Al’s Italian Beef Comes to San Jose Plus A Food Gal Giveaway
The Chicago Dog at Al’s Beef in San Jose.
People often think my life revolves around copious chef’s tasting menus night after night.
But not when you’re married to someone nicknamed Meat Boy, whose guilty pleasure is fast-food.
I usually steer clear, but I have been known to snatch a handful of fries or the pickle from his burger now and then.
So when Al’s Beef recently opened its first Northern California outpost right here in San Jose at The Plant, I was game to try it with my husband when I was given a $50 gift card to do so.
Meat Boy and I went on a Wednesday night. Although there was a line out the door for The Boiling Crab next-door, Al’s Beef was fairly empty.
Banners inside the eatery.
The eatery started out as a family-owned food stand in Chicago in 1938. It now has 17 locations, most of them in the Chicago area.
Step up to the counter to order. Of course we had to try the famed beef sandwich, so we opted for the Regular Al (6-inches; $6.49) with sweet peppers (55 cents extra), plus the Windy City signature, a Chicago Dog ($4.99). To round out the meal, we also ordered a 1/2 Tamale Boat ($4.49), one tamale covered with bean-less chili, cheddar cheese and onions; a large order of fries ($4.09); and a half-size Al’s Chicago Chopped Salad ($5.99).
The tamale was a narrow cylinder of soft masa encircling a ground beef filling. Except for the sprinkle of chopped raw onions, the texture was all soft, soft, soft. There was a hit of heat at the end, but otherwise not much to distinguish it. It’s the type of food probably best enjoyed late at night after a bout of drinking, if you know what I mean.
The 1/2 Tamale Boat.
You can get everything from blue cheese to “loaded” fries. We opted for the plain.
The fries (which also are included with the Chicago Dog) tasted nicely of fresh potatoes, but could have been crisper.
The pieces of iceberg and romaine in the salad were a bit large for a chopped salad, so you missed getting the effect of a little bit of everything in one bite. It did have a nice jumble of tomato, carrots, red cabbage, bacon, scallions, crumbled Gorgonzola, diced chicken breast and a few macaroni noodles. A container of house balsamic dressing came on the side.
The chopped salad.
The dipped beef sandwich.
Not surprisingly, the beef sandwich is messy. So prepare to get your hands dirty when eating this sandwich that’s stuffed with paper-thin slices of beef cooked in a beef jus, then dunked into even more of the gravy. The meat was tender, but cut so thin that you miss the integrity inherent in the beef. If you’ve ever enjoyed a French Dip at Philippe The Original’s in Los Angeles, Al’s Beef will pale in comparison.
I think my favorite item was the Chicago Dog. It’s a skinny dog, stuffed into a bun with mustard, relish, onion, tomato, pickles and tiny sport peppers. The dog had good snap and the veritable salad on top of it added great crunch, as well as tangy, piquant flavors.
If you’re in the neighborhood and jonesing for a Chicago-style hot dog or a quick beef sammy, Al’s Beef is waiting to take your order.
CONTEST: One Food Gal reader will get a chance to try Al’s Beef, themselves, with a $50 gift card. The contest is open to anyone in the continental United States, but just be aware that Al’s Beef only has locales in the Chicago area and Las Vegas, besides San Jose and Chino, CA. Entries will be accepted through midnight PST July 5. Winner will be announced July 7.
How to win?
You’ve already read that I nibble on fast-food periodically because of my husband’s proclivity for it. Are you a closeted fast-food eater? Or proud of it? And what is your preferred item that you can’t resist — and why? Best answer wins.
More Sandwiches: Ike’s Lair
And: Clover Bakery
And: The Sentinel
Definitely in the “closeted” fast food eater category. I admit that I do not like to admit that I’ll eat fast food…not that I eat it often, but sometimes the grease is irresistible. And speaking of irresistible…I think my one item is McDonald’s fries. When fresh and hot, I still think they are the best fast food fries around. I guess that stems from a childhood full of them, but serioualy – hot, crispy, salty. Perfect. Now when they are soggy, well…not so good. But just cross your fingers and hope you don’t get THAT batch!
I made myself a rule: I can eat anything I want, but I only eat good food. What I mean by this is that if I am going to have something, I don’t settle for mediocre. It eliminates impulsive buys because I think about what I am going to get and if I know I can do better, the mediocrity of the the immediately available choices becomes real.
So if I am going to have a hamburger, it will be at a place like Kirk’s. If I want ribs, I hold out for Smoke ‘n Wings or Andy’s. It pretty much eliminates burgers from Carl McWendy’s in the Box.
Except for Jack in the Box’s Ultimate Cheeseburger. Every year or two, I need one. Gooey, disgusting, and messy.
Now that I mention it. it’s been a few years….
I dislike the term “Guilty Pleasure.” Like disposable pop music, trashy movies, reality TV, supermarket tabloids—we shouldn’t feel shame about something that gives us pleasure. Even 35 years later, after eating at great restaurants like Delfina and Manresa, i still hold a weakness for Taco Bravo in Campbell. If you like it, own it!
Wow, that Chicago dog looks so authentic and fresh! May have to make the drive to San Jose (cheaper than a flight to Chicago).
I usually avoid fast food, but my one weakness is the classic Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwich. There is a reason that they have sold more chicken than KFC, even with 40% of the number of stores that KFC has worldwide.
I live in San Jose, so this would be perfect! I have never been there, but I see they have tamales and Polish Sausages — a couple of our favorite things!
Well, I kinda messed up. I should have said one of the things we can’t resist – rather my husband can’t resist — is Polish Sausages! Why? He is Polish and my goal is to find a Polish Sausage that he can grudgingly admit to as being “almost as good as Mom’s!” Maybe this would be the one!
HAHAHA, I’m actually really weird because I don’t like burgers, fries, chicken nuggets.. just basically most fast food stuff. It’s my “interesting fact” about myself and everyone’s always like, “..what are you. How do you live.” When I’m forced to go to fast food places like In-N-Out though I always order the coffee because that’s the only thing I will kind of have. Most people don’t even know it’s on the menu!
Oh, and if I’m forced to get McD because it’s the only thing around in a road trip, the apple pie is PRETTY GOOD. And cheap! 😀