Now that the is out, people have been talking about Chicago and the TV show (currently streaming on Hulu), quite a bit again. The show centers around a family-run stand called The Original Beef of Chicagoland, which is eventually transformed into a fine dining restaurant called The Bear. In the first season, The Original Beef of Chicagoland is depicted as a realistic no-nonsense counter-service spot catering to regular Chicagoans, and it's so realistic that it's hard not to wonder whether the place is based on a real location.

As a lifelong Chicago native, I can confirm that it is: The show's beef stand is based on a place called Mr. Beef, located in the River North neighborhood in Chicago. The creator of the show, Christopher Storer, is childhood friends with the owner, Chris Zucchero, who I got to know one afternoon while walking by the shop.

Zucchero's quite a character: animated, fun to talk to, and he's even got a proper Chicago accent. Mr. Beef was opened in 1979 by Zucchero's father, Joe Zucchero, who died in 2023.

Chris Zucchero took over running the shop, and he told me that when the show's first season aired, the bump in business was almost overwhelming. I can attest to how busy the place can get — since it's just a tiny counter service spot (with a communal dining room), the line can snake out the door. Fortunately, it moves quickly, but you better know exactly what you want to order when you get up front.

What's on the menu at Mr. Beef? Mr. Beef is known for its.