Visit this hot dog stand in Streamwood for a host of delicious greasy delights. The tender housemade beef arrives thinly sliced and covered in a flavorful gravy that’s full of dried herbs. There’s also a cheesy beef variant and a mini beef for folks who want to pair the sandwich with an excellent Vienna Beef Depression Dog. Online ordering is available here.

What sets Harwood Heights favorite Jay’s apart from the competition is its quality accoutrements. The sweet peppers sing, the hot peppers are a pleasant mix of celery and jalapeños, and cheeseheads can add provolone or American cheese.

Though Bob-O’s originally started off as a hot dog stand, Italian beef is now arguably the main attraction. Beef connoisseurs would do well to head to Dunning for a top-notch sandwich featuring meat made in-house. It’s seasoned, sliced, and cooked daily and should be coupled with an order of the impeccable hand-cut fries. Order online here.

A new Lincoln Park deli and market debuted earlier this year, offering prepared foods, grab-and-go items, dips and spreads, and more. Owner Mitchell Abou Jamra, who also runs All Too Well’s neighboring restaurant Evette’s, pays tribute to his family and upbringing through a lineup of delectable sandwiches. The “Sheffield & Westwood” (named after streets Abou Jamra and his grandparents have lived on) is a Lebanese-influenced Italian beef that gets elevated with sumac giardiniera and crumbled pieces of ground beef kafta. It’s dipped in jus to finish. Online ordering is available here.

The Italian beef meets Southeast Asian flavors at noodle shop and convenience store Phodega. Owners Nathan Hoops and Anthony Ngo have come up with a variety of fun bites, and among them is a Viet dip consisting of shaved rib eye, cilantro, onions, and jalapenos on French bread. It’s also served with a side of pho jus for dipping so beef lovers who like their sandwiches wet need not worry. Online orders can be placed here.

There will never be an agreement on the best Italian beef in Chicago but Johnnie’s is the closest to a consensus. Its sandwich is considered by many to be the shining standard others strive for — a perfect balance of sweet or hot peppers and well-seasoned beef that soaks up all the jus. The line often snakes out the door and it’s easy to understand why. This is an iconic bite that every Chicagoan and tourist should experience. There’s a second location in Arlington Heights.

From stunning Instagram-friendly pastries to traditional Filipino dishes featuring modern twists, there’s tons to love about Kasama — one of the country’s best new restaurants. Chef-owner Tim Flores even manages to put his own spin on Chicago’s revered Italian beef with a “Kasama Combo” sandwich that layers shaved pork adobo with longganisa sausage and giardiniera. It’s an ingenious riff that’s every bit as good as the original, if not better. Online ordering is available here.

There are dining options aplenty in River North but few are as satisfying as this old-school spot (yes, the one from The Bear). The nostalgia-laden space — complete with celebrity photos lining the walls — stands in stark contrast to the rest of the neighborhood, while the beef sits in a jus bath to enhance the flavor before being loaded onto a crusty roll that’s able to hold up to the juices. No, don’t expect a large dining room or pasta on the menu. TV took plenty of liberties in its depiction.

The purported origins of the Italian beef sandwich can be traced back to this Taylor Street stand in Little Italy. That’s where Al Ferrari and his sister and brother-in-law, Frances and Chris Pacelli Sr., set up shop in 1938 and started popularizing what would become one of the city's iconic foods. Today, the original location is still in business and the beef remains unchanged — marinated in secret spices and dipped in gravy. So stop in, assume the proper upright eating stance, and savor a bit of Chicago history. Online ordering is available here.

Freddy's showcases the power of giardiniera. The mix of carrots, celery, olives, and sport peppers perfectly complements the beef served at this mom-and-pop grocer and deli, which has been operating in Cicero since 1968.

The eye-catching signs and bright lights outside this longstanding shack beckon passersby in for a messy-yet-glorious Italian beef sandwich. It boasts finely-shaved meat, fantastic gravy, and crunchy giardiniera that’s made with celery and red pepper flakes.

Established in the ‘60s, Novi’s is an institution out in southwest suburban Berwyn. The thick-cut beef marinates in gravy laced with 15 different spices and the hot giardiniera, a reddish blend of celery and chili oil, bursts with heat and is a must for spicy food lovers. The restaurant offers catering packages and ships its sandwiches too. Online ordering is available here.

With three locations, this mini-chain specializes in taking Chicago classics meat-free. Its Italian beef comes with cheese and uses slices of soy instead of thinly sliced beef. The danger here is the sodium level, but for a meat-free option, this one is good.

South Siders swear by Tony’s, where the thick-sliced beef pleases and the unique giardiniera contains garbanzo beans. Traditionalists will be happy with the standard beef sandwich but for an unbeatable combo, order it alongside Italian sausage. The restaurant also sells beef by the pound in party trays.

The jus is the star of the show at suburban chain Pop’s. The meat isn’t melt-in-your-mouth tender, but it provides a pleasurable jaw workout. Order online here.

The family who founded Mr. Beef on Orleans (who subsequently sold the restaurant in 1979 to the current ownership) ran their own beef stand in Homer Glenn, also named Mr. Beef, until the pandemic crushed business and forced them to close. However, the owner of a nearby bar, Mugshots, bought the restaurant’s equipment with a promise that they’d open up their kitchen to Mr. Beef’s ownership when the time was right. For the past few years they’ve been serving up the same family Italian beef recipe that Mary Bonavolanto (the family which started the Buona Beef chain) has passed on for generations.