Johnnie's Beef

I can’t get enough of this stuff! Born and lived in Chicago for 22 years, can’t get a decent beef sandwich north of the border! Recently due to family issues I’ve been traveling back and forth from Wisconsin to Chicago a lot over the last 4 months. Honestly? Found this place by accident. I stayed overnight at a hotel near by, went looking for a place to get some dinner. Googled places to eat and Johnnys popped up. Oh the overwhelming bliss at having an authentic high quality Chicago Italian beef - on the right kind of bread!!! “Beef, dipped, no peppers. Bunch tamale, large green river”. That’s my standard order. I now keep a cooler in my van at all times. I’ve been taking the dinner package home every time I head back up north. Pound of beef, quart of gravy, and a big loaf of bread. Only $21! I usually order a few bunch tamales as well. I ate it all and now I want more! Next time I’m down there lol - oh I can taste it now…. Mmm Beeef - *Homer Simpson drool sounds*

This is by far one of the best Italian beef sandwiches you will ever eat. Flavorful. Perfectly seasoned and cooked. And juicy…? You will need extra napkins for this meal in a sandwich! And don’t miss out on the fries, which remind me of McDonalds’ when they were really good. And don’t let the parking lot full of cars scare you off, because their service is fast and efficient. Chicagoland is known for great Italian beef sandwiches - and this place will not disappoint you.

Outstanding instutional fast food joint. Its been around for decades serving Chicagoland great Italian beef sandwich & outstanding shoe string fries. Great Italian sausage , Hotdogs, a little bit of everything. Did I mention the Damm so good Italian ice both lemon& watermelon flavors. They are so consistent today next week next year it doesn't matter when you go.

One of best beefs spot in the area and in Chicagoland. Everything is always fresh. Beef dipped with hot peppers. Can’t go wrong.

Stayed at a nearby hotel for work and wanted to try a Chicagoland staple, Italian Beef. Ordering at a place filled with locals who know what they want and how to order can be intimidating. Luckily for me the guy at running the cash register was super friendly and helpful. He suggested Italian Beef with spicy peppers and an order of fries. Also a lemonade to wash it down. Order came out fast and hot. The place runs like a machine pumping out orders for a vast variety of people all who know what and how they want this Chicago favorite. Sandwich was everything I wanted it to be. Spicy tender and messy. Fries were thin and tasty. All this for under 14 bucks and I think I’m hooked. I gotta keep trying all these beef places and you should too.

All-around incredible establishment in the truest sense of the phrase. The Best Italian beef and sausage around, hands down! The flavor is remarkable, portions are generous, and the low prices are a breath of fresh air in a world where even fast food is ludicrously expensive. The service here is also insanely fast! Check out the tamales while you're here too.

The prices haven't seemed to go up in 10 years since I was here last. The best Italian beef and lemon ice I've experienced! I LOVE Johnnie's Beef. Wish I lived closer.

Super fast and friendly service. Got the Italian beef and the meat was delicious. Great giardinara too.

What a great dive! We moved to Chicago a few months back, and I quickly learned about Italian Beef sandwiches from my colleagues at work. When my nephew from outta town showed up, it was time to check it out. We arrived on a cold afternoon in early April - it definitely looked and felt the part of an old-timey drive-in! Now, after having extolled the virtues of Philippe's The Original au jus in LA for decades, I was pretty excited to try this place. Ok - the menu and prices definitely had a throwback vibe - not a bad thing! We ordered 3 Italian Beef's - one with hot peppers, another with sweet peppers (pour mois, s'il vous plait), and a plain one for the nephew (and he also got a hot dog and we all shared a large fry). Ok - both hub-hub and the nephew said the sandwich was ok - I had the sweet peppers on mine - and loved it! Moist, a bit garlick-y - but damn! SO good! I definitely want to return- they take credit cards, unlike the other Johnnie's on North Ave closer to the City- go! Enjoy a nice, affordable place and let me know if you like it too!

Oh man, trust me, Johnnie's is so good!! As some reviewers have noted, this place isn't fancy, and you're not going to become best friends with the servers. But what you're going to get is a tasty Italian beef sandwich and a bag full of fries for a bargain price. And make sure to get an Italian lemon ice--chuck full of flavor with bits of lemon--and piled high above the edge of the cup. Grab it all to go and savor the flavors!

When you think Chicago Italian beef... yes there is no way to think of anything other than Johnnie's!!!! Doesn't matter if you get Dry, wet or dipped you have no chance of being disappointed!!! I used to just go with gardiana until my wife suggested both gardiana and sweet peppers ... game changer!!! Oh let's not forget the Italian ice!!! Both are Amazing!! The one thing I wish they would do is actually go with Chicago style fries, not the frozen fries. Please Johnnie's go to fresh cut fries in the paper bag as Chicago is known for you will lack nothing!!! But seriously, Johnnie's is Iconic Chicago Beef!!!

My son and I stopped in yesterday, June 19th, around 4:15. I ordered a beef with both types of peppers and my son ordered a beef too. Also an order of fries and an Italian Ice. What did I get? A beef with double hot peppers (despite the woman at the register carefully telling the guy what to make). Less than 1/2 cooked fries (although there was a man dedicated to fries) and had to wait a couple minutes for the Italian Ice because it wasn't made when the lady at the register called for it. $24 bucks. I could never have believed that Johnnie's could be this bad all at one visit. There are PLENTY of people behind the register, but it seems like only the woman is paying attention to anything. Really sad and disappointed. Management: train those kids or get others.

Most likely the best beef around, juicy, ask for dipped, fries, great tamales and quick service. The place is kept constantly clean, this counter personnel keeps the flow going, it's fast service here.

I ate here 3 times within a 48 hour period!! Yeah, it's like that!!! The warm sweet peppers on the side and mixed on my sandwich with hot giardinera, mannnnnnnnnnnnn!!! Amazing! They had pickles! Winner, winner in my books! Fast service. Like, Jimmy John's NC service. You blink and your food is in your hands. For this place, that was a plus! Very accurate each time! I tried the hot beef Italian and the hot beef with Italian sausage combo. When I tell you, those 2 sandwiches were explosive in my mouth! I could eat these sandwiches daily, and am jealous of the Chicagoans that know what time it is and indulge! Can't wait to get back for an authentic Italian beef with hot and sweet peppers! Delicious! SN: They have the small cylindrical ice! IYKYK

Had an out of town guest and they wanted a Chicago Italian Beef, so we took them to Johnnies. It was very crowded on a Sunday afternoon, and service was so fast. We had the dipped beef sandwich, and they were very good. We tried their new beef fries with gravy. It is a bowl of fries topped with beef and soaked in gravy. The portion was larger than we expected. It was different, and worth trying at least once. No pics .... we immediately ate upon receiving our order.

One of the best Italian beefs in the Chicagoland area. You cannot get anything better or more authentic than Johnnie's Beef. They are already served wet, but you can ask for it dipped. Get more gravy. The portions are amazing and it's not expensive. It's really phenomenal. Quashed my beef hankering!!! I loved it!

Frequently listed on lists of the top iconic restaurants in Chicago, Johnnie's has a very short menu and then do it well. When you have the name of what you serve in the restaurant name, I guess you better do it well. Went for the Italian Beef Combo, which includes a spicy hot Italian sausage nestled in the beef, had it completely submerged, of course, but skipped the peppers. Side of fries. Great value, low prices compared to many. Apparently insiders, of which I am not, it being my first visit, know they can order the "double double" with double the beef, double the sausage. That'd be a monster, because I could barely finish the single, and I am a man of large appetites. Straight cut fries were cooked and seasoned to perfection. Large outdoor eating area if that is your thing. Also on the menu, hot dogs and Italian lemon ice. Next time. Johnnie's deserves their place on those lists. I'll be back.

I used to love coming to this place, however, over the years the quality is getting worse, the beef and fries is getting smaller, and the price is going up. I recently went and ordered a beef and fries and I was very disappointed. This used to be the place that packed your beef well with meat and overloaded fries to the point where the fries were spilling over and fries were outside their container. Now the beef is so much smaller than it used to be and there's barely any beef in the sandwich anymore and the Italian beef price keeps going up. The service and environment is still great, but food-wise it is not the same anymore. The Elmwood Park location is still great and doing it like this place used to so I recommend going to the other location if possible because they have the best Italian beefs.

FAST! You know that when they have your food wrapped and bagged and in front of you before you can even finish tapping to pay that they know what they're doing, and they do it well! There was a large lunch crowd and zero line. The hot peppers, pickle, mustard, onions elevated the hot dog to a yummy experience. I recommend getting it Chicago-style with everything! Prices made me happy- no reason not to each lunch here every day. Seating inside and outside, or take it to go.

The ambiance is very hole-in-the-wall, and I'd heard of them in passing within the last year. I ended up going to PT in Arlington Heights and decided that I wanted to try this amazing beef place. OH. MY. GOD. Their menu isn't big, and I've ordered lemonade and gotten a lemonade Italian ice (didn't complain, still tasty), but the food is really good at reasonable prices. Their hotdogs come with fries, and their food feels unpretentious and good. They recently added some menu items we tried last week and the Gravy and Bits Fries were soooooo good. Fries in a bowl with Italian beef and some of the Beef juice/gravy. Yum. The people who work there have always been no nonsense and efficient. The food comes out incredibly quick, and it's way cheaper than a traditional fast food place. I hate that I live 30 min away, or I'd be here all the time.

The beef was just okay, nothing special. The watermelon ice, was delicious & refreshing. The fries were perfect, I'd return for fries & the watermelon ice.

Best Italian beef in Chicago (even though this isn't Chicago). Expect short and blunt service. Don't ask for cheese on your beef (I wish they would). The soft drinks are like a generic of coke or Pepsi so maybe bring your own drink lol. The Italian ice is very good especially watermelon. Hot peppers are great and the fries are so good and fresh.

No doubt about it five stars. Johnnie's serves some of the best Italian beef sandwiches in all of Chicagoland. Incredibly fast service, excellent food, reasonably fair price. Decent bun, perfectly flavored beef and sauce, add sweet or hot peppers, take your choice. Not only is Johnnie's open until midnight, they also offer a really decent Italian ice. Didn't go for the fries. The beef sandwich is more than enough. My friends who know their Italian beef sandwiches rank Johnnie's among the city's best.

My first time and I have lived close by for 20 years. It's everything you expect for an Italian beef place. I had the beef and fries bowl, a favorite. Anything with fries. Great beef and nice fries. My cousin had the Italian beef and based on the speed he ate it, was delish. He also said so.

If you are visiting Illinois you have to try this place . The beef and fries are the best ! I'm from Chicago I've tried many beef's . This is better than Portillos .. the beef is seasoned well ! The bread is so fresh ! The staff are very nice and pleasant work as a team . I'm not a spicy person and some may think it's spicy, it's not to me at all . It's delicious and well cooked .

This is the hubby's favorite Italian Beef place and for good reason. Their beef is so flavorful, the bread so fresh, the sandwich always hits. We get ours juicy/wet with hot peppers. Fries are perfection and the Italian ice is so good no matter the temperature outside. Love getting their day old bread which, for less than $2 is an absolute steal. I just feel like I look silly walking out with a 2-3 ft long piece of bread. These things are as long as a CVS receipt. Service is extremely fast, there's no dawdling here! A decent amount of seating inside and parking outside, sometimes it can get pretty full but because they move so fast a parking spot usually opens up pretty quickly.

Great service fast and quick. Live the staff. I went during lunch so seating was limited

Italian beefs are fabulous! Tasty gravy and fabulous prices- Asked for dipped and sweet- fall apart party in my mouth

This place provides food extremely fast. We got two beef sandwiches drenched with giardiniera and two sides of fries which they dump a half an order onto your fries. They're like McDonald's fries but taste less like chemicals and more like potato's. The beef was good, giardiniera wasn't too exciting and I could've used more on my sandwich but overall it was a great experience and I wish we had just one of these beef places back home. They only have a couple things on there menu but the food is fantastic and fast. You can't beat that. It's a small layout really reminds me of a little dinner 8 tables. Service was extremely quick we ordered and before we had sat down our food was ready. Self serve napkins ketchup mustard. Definitely worth a try if you want some beef make sure you ask for extra giardiniera if you really like the stuff like me!!

Town favorite for a reason! Everyone loves this place... best lemon ice too! You get your food really fast and I love sitting at the outside tables during summer

Meat was undercooked the fries were discussing.. Like some of the other posts no there. It's just to take your money. I would definitely not recommend this place.. Also, The people there are very rude Not inviting What so ever...

The best Beef sandwiches in Chicago (Arlington Hts). The only complaint I have is they're too small. I'm not a big eater but I could eat two

I'm not sure if this one is affiliated with the OG Johnnie's or not, but it was the best damned Italian beef sandwich I had here. I don't live in Chicago, so every time I come in town, I have to make my own choices in which way to shift when it comes to eating. Randomly, there's *ONE* place that I know where I live that serve Italian beef, and they're actually really good. But when I had Johnnie's, I realized the reason why Chicago is the place for it. Again, I don't have too many reference points to compare whether or not they're better than the other, or if they've been skimping on meat recent years or any of that. All I know is that they tasted damned good! Sandwiches (I got one hot and one mild) were great and fries were uber crispy. What more can you ask for? I guess more beef... but even then, I was plenty full after eating a sandwich and a quarter--leftover from my daughter's. Having read some of the reviews, I am definitely interested to still try the OG Johnnie's, but that day may have to wait for now. I'm usually with the family when I'm in town, and Glenview is the usual HQ for us. I'll have to find an excuse to get here solo so I can get my fix in.

Beef portion has decreased significantly for my last two visit that I am debating if its worth it anymore. Only 3rd time will tell.

Fastest service, ever! Place was packed, but was in and out with my food in about 5 minutes! Had the beef, sweet and hot. Best Italian beef I'd ever had, hands down!

One of my favorite Italian beef's in all of the Chicagoland area is hands-down Johnnies beef in Elmwood Park. I always drove by johnny's second location in Arlington Heights. I always wondered if the taste was the same. I always noticed that it wasn't as busy as the Elmwood Park location. This automatically made me think it was not as good as the original and Elmwood Park. I was in the Arlington Heights area. I was able to check out my next location for a review right when they open. My next review is for Johnnies beef in Arlington Heights. You can ask any person from the Chicagoland area what is their favorite Italian beef location. I would guarantee that the majority would say Johnie's beef in Elmwood Park. Johnnies beef has been Chicagoland royalty in the food scene for as long as I can remember. The Arlington Heights location of Johnnies is a complete contrast to the original in Elmwood Park. It is without a doubt at least 10x larger. There is an outside give you area. There are numerous tables on the inside of the restaurant for people to sit and eat. They also offer promotions on certain food items that are not at the Elmwood Park location. I arrived at Johnnie's right when they opened around 11 AM. People were already starting to come in and get beef sandwiches. I want to make an observation. I always thought that this location did not look busy from the outside. I was definitely wrong this location is very busy. The reason why it does not look busy is because of how much larger it is than the original in Elmwood Park. There was no waiting I put in my order for my typical beef. I always get juicy with hot peppers. I also get a fry and a root beer. I went to sit at one of the tables inside. The outside area was already pretty much full of patrons. I unwrapped my gorgeous greasy beef sandwich. I took my first bite. The bite was very good and delicious. The question is does it taste as good as the Johnnies beef in Elmwood Park? I will say it is extremely close in flavor but, not as good as the one in Elmwood Park. The spices seem to be somewhat different with more oregano. The bread also seems to be different and denser. I will say even with these flight inconsistencies from the original location. This is a fantastic Italian beef sandwich. I also want to add that since I no longer live near Elmwood Park as I used to growing in the area. I will gladly go to the Arlington Heights location out of convenience. The taste is not so different that I feel it would make it worth the trip to go to Elmwood Park. I want to say if anyone wants to get their Johnnie's beef fix without having to go all the way to Elmwood Park. This is definitely in the spot to go to. I rate Johnnies in Arlington Heights an 8 out of 10. I would highly recommend everyone go check them out.

I had the most amazing beef in this place. Highly recommended. We Aldo loved the icy and my wife loved her combo sausage and beef

Updating my review again... if you order dry (since they don't offer sauce on the side), it travels pretty well. Driving home ~30+ minutes from Arlington Heights to Chicago's north side it's still warm, and the bread might be in better shape than when eating it juicier at the restaurant itself. Still annoying, but also still the best beef in and around Chicago.

Old school place outisde of chicago, amazing beef . And the watermelon icee was fire!!!!! Real pieces of watermelon.

I returned here today for my Mothers birthday lunch. Simple order, 2 beefs, juicy, 1 HotDog and fry, ket /pickle. Asked for a couple ketchup packets. Beefs were very good, hot dog had a stale bun and fries were raw ( asked for well done fries) Ketchup came in a piece of wax paper !!! WTF It appears that no one working here gives a shit about anything, it's just how fast can they take your money and almost throw the food at you. If you don't cook the fries well done, open your mouth and say something . Maybe if they hired people who spoke English and gave a shit about the customer, these things would not happen. If you check my reviews, you will see about a year ago, got the same side of ketchup ( in a piece of wax paper) , and the same raw fries. This tells me nobody gives a shit. Think about what else is not being paid attention too.... Gross place, gross people, staring at you while you order, no gloves ,no hair nets, etc I WONT RISK MY HEALTH BY RETURNING AGAIN ! YOU should think about your health safety !! Hope the health department see this and visits you soon!!!

Popped in on a whim as I was driving by and wanted something quick. Before I had finished paying, my order was ready. Freaky fast! While the beef seemed to be the popular choice, I opted for a hot dog with fries. I'd go back if I find myself in the area and need a quick bite. I noticed they had Italian Ice on the menu, and would love to give it a try when it's not winter :)

If a visitor from out of town asked me where he/she could go to taste two famous Chicago specialties (besides pizza) - the Italian beef and the Chicago style hot dog, I would recommend this place for both. I'm a little picky with my Italian beef. I can't stomach any gristle or untrimmed fat. I like it lean and finely minced. Their beef is consistently delicious and tasty. I never had a bad sandwich here. The hot dogs are also tasty and the Chicago style toppings are fresh. The fries are also good, and plentiful as well. Last but not least, their homemade Italian lemonade and watermelon flavor ices are outstanding. The service is extremely efficient. Good people as well. This exact same review could also serve for the original River Forest location. The recipe for both places is unchanged since at least the 1970s. Welcome to Chicago! And DO try our pizza. But that's a much more complicated subject.

Still damn good!! People working are lack luster and borderline rude!! They continue to put about 1/3 less beef in the sandwiches.. sad but true, oh and a refill FUGGEDABOUDIT!!!

Amazing food! I always come here when I'm in town. I like the beef spicey and wet. French fries here are crispy and I love the Italian ice. Next time I'll try the pepper and egg sandwich.

This location is on a busy Arlington Heights Road, with a dedicated parking lot. They have two entrances on opposite sides of the restaurant and have a register at both ends, each with a queue. One places your order and pay (they accept credit cards) and theoretically sit down to wait, but in reality the order will probably be ready before you have a chance to. There aren't many tables, but the turnaround is very quick if you want to eat in. We ordered 4 Beef sandwiches (two with hot peppers) and 2 large lemon italian ices. The total was about $45, pretty reasonable for 4. We didn't say add any specials to the beefs so they came 'wet', with the juices from the drenched beef spilling onto the bread...it would have been fine if we had asked for it 'dipped'. They were generous with the very hot giardiniera. The bread was good...obviously fresh and does a nice job of holding its structure when wet (though I think all bets are off if the sandwich is dunked i.e. baptized). The beef was more shredded than sliced, but wasn't too fatty and thin enough to cling onto the juices for flavor. All in all, a very good sandwich for $7. The fries were shoe string (same as McD): hot and crispy. The star of the show was the Italian Ice...it is stored in large drums and hand scooped into each large drink cup until it overflows....this is what the took the most time to be given to us because the time it takes to scoop. Even on a rather chilly day, it really hit the spot...helping to cut through the fatty sandwiches and the hotness of the peppers. You really can't duplicate it. They also had green lime flavor available, but I always get lemon (they even have lemon peels in the ice to show it is made with freshly squeezed lemons)...watermelon is offered in the summer and that's a must get.

This place is a gem, the beef sandwiches are the best in the Chicagoland Area. The food is fantastic and the value great. Now, my comparison: at Johnnie's Beef: 2 - Beef one with sweet peppers 1 - Large Fry 2 - Cokes all for 21.00 Portillo's 2 - Beef one with sweet peppers 1 - Large Fry 2 - Cokes all for $37.00 By far, Johnnie's taste better and as you can see, the value is almost 50% less.

This place, by far, has the best beef sandwich in the Chicago area. I have been going to the original location in Elmwood Park, my whole life. Im so happy they have a location in the NW burbs. This is my go-to is the combo, juicy, hot with a side of fries. I have yet to find a beef that comes close to how delicious this place is. In fact, writing this review makes me want to go for another one. I would have posted a picture of the sandwich, but it's so good that I couldn't wait to eat it.

Great. Chicago. Beef. Loved the experience here, food was quick and tasted great. Killer peppers and the fries were nice and crispy.

This was the best beef sandwhich i've ever had. Portillos doesnt compare. Fries and ice were also great and fast service.

This place is just great. The Italian beefs are so succulent and melts in your mouth. I've got one of each with deer and hot peppers and a hot dog too. Loved it all!

Wow Johnnies beef is the best anywhere perfect beef great sweet peppers and hot gardinera is good dogs great fries equally amazing hot peppers service is quick food is great nice outside eating area for summer so good

Italian beef is great, but don't ask for cheese; they don't do that. The Italian ice is wonderfully tart & refreshing.

It was my first time not going to the original Johnnie's and honestly I'm not sure if that's what is giving it only 3 stars. Don't get me wrong, it's still the best combo around, but maybe it's just the grease the original place has. The good things about this one is they take credit cards and there's air conditioning. Maybe I'm just old school, but everything tastes a little better at the original place. All in all though, if you live close to Arlington Heights your lucky to have the place.

If I'm eating a beef and it's not Johnnie's, then they must be more than an hour away. Every beef saMwich is compared to them. Their fries are a great compliment to the beef. Everyone raves about their ICE but I'm too full after two beef sandwiches to try one. Plenty of inside and outside seating and a quick order line allows for an ordering process if your on a lunch hour. Only problem is parking

Amazing, cheap, fast food. The Italian beef with sausage combo is delicious. The watermelon Italian ice is amazing. This place is a great little small business. Close to O'hare airport. Id come back again when I visit Chicago!

First time and it did not disappoint. They don't skimp on the meat. Service was super fast as well.

What I got: Italian beef: no juice extra hot peppers Italian ice: watermelon I ate it all before i got to take a picture the food was amazing and the Italian ice was very refreshing and delicious

Johnnies has been around forever and there is a reason why. The food is delicious. Each year we fly into Chicago and drive to OshKosh for AirVenture. Johnnies is a must stop each way. The Italian beef wet with peppers will change your life. Also great fries and the Italian ice is to die for. I highly recommend that you try it. You will be back. The line can be long and the staff can be a little dry but that's just how it is. Know what you want when it's your turn to order.