Here's The Chicago Restaurant That The Bear Is Based On
Now that the third season of "The Bear" is out, people have been talking about Chicago and the TV show (currently streaming on Hulu), quite a bit again. The show centers around a family-run Italian beef stand called The Original Beef of Chicagoland, which is eventually transformed into a fine dining restaurant called The Bear.
In the first season, The Original Beef of Chicagoland is depicted as a realistic no-nonsense counter-service spot catering to regular Chicagoans, and it's so realistic that it's hard not to wonder whether the place is based on a real location. As a lifelong Chicago native, I can confirm that it is: The show's beef stand is based on a place called Mr. Beef, located in the River North neighborhood in Chicago.
The creator of the show, Christopher Storer, is childhood friends with the owner, Chris Zucchero, who I got to know one afternoon while walking by the shop. Zucchero's quite a character: animated, fun to talk to, and he's even got a proper Chicago accent.
Mr. Beef was opened in 1979 by Zucchero's father, Joe Zucchero, who died in 2023. Chris Zucchero took over running the shop, and he told me that when the show's first season aired, the bump in business was almost overwhelming. I can attest to how busy the place can get — since it's just a tiny counter service spot (with a communal dining room), the line can snake out the door. Fortunately, it moves quickly, but you better know exactly what you want to order when you get up front.
What's on the menu at Mr. Beef?
Mr. Beef is known for its Italian beef sandwich, which stands as one of Chicago's signature foods (alongside deep dish pizza and Chicago-style hot dogs). Italian beef sandwiches consist of thinly shaved roast beef that is simmered in beef jus and served on French bread.
You can order them with just a few modifications, like sweet peppers, which are roasted bell peppers, and hot giardiniera, which is a pickled spicy vegetable mix soaking in oil. Though cheese isn't terribly common, some places offer mozzarella to add on top. Then you also have the option of getting the sandwich splashed with the jus ("wet"), completely dipped into it (ask for it "dipped," though at Mr. Beef they call it "juicy"), or dry. If you're particularly hungry, you can get a combo, which consists of Italian beef and an Italian sausage. Other than the namesake sandwich, Mr. Beef sells hot dogs, burgers, and deli sandwiches, along with some pretty stellar fries.
The show's pilot was shot in Mr. Beef's actual dining room, but the place was accurately recreated on a set in Chicago's Cinespace studio once "The Bear" was picked up as a series. The real Mr. Beef shop is still operating, and well, I might add. If you want a taste of the show and happen to be in Chicago, you can visit Mr. Beef in person. Just so you're prepared, I've previously written a guide on how to order Italian beef like a pro so you look like one of us when you pick up a beef. And do not forget to pick up some extra napkins. You'll need them.