I need to start this review by saying that I have never had a Chicago beef sandwich before. I went with a friend who is from Chicago and recommended this place. She considers it to be extremely authentic and has been here many times.
We split the 9-inch beef sandwich with cheese. We also shared an order of fries. I found the bread and the beef to be very fresh. I probably would have liked the sandwich a little bit more with the peppers and other garnishes, but since we were splitting, we ate it plain with just the cheese. The french fries were delicious. It seems like they make them from scratch with real potatoes but they are cooked longer than the in-and-out style fries.
Drinks are self-serve from a fountain that offers Coke products. Diet Coke, not Coke Zero, in case you're one. They also have a cooler with some bottled drinks.
Something that I found extremely nice about this place was the service. You order at the counter and pay and then they bring you your food. I was surprised at how much attention we got from that point on. Usually once you've done that, you are on your own. Not here! A couple of times they came to check and make sure we didn't need anything like ketchup and in the end to see if we were ready for them to clear our table. Definitely Midwestern hospitality. Also, they run a clean restaurant!
I was impressed with how busy they were. There were customers filling the inside of the restaurant. It was a beautiful day so we sat at a table outside.
I would definitely recommend this place if you are in the mood for a Chicago beef or a fancy hot dog.