Al's #1 Italian Beef • 1938

When Al Ferreri and his sister Frances and brother-in-law Chris Pacelli, Sr. opened their stand in 1938, they transformed a Depression-era street peddler tradition into Chicago's most imitated sandwich. The thinly sliced, gravy-soaked Italian beef—credited as the original—earned the #1 ranking from Chicago Magazine in 1980 and has racked up over 150 culinary awards since. Order yours dipped, and understand why this simple sandwich became a global obsession.