Anthony Bourdain's Go-To Spot For Italian Beef In Chicago

Anthony Bourdain hated a lot of viral food trends, but the man loved some Italian beef. Profane, loquacious, judgy, and always unpretentious, Bourdain was a culinary man of the people — and when he took a whirlwind culinary tour of the Windy City for a Chicago-based episode of his T.V. show "Parts Unknown," he featured Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park. "Either on my way into town or out of town, I'm going Italian beef at Johnnie's," Bourdain declared (via Thrillist). Bourdain's order? An Italian beef with both hot and sweet peppers, extra juice.

Italian beef is a Chicago specialty, so there are plenty of eateries where you can pick one up. For the uninitiated, an Italian beef is a seasoned roast beef sandwich served on a long roll with thin gravy and peppers. We trust Bourdain's expertise when he said that Johnnie's was the place to go ... after all, Bourdain also turned us on to the best BBQ restaurant in Kansas City, which is really saying something. Johnnie's looks like a hole in the wall, but the sandwiches can't be beat. It's currently a cash-only establishment, so hit the ATM and get ready to wait in line, which frequently snakes out the door. 

It may seem like a humble hot dog joint, serving Italian ice, milkshakes, and fries, but trust Bourdain's recommendation that you don't come for the ambience; you come for the food. This isn't the place for a trendy Chicago-style vegetarian carrot hot dog. The star is the Italian beef, which is abundant, fragrant, and dripping with gravy.

To hear the internet speak on it, Johnnie's is definitely in contention for the best Italian beef in Chicago. "This will sound like a bad thing but Johnnie's beef kinda ruined Italian beefs for me. I used to order Italian beefs from places around me all the time but once I finally [tried] [J]ohnnie's, nothing else ever hit the same," one Redditor declared. "This place is probably the number-one most well-reviewed, most-visited, most well-regarded, legendary beef stand in all of Chicagoland," Food Network host Jeff Mauro raved on TikTok. "My first stop after landing, last stop before departing," a devoted fan proclaimed on Johnnie's Facebook page.

We have no reason to question the taste of Anthony Bourdain, but he clearly wasn't alone in his appreciation for the Italian beef at Johnnie's. These iconic sandwiches are one of those polarizing regional dishes that everyone has an opinion on, and 10 different people may well name 10 different places to get "the best." The large amount of online love keeps leading us back to Johnnie's, however. As of this writing, Johnnie's sells a nine-inch beef sandwich for only $9, with none of the entrees on the menu clocking in at over $10. A place to eat that's not only finger-licking delicious, but also has rock-bottom prices? Sign us up! If it was good enough for Anthony Bourdain, it's definitely good enough for us.