When trying to figure out what to get for takeout is always a chore but the simple truth is, Portillo's is the go to 90% of the time. I usually order through the app or go inside but the parking lot was full so I decided to go to the drive through cause they have a pretty good system and I think they prioritize drive through. I didn't wait long for the order. As for the order, 2 Hotdogs, 1 Garden Dog, 2 Large Fries, 1 Large Cheese Fry, and Slice of Chocolate Cake. Nothing much to say other than if you have not had a Chicago Dog, then you need to go to Portillo's. I grew up in Chicago and the Chicago Dog from little mom and pop shops are great and Portillo's is up there. I like this location cause of the service. The food is always good.

you know, I just love this place, they have all that crazy crap on the wall, the bathrooms are clean, the service is polite and friendly. Super busy at 6:30pm on a Saturday evening. Food is dependably enjoyable.

Coming back to Chicago I HAVE to get an Italian Beef, Hot Dog, Fries and Chocolate Cake Shake. Portillo's is a MUST for these classic Chicago items.

Say good-bye to their summer lemon cake and hello to their new salted caramel spice cake! At an introductory offer of just $1 per slice (with purchase of any entree) through Sept., it is something you don't want to miss out on. It's beyond amazing, especially the frosting. Moist and richly decadent overall. Treat yourself to it this fall. Besides Italian beef, Portillo's makes the best cakes!!!

Review Visit: August 22nd, 2016 An icon of Illinois indulgence. It wasn't until a few years after I started traveling that Portillo's was mentioned to me. My friend Chad is the one who brought it to my attention and once he started talking about it, he would not stop. He told me every time he stopped there with his family and made it out to be the best thing he's ever had. That's some hype that I was going to put to the test as some point. My girlfriend and I were up in Chicago for a Luke Bryan concert, I think, and stayed overnight. During the drive home, I mentioned Portillo's and she was on board. All I had to do was tell her about these cake shakes they are known for. Since Portillo's is centrally located around Chicago, we made plans to hit up on that was just outside the city to avoid traffic and large crowds. We found one in Arlington Heights that was perfect for our requirements. We were able to find it easily with the help of our GPS. We both got giddy to try out this legendarily-hyped place. As we entered, it was an assault on the visual senses. It seemed that every inch of the walls were holding some kind of poster, case, pictures, etc. On top of that, there was stuff hanging from the ceilings. It was a lot to take in but it didn't stop there. After visually decoding where we order, we stood in the area while letting others pass so we could see how you properly order since it seemed a bit different than your normal place. You tell the cashier exactly what you want and then walk down this line doing... something that I don't recall. Maybe telling the cook how you want your meal prepared. I believe everything is plain until you customize it. They write on your bag what you want and how you want your food prepared from what I remember. Then you wait at the end of the counter for your food to come out. Maybe they bring it to your table but my girlfriend snagged a spot to sit while I waited for the food. I hauled our bit tray of food to the table and we both had a look of 'where do we begin' on our faces. The sheer volume of food that we had was overwhelming. We may have bit off more than we could chew when we ordered. We slowly dug in to our food. I know I got a chili dog of sorts, some fries, a soda and possibly a burger. My girlfriend got a cake shake along with what she ordered so we could both try that out. We set about trying to put the food down but in the end, the food won. We couldn't finish it. Which is a blessing in disguise as we still had 2 hours to drive. No one wants to drive 2 hours on an overstuffed stomach. Did it live up to the hype? For the most part. The cake shake was better than I could've imagined while the food itself was great. Worth the praise but maybe not worth driving 2 hours to get. So, yeah, Chad hyped the place up and it pretty much matched the hype. The only thing I didn't care for was the ordering process and the waiting. It seemed to take forever to get our food despite there not being many people before or after us in line. If you want to see something even more unique about Portillo's. Watch their drive-thru line. They have a person outside before you pull up to the menus to order. What's the purpose of this? I have no idea but it's fun to watch for some reason. I've seen it quite a few times at the newly-opened Peoria location and it's always amusing to watch for some reason.

Loved it! My wife and I were back to Chicago visiting and of course we had to stop at a Portillo's tonight. We shared a Jumbo Chicago Dog and an Italian Beef plus Fries. So good! We live in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX area now and we have 5 Portillo's there but none near us as we live way west in Weatherford. Time for another expansion Portillo's in fast-growing Weatherford, TX!

Stopped in around 9:30pm on a Saturday night with a large group because the dining room is huge and can seat plenty. Service was good and wait time was average because it was pretty busy! We got the Italian Beef Sandwich, the classic Hot Dog and a Cheeseburger. The food at Portillo's is pretty consistent imo so you typically know what you're getting. The Italian Beef or Hot Dog is always a top-tier choice. The Cheeseburger is pretty solid for a fast food spot.

A dear friend who lived in the Chicago area told us to go to Portillo's for our first Italian Beef Sandwich. And - WOW! - it might be super messy to eat but worth every drippy bite. The meat is so flavorful. Ordered it with Mozzarella and spicy peppers, as the worker suggested, and was so happy with it. Also got an Italian sausage sandwich - which was delightful. And the double cheeseburger - clearly made from fresh meat - and fries - that were nice and salty, not to mention crisp. Oh, and Lemonade was refreshing The guy that took our order in the drive-thru was great. He helped us know what to order and took the time to make sure we got what we wanted. The food came out quickly and hot. I am very happy with this meal and would definitely recommend it.