Is Homemade Black Angus Italian Beef Really Chicago Junk Food?
(Asking for a friend… and for our taste buds.)
Let’s get one thing straight: if loving Italian beef is wrong, Chicago doesn’t want to be right. Around here, “Chicago junk food” is practically a love language. We’re talking the classics—hot dogs dragged through the garden, deep-dish pizza heavier than your gym bag, rainbow-sprinkled ice cream cones in February, and yes… Italian beef dripping with au jus like it’s competing for a medal.
But does Rosie’s Sidekick Sandwich Shop really deserve to have their legendary homemade Black Angus Italian Beef lumped in with Chicago junk food?
Well… yes and no. Let us explain.
A Recipe Handed Down from Mama Rosie Herself
Before you picture a sad, over-salted, mass-produced, sit-in-a-box-for-days kind of beef (you know the kind), let us stop you. Rosie’s Italian Beef has been made the same way for decades—ever since Mama Rosie perfected the recipe in her own kitchen.
It starts with premium Black Angus beef, slow-cooked until it’s tender enough to make you emotional. Then come the spices—simple, classic, and balanced. Not 45 seasonings you’ve never heard of. Not enough salt to melt the sidewalk in January. Just the right spices and just a little salt, exactly the way Mama Rosie intended.
So… Junk Food or Not?
Technically, sure—Italian beef falls into the category of indulgent Chicago comfort classics. Some might even call it Chicago junk food. But Rosie’s version? It’s homemade, thoughtful, lovingly seasoned, and crafted the way the old-school sandwich shops used to do it.
If this is junk food… well, sign us up. Twice.
Why People Keep Coming Back
Maybe it’s the smell of the beef simmering. Maybe it’s the way the au jus soaks perfectly into the bread. Maybe it’s the knowledge that every batch still follows Mama Rosie’s decades-old recipe. Whatever it is, people don’t just eat this sandwich—they experience it.
Chicago can keep arguing over what counts as Chicago junk food. But at Rosie’s, we’ll be over here slicing up more Black Angus beef, dunking some bread, and serving sandwiches that make people slap the table and say, “THIS is what Italian beef should taste like.”
Are you hungry yet? Swing by Rosie’s Sidekick Sandwich Shop and taste the tradition for yourself. Mama Rosie would want it that way. Get it in a hot Italian Beef sandwich, in The Couch, or in our Cold Cow sandwich.
Don’t forget about our Italian Beef catering trays as well! Perfect for any kind of party. Or buy it by the pound.
Visit Us At:
📍 Chicago – Logan Square
2610 N California Ave
773-697-3000
📍 Schaumburg (inside the D.R. Horton building)
1750 E Golf Rd, Suite 115
847-957-4470
OR order online at www.rosiessidekick.com
