The star of The Bear recently made a visit to the iconic Italian sandwich shop on Orleans St. If you’ve seen the show on Hulu, you’ll probably recognize the restaurant setting as it is based on Chicago’s authentic Italian beef sandwich joint, Mr. Beef.
In real life, Mr. Beef on Orleans is located at 666 N Orleans St. and serves up original Italian beef sandwiches for hungry customers. The restaurant itself got a surprise visit from The Bear star yesterday as he stopped by for a sandwich as part of his segment for a local news network.
The Bear follows Carmen (Jeremy Allen White) a brilliant young chef who leaves the fine dining world to run his family’s sandwich shop in Chicago. The fictitious restaurant, The Original Beef of Chicagoland, is said to be located in River North.
As for what the show gets right about Chicago, it plays heavily on the sports-centric crowd, the city loyalty, and the diversity present in the city. The show had local restaurant owners, celebrity chef Matty Matheson, and pastry chef Sarah Mispagel consult on the show, lending it an extra authentic real-to-life feel.
The cast is mainly composed of supporting Chicago locals, sourced from theaters, restaurants, and acting groups with fan favorites like Amy Morton of Steppenwolf Theater background. This helps add to the authentic feel, though The Bear does lean heavily on gentrification in River North, often showing the area as gritty when in reality it’s an area filled with fine dining, high-end shops, and hotels.
The city of Chicago is intrinsically woven throughout this show and any Chicago residents looking to get a downtown experience without leaving the couch should start streaming now.
Address: 666 N Orleans St, Chicago, IL 60654
[Featured photo via: Flickr/Seth Anderson]