Mr. Beef

If an establishment is going to name its restaurant Mr. Beef, then it had better be sure that its carte du jour better be up to standards. In this case, it was. In the heart of River North, just a couple of blocks away from the previously visited Al’s Beef, Mr. Beef (666 N Orleans St) is a short distance from the Magnificent Mile, Michigan Avenue.

As our panel first tasted the Beef we knew we had picked the right choice this week. The beef is tender and the bread is delicious. I got my beef dipped with hot peppers and mozzarella cheese. The dipped beef almost melted in your mouth while the bread held up through the 15 seconds it took me to finish the sandwich. The sandwich held up till the very last bite. The sandwich was tender, greasy, and left me wanting another. The fries were good, not great, and were of average amount. The only drawback to my meal was the giardenera. It had a little heat to it but did not contain any flavor–a true drawback to an otherwise excellent sandwich. My fellow Beefers tell me that the sweet peppers were good, tender and flattered the beef well. Pepsi Products are the drinks that Mr. Beef uses to compliment its beef sandwiches. Although the meal is very tasty, the sandwich was slightly under average in size. If quantity is what you are looking for, you may need to order two beefs.

The thing that stood out most to us was the speed in which you get your IB. There is absolutely no waiting–you order and you receive. The Beef King actually quipped “Holy shit it’s ready.”

Mr. Beef is a true Italian Beef joint–I half expected to find Tony Soprano and his mob doing business in the back room. The workers were full-blooded Chicago Italian Americans and proud. The walls were adorned with photos of celebrities, both local and national, who have enjoyed the Mr. Beef experience. The dining hall contains dozens of posters of Italian staples such as The Godfather and Rat Pack. The place also contained an ATM and a parking lot (which is key in River North) which added to the ambiance rating.

Things that subtracted from the ambiance ratings were the missing bathrooms and the fact that it did not accept credit cards. Other than these trivial downfalls, it is one of the top rated Beef Stands we’ve visited. If you consider yourself an Italian Beef connoisseur, than Mr. Beef is a must.

Beef - 8.5
Fries - 7
Location/Ambiance - 8.9


666 N Orleans St
Chicago, IL
(312) 337-8500

Editor-in-Beef