When Claudia Dietrich and Ross Lloyd boarded a bus bound for River North’s most popular tourist spot, they took photos from every angle, even into the back streets, while their guide recited Chicago trivia. They weren’t deterred by the long line that formed outside the front door.
“There’s no question that this is what brought us to Chicago,” said Dietrich, 72, of Milwaukee.
Their destination? Mr. Beef, the no-frills sandwich shop featured in Hulu’s hit show “The Bear,” the first stop on a guided food tour inspired by the show.
A traditional Chicago sandwich shop might seem like an unconventional outing, but tourists have flocked to Mr. Beef, which opened in River North in 1963, since “The Bear” debuted, and a new wave of die-hard fans is surging ahead of the release of Season 3 on Wednesday.
Just ask one of the 30 people taking part in a food tour that took a bus tour last Friday afternoon to six restaurants in River North, the West Loop and Logan Square, many of which have been used as filming locations for the show.
“I think this show is so authentic,” Dietrich said after sampling an Italian beef sandwich with giardiniera, “and you can actually taste the food while you’re watching the show.”
“The Bear” follows Carmy, a young gourmet chef trying to transform his late brother’s sandwich shop into a fine-dining restaurant, where he clashes with an unassuming, eclectic staff in often unsettling kitchen scenes, much of which was filmed at Mr. Beef. Reached by phone ahead of the premiere to ask how business was going, a Mr. Beef manager told the Tribune he didn’t have time to comment because customers were lining up outside the establishment.
The series has been praised for its unabashed portrayal of the restaurant industry and its lovable characters, winning six Primetime Emmy Awards this year, including Best Comedy Series.
Chicago Food & City Tours launched the themed tours in November after months of requests from guests. The tours are modeled after Season 2, Episode 3, in which sous chef Sydney roams the city sampling different restaurants, and are no different to a food tour, said Hannah Gleason, the company’s director of operations.
“It really became apparent that the demand was there and that people wanted it,” Gleason said. “Our team has been fans of ‘The Bear’ for years, so why not give people that same experience?”
Mr. Beef restaurant photographed from a tour bus during “The Bear”-themed food tour in Chicago on June 21, 2024. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)
As our guide, Casey Ross, led the group, he wore a blue apron over a white T-shirt — the uniform of the fictional “Original Beef of Chicagoland.” He also carried a can of tomatoes in a chip container, another homage to the series. The tour’s charter bus was buzzing with excitement.
“We have one strict rule,” Ross, 41, told the group. “I ask a question, and this is the answer.”
“Yes, chef,” they replied.
“Did you guys practice outside?” Ross joked.
Ross, like the other guests, is a huge fan of “The Bear.” He moved to Chicago from Kansas more than eight years ago. He auditioned for a small role in the next season but didn’t get it.
“I can’t wait to watch the episode and see who gets hired,” he said. “If it’s another bearded redhead, I’ll be so upset.”
After Mr. Beef, guests sampled dumplings from Time Out Market, pepperoni pizza from Pizza Lobo, doughnuts from Rosar’s Bakery, hot fudge sundaes from Marge’s Candies and drinks from Green Door Tavern.
Tour guide Casey Ross talks to guests at a Mister Beef restaurant during “The Bear”-themed food tour in Chicago on June 21, 2024. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)
Gleason said choosing the stops was a long process. Many of the restaurants featured on the show have Michelin stars — Elske, Eber and Kasama, for example — while others, like tiny Lao Peng Yu in Ukrainian Village, couldn’t accommodate larger groups.
The three-hour tour is one of the company’s most popular, and it often sells out on Fridays and Saturdays. Participants are usually split evenly between locals and tourists, Gleason said, adding that private tours are also available.
“The Bear really represents the diverse food culture of Chicago,” Gleason says. “It’s a lot more fun to do something like this than just approaching Mr. Beef.”
Outside the Rosers in Humboldt Park, sisters Joan and Cora Lanman pondered storylines for the show’s next season. As they posed for photos, they exchanged ideas: Are co-stars Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri dating in real life? Will their characters date on the show? What will happen to Claire, the girlfriend Carmie broke up with in the last episode?
“I think season two is one of the best seasons of TV ever,” says Joan, 22, who has watched the show three times. “The writing is so real, it doesn’t feel like a TV show.”
The sisters, originally from Atlanta and visiting their parents in Chicago, say what they love most about “The Bear” is how it creates space for personal growth for each character — like Carmy’s dour family friend Richie, who discovers a passion for hospitality over a feel-good montage of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.”
“I love Richie,” said Cora, 19. “I love that Taylor Swift song. That episode makes me so happy.”
Casey Ross, a guide on “The Bear”-themed food tour with Chicago Food & City Tours, holds up a bag of Rosar’s Bakery doughnuts to hand out to guests on June 21, 2024. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)
And Diane Thomas, 72, was enthralled by “The Bear,” with its portrayal of the complex kitchen dynamics and pitfalls of a family business. As a teenager, Thomas worked at Stage Delicatessen, the family-run Michigan sandwich shop that her brother still runs.
“I have cousins, nephews and nieces who all work there,” Thomas says. “I think ‘The Bear’ depicts the real chaos that happens in the kitchen.”
Next to her, eating dumplings at Time Out Market, sat Jim Walsh, 68. The friends call each other “play buddies.” Walsh is recently widowed; Thomas’ husband prefers to stay indoors. The two often go on guided tours of the city.
“I love this kind of stuff,” Thomas said.
Further down the table, other guests were chatting about the show, where “The Bear” took precedence over all other small talk.
“I actually just saw Jeremy Allen White on late night last night,” Tiffany Harding said between meals. “One of Jimmy’s was the host.”
“Obviously, I had to rewatch it again in preparation for Season 3 coming out,” Teri Henry said. “I’m ready.”
After three rounds of “The Bear” trivia, the bus finally arrived at the famous Green Door Tavern. Each guest chose an Old Fashioned or a soda. Ross was still standing by the wooden counter, smiling, three and a half hours later.
“I love talking to people and sharing information and telling interesting stories,” Ross said. “I’m an actor, so I guess I want an audience.”
Ross said that like many others, he was nervous about Crews’ new restaurant and the fate of the characters he was so attached to, but excitement outweighed any stress.
“All the characters are so three-dimensional and I can’t wait to see more of them,” he said. “And those lovingly crafted shots of Chicago. It’s a love letter to the city.”
