Mr. Beef: What you need to know about the restaurant that inspired The Bear

Here's all you need to know before visiting Mr. Beef

Image credit: FX

Feature by Tiffany Babb Deputy Editor

Published on March 12, 2024

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At the center of the first season of The Bear is a humble sandwich shop called The Beef. The Beef, as you may know, was based off showrunner Christopher Storer's childhood friend (Chris Zucchero)'s shop called Mr. Beef, in Chicago's River North. In fact, the series pilot was shot at Mr. Beef, and so were outdoor scenes in season 2.

If you're a fan of The Bear and a fan of sandwiches, it makes sense that you'd want to make the pilgrimage next time you're near Chicago. Here's what you need to know before you go.

Where is Mr. Beef?

Mr. Beef is located at 666 N Orleans St, Chicago, IL 60654.

When is Mr. Beef open?

Mr. Beef is open from 10 AM to 4 PM on Monday through Saturday. The restaurant is closed on Sunday.

What should i order at Mr. Beef?

If you're making the trip to Mr. Beef, you're probably going to want to get an Italian beef sandwich. Here's how restaraunt owner Chris Zucchero put it to Variety "The Italian beef — hot, sweet and juicy. That’s the Italian beef sandwich with hot peppers, which is the giardiniera, sweet peppers, which is bell peppers, and dipped. That’s the way to get it."