Al’s Beef

Originally from Chicago. Al’s was never my favorite beef sandwich in Chicago but this place was a taste of home. Only issue that I had with it was that they never truly embraced the Chicago background to it. Friends had an unwelcome experience where a guy with a Cowboys hat gave them a hard time for wearing Bears gear. Also, this location was terriblle due to the lack of parking. Other than that, the food was fantastic! Took some employees here for their first beef sandwich and they loved it. PS: Stupid Texans… Italian beef sandwiches are 1000 times better than ordinary and boring Whataburger. Get over it!

Al’s closed the week of June 6, 2016. Stopped in a few days before, the place was pretty full and the food was great as always. On Friday June 10 there was a sign out front and the place was dark and everything removed. Contacted management in Chicago and they said the franchise owner closed the store. I’m highly disappointed. Only other place for Vienna Beef is Jimmys Italian Grocery Store at 4910 Bryan in Dallas. Rough neighborhood but good food. Butcher shop in the back of the stores makes the sandwiches.

Can comfirm they are «temporarily» closed. I hope they don’t fold, they are great!!! Da Coaches way all day every day!

Sad day!!! Al’s closed!!! They didn’t make it!!! :(

Stopped by last night — sign said — «Closed — For Remodeling and Rebranding»
I just hope they keep the beef and the dogs.

This was just okay. I ordered the #1 meal — regular Italian beef with fries and drink. I ordered the sandwich «dipped» and with hot peppers. Since it was my first time having an Italian beef sandwich, maybe I should’ve just tried it not dipped, but I figured I wanted to try it like how I’ve seen on TV.
I really didn’t like the texture of the bread. It felt soggy and stale at the same time. I understand the sogginess was from dipping, but the jus or «gravy» was entirely too oily for me. If it weren’t for the hot peppers, the sandwich would have been pretty bland to me.
The french fries, however, were fresh, crispy and delicious. If I do come back, I would definitely order the fries again with cheese and maybe no sandwich lol.
I was really looking forward to trying Al’s Italian Beef from all the pictures on Unilocal,but this was pretty underwhelming. And while I was there, zero female customers came in, only men. Don’t get me wrong, I love sandwiches! I love beef, and I love jus. But I’ve never had an Italian beef. So maybe the bread was stale. Or maybe the seasoning was a little off. Or maybe I’m just not the best person to critique this kinda sandwich or joint. But Overall this was just OK for me. Not sure if I would come back.

I was raised in Chicago and Italian beef is what I crave. It was so hard not having it in DFW.
I’ve learned that Al’s really does have the best Italian beef, but that’s all. I don’t prefer any of their other menu items to other restaurants.
That being said, their Italian beef is the best I’ve had. Always get your sandwich wet or dipped, never dry. You’re supposed to get messy!
The hot and sweet peppers are a perfect combo. For whatever reason, my hot peppers were really hot at this location, but I still enjoyed it.
Go to Al’s beef for Italian beef, nothing else. You will be satisfied and enter a food coma as your tastebuds realize the greatness that touched them.

It’s really good. The sandy was perfect. Full of flavor and peppers with cheese mmmm. I thought the Sweet tea tasted a little off. Maybe it’s not cleaned well. Overall, al knows what he’s doing!

Pros:
*Everything is prepared fresh
*The atmosphere was clean, spacious and friendly staff.
Cons:
* The sliced beef was blend even though it had been marinating in the au jus.
*I asked for my bread to be double dipped but it was still tough.
*Expensive compared to other restaurants that sell Italian beefs in the area. I doubt that I’ll try this restaurant again.

Dam, that’s a good sandwich. I’m from the SW side of Chicago, this is the next best thing to old Joe’s italian villa. Get the beef and sausage sandwich. You will need a snorkle when you dive into this baby, get extra napkins. The Au jus really makes it great. Yum, yum. I’ll be back.

Beef sandwich and Italian sausage hit one out of the park! Sweet and hot peppers mixed was great. Fries fresh and hot with plenty of potato taste.
First visit, and will definitely go back.

Truly terrible «food». Ordered a burger and fries.
I thought the fries were yesterday’s by the way they appeared. They made «fresh» fries and they came out just as soggy, brown and just as nasty as the first ones.
The burgers patty was greasy and slimey. Even when dried on a paper towel, it was nasty.
The only edible part of the entire «meal» was the pickle.
It made McDonald’s feel like Kobe beef steakhouse.
Save your money and go to a soup kitchen for a better meal.

This review has been in the works since Al’s opened. LOL! I wish we could give ½ stars, because Al’s is a solid 3 ½ for sure. Some days a full 4. The only real down side for me is the service. Most of the time it’s really good, but from time to time it’s lacking.
Finally, somewhere to get a «real» Chicago «Beef» and «Polish». Yes, it’s authentic.
I started this review back about a month after they initially opened. I wanted to wait to write this review to give them a chance to their feet under them from the opening mad rush, which was crazy busy for them. Sure enough it took about a month or so for things to settle down and the food to become more consistent.
I will say, I don’t go to Al’s when I’m back home in Chicago, there’s a lot more to choose from in Chicago, plus, everyone has his or her local favorite.
But Al’s is now by far the best damn Italian Beef & Polish place in Dallas no matter what you may have hear otherwise. And yes I’ve eaten at the other places that do Italian beef.
You have to try the Polish sausages; all of them, my favorite way is «Maxwell» style.
Don’t forget the tamales, and I know, there’s not Tex-​Mex, they’re Chicago-​style! LOL. Just a little different I know, but they are pretty good. These are the tamales I grew up on.
Overall, this is the place to come and get your Chicago street food fix! I’m sure you’ll see me here fairly often.
By the way, I like my beef, «dipped» & «hot»!

To be fair I didn’t try a sandwich. They’re known for their sandwiches. I tried the Bleu cheese fries topped with gorgonzola. The fries were so hard that they cut the roof of my mouth. y fiancé had BBQ fries. His were equally as hard and disappointing.
Restaurant is clean. Staff friendly. We were asked how our food was. I told the lady the fries cut the rood of my mouth. She didn’t apologize or offer a refund. She offered us a sandwich to take home. We declined.
We stopped here after kaboom town fireworks. We only needed a snack. The fries are not the way to go here. Maybe we will try the sandwiches another time and update my review.

Hit the spot! I love portillos but Al’s is probably the best in Dallas for Italian beef.
The cheese fries are delicious and prob my new favorite in Dallas!
Ordered the little beef dry and large cheese fries — it is a little pricey.

Hmm. I’m a little shocked by this place’s rating.
I believe the raters must understand that Italian beef is not cheese steak. Sure they have similar condiments & toppings, but going in, I had to understand the difference. With that being understood, I enjoyed the sandwich!
I got the Little Al which is the perfect size if you’re «sorta» hungry and plan to get fries. I got my sammie dry (no dip) which seemed a little more like «wet» to me. The sandwich wasn’t jaw dropping but…
The fries are phenomenal! They come into a close second to Uncle Über’s fries. These are musts!
Remember guys – Italian beef is no Philly cheesesteak.

3.5 stars. This Al’s was a lot better than the one on West Higgins road that I tried when I was in Illinois. I’m thinking because it’s new and because we don’t have a lot of Italian beef shops in general and so the constant flow of customers forces this Al’s to be fresh. I hope it stays that way. I also hope this beef trend begins to pick up more. :)
My meat was really good on its own as was the au jus. Try the gypsy fries. A small order is plenty rich and gluttonous for one person.

Sure, they have dogs and burgers, but when an iconic Chicago joint like Al’s opens up in Addison, TX you gotta go for the Italian Beef! Be it «Little, Regular, or Large sized,» any true purveyor of beef knows the way to order is ‘wet wit hot’ — unless you’re a wimp, then order the sweet and gasp… dry. Or, do it like Ditka and get both hot and sweet peppers! Do whateva you want because seriously, the most joyful part of eating beefs, no matter how you order, is the roll up sleeves, lean over counter and dig in… letting the gravy dribble down your arm a bit.
So, how does the Al’s franchise in Addison stack up compared to those in Chi-​town? Pretty damn close, and really damn good!
Went for lunch on a weekday and there were about 45 people in line. No worries! They employ a turn and burn production line of sorts and you will have your food in no time (less than 5 minutes on my visit). Give order, get number, they call number, you pick up, you eat. Al’s does it right with having high top bar type tables in lieu of low ones. Find a spot, push the stool aside, and perfect your «Chicago Lean» position. For any newbies, I offer some unasked for advice in order for you to save your shirt — stand with your body about a foot away from edge of the table, feet spread shoulder length apart, with beef in hand place your elbows on the table and dive in, unwrapping the paper/​foil as you go. You’re welcome. ;)
The grub: The beef was great! That famous Al’s shredded texture (as opposed to Chicago’s Portillo’s slightly thicker slices), beef stuffed so bun can’t close (if it can, it’s a BIG no-​no and a sign you’re getting ripped off), the gravy blasted with loads of flavor (albeit a tad more greasy than I’m accustomed to)…of course the beef is just going to be better when inhaled in Chicago for whatever reason… but just close your eyes, listen to all of the hustle and bustle (try to ignore any lovely Texas accents), and you might just convince yourself you’ve time traveled to the Midwest. A+
Fries were marginal. Hand cut and a little soggy, but who cares… you don’t visit for the fries… and even if you order the «Little» who has the room anyway? Small order for 2 bucks 50 is extra large and certainly enough for two to share.
Overall: Is it the «real deal?» Answer, «yes!» Now let’s rally to get a Portillo’s down here and let the 52 year old battle of the Beefs continue in the great state of Texas… pretty please?

Sadly I did not come in on an empty stomach but I hope to return to be able to try more of their meaty meals.
I had the order of french fries «Gypsy» style, which is not on the menu, but I’m so glad I know it’s available now — for I know I can order it during the one time that I plan to eat here in a years time.
I like hot and spicy food and these fries certainly have that with the mixture of hot peppers that were finely chopped and smothered over the melted cheese. I can’t say that the fries alone were anything spectacular or specially seasoned, but the fixings that drowned it certainly gave it its flavorful character.
I shall be back again with a much emptier stomach, ready to devour a hefty meal — or maybe just half.

I’m a closet gourmand, a gluttonous soul. I do many things to suppress what comes natural to me because I want to fit in my jeans.
Al’s beef sandwiches make me feel like a complete slob afterwards. My inner fatty is perfectly fine devouring a huge beef sandwich that was completely dipped in juices. It revels in each chomp and quick bites of enormous soft fries. I know with all of my heart that I’m eating something so cruel and unnatural. I got my little beef «Da Coach’s Way» and the hot+sweet peppers were really what added the flavors instead of the meat. I recommend dipping the sandwich if you don’t want it to taste dry. «Wet» is still pretty dry.
I’m probably never going to torture my body again like that with their beef sandwich (unless I’m inebriated). I was a huge fan of their Polish dogs though. I had the Maxwell Street Polish and the sausage was perfect. It had a hard snap and was very juicy. I didn’t realize this before ordering, but they put fries in your Polish dog! See, a fatties dream come true.
I thought it was a good idea going in, but after stopping my mouth on autopilot, all I could think of was «WTF did I just eat and why did I pay money to do it»? I can definitely see how some people would enjoy scarfing a piece of bread filled with beef, but it just wasn’t for me. Polish dogs and wonderfully soft fries it is!