Tony's Italian Beef
Tony wrote the beef recipe and his father made the giardiniera, and the family has been selling both on Pulaski Road since 1975. His three sons joined the counter as soon as they could see over it.
Why go
The house says it opened in 1975 staffed entirely by the family: Grandpa Tony, Tony, his sister Theresa, his brother John, his brother-in-law Johnny D and Uncle Benny, with Tony's three sons joining as soon as they could see over the counter.1 The two recipes it hangs its name on are split between two generations. Tony developed the recipe for the beef and Grandpa created his giardiniera,
the About page says, and the demand for beef by the pound is what pushed them into catering.1 The menu widened later into Sicilian steak, breaded steak and chicken sandwiches, and it runs a full breakfast.1
Order this / avoid
- Order: the beef, with the giardiniera. It is the sandwich the family says it built the shop around.1
- Order: breakfast, if you are here early. The subs run six inches or eight, with eggs, bacon, sausage, ham and American cheese on Italian bread.2
Good to know
- Party trays: the shop sells beef by the pound and runs a separate tray menu.2
Verdict
listed — The family's own account is all there is, and it is at least specific: Tony wrote the beef recipe, his father made the giardiniera, and the shop has been on Pulaski Road since 1975. No critic has published a word about the sandwich, so the rung is the bottom one until one does.