Far and Wide just said the Italian beef sandwich is Illinois' best sandwich, and while that might fly in Chicago, is Rockford an excellent spot for an Italian beef sandwich, too?

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Everyone knows that Chicago is where you go for an absolute gem of an Italian beef sandwich, but did you know there might be a few places in the Rockford area where you can get your Italian beef fix?

The Culinary Experience of an Italian Beef Sandwich

The Italian beef sandwich is not just a sandwich; it's a culinary experience. It’s a symphony of flavors and textures, a harmony of slow-cooked, thin, sliced beef piled on a crusty Italian roll.

Hearty Italian Beef Sandwich
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Then you can either put sweet peppers or spicy giardiniera on the sandwich.

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The best part? You can customize it to your liking. Do you prefer it dry or wet, or maybe just some au jus on the side so you can dip it how you want? The choice is yours, and the possibilities are endless.

Ranking Italian Beef Among Illinois Favorites

The real question is, where does an Italian beef sandwich rank among other iconic Illinois foods?

Above a deep-dish pizza or maybe even the Chicago-style hot dog?

Keep Reading: 10 Best Places For Italian Take Out In Rockford

For me, it's a tough call. I’m a pizza lover through and through, but something about a hot dog and Italian beef just hits the spot. What's your take?

Juicy Homemade Italian Beef Sandwich
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That said, there are all kinds of great places for you to get Italian beef here in Rockford.

Rockford's Best Italian Beef Spots

Looking at Yelp, I found that the search for the Best Italian Beef Sandwich in Rockford ended at Portillo's. Jim M. says, "The Italian beef is great," Sandy M. adds, "The Italian beef is the best you can find."

Portillo's via Facebook
Portillo's via Facebook
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However, Lauren F says, "When you have to argue with the cashiers, an Italian beef can have extra gravy but not be dipped. There’s a problem."

This seems like some miscommunication between Lauren and the folks at Portillo‘s.

I am wondering who makes the best Italian Beef Sandwiches in Rockford.

The top five are:

  1. Portillo‘s
  2. Buddy’s Burgers
  3. Buona
  4. Tom and Jerry’s
  5. DiTullio’s Italian Market and Café

Who makes excellent Italian beef in Rockford? Let us know.

Celebrity Chef Rates Illinois' Favorite Food

Chef and YouTuber, Joshua Weissman, and his crew review Illinois' Italian beef sandwich

Gallery Credit: Joshua Weissman's YouTube Channel

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