Portillo's

[wadesworld]

Coming to Brookfield.

Now if we can just add an In-N-Out Burger, a legit deep dish pizza (Gino's would be my preference, but wouldn't hate Lou's or Giordano's), and get global warming to get rid of 90% of winter and add that to summer, this would be the greatest city ever!

[MUsoxfan]

Don't get too excited

The quality has slipped since it was bought by a private equity firm. It's still good, but not what it used to be

[🏀]

Don't get too excited

The quality has slipped since it was bought by a private equity firm. It's still good, but not what it used to be

Nailed it, but it's still better than anything in the Milwaukee market.

[wadesworld]

Don't get too excited

The quality has slipped since it was bought by a private equity firm. It's still good, but not what it used to be

When I last had it probably a year and a few months ago it was still great.  And there's really nothing in Milwaukee that provides anything similar to what Portillo's has, so this is definitely a big win.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Coming to Brookfield.

Now if we can just add an In-N-Out Burger, a legit deep dish pizza (Gino's would be my preference, but wouldn't hate Lou's or Giordano's), and get global warming to get rid of 90% of winter and add that to summer, this would be the greatest city ever!

I find that funny in the interesting sort of way cause Gino's is my absolute least favorite of the 3 and it's not even close.

[Freeport Warrior]

Right by my house, too! A Cubs victory tonight would be even better news. I am totally with ChitownSpace on the pizza -- Gino's is better than anything we have up here (other than Pizzaman thin crust) — but it's Lou's all the way and it's now even close! Highlight of my upcoming weekend of daughter's soccer tourney in Schaumburg is the team meal at LMs.

[wadesworld]

I always thought Gino's was 1 but pretty much the same as Lou's at 2, and Giordano's a fairly distant 3, but still pretty dang good.

Recently I have only really eaten at Giordano's, so it's been a few years since Gino's and Lou's.  If I remember correctly, one has a sauce that doesn't really have very big pieces of tomato chunks in it, while the other seemed to have a sauce with almost entire slices of tomato in it?  If this is the case, which was which?  I don't like tomatoes, so I remember that being the difference in which one I liked better, and I thought it was Gino's that did not have the big pieces of tomato in the sauce.

[Goose]

Big time jacked over this. Cannot wait for them to open. Best part is nearby the crib.

[Skatastrophy]

Right by my house, too! A Cubs victory tonight would be even better news. I am totally with ChitownSpace on the pizza -- Gino's is better than anything we have up here (other than Pizzaman thin crust) — but it's Lou's all the way and it's now even close! Highlight of my upcoming weekend of daughter's soccer tourney in Schaumburg is the team meal at LMs.

Give Pizzeria Scotty a try. Their Chicago Pan style pizza is awesome, and I'm partial to the Pepperoni Supreme toppings. If you get an order of their Deep Fried Garlic Bread Sticks you'll be hooked.

It's not as good as Lou Malnati's, but better than Giordano's (imo).

[warriorchick]

Coming to Brookfield.

Now if we can just add an In-N-Out Burger, a legit deep dish pizza (Gino's would be my preference, but wouldn't hate Lou's or Giordano's), and get global warming to get rid of 90% of winter and add that to summer, this would be the greatest city ever!

Yeah, In-n-Out's not happening.  It's completely family owned, no franchising, and the family is not particularly interested in expanding this far east.

[🏀]

Lou has better sausage patty, but Gino has better crust.

Toss up for me.

You guys can't drive to Lake Geneva for Gino's?

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Lou has better sausage patty, but Gino has better crust.

Toss up for me.

You guys can't drive to Lake Geneva for Gino's?

I've actually been to that Gino's. When I would have nights out at the camp I worked at in Burlington, my dad would come up and we'd drive there for pizza. Honestly better than some of the Gino's joints in Chicago. Wonder if it has to do with amount of people.

[Spotcheck Billy]

Give Pizzeria Scotty a try. Their Chicago Pan style pizza is awesome, and I'm partial to the Pepperoni Supreme toppings. If you get an order of their Deep Fried Garlic Bread Sticks you'll be hooked.

It's not as good as Lou Malnati's, but better than Giordano's (imo).

Even though I think the name is kind of lame I agree about Pizzaria Scotty being pretty good including the Chicago pan style. Our go to is still Marco's on 27th near College, love that sweet sauce: http://marcospizzamilwaukee.com/

[wadesworld]

Lou has better sausage patty, but Gino has better crust.

Toss up for me.

You guys can't drive to Lake Geneva for Gino's?

I had no idea there was one in Lake Geneva.  Definitely will look into that.

[real chili 83]

Gepetto's in Oak Park used to make a good deep dish back in the day. Legs, are they as good as I rember!

[Dr. Blackheart]

No Pizano's Milwaukee love here?  Malnati kin.  Malnati's roots go back their Pizzaria Uno, btw.  The original, not the crappy chain.

[Lennys Tap]

No Pizano's Milwaukee love here?  Malnati kin.  Malnati's roots go back their Pizzaria Uno, btw.  The original, not the crappy chain.

I live close to a Malnati's and a Pizano's. Prefer the latter.

[MU82]

Pequod's in Chicago on Clybourn kicks all the other deep-dish pizzas' arses. (I think there's another Pequod's in Morton Grove or Skokie, too, but that's it.)

Mmm. Mouth watering as I think about it from here in N.C., where there is NO pizza worth eating.

[Chili]

Pequod's in Chicago on Clybourn kicks all the other deep-dish pizzas' arses. (I think there's another Pequod's in Morton Grove or Skokie, too, but that's it.)

Mmm. Mouth watering as I think about it from here in N.C., where there is NO pizza worth eating.

This! I have also heard Burt's Place in Morton Grove is awesome as well. Pequods is the only deep dish I will eat - the other stuff is terrible.

[warriorchick]

This! I have also heard Burt's Place in Morton Grove is awesome as well. Pequods is the only deep dish I will eat - the other stuff is terrible.

Don't we have an entirely separate thread for this?

[ChicosBailBonds]

We have a Portillo's out here, only 5 minutes away.  I'm surprised taking that long to expand into Brookfield.  It's a Chicago restaurant...yes?  I honestly don't know.

[JWags85]

Pequod's in Chicago on Clybourn kicks all the other deep-dish pizzas' arses. (I think there's another Pequod's in Morton Grove or Skokie, too, but that's it.)

Mmm. Mouth watering as I think about it from here in N.C., where there is NO pizza worth eating.

I'm not much of a deep dish fan, but Art of Pizza on Ashland in between Diversey and Belmont is also very good.  We discovered it by accident living nearby.  Their delivery radius isn't huge, but they can compete with anyone.

We have a Portillo's out here, only 5 minutes away.  I'm surprised taking that long to expand into Brookfield.  It's a Chicago restaurant...yes?  I honestly don't know.

They have 2 in Cali and 2 in Arizona I believe, but other than that, everything is Chicagoland.  I believe there is a Tampa location opening next year.  Wide expansion wasn't so much a goal, the locations opening outside of the Midwest have been to cater to displaced Chicagoans.

[warriorchick]

We have a Portillo's out here, only 5 minutes away.  I'm surprised taking that long to expand into Brookfield.  It's a Chicago restaurant...yes?  I honestly don't know.

Actually, it started out as a mobile hot dog stand in Villa Park (suburbs FTW!).  jsglow has actually met Mr. Portillo.  He had a great story about the many banks that denied him a $750 loan so it could have running water.  Once he was super successful and they came knocking on his door begging for his business, he derived great pleasure in telling them all to go pound sand.

It got bought out by a venture capital firm within the last few years. I don't know if they expanded to California before or after that, but my guess is that they opened there first because of all the Chicago transplants that live out there that apparently couldn't get a decent hot dog to save their lives. 

[Goose]

Warriorchick

Very cool story and thanks for sharing. I knew some of the history but your post made a bigger fan of the joint. I am going to have to watch myself and not overdue once it opens.

[RushmoreAcademy]

I live a few minutes from a Portillo's, and while it may not be what it once was, it's still pretty darn good.  Don't forget about the chocolate cake either.