{"id":38,"date":"2010-10-12T19:53:13","date_gmt":"2010-10-12T19:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=38"},"modified":"2026-03-31T13:16:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T19:16:33","slug":"johnnies-beef-arlington-heights-illinois","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=38","title":{"rendered":"JOHNNIE&#8217;S BEEF &#8211; Arlington Heights, Illinois"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<figure style=\"width: 444px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 444px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 444\/272;border: 4px solid black; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/usa\/sandwich\/Images\/Johnnie01.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"444\" height=\"272\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Johnnie&#8217;s Beef in Arlington Heights, Illinois<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">If you think Chicagoland politics are a contentious topic, try debating which restaurant serves up the best Italian Beef Sandwich in the &#8220;City of Big Shoulders.&#8221; Opinions don&#8217;t necessarily vary that widely as there are just a handful of restaurants which have truly distinguished themselves in the preparation of this Chicago staple. It&#8217;s in the intensity of the debate with which you might be surprised. Each of the anointed restaurants has its vocal supporters and each has its detractors and some in either party won&#8217;t hesitate to explain (with fisticuffs if necessary) why their choice is the best and yours is not. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">In 2009, the Travel Channel&#8217;s &#8220;<a title=\"Food Wars: Italian Beef\" href=\"http:\/\/www.travelchannel.com\/TV_Shows\/Food_Wars\/Episodes_Travel_Guides\/Episode_Chicago_Italian_Beef_Sandwich\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Food Wars<\/a>&#8221; program pitted two of Chicago&#8217;s most famous culinary rivals against one another in a showdown designed to settle the debate as to which makes the best Italian Beef sandwich in town.\u00a0 The two heated rivals were Al&#8217;s Beef and Mr. Beef, two inner city institutions which have been serving up some of the city&#8217;s very best Italian beef sandwiches for generations.\u00a0 In 2010, the Food Network&#8217;s <a title=\"Food Feuds\" href=\"http:\/\/www.foodnetwork.com\/food-feuds\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Food Feuds<\/a>, a show with a similar concept also vied to settle the score between Al&#8217;s Beef and Mr. Beef.\u00a0 How wholly unoriginal!<\/span><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 400\/338;border: 4px solid black; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/usa\/sandwich\/Images\/Johnnie02.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"338\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Lemon (left) and watermelon (right) Italian Ice &#8211; the best ever!<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">The walls at Mr. Beef are adorned prominently with photographs of the glitterati who consider their Italian beef the very best in the city.\u00a0 Tonight Show host Jay Leno considers Mr. Beef&#8217;s his very favorite while <a title=\"Roadfood.com\" href=\"http:\/\/www.roadfood.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Roadfood.com<\/a> founder Michael Stern, a Chicago native, casts his lot for Al&#8217;s Beef.\u00a0 Both Al&#8217;s Beef and Mr. Beef are very popular choices.\u00a0 They&#8217;re also very safe choices.\u00a0 They&#8217;re &#8220;in the city&#8221; choices with top billing on just about every travel guide you&#8217;ll find for Chicago.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve tried both and found them both quite good, but in my estimation they&#8217;re not the very best.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">Count me among those on the camp which names Johnnie&#8217;s Beef as the restaurant which prepares the best Italian Beef Sandwich in the Chicago area and therefore, the world. I&#8217;m in good company here. In the September, 2006 edition of <em>Details<\/em> magazine, <a title=\"Ed Levine's: Serious Eats New York\" href=\"http:\/\/newyork.seriouseats.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ed Levine<\/a>, a James Beard award-winning blogger whose work I greatly admire, wrote an article on &#8220;22 sandwiches that will change your life.&#8221; The beef and sausage combo from Johnnie&#8217;s was on that exclusive list of the 22 best sandwiches in America.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 400\/295;border: 4px solid black; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/usa\/sandwich\/Images\/Johnnie03.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"295\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">A mountain of well-salted French fries<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">The original Johnnie&#8217;s is a mainstay in the Chicago suburb of Elmwood Park where patrons line up around the building to partake of this juicy, succulent masterpiece that is simplicity and complexity alike. In 2003, Johnnie&#8217;s Beef opened a second location in Arlington Heights. Since it wouldn&#8217;t be Johnnie&#8217;s without the &#8220;attitude&#8221; they brought their famous counterman who kept things running in production line fashion, meaning get your order in and get out of the way. The famous counterman is no longer at the Arlington Heights location, but efficiency still reigns.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">Aside from the rapidity with which Johnnie&#8217;s lines move, the first thing you&#8217;ll notice is the fragrant bouquet of spices and beef co-mingling in a vat of gravy to form a captivating and enrapturing aroma&#8211;the perfect prelude to a near perfect sandwich. The prices are very reasonable with a combination sandwich of beef and sausage available for under $6 although it does take about one and a half sandwiches to really hit the spot. You can have your sandwich wet (dipped) or dry, hot (with spicy giardiniera) or sweet or as a combination (beef and sausage) or single meat. Any way you have it, you just may swear off ever visiting the competition. Johnnie&#8217;s is simply the best! <\/span><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 400\/322;border: 4px solid black; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/usa\/sandwich\/Images\/Johnnie04.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"322\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Combination Italian beef and sausage sandwich with hot giardinara<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">Chicagoans grow up worshipping at high counters on which they prop their elbows as they consume Italian beef sandwiches\u2013sometimes because the restaurant has no tables, but more often than not, because no matter how careful they are, they\u2019re bound to spill shards of beef, bits of giardiniera and drippings of spice-laden beef gravy onto their clothing.\u00a0 If it&#8217;s an outstanding Italian beef sandwich, it won&#8217;t matter.\u00a0 You might even wear the spillage with pride, hoping all along that the olfactory bouquet remains with you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">After perusing through Zagat&#8217;s 2003-2004 Chicago restaurant guide where all the anointed restaurants seem to be of the high-end, haute cuisine genre and the working class &#8220;people&#8217;s choice&#8221; restaurants such as Johnnie&#8217;s didn&#8217;t warrant a mention, I debated whether my lofty rating was warranted. It took one bite during a subsequent visit to remind me, it is.\u00a0 Johnnie&#8217;s Italian beef sandwich is one of the best sandwiches in the universe!<\/span><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 400\/359;border: 4px solid black; margin-top: 3px; margin-bottom: 3px;\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/usa\/sandwich\/Images\/Johnnie05.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"359\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Johnnie&#8217;s Italian Beef Sandwich served &#8220;wet&#8221; with green peppers<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">The marriage of hamburgers and French fries has nothing on the combination of Italian beef sandwiches and French fries, particularly when those Fries are thin-sliced, served steaming hot and with a nice amount of salt.\u00a0 There&#8217;s nothing better to wash down all that delicious saltiness than one of Johnnie&#8217;s\u00a0 banana or lemon flavored Italian Ice, which is, what else, among the very best I&#8217;ve ever had.\u00a0 Better still is the watermelon Italian ice which comes with a warning that watermelon seeds might be found in the frozen delicacy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\">The lines outside Johnnie&#8217;s Beef are a testament to just how wonderful this Chicagoland institution is.\u00a0 It&#8217;s a line I&#8217;ll gladly stand in regardless of weather.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">JOHNNIE&#8217;S BEEF<br \/>\n<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: Verdana;\">400 East Golf Road<br \/>\n<strong>Arlington Heights, IL<\/strong><br \/>\n(847) 439-9700<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;\"><strong>LATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 12 October 2010<br \/>\n<strong># OF VISITS<\/strong>: 4<br \/>\n<strong>RATING<\/strong>: <strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Outstanding<\/span><\/strong>&#8211;A stand-out; delivers a memorable dining experience through a harmonious blend of exceptional food, attentive service, and consistent quality<\/span><br \/>\n<strong>COST<\/strong>: $$<br \/>\n<strong>BEST BET<\/strong>: Italian Beef Sandwich; Italian Beef Combo Sandwich; Banana Italian Ice; French Fries; Watermelon Italian Ice, Lemon Italian Ice<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you think Chicagoland politics are a contentious topic, try debating which restaurant serves up the best Italian Beef Sandwich in the &#8220;City of Big Shoulders.&#8221; Opinions don&#8217;t necessarily vary that widely as there are just a handful of restaurants which have truly distinguished themselves in the preparation of this Chicago staple. It&#8217;s in the intensity of the debate with which you might be surprised. Each of the anointed restaurants has its vocal supporters and each has its detractors and some in either party won&#8217;t hesitate to explain (with fisticuffs if necessary) why their choice is the best and yours is not. In 2009, the Travel Channel&#8217;s &#8220;Food Wars&#8221; program pitted two of Chicago&#8217;s most famous culinary rivals against one&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47202,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,561,30,553],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-illinois","category-rating-outstanding","category-sandwich","category-across-america"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>JOHNNIE&#039;S BEEF - Arlington Heights, Illinois - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=38\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"JOHNNIE&#039;S BEEF - Arlington Heights, Illinois - Gil&#039;s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you think Chicagoland politics are a contentious topic, try debating which restaurant serves up the best Italian Beef Sandwich in the &#8220;City of Big Shoulders.&#8221; Opinions don&#8217;t necessarily vary that widely as there are just a handful of restaurants which have truly distinguished themselves in the preparation of this Chicago staple. It&#8217;s in the intensity of the debate with which you might be surprised. Each of the anointed restaurants has its vocal supporters and each has its detractors and some in either party won&#8217;t hesitate to explain (with fisticuffs if necessary) why their choice is the best and yours is not. 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It&#8217;s in the intensity of the debate with which you might be surprised. Each of the anointed restaurants has its vocal supporters and each has its detractors and some in either party won&#8217;t hesitate to explain (with fisticuffs if necessary) why their choice is the best and yours is not. 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