Al's #1 Italian Beef
Best Italian Beef in Chicago · IL
The original Italian beef stand, since 1938.
Al's #1 Italian Beef has been the standard-bearer of Chicago's signature sandwich since 1938, when the Ferreri family began thin-slicing slow-roasted beef, piling it on French bread, and dunking the whole thing in seasoned jus on Taylor Street in Little Italy. Order it dipped with hot giardiniera and eat it standing, elbows out, in the posture Chicagoans call "the lean."
From that original beef stand it grew into an institution credited with launching the city's national sandwich — and the 2025 Centurion Award winner in Chicago.
What they're known for
- Italian beef, dipped ("wet")
- Hot giardiniera
- The Chicago lean
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; Al's #1 Italian Beef met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in Chicago since 1938 — 88 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Chicago.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Chicago has kept Al's #1 Italian Beef busy for 88 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Chicago regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best Italian beef in Chicago for 2025 as the Taylor Street original that helped invent the sandwich, still dipping every one to order.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Italian Beef in Chicago Chicago, IL · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationVisit Al's #1 Italian Beef
The details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about Al's #1 Italian Beef.
- Legal / trading name
- Al's #1 Italian Beef
- Category
- Restaurant
- Founded
- 1938, Chicago, IL
- Founders
- The Ferreri family
- Location
- 1079 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607
- Centurion Award
- Best Italian Beef in Chicago — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
A signal you can check.
This is a dated award record published by The Centurion Awards after reviewing public evidence for Al's #1 Italian Beef against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
Frequently asked questions.
What is Al's #1 Italian Beef?
Taylor Street stand founded in 1938 by the Ferreri family, widely credited with pioneering the Italian beef sandwich that defines Chicago street food.
Is Al's #1 Italian Beef award-winning?
Yes — Al's #1 Italian Beef is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Italian Beef in Chicago, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best Italian beef in Chicago for 2025 as the Taylor Street original that helped invent the sandwich, still dipping every one to order.
Where is Al's #1 Italian Beef?
Al's #1 Italian Beef is in Chicago, IL.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.