Portillo's & Barnelli's Chicago

This is my first time for Portillo’s Barnelli’s Chicago. The restaurant was very spacious to sit. I ordered regular size hot dogs, fried onion rings, and Diet Coke. The hotdog was with very spongy bread, juicy meat, not sour pickle and cucumber. With the pickle, the hotdog is more savory. Fried onion rings are extra crispy and sweet. Very nice. Service is great as well. I would like to revisit here. -Flavor : 95 out of 100 -Service : 85 out of 100 -Price : 100 out of 100 (Very reasonable)

What a delightful place. So much to take in with the decor. The Chicago dog (without the bright green relish for me) was super yummy. The Italian dipped was huge but only okay in flavor. After 2 bites it just was bland to us. Neat place to go to for lunch. And we were lucky. It wasn’t packed at 1pm Saturday. The prices were very reasonable.

Had a fantastic time at Portillo’s in Chicago! The Chicago-style hot dogs were a standout—loved that the pickles were served on the side, letting the grilled veggies’ flavors shine. Not too greasy or heavy, just perfect. The fries with cheese dip were also a hit; the cheese was so good that we dipped our hot dogs in it. The customer-friendly interior allowed us to take out our orders or enjoy our meal inside the restaurant. A delightful experience with delicious food and a welcoming atmosphere!

I had the Crispy Chicken Sandwich here. The taste was pretty good. I also had the Chocolate Cake Shake, and it was decent. It was too sweet for me, and the cake hadn’t been mixed appropriately. The ambience here is unique - There is a mix of a Native American theme and Sports Memorabilia. You will have to pick up your order from the counter at Portillo’s, because there is no table service here. That said, it is impressive how they manage to have a quick preparation time even when it is crowded. If you haven’t visited Portillo’s before, it is definitely worth trying out. I would get the Spicy Chicken Sandwich for sure!

Veggie dog ! But Chicago style - with all the toppings like relish and raw onions. My friend got one too and enjoyed it. We got a small fries and a small onion rings. In my opinion the small fries is more than enough for one person, unless you are really hungry. I think the fries were better than the onion rings too - just get fries . The small diet coke was HUGE though, I wasn't expecting that and definitely would not have gotten it had I known how big it was . This was right around the corner from my hotel at the Best Western. Literally 1 block. Big inside with lots of tables. Good for an inexpensive lunch and was nice to finally try the famous Chicago style hot dog . The plant based one is called Garden dog I think.

*** Italian Beef Part II *** It's the second part of my, "I never had an Italian Beef sandwich until now," confession. This was the second stop on my try them out tour, so if you're looking for the rest of the story, you'll have to visit my Al' #1 Italian Beef review. With that said let's get to it. Personally, I've eaten at Portillo's many times, every time getting hot dogs (reference my Wienerschnitzel review for more hot related activities). If it wasn't for my friend, a Chicago lifer, and the only reason I visit, I would be totally unaware of the Italian Beef. The Portillo's experience is actually pretty consistent across the board. As a matter of fact, I can barely tell the difference between many of their locations once I'm inside. The service has already been pretty good, and this location was no different. So, what about the sandwich? I hate to disappoint, but it was indistinguishable from Al's, which is why both reviews are four stars. I'm that way, I'm not sure if I should be disappointed or excited. The fact that Chicago has all but standardized a great sandwich can be appreciated, but the lack of variety also makes it ubiquitous. At this point, I'm not sure if there would be a noticeable difference no matter where I went. This is in direct contrast to the sandwich to which it's always compared, the Philly Cheese Steak, which has a unique twist in almost every location. In the end , it's a great sandwich, and a great experience.