Driving around town yesterday, I decided to visit one of my favorite fast food haunts, Johnnies Italian Beef, in Elmwood Park, IL.
I’ve been visiting Johnnies for over 30 years. The magic is as soon as you approach the place; the smell of charcoal grilling wafting through the air for blocks. The smell just represents summer to me.
Often times, the line stretches out the door and down the block. However, don’t let this put you off; they’re fast when it comes to delivering the goods.
Their namesake Italian Beef is simply wonderful, the best I’ve tasted. I’m prissy when it comes to beef. I live mine lean and shaved. And Johnnies delivers. The beef is marinated in a brine, then cooked in a gravy that is seasoned perfectly. You can get the beef dry, dipped or dunked (wet). They have a nice hot giardenara, or for those like me, the nice sweet peppers. All this served on a nice sausage roll.
The Italian Sausage, the origination of the fragrance in the air, is grilled on spits right behind the front counter. The sausages are then kept hot in the same gravy as the beef. The sausages are almost “brick red” in color, with a crackled, charred skin. The best Italian Sausage on the planet. Like the beef, it’s served with either hot giardenara or sweet peppers, dry or wet, on a sausage roll. In my desperate moods for flavor, I’ve been known to get a double sausage.
Combos (beef & sausage) are as good as the beef or sausage alone. It just depends on your given mood that day.
A Friday special is the Pepper & Egg; scrambled eggs, seasoned with the sweet peppers and kept hot, again, in the beef gravy.
Johnnies serves fries, however I’ve never made room for them.
For those not interested in the beef & sausage, there are hot dogs (likely for the kids).
While they carry the usual soft drinks, I encourage you to try the Italian Ice, a frozen version of their lemonade, with actual lemon rind in the ice. Get it covered or without (heaping), the ice will last for hours.
Johnnies has two suburban locations.
( Between Harlem Ave. & 1 Ave. )
Elmwood Park, IL 60707
11 a.m.-12 a.m. Monday-Saturday; 12 p.m.-12 a.m. Sunday
( between Golf Rd & Ill. Rt. 58 )
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
An Italian Sausage with Sweet Peppers from Johnnies Italian Beef in Elmwood Park, IL
I’ve recently paid a visit to the Arlington Height location. While the food is of the same quality and taste, the location feels a bit sterile compared to the Elmwood Park location. Otherwise, a great destination for my Italian sausage craves.
Pingback: Fast Food Fav: Speed Queen BBQ « Life is Good
Pingback: Ending My Unhealthy Life « Life is Good
Hi Dennis,
I landed here by accident, looking for some
Giardenara (the hot or sweet pepper mix that tops these sandwiches)
It made me homesick for my hometown. I now live in Louisiana, and while Cajun food is hard to beat, they’ll never get over on Chicago for hot dogs and Italian/Sausage/Beef sandwiches.
But luckily, I’m a chef, so I can whip up a reasonable facsimiles, and I do, believe me!!!
I’ve never tried Johnnies, but I’ll try to get there next time I’m in town.