple energy saving CFL bulbs - but a dozen or more bright track lighting fixtures blaring away pointed at the counter, two TVs blaring sports inside a huge echo chamber. Fries were okay except the one that was fried twice, Italian beef seemed a bit odd - maybe they caved to Michelle Obama and eliminated all the salt. Pepsi, no Coke. Counter staff was patient and polite.
(2)Lorna S.
I know that many people have given this place terrible reviews, but I did not have a bad experience. I have only been there once for a take out order, but my experience was okay. The girl at the register was not overly-friendly, but took my order alright. The order was ready fairly quickly, and the girl said thank you. As for the food, it was a caprese salad with red peppers. Everything was fresh, but I did not like the red peppers in the salad. I have never heard of this ingredient being added to this salad, and think it should definitely be omitted from now on. If I ever go there again, I will update my review. As for now, it's okay.
(3)B S.
If you want one of the better beefs in the Chicagoland area, come here! Most places including portillos give you small amounts of beef, this place gave a huge amount! Fries were hand cut from the potato slicer and they also offer free refills. The seasoning is real good, although not as much as the original Al's on Taylor street.
(4)Sarah L.
I used to love ordering from this location. They have great burgers and hot dogs, friendly service and awesome prices. But the last two times I ordered for delivery, the person taking the order did not ask nor confirm the location to be delivered to and thus, my orders were being delivered to the wrong place. Word of advice to the owners, train the employees a bit more on how to verify orders and info before they hang up, it'll save a lot of headaches and confusion for both your patrons & your poor delivery driver, who is always very kind, apologetic and wonderful, despite the circumstances. :-)
(2)Amanda P.
Good in a pinch and better than the available options in the surrounding environs. There's a lot to be said for the selection here. The fresh mozzarella sandwich is a nice, slightly fancy option for lunch on the run.
(3)Daria Z.
The roast beef sandwiches here are really awesome. The portions are just right and they're very cheap. The dining area is really casual and it's a great spot to just drop into and relax at. It has a lot to offer.
(4)Jennifer P.
I was traveling to Chicago and was so happy to try Al's Beef after seeing it on the food channel. I was taken back when I arrived because I did not realize it is a fast food restaurant. Ok that is not going to stop me from getting my sandwich...I ordered the beef sandwich with the works including spicy and dipped. I am so glad I did because the meat was so dry that I needed the extra sauces to be able to eat it. If Beef is in the name of your restaurant you need to have good beef. I would also mention the staff was not overly friendly. They were rude but I have been greeted better at the DMV. I will retry Al's next time I am in town but not this location.
(1)A S.
SKIP!!! - The place has flies and screeching overhead fans. - It took 15 mins for a beef and fries (most places take 5 mins). No one else was in the place, 5 people working. - Beef was about 4 inches, without much flavor, dry (even though it was dipped). - Fries were mostly raw. - Only had 3 working pop dispensers [out of 8], none of them good. - Price for drink, beef, and fries = $11
(1)Matt A.
Ok, first, I know, it's called Al's BEEF. BUT, if I ate italian beef sandwiches all the time, I would look like Jared before he started eating sliced meats wrapped in yoga mats. SO, I have to eat healthy sometimes. Al's has a great chopped salad, usually, and I was in the area, so I came here. I ordered ahead on GrubHub, because it's Al's Beef at lunch time during the week; I would never get in and out of there during my lunch hour if I didn't order ahead. I got there, and there were a few tables with people at them, and a couple people in line. I waited. I got the the counter, and the guy was a little rude... well, maybe just indifferent, he didn't seem to care about, well, anything. When I signed for the food, he turned around, to get my salad (mind you a salad should be made with cold crisp vegetables, and that's how you expect to eat it). My salad was just sitting on the counter, and considering I ordered a half hour prior and judging by the temperature of my food, it had been sitting there the whole time... I got back to my desk, to eat my salad, and I open the lid, and there is this white, thin piece of meat sitting on top of all my salad stuff, there was a little fake black pepper that comes out of cardboard tubes on it, but otherwise, not appetizing... The dressing was good. I would be pleasantly surprised if the salad ingredients didn't come from a bag. Needless to say, I shant be returning to this particular store; no people at lunch time is not a good sign, especially in an area with so many businesses around. Oh yeah, and the food wasn't great. Al's Beef has the best italian beef, and their fries are the absolute best, but stick to those items, and if possible, go to the store on Taylor St. or Ontario. If you want a chopped salad, hit up Portillo's.
(2)David Y.
I stopped in around 3pm. No other customers inside the restaurant but I needed an Italian beef fix. I got a regular with spicy peppers, fries and a drink for about $11. The beef is good as usual and I like their pepper relish. The beef was seasoned pretty good and there was (to me) the right mix of wet and non-wet bread. The fries were just cooked so everything came out hot and made for a nice meal. Some of the low reviews for this place are based on delivery of an Italian beef. I can't ever say that's a good idea. If you can't dig into an IB sandwich just after its made, you're going to have bad experience. I've always preferred Al's over Portillos and this Al's along with Mario's on Harlem Ave and Jonnie's in Elmwood Park are my go-to places.
(4)Christina G.
This review only speaks to the Al's Beef portion of the restaurant. We didn't try Nancy's Pizza. My husband ordered a beef sandwich, I had a buffalo chicken wrap, and we shared the nacho fries. My husband went to pick it up and when he got home, he commented that the place was dead. Not a single other person there when he went in. I took it as a bad sign. The beef sandwich was just OK. No real complaints, but nothing spectacular either. I didn't care for my wrap. It was just grilled chicken with a little bit of buffalo wing sauce and a bit of crumbled bleu cheese. There was way more tortilla than meat. I felt like i could make a better sandwich at home. As for the fries, well, we thought the cheese would be melted shredded cheese. Nope. As my husband arrived he saw the cook squirting, yes, squirting, the cheese onto the fries. Needless to say, my stomach hurt later. With a great place like Spuntino's nearby, I don't think we'll give Al's another chance.
(2)Susan O.
I LOVE Al's Beef. Get whatever size you like and add extra meat for a real taste treat. Fries are perfection. Place is quite noisy.
(4)Brandon V.
Restaurant is clean. Burgers are good. Fries are bad. Service is awful. I have never had a good experience with an employee here - always indifferent at best and slightly rude if you're lucky.
(2)Lily F.
The fries were terrible in my opinion. There was no flavor and it just all clumped together. If it's going to be a big ball of grease, I need for it to be seasoned at least. Ordered the combo (beef and sausage dipped) and while the sausage was good, I didn't care for the beef. It just lacked flavor. The hot peppers were also not hot.
(2)Matt B.
This place wasn't as good as the one downtown. I flew in to Ohare for work and headed right to Als to get a italian beef and was disappointed. Willing to try again but I remember the downtown place being so much better.
(3)Chris S.
I can't stand Als beef, I don't want my beef chopped up and overcooked, so dry like Portillos jerky with watery juice. The sandwich is tiny and over priced, it's so ridiculous you just want to laugh. I hear people say they love it and I've never understood it because I've never had a good beef sandwich from any Als restaurant anywhere!
(1)AJ P.
Great-tasting food at a good price! The spacious dining room is great with 2 flat-screens set to ESPN. Right off the Kennedy and awesome for me since it's walking distance from my job. Highly recommended!
(5)Jack T.
I hadn't been to Al's in years, but when I started working in Rosemont this week, I made it one of my first stops, it will also be my last. The first warning sign should have been that it was lunch time and the place was almost empty. I ordered the "big beef" and no sides or drink, I was already looking at a $10 bill, which would have been fine if it was a good sandwich. The sandwich was embarrassing. If that was their "big" sandwich, the regular must have be all bread. The meat tasted very plain, without the sort of spicing you expect in a good Italian beef. I ordered cheese with it, and they barely put any on. Next time I have a beef craving, I will definitely look to one of the local hole in the wall joints, and avoid this place like the plague.
(1)Valerie W.
What a horrible experience with Al's Beef. I recently ordered through Grubhub, an Italian beef sandwich and an order of cheese fries, sauce on the side. 2 hours and fifteen minutes later, after contacting both Grubhub and the restaurant directly, I received a cold, gelatinous sandwich, and soggy fries smothered in cheese. Let's back up a bit, shall we? Grubhub quoted me an hour for these two items. I feel like an hour is pretty standard for Grubhub. After an hour fifteen, I started a chat with Grubhub. They told me that the restaurant was really backed up, so it would be another fifteen minutes. So, I waited. Still no food. So, I contacted Grubhub again. They told me the restaurant told them the driver just left. So, I waited. The third time my food didn't show up, I called Al's Beef directly (about 15 minutes later) and was told by a snotty hostess that the driver was "just walking out the door" with my order. I immediately contacted Grubhub for a refund, which was declined. Refunds through Grubhub are given at the restaurant's discretion. They did, however, offer me 10% off a future order. Yeah, right. The driver asked me upon her arrival if I knew of anyone that was hiring delivery drivers. That was after she called me 3 times because she couldn't find my home. She looked disheveled, and like she was in need of a shower. I get that delivery drivers don't have to be pristine in their line of work, but let's talk about how the appearance of the person bringing your food affects your appetite. So, now we're back to the food has arrived, the order is wrong, and is inedible. So, I throw it away and contact Grubhub, AGAIN. What are we at, 5, 6 times now? Once again, Grubhub refuses a refund, and tells me if I want any chance of getting one, the restaurant will send the driver back to pick up the food that was wrong and horrible. I was so fed up at this point that I just gave up. It was already after 9pm, I had placed the order around 6. I was not going to 1) dig through my garbage for the food and 2) wait 2 more hours for the driver to come back again. Just watch out for Al's Beef.
(1)Dan P.
Meh. Thats how I would describe this place. The burger I had was a frozen flat patty you could get at any average cafeteria. The fries looked fresh cut but I think they are frozen. They were also barely done. The beef a colleague had looked gross and the side of peppers he got looked equally gross and off color. This is no Portillo's, where you can get a real beef or burger.
(2)thomas j.
I visited the rest. ad had a burger and fries. The best fresh cut fries I had in a long time. I recommend this place for good meal. They even have two TV for entertainment and sports.
(4)Beth L.
Best pizza and beef in the burbs! The food was super fresh and the service was great.
(4)Jackie W.
DO NOT EAT THE PIZZA HERE!! We ordered sausage pizza and my coworker bit into what 100% appeared to be a tooth - with dried blood. Obviously people jump to conclusions when foreign objects are in their food, but it really did look like a tooth. Turned out to be a piece of a cow bone (per the health department) and I'm sure that happens from time to time but still - finding that in pizza was disgusting (for him, hilarious for those of us seeing his reaction).
(1)Theresa D.
Al's Beef is a well-known Chicago franchise. Better than typical fast food if you've got no other options, but they're inordinately pricey for the fare and kitchen organization isn't the best. When ordering in for a large group, expect to find some items missing. The pluses: they have an extensive menu so everyone will be able to find something they like, and the drive-thru is convenient if you work nearby. Still, I'd recommend searching the area and finding a place you really adore - even out here, there are tons of hole-in-the-wall joints that serve up amazingly greasy and delicious food.
(2)steve c.
Al's beef is the best gressy joint around. Hot dogs and italian combos are great. A lunch combo is around $6. Inside is nice and clean. Outside has a awesome drive thru obstancle cource
(5)Cheryl M.
The best stuffed pizza I've had! The pizza is fresh, very tasty, and always hot! And it's a bonus when they have the buy one, get one free deals! We eat pizza all week because we just can't pass up such a deal! I would highly recommend Nancy's for their stuffed pizza!
(5)Jason B.
I will admit, I made a mistake. I realize the place is called Al's Beef, and I admittedly ordered a cheeseburger.....and it wasn't very good. A decent seasame seed bun couldn't save this bland, boring meat. Fries were decent though. I'll go back, but only to try the beef.
(2)Mr. R.
Ya know.... Ordered today over the phone. Online ordering issues, but Palermo's has burned their bridge with us and I was not giving up because I couldn't place an online order. I call and the gal I spoke to was informative and didn't miss a beat with helping me navigate their online menu over the phone. Delivered on time, intact and incredibly delicious. This is South Side pizza at it's best! (Yes, I knocked off a star because of the website issue.)
(4)arpan s.
Awesome beef sandwich. This place is connected with the Nancy's Pizza as well when I had a slice of sausage which was pretty good. The Fries are nice and greasy as well. The reason I gave three instead of four stars because of the service. It seems they are slightly understaffed. Would come back but wouldn't go out of my way. I like to try mr beef. Portillos is really good too I liked AL's better.
(3)Tobin h.
Very big let down. My first Al's experience and it just...disappointed. The sweetness of the beef and lack of freshness of the bread ruined the entire reputation that had been built about Al's being the poster child for Italian beef. The service and atmosphere was on par with the disappointment of the beef and the "greasy, cooked in old oil", fries. The folks just didn't seem to care and the whole restaurant had a feel of neglect to it. I don't anticipate passing up any one of 30 other beef stands to find my way back to an "Al's".
(2)mike s.
DO NOT USE THIS ESTABLISHMENTS DELIVERY SERVICE! I am reviewing the management not the products of this establishment. Al's is adjoined to a Nancy's Pizza I have ordered pizza from them before and Im sorry I cannot fault the pizza recipe of Nancy's, it delicious , expensive but really good! however if you are ordering for delivery forget it , if you have a car pick it up , because poor management has resulted in my last three deliveries being over 2 hours (2 hrs 15 min & 2 & 1/2 hrs )and then , just warm Pizza not hot , after looking thru other reviews I noticed I am not the only one with this delivery problem - yet I have until now always ordered. Today when I called for delivery I was told that they were (still ! its been 3 months now! ) having a problem with ONLY ONE delivery person and at 6 :45 pm they already knew that my order couldn't be delivered to me! I was dumfounded as Im not that far from them but I don't have a car. I realize that delivery is a "extra" service, not a right , but then don't advertise "delivery " when you cannot do it for those in your hood or take an excessive amount of time to deliver, if you will even deliver! further more no "NEXT TIME" offer or any thing to appease a regular customer who spends $50. on a pizza and tips 25%. I take that back I am no longer a Regular customer , there are other pizza places out there that maintain a delivery staff , are timely with delivery's and still taste great. I was told "sorry there's nothing I can do" , well yes there is something that could be done - hire another driver! offer a "Sorry our bad" offer. but to act as if you don't care when I tell you that "third time is not the charm" and " you just lost a customer" and just told again "sorry there's nothing I can do" with any concern, must still have ALOT of customers accepting your bad service and spending$$ - I will however not be one of them anymore.
(1)James S.
With efficient service and a reasonably clean dining area you're getting two restaurants for the price of one. This is my review of Al's Italian Beef. I ordered the Big Combo Beef & Sausage with sweet and "HOT" giardiniera. Nothing else. Just the sandwich. The sandwich is approximately 10 inches long. The "oven roasted, perfectly Italian seasoned beef, tender and extremely lean, sliced amazingly thin". It is a very tasty sandwich. But the key words to the above mentioned description are "Extremely Lean". I feel that paying a total of $11.54 for just a sandwich would leave me satiated. This is not the case. The Italian sausage doesn't even come close to the length of the Italian bread. A few inches short from either end. This is topped off with the leanest portion of Italian Beef I've been served from any purveyor of Italian Beef in the Chicagoland area. They tried to hide everything under a mound of giardiniera with a couple of slices of sweet peppers. No where else in Chicago have I ever walked out hungry after ordering a Beef & Sausage Combo! Let alone a "Big Combo Beef & Sausage" sandwich. In the words of Peggy Bundy "Thanks Al"! But seriously. No thanks! Next time I'll stick with my usual, a stuffed pizza from Nancy's.
(2)Jennifer S.
ehhhh....not really a fan. Bread was way to wet for my liking. Fries had gritty bites left over in my mouth, like the potatoes weren't cleaned before cooking.
(2)Damian C.
I just think burgers/sandwiches should automatically come with fries. Not as a separate side order. Even if it would technically cost the same.
(3)Pari S.
This is a 2 in 1 place. I've driven past this place several times before and never realized it. It's an Al's Beef and Nancy Pizza. There are several buildings in this area, with the train station across the street. Has indoor and outdoor seatings... with a good size parking lot... and a drive thru. Nice clean place. Was not busy at all at the time we were there. But there were a few customers. We ordered a combo italian beef sandwich that came with fries and a drink from Al's Beef. Then a small thin crust pizza with sausage, pepperoni, and mushrooms from Nancy's Pizza. The sandwich was good. Was not overly seasoned or salty. We did order it dipped or "wet" and ordered the peppers on the side. But didn't get our order right. We got the sweet peppers on the side. And the hot peppers in the sandwich. Which I didn't mind at all. Thankfully the hot pepper was not very hot... nor was it expremely seasoned... so the sandwich was still ok. I've had italian beef sandwiches from many places before... so it was kind of hard not to compare it to some of my other favorite places. But here is what I thought of their sandwich. I think i prefer Giardenara peppers... vs their hot peppers here. I like the sour vinegar taste with the oils.. which I did not seem to get much of that here. The sweet peppers were very bland. As for the itallian beef, the texture was very good. Soft, tender, and very juicy. So plus on that. The sausage was a little bit too soft for me. It was not grilled, but more like steamed or boiled. Was very soft texture. As for the pizza... it was ok. Crust was ok.. and the sauce on the pizza was ok. No Wow factor for me. It was fresh pizza with fresh toppings. Would I go here again? Yes. But maybe just for the Italian beef sandwich.
(3)Robbin S.
AL's Beef/ Nancy Pizza on Higgins has really gone down in quality and up in prices. The Italian beef Sausage is poor quality compared to what it used to be and portion was reduced but priced increased. I ordered yesterday two Polishes and fries for $12.84. When I opened the package there was exactly 10 fries in one package and 11 in the other package. I could have gone and got two packages of Polish and bread and fed 8 people for that price. It used to be a place that I would bring people from out of town but not anymore.
(1)Ronnie J.
Bad business... Not worth your time. Complete rip-off Manager was no help either!
(1)Marcee W.
Fast delivery of a decent beef sandwich (slightly dipped) and yummy bbq fries. Co-workers weren't very happy with chicken ceasar wrap or garden salad. Chicken noodle soup got good reviews.
(3)Carla G.
Am I able to give a rating on this place since I have not had either their beef or pizza? Well I'm going to anyway because they have Vienna hotdogs and delicious fries. It might sound surprising that I've been to places that have not hit a home run with the standard hotdog and fries, so I have to give some credit to the places that do a good job. The place is clean & there is a drive tru...because of this I will say I'm a fan.
(4)Ralph J.
Al's Beef is so disappointing it's embarrassing. Look at a picture of their beef sandwich and then go and get one. It's pathetic. The bread will be closed with so little beef inside you'll have to open it up to see if there's any actually in there. And the beef itself is all shreds. You won't find a slice in the whole sandwich. Flavor??? You really think there none better? Don't fall for the hype. Do a real comparison and you'll understand. If I were one of the national reviewers, I would make a second secret visit and get a real version of the sandwich to review. I bet you won't get the praise at that time. You can find better beef sandwiches at almost any other place that serves them. The hype about Al's is just that, hype. Don't be afraid to admit that they aren't very good. Maybe it will prompt them to really earn their reputation. They are overpriced as well. Compare it to Portillo's or Buona Beef and you'll never go to Al's again. Didn't try Nancy's so there's no comment there.
(1)Beth A.
hangover food...nothing more greasy fries...top em off with cheese and ive got a meal hot dogs are ok...ital beef is ok...do not eat the stuffed pizza...made me want to gag
(2)Chris B.
Good Italian Beef, with hot peppers. Just what I expected in an Italian beef. The fries were good, and we had great service.
(4)Chris C.
Don't have high expectations for this place. Its a quick place to grab lunch but nothing else. The burgers and fries are uber salty.
(2)Frankie T.
This place was lame!! I accidentally ended up here and thought to give it a try. What a huge mistake!! Its like an italian sausage sandwich/fastfood burger/chicago style pizza joint. Though I did not try the pizza, i did try the Italian sausage w/ sweet peppers(they say they make them there). What garbage, the bun was kinda stale, the sausage was weird and the sweet peppers were like a lame version of something that looked really good in the picture. Avoid this place unless u want imitation food garbage heave!!!!
(1)Jesselyn E.
Food was fine but not spectacular, however the service was really slow.
(3)Chad E.
As if The Signature Room at the 95th didn't offer enough tongue-tying for the day, we decided to up the ante a little for dinner by visiting a small local place after we returned to our hotel. I had the Italian Beef with sweet peppers and my wife had the Tamale Boat (I think that was what it was called). Even though I would classify this place as fast food, the sandwich was quite tasty. The tamales were good too, and there was a good spice to the chili that came with them, but there was nothing particularly special about them. Though this was also (apparently) a Nancy's Pizza location, we didn't have any Pizza, so I can't tell you anything about that.
(3)Matthew K.
Great food! They also allowed us to move some tables around to accommodate our large group!
(5)Jacob J.
During Lent is when I appreciate this place most. They offer one of the best fish sandwiches in the area and pair that with their savory french fries. Not sure why they don't offer it year round and between the two brands offered, no one can tell me which brand offers the fish sandwich. I've been to stand alone Al's Beef locations where the only Lent special was on an pepper egg and toast sandwich. Al's beef is not my favorite location for Italian beef sandwiches. I tend to like Mr Beef a bunch more. If you are trying it for the first time, I'd suggest getting it wet or extra wet and for sho' get the fries! You'll enjoy them. Al's offers many toppings for your fries and it's worth the trial. Blue cheese is my favorite though its heavy on the heart burn. Weekdays are very busy. Inside it's a decent place to catch a meal or salad. Plenty of tables to cover a couple to a large group. Two televisions usually set to the news.
(3)Lisa R.
The italian beef is the BEST!!! Get it dipped with hot or sweet peppers and you won't be disappointed. The fresh cut fries are delicious too!
(5)Matt M.
Ate the "Al's" Italian beef sandwich. Oh crap that's good. Not a "Philly" type but its own thing. Shaved thin steak, "dipped" with sweet pepper and American cheese. Real flavorful. The fries were great as well. Thanks for a great introduction to Chicago Italian Beef Al.
(4)Mitch K.
Underwhelming food, overpriced, and overhyped!!! While in town for work, I decided to stop here for lunch. Since I saw "Al's beef" on a few different food tv shows, I thought "how could I go wrong"... Well, I didn't exactly go wrong, it wasn't horrible... But definitely not the "best beef in Chicago" and for the price not even worth the stop. I think it my partner and I 22 bucks for two 6 in. (Barely filled and slightly above room temp) beef sandwiches one small fry (which were decent) and two reg. size soft drinks... RIP OFF! I have eaten out in that area plenty of times and there are better choices that aren't too far away. Personally paradise pup is my top choice, but Tommy's beef in mt. Prospect is much better. Also, there's a giordanos right down the street. But for the people needing a quick bite to eat I would suggest finding a portillo's (I'm not sure if there's one nearby) but they're beef is better and probably cheaper.
(2)Mark S.
I've been here at least 8 times and have loved it every time. The beef and fries are both great! I never liked Al's when I was younger because it had some different flavors compared to a traditional beef sandwich. It tasted weird to me before. Now it's my most favorite beef sandwich. Funny how that happened. Al's has flavor like no other sandwich I have ever had anywhere. I don't think it's possible to make a better tasting sandwich of any kind. That's just my opinion.
(5)Frank A.
Not a bad place for beef and sausage sandwiches. Its one the better sandwiches, but it doesn't replace Johnnie's Beef for me. Had a combo with beef and sausage - dipped. This came with fries. - Beef wasn't dry and was actually very good. Also ordered a 10 inch Thin crust pizza with sausage, mushrooms and pepperoni. Thin crust pizza was good. Was typical of other pizzas I could find elsewhere. It is cool that you can take care of your beef and pizza cravings at one place.
(3)Mallory S.
Why are people so stingy with their reviews?!?! The beef is delicious, the restaurant is very well-kept and there are a lot of menu choices. I ordered a dipped beef sandwich with spicy peppers and cheese. It's the best beef I've ever had. As a Chicagoan, this is my go-to beef restaurant.
(5)Jose E.
I was a regular for four years and I just went back today it's been two months but wow blue cheese fries were old and watery beef was bland and the bread to the beef was hard.
(1)Eric E.
VISIT... Visited this Al's & Nancy's location for the first time - not too far from our house in Des Plaines. Bought a Groupon, believing good food / service, being familiar with other Nancy's pizza locations. LOCATION... The facility is good sized for up to small groups. Clean, with two large TV's playing college football games at the time of our visit. FOOD... Purchased an Italian Beef combo meal with upgrade to Onion Rings, and a Tamale Boat to share with my wife for a quick lunch. Later ordered a Nancy's Pizza for dinner. Beef was dry, gritty and had only OK flavor. Serving size was only adequate for one - note we tried to split into 3" halves. Hot pepper giardiniera ordered on the side, however, were outstanding! How 'bout a meal of peppers?! ;) Onion Rings were very good, and a decent serving size. Real rings with a nice, thick batter. Not healthy, I'm sure, but very tasty. Tamale Boat was inexpensive, and still not worth the price. Pasty texture with very generic, almost canned flavor. Fair amount of bland chili poured over, but we kept pushing the last bite back and forth for the other to eat. Pizza ordered later for evening was very good! (Ordered NORTHERN ITALIAN VEGGIE PIZZA: Roasted Red Peppers, Roasted Garlic, Black Olives and Fresh Basil) Sauce and toppings were very good, but the thin crust lacked character and flavor. Very basic. SERVICE... The male employee was polite in taking our lunch order, but when I asked about the combo price - full price for all individual items - he told me that this was because of a Groupon. When asked about it, he made like he was being patient, but really wasn't very friendly explaining the extra costs. The combo is another 'special'. No problem, but he needed to say something at the time of the order, and be far more polite when addressing customer concerns. The female employee taking my pizza order was wonderfully friendly. She offered advice on the limitations of a Groupon, and smiled the whole time. LAST WORD... Al's Beef & Nancy's Pizza is NOT the place to go for beef! Many other outstanding beef places in the area! Pizza's are good, but there are other Nancy's locations, as well as many other great pizza places, not far away. If it's convenient, stop in for pizza and to watch a game.
(2)Matt M.
Al's mediocre beef and Nancy's bland pizza all in one place?!!? I used to live right down the street and made the mistake (twice) of coming here. Al's beef is so far from number one that it might as well be from Thailand. Nancy's pizza is so mediocre that you might as well just grab a frozen jacks pizza from Dominick's a couple of doors down.
(2)Fred S.
Unpleasant dining room - fixtures have bluish/purple energy saving CFL bulbs - but a dozen or more bright track lighting fixtures blaring away pointed at the counter, two TVs blaring sports inside a huge echo chamber. Fries were okay except the one that was fried twice, Italian beef seemed a bit odd - maybe they caved to Michelle Obama and eliminated all the salt. Pepsi, no Coke. Counter staff was patient and polite.
(2)Lorna S.
I know that many people have given this place terrible reviews, but I did not have a bad experience. I have only been there once for a take out order, but my experience was okay. The girl at the register was not overly-friendly, but took my order alright. The order was ready fairly quickly, and the girl said thank you. As for the food, it was a caprese salad with red peppers. Everything was fresh, but I did not like the red peppers in the salad. I have never heard of this ingredient being added to this salad, and think it should definitely be omitted from now on. If I ever go there again, I will update my review. As for now, it's okay.
(3)ALLEN K.
I have to say that I used to love Nancy's pizza but I haven't had it in quite some time, we used to order all the time form the oak lawn location in oak lawn ill. I figured I would try it our since we were new to the area in park ridge and were looking for a good pizza place in the area. We ordered a large pizza with spinach, and half peperoni. We also ordered fries on the side as well I got them well done since I don't like them soggy. the fries got here and they were still crunchy which is a plus, but I have to say that we were disappointed with the pizza. When we opened the box it looked skimpy on ingredients and cheese as well. When got the pizza on our plate the crust was very soggy so we had to put it into the toaster over to crisp up the crust. I don't complain to much about pizza but this was beyond anything I would eat. I LOVE pizza! But for $30 bucks for a pizza and fries and I highly disappointed. I would not recommend getting delivery and if you do I would recommend to get it well done if you don't like soggy crust. I called to let them know about and they were unresponsive at best so that why they only get 2 stars. we were still on the hunt for good pizza in the park ridge area. If you want pizza here, spend our $30 bucks somewhere else.
(2)JR A.
AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COST! I work a few blocks from this place, but I wish I was farther away. In the past, I was forced to eat their foods because my boss would pay for it. Free Food normally equals Good Food right? Nope, not at this place. So fast forward a couple years later... I decided to give this place another shot (hopefully 2 years of horrible service might have taught them a lesson or 2). I ordered a cheddar burger and cheese fries. Cheddar burger was nothing too great. The actual hamburger patty itself was cold and not hot enough. The Cheese Fries were DISGUSTING!! You know after a restaurant cooks up their fries, they normally drain the oil from the fries? Al's did not do this. My fries were soaking wet from oil/grease. And did I mention they tried to cover up this slop with a bucket of cheese on top? I took one bite and spit it out. The entire thing weighed close to 10lbs with all the grease and cheese they threw on top. So after that experience, I said never again. Little did I know that my girlfriend decided to buy lunch for us there one day. Same order of a cheddar burger and cheese fries. But my girlfriend ordered a grilled chicken sandwhich. She took one bite, and had this weird look on her face.. I ask her what's wrong? she says.."I don't think the chicken is cooked.." WTF?!?!?! What restaurant serves up raw uncooked grilled chicken? I furiously call Al's back and speak to some dumb chick. I tell her I ordered the chicken sandwhich, and it was not cooked. She asks.. "how do you know?" Really?? She then directs me to her manager "Fransisco" or something like that. So this rude manager comes on, no apologies to me, and says "what's wrong" I tell them about the chicken, and this idiot responds back with "What do you want me to do with it?" LOL never again. I hope everyone else stays away from this place.
(1)Stevie V.
They let us use their parking lot for our BMW (chitownM) club all the way through midnight. Food and service was excellent as well.
(5)Ryan H.
Best fries I have ever had, even better when they are cheddar fries! but their hot dogs and polish sausage were very very plain
(2)Tony H.
It's a nice place, kinda like a bar w/o the liquor. The interior is all wood and they have tons of chicago nostalgia hung on the walls. The interior is huge and there are two plasmas, always with some chicago sports team on. This is a guy's place. The food is meaty and the fries are greasy. I'd say that's the only way "Chicago Fry's" come: a fresh cut spud, drenched in hot grease. The burgers are one of my favs, a combo meal runs $8 incl fries and a drink. It's nothing fancy like Champps americana, but it's done right. The Italian beef, is an itiallian beef. Get them with some grilled peppers and you either love them or your don't. I pass on them. They're plenty of places that have lines out the door, Johnny's Beef on North ave, that i don't care for either. Their hotdogs are okay not the best chicago dog, that would be Gene and Jude's in river grove, but it gets it's point across. For real chicago style, get the fries and smash them ontop of your dog to let the grease get into the bun, then pry them off and enjoy. Trust me on this one. All in all, it's hidden away almost two blocks off the major intersection but if you're looking for a nice place for a bite to eat, catch the current score and want to get in and get fed, this is the place. I'm hungry, let's eat!
(5)Joe C.
When asked what other foods is Chicago known for (besides the hot dogs and deep dish pizza...btw, don't get me started on pizza), I was told the Italian Beef sandwiches. So, for lunch my friend and I came here. ***Offensive Alert*** I can't help but say, what else can I expect from a Second Rate City but a second rate beef sandwich. Folks, meh at best and for the price, fughedabowdit! Save your money, and if you get the chance, go to Philly and you will know what a good steak/italian beef sandwich is like...and I'm not even from Philadelphia! I say all this only because it was said that this is what Chicago is known for. (Good grief)
(1)Rob R.
Food is ok. Ordered cheese for my fries, they only filled up the cup1/3 of the way, was not happy when I got home. It is also a bit pricy, groupon got me to buy the 5 g/c's. They got me again
(1)Ray M.
At the end of my Chicago trip, I was on a mission to experience Italian Beef and Chicago Style hot dogs. This combo joint was near the airport. It did the trick, but the experience felt lack luster. Like a passive aggressive shot at Chicago's own cuisine. So i can say that i had it... but next time i'll do it right.
(3)Chad O.
Chicago is usually a food fiesta for me but I have to say the Al's Beef was not a stand out. the food was average at best but the restaurant was dirty and the service was really slow - it made for a bad experience.
(2)Len M.
Stay away from the drive thru. As far as the taste goes, this fast food chain ranks high. The choice is extensive, and you can find something for everyone in your group, picky kids included. BUT Al's BETTER start taking more pride in their presentation and drive-thru. I was there just today and waited three cars back for about 10 minutes. I am not sure why the one order took so long, because the next car was quickly served. When I approached the window, there was no apology or explanation. But my burger was dry and the toppings were just thrown on. It was a mess. Last time at the drive through the blue cheese fries turned out to be cheese fries. So stay away from the drive thru... just go inside. It will probably be faster, and it will certainly be tastier.
(2)Sarah C.
Surprised to find the dipped beef I ordered... Was orange with grease. Nasty. Both the bf and i were sick. I will never eat there again.
(1)Donna K.
We've always loved Al's beef sandwiches and fries, but it seems like everytime we find one close to home it gets closed down. We started going to one downtown in Park Ridge and then that one closed. We went to the one on HIggins in Park Ridge and will never again go there. The bathrooms is filthy. Wet toilet paper strewn all over the doors. Toilets not flushed. I almost gagged eating my sandwich just thinking that the people that work there use that same bathroom. Sorry, never again.
(1)Johnny B.
Mickey D quality. Really. And even though their prices are nothing outrageous, for what they offer, pretty much any price is wrong. They should pay the customer just to walk in the store.
(1)Doug W.
We were passing time in Chicago after driving there from a family reunion in Dundee, Ohio and decided to do the town, and being we got to our hotel latish ( Marriott, nice!) we saw this establishment and I remember seeing some comments online while researching our trip. I took one look at the menu and saw " It's why you're here!" staring me in the face, so I said, self what can I say! I got the combo, Italian Beef and Italian Sausage on a roll with everything on it and my wife had a Chinese Chicken Salad?? We foolishly got a side of cheese fries. I've read the other reviews and maybe we got lucky but after 7 hours on the road I thought it was great, dripping off my elbows and all! Fries were good and greasy, yum, and the Mrs. loved her salad ( I think she just needed some ruffage after being on the road) We didn't try the pizza but they look good coming out of the kitchen.
(4)Lamar S.
This was a nice place to eat if you want to get in and get out with a full belly.Yes you will walk out knowing you have yet to experience the best of chicago.But you will also walk out knowing you have the energy that a full belly gives you to put off feeding your face for awhile and do other things non food related that wil not be nearly as quick in service or satisfaction(HELLO...no lines here people).Word of caution though...the Al's famous italian beef sandwich is SOGGY.If you dont like soggy bread stay away.Nicely seasoned beef though. I'd come back to this place in a pinch.
(3)