CHICAGO — Claudia Dietrich and Ross Lloyd boarded a bus bound for the hottest tourist spot in the River North neighborhood. While their guide rattled off Chicago trivia, the couple snapped photos from every angle — even the alley. They weren’t deterred by the winding line out the front door.

“This is something that brought us to Chicago, there’s no doubt about that,” said Dietrich, a 72-year-old Milwaukee resident.

Their destination? Mr. Beef, the no-frills sandwich joint featured on Hulu’s smash hit, “The Bear.” It’s the first stop on their guided food tour inspired by the series.

A traditional Chicago sandwich shop may seem like an unconventional excursion. But since “The Bear” debuted, tourists have flocked in droves to Mr. Beef, which opened in River North in 1963. With Season 3’s release, its cult following is surging with renewed enthusiasm.

Just ask one of the food tour’s 30 patrons, who were bused to six restaurants in River North, the West Loop and Logan Square the afternoon of June 28. Many of the restaurants on the tour served as filming locations for the series.

“I just think the show is so authentic,” Dietrich said after sampling an Italian beef sandwich with giardiniera. “And you can practically taste the food when you watch.”

“The Bear” follows Carmy, a young gourmet chef who seeks to transform his late brother’s sandwich shop into a fine dining establishment. There, he clashes with the diverse, unpretentious staff in often anxiety-inducing kitchen scenes — most of which were shot at Mr. Beef.

The series has been lauded for its unflinching portrayals of the restaurant industry and lovable characters, winning six Primetime Emmys this year including best comedy series.

Chicago Food & City Tours began the themed excursions in November after months of requests from guests. The tour is modeled after Season 2, Episode 3, when sous chef Sydney treks across the city to try different restaurants — not unlike a food tour, said Hannah Gleeson, the company’s director of operations.

“It just became really evident that there was a demand, and people wanted it,” Gleeson said. “Our team had been longtime fans of ‘The Bear.’ So, why not try to give people that same experience?”

After Mr. Beef, guests sampled potstickers from Time Out Market, pepperoni pizza at Pizza Lobo, doughnuts at Roeser’s Bakery, hot fudge sundaes at Margie’s Candies and drinks at the Green Door Tavern.

TNS