Standing inside Pop’s Beef on the city’s Southwest Side, Rick Ryan announced Friday that he filed legislation to designate the Italian beef sandwich as the official state sandwich of Illinois.
Ryan, a Democrat from Evergreen Park, said he chose the Kedzie Avenue location for the announcement because of his longtime ties to the restaurant and the neighborhood.
Ryan introduced House Bill 4669 to officially recognize the Italian beef as the state sandwich, describing it as a staple woven into the fabric of Illinois communities. The proposal received bipartisan support and passed unanimously out of committee. It awaited a full vote in the House in May.
If approved, the designation would celebrate a dish deeply embedded in the local culinary and cultural landscape, elevating it from neighborhood favorite to official state symbol.
“This is the best beef sandwich on the south side,” Ryan said.
He said he has lived in the area his entire life and has been coming to that Pop’s location for 45 years, calling it his longtime neighborhood spot.
Ryan said his connection to the sandwich stretches back even further. His grandmother immigrated to Chicago from Italy in 1925, and he recalled spending time in her kitchen as a child while she prepared beef for sandwiches.
“I remember being over at her house when she would be preparing beef for beef sandwiches and the smell brings me right back to my childhood,” he said.
Ryan said he has received support from Republicans, Democrats and numerous sponsors. “Everybody across the state of Illinois loves a good beef sandwich,” he said.
Kacie Dancy, vice president of operations for Pop’s, said the family-owned restaurant was honored by the recognition.
“My dad was Pops and this is so cool for us as a family,” Dancy said. “We’ve been at this location for 45 years and what it represents for me is family. Rick (Ryan) has family in the area too and it’s all about bringing it back home to your roots.”
Ryan noted that in 2006, the horseshoe sandwich was named the unofficial state sandwich of Illinois, but said that as an open-faced sandwich, it did not feel like the right fit for the designation.
Being named the official state sandwich of Illinois would mean formal legislative recognition of the food item viewed as best representing the state’s culture, culinary history and identity, particularly that of Chicago.
As of 2026, the Italian beef was being proposed to replace the regional horseshoe sandwich.
The contenders reflected two distinct culinary traditions. The Italian beef, thinly sliced seasoned beef piled onto French bread, typically topped with giardiniera or sweet peppers and dipped in au jus, has long been associated with Chicago’s working-class neighborhoods and corner beef stands. The horseshoe, created in 1928 in Springfield, features open-faced toast topped with a meat patty or ham, french fries and a generous layer of cheese sauce.
Supporters of the Italian beef, including Ryan, argued it better represented the entire state’s food culture. They also noted that, unlike the open-faced horseshoe, the Italian beef fits the traditional definition of a sandwich that can be held and eaten by hand.
Ryan said supporters planned to celebrate following the May vote with a party featuring actors and actresses from the television show The Bear, a Chicago-set drama about a chef who returns home to run his family’s Italian beef shop.
Ryan kept it simple but delicious when describing his own order.
“Lightly dipped with mild gardinere and sometimes sweet peppers,” he said.
