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 record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. 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.
The details, verified.
- 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
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.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Italian Beef in Chicago Chicago, IL · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit Al's #1 Italian Beef
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for Al's #1 Italian Beef (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
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 for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
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.