Luke's Italian Beef

Old but well kept establishment. Seems to have been here a number of years. I had very little expectations based on the initial service and also because it’s just hotdogs.. big deal but I was pleasantly surprised at how good the food actually was. It was fairly quiet, right before the lunch time busyness. I thought it was overpriced for a hotdog but one could argue that it’s worth it. It’s on a lot of “things to do/places to eat at in Chicago” lists, so it’s worth a try!

June 2025 I asked the guy working at Willis Tower building for a recommendation on a place close by that had chill cheese dogs it suggested Luke’s Italian Beef it was only a few blocks away when we arrived it was empty but people were starting to come. We ordered 2 chill cheese dogs and fries and drinks I glad I always carry wipes because the table was dirty. I have no complaints on the food. Be aware I saw another review don’t hang your purse on the back of the chair it we get stolen

Fun restaurant, affordable, fast. The Italian beef lane flavour, but maybe that’s the dish, not how it’s done here. You can get pizza pie by the slice, if you don’t want to wait 45m for a fresh one, but I guess it’s less crispy than it would otherwise be. Some funny wall art.

Great option so close to union station! I hit this spot on my way to the airport, and after my trip on the route home. I’ve had beef all over Chicago and Lukes has some amazing competition, but delivered solid results each time. My colleague grabbed pizza and said it was fantastic.

This was our 3rd visit to eat here, on our 2nd visit to Chicago. We are from Texas. The Chicago dogs were fine (5.50 each) & the pizza was delicious. But on this last visit, I had to use the restroom & was told they didn't have one for customers! WHAT? Had no idea an eating establishment could carry on serving food to customers without a working restroom! Seems as this is common practice in Chicago. We noticed it & asked about it at several other eating establishments while here. We will never be back here, nor could not recommend it.

No trip to Chicago is complete without trying the iconic Italian beef sandwich! This was the first time we tried Luke's because it was close to our hotel, I have to say that we are glad we did. Even though the beef was just a little tougher than the ones I ha e tried before, the perfect seasoning and perfectly prepared Giardinera made up for it. Extremely fast and friendly service even though the place was very busy with the lunch crowd. Great job.

Since I had another stop in hicago, I wanted to try a Chicago-style hot dog, and Luke's was close to Union Station. Service was fast (as in, dog was on the counter by the time I'd finished paying). The hot dog was delicious, with lots of flavor and textures. Cost wasn't too bad, but I didn't order anything but the dog. Decor was a bit shabby and the "don't put bags on the back of your chair because they could be stolen" sign didn't exactly thrill me, but it is Chicago.

We ordered the Italian beef sandwich and Chicago style hot dog. I enjoyed both while my wife liked the hot dog better. Pretty simple. Order at the counter and wait for your number to be called. Grab a table and enjoy. We were there on a Friday and no line.

Very solid Chicago spot. Would definitely recommend spicy peppers over sweet for the italian beef

Visited Chicago for the first time yesterday, and stopped by Luke's after reading so many great reviews! Stepped into such a cozy, warm atmosphere, and even friendlier service! I ordered the highly recommended Italian beef and Chicago dog (with all the toppings of course!), and my order was literally ready in seconds! The sandwich was perfectly juicy and hit all the right places, and the vienna hotdog was sooo good.Will definitely stop by again the next time I'm in Chicago

Stopped in here after checking into the Hilton across the street. The service was straightforward and as many people mentioned my food was already prepared by the time my transaction went through. I got an Italian Beef Sandwich with Hot Peppers for here and by the time I opened my sandwich the bread was soaked in grease and juice. The beef itself was rather bland and I wish there were more hot peppers added to my sandwich. You can see in the photo how much grease and juice was there by the time I unwrapped and finished my sandwich Also they have a 3% surcharge on all credit card transactions

Thanks for the 'heads up' Lukes. By the way, the food was amazing and very reasonably priced.

Went here for Italian beef sandwich. My friend had the eggplant parmesan sandwich. The Italian beef was flavorless, and was like sliced beef boiled in water and sliced. The broth was just some onions and grease water. I wish I could say something positive about the eggplant parmesan sandwich, my friend didn't care for it, and it looked like a sea of mushy red stuff and cheese on some falling apart roll. The did have some decent fries if I was to say something nice. But really, just don't bother.

The line moves fast here and service is quick and relatively friendly. The food has flavor and the decor is cool. There is good seating. The only thing that I would say is that their italian beef sandwich is a bit deceiving in price as it is just the bread and meat, anything else is extra. I also wish that their italian beef was more wet. The photo is a bit deceiving because it was moist on the outside but on the inside it was super dry.

In town and saw Luke's and looked interesting. Food (4/5) Italian Beef - heard this was the one to try and I enjoyed it. The beef has flavour and was nice and moist. Yeah it's oily and bit messy but that's way it's supposed to be. Add in some cheese, green and red peppers and it's a nice mix. Service (4/5) Pretty quick turnaround and no issues. Atmosphere (4/5) It's a kitschy kind of Italian diner look but bright , colourful and open. Overall (4/5) I would come back and recommend.

Located on W. Jackson Blvd. and S. Wells St. in the Loop. We were on a "foodie tour," and our guide introduced us to Luke's. You go up to the order window, pick up your food and seat yourself. We had their 'Chicago Style All Beef Vienna' hotdog, which is served on a poppy seed bun with relish, onion, mustard, pickle, tomato, celery, salt and sport peppers. As Californian, I expected to have it with ketchup, but I wanted to have it just how it is, Chicago-Style, and I'm glad I left the ketchup out. The bread was so soft, and the hotdog was simply delicious! They serve so many other food options such as pizza, calzones, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, fries, and salads. They even have a couple of meatless options. The restaurant has a classic vibe to this Italian spot. It was very full when we arrived during lunchtime, but there's plenty of seating. I can't wait to try other menu items.

Such a fun spot! Great Italian beef sandwich here and love the decorations they have up. Service is quick and prices are pretty reasonable especially for the portion size. They also have chicago style hot dogs and pizza.

Got an Italian beef with hot peppers first thing in the morning, and Luke's was okay. The beef was cooked to well done, so maybe a little on the dry side for my taste? The gravy was helpful, but absorbed more into the bread instead of back into the meat. The meat itself is a neutral base for the peppers, but could have used some more of its own flavor. Good location for loop activities, but I think there are better Italian beef shops out there.

You can't beat this place, for quality/quantuty/price. I got the chicken parm w fett noodles. I'd def ask for my sauce and peppers n parm. Still, it was great.

I love Luke's Italian Beef! It's located in the South Loop downtown on Jackson. I'm honestly surprised I've never reviewed it since I went here so many times. The Italian Beef Sandwiches are the best - make sure to get it dipped in the gravy with hot peppers - delicious. I also really enjoy the pizza & fries there. On Fridays, they have a pepper and egg sandwich which is also amazing. I definitely recommend. P.S - bring cash to avoid the credit/debit card service charge.

One of my old favorites downtown when I used to the work in the Chicago Loop. Luke's was the place you go to when you're looking for some old favorites like Italian beef, subs, or my go to a classic Chicago style dog with fries . Service is fast and food comes out fast too. Very laid back vibe that mostly has the downtown worker coming in for quick meals #favorites #chicago #hotdog

Had a delicious italian beef sandwich. Fries were fresh and delicious. Simple and done very well. Service was efficient.

The diner has a lot of charm and it feels retro in the best sense. Service was fast. The main issue is with the sandwich itself. Its good, but not great. Under seasoned in my opinion-more salt and flavor, plus could use more punch in the giardiniera.

We had just arrived on the train and were looking for a place to have a quick lunch. We stumbled upon Lukes and decided to give it a try. Our party had a couple of the Italian beef sandwiches and an order of chili cheese fries. The restaurant is a diner style with red and white checked tables. It was bright and cheery. The gal who took our order wasn't overly friendly but got our order correct so that's a step in the right direction. Love the location to Union Station and would stop again. However there are so many restaurants in the area not sure we will find ourselves here again. But recommend giving it a try.

We were in the area asked the guy working WillisTower building to recommended a place for a chili cheese dog and he suggested Luke's Italian beef and it was only a few blocks away it was empty when we arrived but people were steadily come in. I'm glad I always carry wipe to clean the table was dirty. We had chill cheese dog they give you a lot of fries so you only needed 1 order food was hot no complaints on the food and the service.

I like the Chicago decor here. It's really fun. I probably should've had my Italian beef sandwich completely dipped instead of partially dipped, because the flavor wasn't there.; however, I did enjoy the Polish sausage......Now I need to get back on my pescatarian diet.

Luke's is a small operation in Chicago but it's pumping out Hotdogs, pizza, and Italian Beer along with a few other items. The place is reasonably priced for Chicago and you can get your meal and not break the bank. They do use Vienna hotdog at this establishment. So if you are a fav of the Vienna brand this is right up your alley. Service is quick and efficient. Ambiance is you local quick and fast food joint with some decor that is very interesting for sure.

We're visiting Chicago for the weekend and Luke's is a block from our hotel. I saw they had good reviews, so I wanted to check it out. The staff was very friendly. I got the combo sandwich and a Chicago dog. The Chicago dog was excellent and well prepared. The combo was out of this world. Italian beef juicy and very tasty. The Italian sausage spicy with a good snap. My wife and kid got the pizza, which they said was very good. It looked pretty good to me. We got a lasagna to go for my other son, and he said it was excellent. The ambiance is fun, and my kid couldn't stop talking about Pikachu on the ketchup.

When you walk in, the menu variety was great and the menu board itself was easy to read. There are huge sculptures of food and condiments in the wall that do not look like good food. However, they do give a nostalgic feeling of the time when most restaurants used to over-do-it with the food decor. We ordered 2 sandwiches: chicken sandwich and Italian beef. The chicken sandwich was small and did not fill my husband up at all. He was still hungry as if he didn't just eat immediately after finishing his $10 sandwich. My Italian beef was made with both sweet and hot peppers, dipped and no cheese. Half the sandwich was wet but the other half was mostly dry. The peppers had good flavor and a crunch but the meat did not taste seasoned. Although, we were not impressed in this visit, we might give this spot another try. But only because I love Chicago style food and there were more menu options, such as the Vienna hotdogs, that I'd like to try out and the staff was friendly. Oh and there was a sign up that said your purse WILL BE STOLEN if you put it on the back of your chair. So if you visit here, please keep an eye on your belongings.

Came here on a food tour while visiting Chicago! Learned a lot of history about the famous Chicago dog. Not my cup of tea but still tasty. Check them out!

Went to Luke's. Love the set up. Kind of odd but cool. The staff is very nice. They supposedly have the 8th best Italian beef sandwich in the city. I had a Maxwell street polish. It was okay. The meat didn't have a snap and was a bit in the soft/mushy side. So the mouthfeel was a little off putting. But it tasted great so I overlooked that detail. The fries were some of the best I have ever had and the coke was great too. Perfect soda to syrup ratio. I got an Italian beef to go..dipped. It was pretty good. Not great. Not bad. Just pretty good. If u are in the neighborhood and hungry. Try it. It's not worth going out of your way.

Having worked nearby for many years, I'd often ask out of towners where the best place for great Chicago style street food can be found. Luke's is always the first place I suggest! I have yet to hear anyone come back disappointed. My usual order is the Eggplant Parmesan sandwich. In spite of it's size, it doesn't get messy. The staff is super friendly and the interior screams classic Chicago hot dog stand. If you're ever walked by here and wondered what it's like, don't hesitate to find out! You will absolutely enjoy it.

Not amazing, but serviceable if you are hungry in an area with few options. A bit dirty too.

My friend found this place and brought us there because he knew my four year old has to eat and he always eats pepperoni pizza. We walked there from Union Station and it was not far. Adam ordered a slice of pepperoni pizza. I ordered a slice of cheese. My friend got an order of fries to share. The pizza is very thin; like New York style. I enjoyed my cheese pizza and the fries were good. We did not try the Italian beef even though that is one of the foods they are known for. If I found myself in this area again I wouldn't hesitate to return!

Fun decor and chicago dog was good! Overall took a little bit to get the food after ordering but staff was nice and it was a fun interior with decent amount of seating inside.

Good lunch spot in the loop. Lots of space for eating and the service is super quick (even on busy days). I would not say this is a top spot when it comes to Italian Beefs but nonetheless it was solid, fresh and a healthy portion of beef. I would have liked more gravy juice and a fresher bun. The fries were more of the stand out. Hot and full of flavor.

How fun is this spot. Ambiance is fun and the food was great! Food came out quickly and we enjoyed it.

Very solid place! They give you tons of fries. Funny signs that say not to leave your purse or bag on your chair because it will be stolen.

Came here for the Italian beef sandwich. A very basic establishment for the working class which I can appreciate. In this area, most of the hustle and bustle is gone on the weekends. In fact, most of the businesses are closed and kinda turns into a ghost town. The establishment is large, plenty of seating. Food comes out hot and steaming. -Italian beef sandwich: "Tom Tom". Ribbons of delicious beef in a soft white sandwich bun. Dipped in au jus and topped with peppers. One sandwich is filling. You can get cheese too but we opted for as authentic Chicagoan as possible per the cashier. Would definitely order again. -tamale: ordered this out of pure curiosity. Formed like a sausage and comes wrapped in a paper with a cartoon and nutritional facts and tied at both ends with string. It's got the texture that's a bit grainy, mushy, pasty. There was no textural difference between the filling and outside. Probably the blandest tamale I've ever tried but I definitely don't regret trying it.

Haven't had Luke's in a long time. Stopped in a couple of weeks ago and the Italian beef and fries was solid. Brought a couple of new colleagues with me and they were big fans of the place as well. Can't wait to go back!!

Had the Italian beef. Definitely top 3 of Italian beef's I've had in Chicago. 10x better than Portillos. Hot peppers are actually hot. The juice is unique to them.

I was at work and decided to to order Luke's, to be delivered to the job. I got an Italian beef dipped with cheese. The sandwhich was dipped lightly and the beef looked juicy and good. Once I tasted the beef it had no flavor. The sandwhich was tasteless with no flavor. I was disappointed with my sandwhich. I hope they will season the beef to make it more tasteful.

Great place, stopped in here for an early lunch with my sons as we were out and about in the city. Food was as expected for a little hole in the wall.

This place was awesome!! Had the best Chicago dogs!! Would highly recommend!! Not too far from Willis Tower

Searched all over Yelp for an Italian Beef place close to my hotel and found Luke's. Made the walk over and noticed all of the old photos of Chicago and famous sports figures all over the wall. The restaurant looks very dated and something you would see in NYC. Walking in, you can smell Italian spices and it smells really good. Decided to order the beef sandwich, Chicago dog & drink. Total came out to about $19 and change. Man, inflation. Food came out pretty fast. So the beef sandwich comes in a 6" roll with a good amount of beef in it. I asked for it dipped, so it came out drenched in the au jus, which is the only way to go. This adds additional flavor to the bread and enhances your overall experience. I flavor was legit and was really good. Now, I don't have any other beef sandwiches to compare this to, but it was a solid sandwich in the Downtown area. The Chicago dog was just ok. The dog didn't have a snap to it like I would have liked. The toppings and poppy seed bun added to the hot dog, but I wouldn't say it was all that. Just tasted like any other Chicago dogs I've had outside of Chicago. They also have pizza and calzones you can order by the slice. Smelled really good, but I didn't have enough room to try it. Also, I didn't realize that there was Giordano's a couple doors down either. So maybe come here for the beef sandwich and Giordano's for the deep dish.

Well when in Chicago you must try an Italian beef sandwich. The service here is fast, the sandwich is soggy and does not have a great taste. Perhaps we tried the wrong place

Quick service, nice people, easy menu. I loved the deep dish pizza! We had it a quick in the go so I wished I could've tried a sandwich to get to know it a bit better. The restaurant was so cute also! I loved all of the decor

I like Luke's. Fast service. A 1/2 block from the Orange Line at Quincy. Few blocks near Amtrak station. Great hours for this area. Get your hot dogs, Maxwell sausage, pizzas and more! If I take this route from Amtrak to MDW airport. I will always stop. You can get a Italian Beef, Hot Dog, and Pizza for less that 25 dollars. Not the place that's famous for it.... but it understands the assignment.

I added a star for the double portion of fries then took one away for the price gouging and poor quality. I've had more than my share of Chi-style dogs over the years. Some of the best have been from the smallest, independently run places looking for no fame other than selling beautifully delicious Chicago-style hot dogs. Walking in, I am swept off my feet and float to the counter propelled aloft by the mingling of heavenly aromas of manna to me. This is what I hope heaven smells like (not being too presumptuous). My mouth now watering, almost gleaking, at the promise of what I'm imagining. Unfortunately, Luke's lost its way, relying on Billy Goat-like lore to substitute for a truly great Chicago style hot dog. What?! No specials?! So, I ordered the standard, icon Chicago style, "fully loaded" I said wincing at the $5 price tag. "Fries come with that?" "Nope." Ok "throw fries in"-- another fin ($5 for you non-Chicagoans). So, I'm ten bucks in without tax and expected tip!!...and I don't even have a drink. My order comes out quick (there are like 10 people behind the counter for a fairly empty store, gotta be killing them on labor costs). Warm bag. Ok. I sit down to enjoy my dog and what I unwrap looks more like a churro than a hot dog it had been wrapped so tight. All I could really make out were the peppers on top with a very stingy smattering of condiments. I couldn't even taste mustard. In fairness I have to say the fries were pretty good and you do get a generous portion but not 5 bucks worth. I ate it as a perfunctory act, purely mechanical. I got up and walked out. I am not sure what "Luke" is thinkin'. Probably, that "you can fool some of the people all of the time" and that's good enough. But, the once (self proclaiming) great Lukes has gone the way of the suburban, corporate, Disneyland of hot dog joints where for a mere almost 15 bucks of hard earned cash you can get a crushed, stingy Chicago style. Ok. I'm well aware the Two-Dogs-With-A-Mountain-Of-Fries-And-Drink-For-5-Bucks Special is long long long gone. But sorry "Luke", really, no amount of "greatest hot dog in Chicago" lore is any substitute for the real deal and no one should stand for being taken to the cleaners for well below grade quality. I am pretty sure you don't.

Don't be scared away by the simple decor - Luke's is a must-visit dining destination while in the city! The Italian Beef is absolutely perfect - full of flavor, dripping with juice and served on a delicious bun. Portillo's is just a place shadow of Luke's magnificence!

This was my favorite spot for an Italian beef sandwich during my trip to Chicago! I ordered the beef sandwich with giardiniera and mozzarella cheese which was such an amazing addition to the juicy beef. I loved that the bread was super juicy and drenched in the delicious au jus sauce. We also tried their Polish dog with Chicago style toppings and it was really good. There is plenty of tables and chairs available to dine in, but just a note that there are no public restrooms here. The servers were very friendly and welcoming, and I really enjoyed the food here!

the meatball sub was well seasoned the meatball itself was soft and savory the marinara sauce was a little simple in taste but still very tasty the staff were friendly enough and the restaurant was very cool to explore with your eyes as you eat

This is easily the best Italian beef I've had in Chicago. It blows away the competition and the service is very fast. The beef is expensive, sure. But it is worth every penny and if there was one Luke's beef left in the world up for auction, I would pay $80. On top of all that, this place is the most Chicago place in Chicago, with the best vibes and workers.

Stopped by to pickup lunch for my train ride back home. I got the Combo Beef and Sausage Sandwich with provolone cheese, sweet peppers and hot peppers. The order came out fast, so that was nice. I would highly recommend that you consume the food while it's hot and at the restaurant if possible. I had to catch the train, so I didn't get to eat it for few hours later. Fast forward three hours.... the sandwich was cold, but the bread held well. The sausage was cold, but it was good, would be better when it's warm :) The sweet peppers were awesome and the hot peppers gave that kick - great combo. The beef could have used more seasoning, as it was bland. Overall, would definitely visit again. However, the a la carte charge will add up. They charge you for the cheese, peppers, etc - the whole sandwich was $13.21 with tax. Additional charges for all other items were disappointing.

Today we tried the Chicago Dogs! They were absolutely amazing! Way better than a normal hotdog. The service was amazing, fast & nice. The place was really nice on the inside, had many decorations that stood out! Would recommend.

Stopped in at lunch today and the place was jumpin'. Crowded, unfortunately, also equated to a bit messy looking tables and trash area.. Pretty darn good beef. For the cost, the portion size was a bit light IMO. Tasty "gravy" with a bit of a bite and a well-balanced spice profile. Dipped and hot, the sandwich held together well and the giardinera was spicy, crisp and not overly hot. One of the City's Top Ten, for sure (especially downtown where choices are slim). The dog was Vienna, had the snap and was dressed well. Good, but nothing to go out of your way for. I'd certainly go back!

I went to this spot on a food tour. It was a small location with a few tables to sit at, but most people were just getting takeout orders. They had a number of Chicago favorites along with other options that included burgers and sandwiches. I had a Chicago hot dog. It came with the traditional Chicago hot dog fixings such as relish, tomato, onions, yellow mustard, celery salt, pickles, and peppers. It was solid. I would have probably preferred a little bigger of a hot dog and more mustard present, but besides that, enjoyable. All of the toppings really do blend together nicely. Will I go back? Probably.