Chi-Town goodness in the H-Town. Say what?

So let’s say that you happen to be on the north side of town and you have a craving for an out of the ordinary non-Texan meal. Look no further than Chicago Pizza and Italian Beef located on Airline in the Heights. The name covers the main dishes that are served here; however, they actually serve a large variety of food: pasta, salads, sandwiches, hot dogs and of course Chicago style pizza and Italian beefs.

I grew up in Chicago, so these dishes are quite dear to my heart, and I am always looking for a local spot that features my favorite childhood foods (going to Chicago every time I want a beef or hot dog gets pretty expensive); when I heard of this place I had to try it immediately. Let’s start with the hot dogs, you have a choice of either Vienna beef frank or polish dog, Vienna beef hot dog comes with all of the fixings sweet relish, tomato, onion, mustard, poppy seed bun and NO ketchup. The polish dog on the other hand, comes with grilled onions and mustard; both are delicious.

The Chicago style pizza has the characteristic thick buttery crust and loaded with toppings; allow thirty minutes or so to cook, cheesy and hearty. The highlight of the menu has got to be the beef sandwich, now those are as close to the real deal as they get, the beef is oh so tender, dipped in au jus and served on toasty French bread topped with sweet peppers; there is also a table with a variety of pickled vegetables which go great with the sandwiches.

French fries also deserve to be mentioned, thick cut natural fries that complement the sandwiches and hot dogs to perfection. The restaurant itself is pretty big, there are daily lunch specials, and live music on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 7:30pm. I went on a Saturday in the afternoon for a late lunch and the place was pretty empty, started to pick up as I was leaving.

All in all, Chicago Pizza and Italian beef is a place that should be checked out at some point, laid back, delicious food, nice atmosphere. Works for me!

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