"Transplanted Chicago area native here. In my 60+ years, I've had beef sandwiches all over Chicagoland, where it was the original take-out fast food long before McD's. I never even heard of Al's until it was on that Travel Channel show with the slob who goes around the USA gorging on local dishes until he pukes.\n\nI learned about their Scottsdale AZ place so I went 20 miles out of my way for a beef sandwich there last time in Phoenix. The reddish juice was the first red flag; it isn't the norm for IB. First bite...the flavor was very weak...Strike 1. It was very greasy; highly undesireable in a beef sandwich...Strike 2. Then there was the tough, almost stale, bread Strike 3. Sorry, Al's...you're \"out\". In a blind test of Chicago IB fans, Al's probably wouldn't even be ID'd as Italian beef. Of all the beef I've ever had, I rate Al's as mediocre to poor. So its no surprise the place has wall-to-wall, in-your face \"World's Best Italian Beef\" decor and life-sized \"The Italian Stance\" posters. If it lived up to the hype, that would be unnecessary.\n\nI'll guess stick with Portillo's; a decent IB for factory-made, also in Scottsdale, and pine for the day that Buona's Beef; the best chain store IB I've had, someday expands outside the Chicago area. Or sample some of the other places in Phoenix that claim to serve Chicago-style Italian beef."^^ . . "0"^^ . "2013-04-19T00:00:00"^^ . "0"^^ . . . "2"^^ . "0"^^ .