Mr. Beef on Orleans

The inspiration for FX's 'The Bear.' Founded by Joseph Zucchero in 1979, Mr. Beef on Orleans is a no-frills, counter-service Italian beef shop where the sandwich does all the talking. Jeremy Allen White visited during filming and trained here for his role as Carmy Berzatto. Order it dipped with hot giardiniera and eat standing up at the counter like a real Chicagoan. No seats, no pretense, no nonsense — just one hell of an Italian beef. Closes at 4pm because they don't need to be open late; the line starts at lunch. This is the beef joint that launched a TV show and reminded the world that Chicago runs on Italian beef.