Original release date: June 23, 2022
In the summer of 2022, James Beard Award-winning chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto returns home to Chicago to manage The Original Beef of Chicagoland, a rundown River North restaurant owned by his brother Michael, who recently died by suicide. His brother’s best friend, Richie Jerimovich, and the stubborn staff resist Carmy’s efforts to modernize the restaurant. Carmy hires Culinary Institute of America-trained chef and Chicago native Sydney Adamu, who wants to help him fix the restaurant because it was her father’s favorite.
* * *
(stovetop sparking)
(gas ignites, burner whooshing)
(second burner sparking, ignites, whooshing)
♪ ♪
(distant siren)
Shh…
(animal growling)
(louder snarling)
Shh…
(growling)
Shh…
(quietly) It’s okay… (snarling)
(growling, loud breathing)
Shh…
(growling continues)
I know.
(growling)
(roar) (car honking)
(panting) (bell buzzing)
(water boiling)
♪ ♪
(buzzing)
(phone ringing)
(knocking)
(indistinct singing)
Yo. Yo. Twentyfive pounds?
Twentyfive? No, no, I ordered 200.
Paid for 25.
Take it up with Lu.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no. No, Luanne, that’s…
that’s… that’s really nice of you.
Uhhuh. (chatter over phone)
Yeah. No, no, wwe’re really grateful
to still be open after everything.
Yeah, so, listen, I, um… (Luanne continues)
I’m still trying to figure this place out,
you know, see how Michael was doing everything,
and I wanna get your money.
(video game dying effect)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I miss him.
Uh, I miss him, too. Yeah.
(indistinct yell outside)
Okay. (video game beep)
No, it’s good. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Thanks anyway. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Alright. Bye. (indistinct singing)
(hangs up) (video game effects)
(indistinct yell) Fuck!
VIDEO GAME: Ball Breaker! (beeping)
…broken! (video game effects)
Shut up! TINA: No, no, no. Puta!
Don’t unplug it.
I know what that means, Tina.
You unplug it, it won’t work again.
GAME: Bonus! When was the last time you emptied these?
I don’t know.
♪ ♪
(click) (clattering)
♪ Let’s dance, fuck you ♪
Hey, ChiChi, it’s Carmy. Still got that meat connect?
(L train rumbling) (cars honking, traffic noise)
(rumbling) (indistinct singing)
(ding)
VOICES: Oh! I’ll have what she’s having!
You cut vegetables like a bitch.
Don’t wipe your hands on your apron, Chef.
Jeff? Chef.
(sizzling)
♪ ♪
(door opens)
We got issues. This arcuate’s painted.
Yeah, no shit it is.
They conserved copper during World War II.
That’s why there’s no rivets? That’s why no rivets.
How the fuck do you not know that? Because I fuckin’ don’t.
This is original Big E redline selvage, alright?
From 1944. You can get 1,250 for that on eBay tonight.
CHICHI: And I’d still be five and a half short. Add this.
(coins rattling) What am I, a Coinstar?
That’s like three hundo, ChiChi! Three hundo plus what?
Plus a 1955 blanketlined Type 3.
CHICHI: Pleated? Pleated.
Boom.
♪ ♪
(sizzling)
VIDEO GAME: Ball Breaker!
♪ ♪
CARMY: Hey, Sugar. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look, II need your help.
No.
No, no, no, no. It’s not like that.
Yeah, I need that, uh, jacket that Mike gave me.
Yeah. Look, can you, uh, can you bring it here?
Thank you. Okay. Yeah, yeah. Alright. Alright. Bye.
Hi. Hello.
CARMY: Hi. II’m Sydney.
I called about the sous position, I’m staging today.
Right. Shit. Sorry. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.
Carmy. Um, here, gimme your… Thank you. Hey. Uh, yes.
CARMY: Uh, Alinea, Smoque, Avec.
That’s some serious heat. What’s, uh…
What’s UPS? That’s in Chicago? Uh,
United Parcel Service…
CARMY: Shit. That’s the UPS. The one The mail Yeah…
Yeah. Um, what’d you what’d you do for them? Drove.
Paid my way through culinary school, so…
CIA? Uh, CIA, yeah.
Okay, so what are you doing here?
You know, this, um,
this was my dad’s favorite spot when I was a kid.
Come here every Sunday.
Special place.
Good. Um…
Okay, so you know the drill. We, uh…
you’re gonna make family.
It’s meat plus three, and wwe eat around 2:00.
Yeah, heard. Dope. Cool.
CARMY: What’s up?
Can I just, like, ask you a question maybe? Of course. Yeah.
I know who you are.
Oh, yeah? Yeah, II mean…
you were the most excellent CDC
at the most excellent restaurant
in the entire United States of America.
So, what are you doing here? I guess.
Making sandwiches.
♪ Yeah… ♪
Tina… Ebraheim? Carmen! Where is beef?
It’s in the oven. Tina, can you start
a new giardiniera for me please, Chef? I need my fennel first, Jeff.
EBRAHEIM: Carmen. I need my beef! CARMY: Ebraheim…
Then I do onion, then I do potatoes. We have system.
Aight, but you can punch ’em, blanch ’em,
freeze ’em, fry ’em before the beef, right?
Don’t mess up our place! I’m not missing anything up.
Chef, no! Please, please, do not touch that.
This is the one time you listen to me.
Please do not touch that.
That’s been going for 12 hours, okay?
That’s my pot, Jeff.
Everybody know. That’s her pot.
Use another pot, please, Chef. Alright? Corner!
♪ ‘Cause it just don’t end ♪
Hey, Marcus, I need a double order of bread today,
okay, Chef? Come on, Carmy, I been telling you
for the past two weeks the mixer’s fucked,
and I gotta do all this by hand.
Plus, Tina keeps messing with the temperature
and it’s fucking up my rise. TINA: No inglés.
Tina, I know you speak English! Listen,
Marcus, we’re not meeting dailies, alright?
Vendors are cutting us off. I don’t have the money
to fix it right this second,
but I will get you a new mixer. Okay?
I promise you. Yeah? EBRAHEIM: Carmen! Buzzer!
Alright, that’s the beef. Come on, gimme a hand.
♪ I said I don’t give a damn ♪
Corner! Smaller fry scoops today, Chef. Behind!
Not system! CARMY: What is this system?
Michael’s system. Carmen, there is a girl.
Yeah, that’s Sydney. She’s helping us out today.
Michael’s system makes no sense I’m saying something!
Marcus, I say something. You are my favorite bitch.
Oh, your English is gettin’ tight, Zeebs.
You kidnap a ship captain?
Your mom teach me during sex.
Oh, that’s not cool. I’m fucking with you.
That’s how you do it! (laughter)
Yo yo yo. CARMY: Hey yo, Gary!
You set up a compost for me today, Chef?
After I do my thing in the place.
That’s very clear. Thank you.
Behind. Behind.
Hey, Chef, is there, like, a family shelf or something? Behind!
Shelf? Sorry, um… (speaks Spanish)
(speaking Spanish)
(Spanish, overly friendly)
Fuck off.
Gracias. (door shuts)
Bottom right side of walkin. (sighs) Thanks, Chef.
♪ ♪
♪ Like that all rough ♪ Yo, this shit looks different.
Corner… Yo, you. MARCUS: Yo, family!
Fucking with my program, cousin?
Program started four hours ago.
RICHIE: I had the kid all morning. Excuse me.
Listen, what is going on with Ballbreaker?
My Insta’s completely blowing up.
MARCUS: You got like 30 followers, dog.
Yeah, I got What is that, a diss?
I got 36 followers… (laughter)
(bell ringing, kitchen chatter)
We need the business! Nerds come in from Rockford to play.
Yeah, like in 1987. You know, when you were still in
that deadbeat’s balls. How are you?
TINA: Good. How was the recital?
Oh my god, she murdered it, Tina!
I gotta Hhold on.
Listen, you gotta run this stuff by me first. I don’t have to do shit.
Hold on. Listen, let’s just have a conversation for a second!
Whoa. Fuck is this? This is Sydney. I’m staging today.
You’re whating today? CARMY: That’s Sydney.
She’s helping us out today.
Cousin, you ordering a different mayonnaise, bro? …bananas?
No, all you, Chef. Yeah, “All you, Chef.” This biff,
he was usin’ them to make a giant nut muffin! CARMY: It was a play on
a Panettone. It woulda been beautiful
if you’d let me finish it. Fuck! Cousin! Fuck you!
Richie Jerimovich. Pleasure to meet you, sweetheart.
Don’t say sweetheart, you fucking weirdo. Oh sorry,
Carm, you’re so woke. I meant nothing by it,
Sydney. Saying sweetheart
is just part of our Italian heritage.
That’s beautiful. Thank you. TINA: Corner!
Okay Listen, I’m trying to talk to you, okay?
Don’t be rude and start doing a million things
I don’t have time for this right now. I don’t remember having time
to take care of your mom for six months. Don’t you fucking
No, don’t you fucking! I got all kinds of receipts
from my divorce lawyer backing up ’cause all the time I spent
trying to put your family back together
’cause you’re too much of a cocksucker to come home!
The guys are texting me.
You’re telling them to do all sorts of weird shit backwards.
Don’t fucking do that, Carmen!
(muffled) Don’t go messing with their heads and ordering
different mayonnaise and hiring new fucking broads
without talking to me first!
This is your brother’s house, okay? Yeah? Remember?
I was running it fine without you.
Why didn’t he leave it to you then?
(door opens)
Low on olive oil, Carmen. Heard.
♪ ♪
♪ Huh huh huh ♪
Where’s my knife?!
Chefs, we gotta sharpen our knives
when we got a sec! RICHIE: You gotta sharpen
your brain when we get a second.
(Tina laughs) You been here for two weeks,
we been having money problems for two weeks.
One plus one equals you’re an asshole, Bobby Flay.
Don’t call me Bobby Flay! Sydney, stir
that pot for me, please, Chef. Yes, Chef.
You want a cartouche? What’s a cartouche?
What’s our best day here? Five.
Okay, Ebraheim, get me a pot for the giardiniera!
So if we do six, that’ll get us through the week, right?
So, Ballbreaker. RICHIE: Just make it easy
and make the fucking spaghetti! Don’t say spaghetti!
All these knives are dull! Spaghetti’s the biggest seller, Carm.
That shit was straightup fire. Straightup done now, Chef. Behind.
Yeah, but why? Because fucking 11 Madison Park
dickhead over here, he couldn’t figure it out!
CARMY: Housekeeping, Chefs! RICHIE: Again, what the fuck are you saying?
Anyone understand what he’s saying?
Housekeeping means you have to clean your stations
’cause this place is fuckin’ gross.
I refer to everybody as Chef because it’s a sign of respect,
and I never said I couldn’t figure out the spaghetti.
I said it doesn’t make any sense on this menu,
so it is done. The end.
Three hours to open, Chefs! (ticking)
Who are you yelling at, Carmy? There’s like four of us in here.
Now, let me ask you something.
If the spaghetti didn’t make any sense,
how come everybody fucking loved that shit?
MARCUS: Everybody did love it. Everybody doesn’t have any taste.
It was an underseasoned oversauced mess.
It took seven hours to prep.
RICHIE: Oh, fuck!
You know what? This shit right here
made you pompous and delusional
and a fucking gayrod!
These guys, they taught you how to cook with ants,
but none of these fuckwads taught you how to make a pasta!
Probably should learn how to make pasta, Carmy.
A, I know how to make pasta, Marcus.
B, I hate to break your hearts, motherfuckers,
but that gluey, mushy bullshit
is not bailing us out this time.
Ballbreaker is. Fak’s raising plays
to a dollar, so shut the fuck up!
Who the fuck is Fak? Tina! Did you take my knife, Chef?
Did you take my pot, Jeff?
(laughs)
Fuck! RICHIE: Neil Fak!
This fucking fairy’s buttbuddy. He’s
Whoa!
Why is the beef so hot?
MARCUS: ‘Cause we just took it out.
Two hours late? Two hours longer!
Wrigley didn’t deliver enough meat this week.
Why didn’t Wrigley deliver? Because we’re out of money!
The only beef I could get
was bonein, which you have to braise, alright?
It takes two hours longer. The good news is
we can stretch it by cutting the bread shorter… Call Wrigley.
…and using less gravy. Call Wrigley! Which is not how we have ever done
a beef here in 25 years, Carm!
(singing) System, baby. System!
You can barely afford to pay people, but sick system. Don’t fucking
talk to me about labor, Noma!
I thought this was your house!
♪ ♪
Fuck all this.
Announcement! Listen up!
Bread stays the same!
Gravy stays the same!
♪ Let it go, baby ♪
♪ Now ♪
♪ I’m gonna kick back down and see ♪
VIDEO GAME: Ballbreaker!
A buck’s not gonna get ’em anywhere, Bear.
It’s just too difficult. Yeah, Fak, that’s the point.
It’s already ultra confusing. Yeah, homie,
itit’s a Norwegian knockoff of Mortal Kombat.
Part of the reason why this machine got recalled
in the first place, aside from the excessive
and irresponsible violence, is it’s just too difficult!
It’s a fighter and a fucking scroller.
(game effects) Also, sorry.
I didn’t make it to the funeral.
I sent flowers,
and I really hope they looked nice. I don’t know. I wasn’t there.
How long’s this gonna take? It’s gonna take an hour.
Aight, it’s gotta be faster. Yo, Sweeps,
can open up the windows in the back, please?
SWEEPS: Later. Carmy, you’re bleeding!
Shit! Man, stupid dullass knife!
EBRAHEIM: Corner!
You’re making me queasy. Fucking damn it, Ebraheim!
Carmen, your fault! Say corner! Blood! You see?
Good! Good! Y’all happy now?
Can I have my fucking knife back?!
(all shouting)
♪ ♪
(fluorescent lights buzzing)
(deep rumbling)
(soft animal growling)
(growling, snarling)
(roaring)
(Richie speaking indistinctly)
(shuts off radio) RICHIE: Ebraheim, I swear to God,
she looks fucking beautiful. You would’ve lost your mind.
That’s fire, Chef. RICHIE: And all of a sudden,
the guy’s back in my face!
CARMY: Hey!
Guys, look, we gotta line up! (clapping)
We got service in an hour, alright?
RICHIE: I’m like, listen, if you’re gonna get in my face,
we’re gonna have a problem.
CARMY: Hey! Cousin!
Yeah, one second. Seriously, I wanna start defining our roles
a little bit more clearly, alright? Hold on a second here.
We’re just Hold on a second. Cousin. Seriously, Cousin!
Trying to get some work done here, capiche?
MARCUS: This the dude from the hot dog stand?
RICHIE: This is his twin brother… Fucking lying.
…which I found out later! I found out later.
MARCUS: You lying!
But at this point, I think it’s the guy from the hot dog stand,
and I’m like, listen, go home already!
(laughter) Get the fuck outta here!
Oh my god! I’m like…
So, I’m like, okay, now there’s a problem.
I’m trying to enjoy my tacos, you’re ruining my date, right?
So, this guy, he pulls out a revolver.
MARCUS: Come on. Swear to God! And I’m like, oh my god,
whwhere did you get that? What, did you steal that
from the museum gift shop? (police siren)
You know, like, who are you? Mr. Bogart?
Please, what are we doing here… (fades out) (police radio chatter)
(“Via Chicago” by Wilco playing)
(sizzling)
Hey, Tina, I gotta go see my sister.
You hold down the fort? Yeah, sure. Listen, Jeff.
How come your sister don’t come by here no more?
Oh, you gotta ask her.
♪ I dreamed about killing you… ♪
Hi. Yo. You didn’t put it in a bag or anything?
That’s how you say hello to me?
Hi. Hi there!
♪ Dying on the banks ♪
♪ Of Embarcadero skies ♪
♪ I sat and watched you bleed ♪
You smell like this place.
Hi. (clears throat)
Sorry. I just… hate seeing you here.
Yeah, well…
♪ Your cold, hot blood ran away from me ♪
These labels.
Marcus! What?
Where are the chili flakes? It’s the most Polish shit ever.
Cousin organizes it, it’s more confusing Right there.
Labeled “chili flakes.”
What does Sweeps stand for?
SWEEPS: I swept St. Louis three times and had a nohitter.
My real last name is Woods.
♪ ♪
♪ I printed my name on the back of a leaf ♪
♪ And I watched it float away ♪
You talk to Mom?
No. Uh… I know she’d love to see you.
No, I know, I know. I just…
(inhales)
♪ The wind blew me back… ♪
(clicks tongue)
I’ve been trying to call you. You haven’t called me back.
Yeah, no, I know. I just I’ve been busy.
I’ve been working, so…
Uncle Jimmy wants to buy this place. It’s not for sale.
I know. That’s what I wanted to tell you. That it’s not for sale?
No, that I think we should sell it to him.
So he can flip it into an Applebee’s?
No, no, II’m trying to to do something here, Sugar.
Okay, I was so excited for you to come home.
♪ Via Chicago… ♪
Gotta go. Um…
Okay. (scoffs)
I’m okay.
Okay? (mouthing) Okay.
I’m gonna fix this place.
♪ Searching for home… ♪
No one’s asking you to.
♪ Searching for home via Chicago ♪
Um, I really I gotta go, okay?
Bear. Yeah?
I love you.
Thank you for this.
(creaks, shuts)
(mouthing) You’re welcome.
(sighs)
SWEEPS: Welcome back.
Time to try the new sandwiches. Behind!
Corner!
Marcus, rolls, please, Chef!
(clatters) Fuck. Again!
That’s crumbly! It’s too dense!
MARCUS: Doing it by hand!
Yo. It’s the mixer.
It’s not the mixer, alright? It’s crumbly.
The oven’s too dry.
You need to fill a baking sheet with water,
put it on the oven floor, throw in another batch, okay?
Don’t tell me how to do my job. Just do it!
CARMY: Yo! Somebody come try this! Cousin!
RICHIE: Yeah, right!
(mumbling) There you go, Chef.
Chef.
What’s goin’ on? What do you think?
It’s redundant and white, just like you.
CARMY: Heard, heard, heard.
Tina. Salt? Beef? It’s tender? (moaning)
Very good, puta! It’s nice? We happy? Happy?
Alright, alright. (clapping)
Yo, Sydney!
Try this business.
Oh, fuck. Mmhmm. You know that’s fire.
Yeah, fuckin’ fire. Mmhmm.
So, how you gonna pass the family test?
Delicious or impressive?
Delicious is impressive.
Word. Word…
♪ ♪
(crowd chanting outside)
That dude looks like a carrot.
FAK: Is that a fucking carrot?
MARCUS: I mean, it’s clearly a carrot.
Do you not know what a carrot looks like?
We’re gonna need more bread.
See, it’s all good till it starts making this weird
“guggugguggug” sound. Oh my god,
that’s a classic sound with these fucking pieces of shit.
Hey, did you know Michael?
Dude, he was like one of my best friends,
but then fuckin’ it got dark at the end…
Corner! How we looking on that bread?
Coming out soon. Fak, watch your back.
Hey, ChiChi, yeah, come get your jacket. Corner!
Yo! Yo! Fak, how we looking?
Dude, I’m gonna be able to fix this, dude.
Do you have any, like, stale bread? Thank you. Right there.
RICHIE: Corner! Chef! Corner! Behind…
Fak, watch it.
CARMY: Hey, I’ll pay you in sandwich, yeah?
Deal! No shit deal!
Oh, fuck off, man. Hey, was Richie always an asshole?
Dude, always and forever. Dude, he’s the fucking worst.
Mm, yeah. He sucks. Dude, he’s not a nice guy.
He’s just He’s sad inside. Yeah.
Fak…
Dude…
♪ ♪
Yo, family’s up! Yeah! Woo! Let’s do this!
(clapping)
FAK: Oh my gosh. I smell… That looks so good!
SWEEPS: Damn, Sydney! FAK: Let’s go!
(overlapping excited chatter)
What do we got going on over here?
SYDNEY: Yeah, we got a stew,
rice, plantains, and a little fennel salad.
Alright, I’m interested. Ebra, yo, let’s do this.
EBRAHEIM: I bring my own. This looks like shit.
RICHIE: Oh, come on. (Tina laughs)
Don’t pay any attention.
FAK: That’s not nice. That’s not nice.
EBRAHEIM: I don’t eat pork.
SYDNEY: It’s not pork. It’s beef. MARCUS: He never eats.
EBRAHEIM: It look like pork. RICHIE: Alright, alright, I’ll start. I’ll start.
I’m grateful for Philip K. Dick. Fak, you’re up.
FAK: Me?! Uh, II’m tha uh…
thankful for mymy cats Ralph.
TINA: They both named Ralph?
FAK: Yeah. It’s just, like, it’s easier that way.
Ralph and Ralph.
RICHIE: Alright, Tina, you’re up. What’s up?
I’m grateful for all y’all motherfuckers.
(friendly jeers) Look at you, fucking softy!
I guess I’m grateful that…
Richie didn’t come in here wearing that cologne today
that he always be wearing. You know, it smell like
a pine tree and shit. (laughter)
EBRAHEIM: Smell like onion under arm.
(laughter)
Onion under arm!
SYDNEY: Chef, you want a plate? All good. Thank you, Chef.
TINA: You can have mine if you change your mind.
(crowd chanting outside) What?
I just never had plátanos with, like, grass on it.
Yo, shit. Cousin, Cousin. (laughter)
Cousin, yo, it’s getting crazy out there.
Come give me a hand.
RICHIE: Nah, bro.
This is on you.
Yo, Tina, how about these plátanos though, right?
Yo, really? Yeah, really.
This isn’t my house, remember?
TINA: I didn’t say I didn’t like ’em.
She was just She was just saying she was… You didn’t eat them.
CROWD: Blockers! Blockers! Blockers!
CARMY: Yo! Eh!
(chanting) Everybody relax! Things are fucking alright!
Yo!
Eh, stop banging on the fucking glass! My guy, stop banging
Get off me, cocksucker! Fuck you, man!
(overlapping punching, yelling)
(video game music)
(gunshot) (crowd hushes)
♪ Breaker… ♪
Merry Christmas, Lizards.
Sounds like we got a real problem out here.
Any of you IncelQAnon4Chan…
SnyderCut motherfuckers wanna out of line now?
(quiet murmuring) Anybody?
Yeah.
Didn’t think so.
Cousin.
(grunts)
You alright? Thank you.
So we’re gonna have a little tournament here today.
We are gonna be on our best behavior.
We’re not gonna scare any of the regulars.
We’re not gonna touch ’em.
We’re not gonna look at ’em all weird.
We’re not gonna do any of that spectral shit!
Yes? Good. You’re gonna purchase
one Italian Beef combo to enter. Now,
this is a single elimination tourney,
so you lose, you get the fuck out.
(murmuring, laughing) No two ways about it. You win…
free Italian Ice for a year. (cheering)
(hollering) Also…
Also…
Also…
I hate litter.
So, you cucks are gonna clean up after yourselves,
and you’re gonna goddamn recycle.
Fuck you.
Cousin, how fucking dope is that?! (door shuts) Not dope at all.
What are you talking about? I brought that crowd in!
That’s a lot of money out there! That we’re not prepped for!
I shoulda let those turkeys eat you, Carmy, I swear to God.
Today was not the day to go fucking with the system.
System, system! Cousin Hey, I don’t care.
I do not care what you do up in Napa
with your fucking tweezers and your foie gras.
You got no fuckin’ idea what you’re doing here!
None! Zero!
So we are gonna stick with what works,
and we are gonna fuckin’ make sure
we got enough food to feed these fuckin’ dorks.
So get your ass back in there,
and you make that fuckin’ spaghetti.
Sydney…
Sorry about the gun, babe. I had to get real.
(quiet kitchen noise) (sizzling)
(rattles pan)
(video game effects, chatter)
Mm…
Goddamn…
Yo, Carm. Check it.
That’s good. You see that difference?
Big time. Steam tray. You were right. Yep.
You can throw down, huh?
Hey, grab me a fresh parm brick?
(grating)
Heard, Chef.
(stops grating)
(sauce bubbling)
(kettle whistling) (opening can)
(whistling gets louder)
(“Animal” by Pearl Jam)
♪ One, two, three, four, five against one ♪
♪ Five, five, five against one ♪
♪ Said one, two, three, four, five against one ♪
♪ Five, five, five, five, five against one ♪
♪ Torture from you to ♪
♪ Me, yeah ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
♪ Abducted from the street… ♪
