St.
Louing
Vinnie's Italian Beef & Gyros
A solid gyro and an okay beef
There’s only a few places in all of St. Louis that do a rendition of an Italian beef sandwich, as seen in 4 Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches in St. Louis to satisfy fans of ‘The Bear’. I’ve tried most of the list (I haven’t been able to convince myself to try the Italian beef at Blues City Deli when the reuben is calling to me) but none taste quite like the real thing. The Italian beef to me is something that requires very few ingredients but a very specific process and execution, otherwise it’s simply not a beef, it’s a roast beef sandwich or french dip or something else.
I liked the neighborhood vibes at Vinny’s, and this is an unpopular opinion, but I thought the beef was just okay. I was very excited to try it, but the giardiniera had olives in it and wasn’t spicy, it had mixed red and green peppers instead of just green, the au jus (usually called gravy) didn’t have much in the way of herbs and spices, and it had cheese on it by default (which is controversial). I would say it does not compare to something like Mr. Beef or Johnnie’s or even Portillo’s and did not scratch the itch for an Italian beef that I have.
I did like the gyro from Vinny’s and appreciate that the establishment exists, I just think it’s not really a Chicago beef.
For anyone who has not had the chance to try an authentic beef before, I’d recommend my preference - dipped, double hot.