Mr. Beef in Chicago is the real restaurant behind FX’s The Bear, the Italian beef counter on North Orleans Street where creator Christopher Storer filmed the show’s pilot. For anyone wondering where Mr. Beef is located, or whether the Italian beef spot from The Bear is even a real place, the answer is yes, and it’s been serving the same sandwich since 1979. The restaurant existed decades before the show turned it into a filming location and a genuine destination for fans.
In 1979, Joe Zucchero purchased an Italian beef stand at 666 North Orleans Street in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. The stand had originally been opened in 1963, and Zucchero planted a counter-service operation that served thin-sliced, seasoned roast beef on Italian bread, dipped in natural gravy, topped with hot giardiniera or sweet peppers.
River North changed dramatically around Mr. Beef over the following decades, transforming from an industrial zone into one of Chicago’s most polished entertainment and dining districts. The sandwich shop did not change with it.
Christopher Storer, creator of the FX series The Bear, grew up eating at Mr. Beef and has known Chris Zucchero, Joe’s son and co-owner, since kindergarten in Park Ridge, Illinois. The pilot episode of The Bear was filmed inside the actual restaurant. Joe Zucchero died on March 1, 2023, at age 69, months after The Bear premiered…