Chicago Locals Can Instantly Tell You're A Tourist If One Question Stumps You On Italian Beef

Every city has its own unique quirks and personality, and often they're equally embedded into its culinary specialties. Chicago is a great example — from must-visit restaurants for deep-dish pizza to Chicago's "most notorious hot dog stand," certain foods (and the proper way to eat them) have become synonymous with the city. And Italian beef, a deliciously messy sandwich of thinly-sliced roast beef seasoned with its own juices, is one of them. But if it's your first time ordering one of these sammies in Chi-town, you may get a follow-up question you aren't prepared for: Do you want it "dry," "wet," or "dipped?" If you don't know, it's a dead giveaway you're a tourist.

Italian beef is one of the city's most deeply ingrained everyday foods, and it comes with its own shorthand language that locals absorb early. Similar to ordering a cheesesteak in one of the most underrated food destinations in America, Philadelphia, there's certain lingo that speeds along the ordering process. Where in Philly, you'd order your sandwich "wit" (with onions) or "witout" (without onions), any Chicago Italian beef spot is going to expect you to tell them just how juicy you want your dish. You'll also specify which toppings you'd like by simply adding "sweet," "hot," or "sweet and hot."

The sandwich traces back to Chicago's Italian American neighborhoods in the early 20th century, where families made tougher cuts of beef last longer by slow-roasting them, slicing them thin, and serving them on bread soaked with the juice from cooking. This made the meat tender, flavorful, and affordable. The practice of spooning or dunking bread in jus helped absorb flavor and moisture, which meant nothing went to waste. Over time, that method became part of the identity of the sandwich itself.

If you don't want to stick out like a tourist, have your sandwich plan in mind before you head up to the counter. You'll choose between two types of peppers, sweet and hot, to add to your sandwich. The sweet option may include roasted or sautéed green or red bell peppers. Kick it up a notch with the "hot" giardiniera, Chicago's take on the traditional Italian condiment of preserved vegetables. It's typically a mix of peppers, cauliflower, carrots, and other veggies that have been pickled and soaked in oil.

But here's where it gets good — you'll need to know just how juicy you like it. A dry Italian beef means the meat is drained before it goes onto the roll. The bread stays firmer, the sandwich holds together, and it's easier to eat while walking or standing. A wet Italian beef is either piled with sopping-wet meat straight from the jus or gets ladled with au jus after assembly, soaking into the bread and intensifying the flavor. For the full monty, a dipped version is where the entire sandwich takes a bath in the jus before being handed over. You might even be able to ask them to double-dip your sandwich if you want to go above and beyond. (Pro Reddit tip: say you want it "baptized" to sound more like a local and embark on a messy, yummy challenge.)

So before ordering Italian beef in Chicago, ask yourself: Are you looking for an easy handheld meal with little mess, or are you the type who doesn't mind all those delicious roasting juices running down your chin? It may be a matter of convenience, too — if you're eating on the go, a "dipped" sandwich may be hard to pull off.