Mr. Beef
Sandwich shop · River North ·
Classic Chicago Italian beef sandwiches with giardiniera peppers
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24483431/IMG_2949.JPG "Mr. Beef by Ashok Selvam/Eater Chicago")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72043857/IMG_2947.0.jpeg "Mr. Beef by Ashok Selvam/Eater Chicago")
![Mr. Beef by Mr. Beef on Orleans [Official Photo]](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62543308/mr_beer_orleans.13.jpg "Mr. Beef by Mr. Beef on Orleans [Official Photo]")
Classic Chicago Italian beef sandwiches with giardiniera peppers
"I saw this no-frills lunch counter serve as the pilgrimage stop for TV lovers after inspiring the Emmy-winning series The Bear; it still feels unchanged, with a communal table and walls lined with framed photos, and remains a plainspoken place to taste the Chicago Italian beef that the show spotlighted." - Nicholas DeRenzo
"The Chicago beef-sandwich shop behind the inspiration for the TV series The Bear is returning to Los Angeles for a pop-up at Uncle Paulie’s Deli on July 19 and July 20. The shop and its beef sandwiches served as the inspiration for The Bear’s fictional restaurant, the "Original Beef of Chicagoland." Alongside the sandwiches, Courtney Storer (the culinary producer and a co-executive producer on The Bear) will serve Italian ice from her pop-up, Coco’s to Go; a pickle cart sponsored by HexClad and exclusive merchandise will also be on-site." - Rebecca Roland
"I recognized an uncredited photo of Mr. Beef — the famous River North street food stand that inspired Season 1 of The Bear — on John Cena's Instagram; while I appreciate the patronage, a little credit would have gone a long way." - Eater Staff
"The Bear creator Christopher Storer spent time working at Mr. Beef and shot scenes both on location at the River North restaurant and in a soundstage recreation of the space. Joe Zucchero, who founded the restaurant in 1979, died in 2023, but his son Chris has taken over and made a few cameos on the show. The Beef may have transformed into a fine dining establishment, but Mr. Beef is still slinging its iconic sandwiches." - Ashok Selvam
"Located in River North and widely recognized as the inspiration for the FX show “The Bear,” this shop has become a major tourist draw with long, often-block-long lines and a jump in demand from a few hundred to as many as nearly 800 sandwiches per day. The high-volume counter operates briskly and expects customers to order quickly, reflecting its newfound fame and heavy foot traffic from visitors and locals alike." - Tori Allen
