Al's #1 Italian Beef

History

Al's #1 Italian Beef dates to 1938 and Chicago's Depression-era weddings, where thin-sliced beef was stretched to feed a crowd by soaking the bread in gravy. Al Ferreri and family opened their first stand on Taylor Street in the heart of Little Italy, and Al's became the benchmark for Chicago Italian beef — the roll dipped in jus, piled with sweet peppers or hot giardiniera. It has since grown into a local chain while the Taylor Street original remains a pilgrimage.