Corned Beef Cage Match: Who Cooks It Up The Best

Welcome to “Chowdown Showdown,” a weekly feature where we take one type of food and ask readers to nominate their favorite restaurants in Evergreen Park, Oak Lawn and Palos. St. Paddy's Day staple — corned beef. 

The selected restaurants recommended by loyal Patch readers all cooked a great corned beef. We sampled each and selected a winner.

Palos Patch: You can tell they take corned beef seriously. The tender meat was full of flavor and low on fat. Texture is what makes or breaks corned beef for me, and Papa's always serves it up tender. The sandwiches are a great option if you are looking for a quick lunch. 5 Stars

Oak Lawn Patch: I love the beef-eating culture and Papa's corned beef sandwich made me love it even more. The meat had just the right amount of juiciness without being overwhelming or too dry. 5 Stars

Evergreen Park Patch: This corned beef sandwich was the winner in all departments. The flavorful beef was a little thicker and served on light rye that was toasted in a sandwich press. The extra touch of brown mustard gave it a tangy and slight sweet taste. 5 Stars

Palos Patch: The corned beef sandwich from Wojo's was more of the shaved lunch meat variety. It had plenty of flavor and there is something to be said for the light texture of the meat. 4 Stars

Oak Lawn Patch: Wojo's was generous on the shavings. I loved the briney flavor of this sandwich.  4.5 Stars

Evergreen Park Patch: I loved this sandwich because even though it didn't have all of the toppings, the flavor of the corned beef stood out. The beef was shaved thin and not tough. I put a touch of mustard on mine, but it really didn't need it. This classic rcorned beef sammy was soft, moist and not too salty. 4.5 Stars

Palos Patch: The corned beef here was just like your Irish mother used to make. You can tell they use good quality meat because there is hardly any fat. It was cooked perfectly, however I thought it was slightly lacking in flavor. 4.5 Stars 

Oak Lawn Patch: Talk about the classic boiled dinner. The meal came with four large sized slices of meat, as well as cabbage, carrots and potatoes which the dog enjoyed. I also enjoyed watching horse radish go up the Evergreen Park Patch editor's nose. 4.5 Stars

Evergreen Park Patch: This classic dinner is exactly what comes to mind around this time of year. The serving was big enough to fill up two people. The thick sliced corned beef was complemented by the lightly-seasoned cabbage and carrots. The horseradish was a little tangy for my taste, but it was overally a great dish. 4.5 Stars

And the winner is  . . . Papa's Fresh of Palos Heights. The owners of Papa's are as Irish as you can get and that shows throughout their menu. The corned beef was full of flavor and the perfect choice in this most Irish of weeks.   

READ past "Chowdown Showdown" columns: