Portillo's

[mu03eng]

Within a mile of my house there is a Portillo's, Lou Malnati's and a Binny's.  I am truly blessed.

Is this you?

[real chili 83]

Same with me, portillos may be a smidge further than a mile but they also just put a giordanos a block away from the Lou's.

Without a Real Chili in the mix, meh.

[Sheriff]

Is this you?

LOL - Fortunately, not even close.  BMI = 22.0.  Moderation is the key.

[warriorchick]

Maybe I am just spoiled because I have lived within a 10-minute drive of a Portillo's for the last 28 years, but I don't get what the big deal is.  It is good, but certainly not worthy of its cult status.

It's just like the whole Krispy Kreme obsession a few years back.  When I was a kid, there was a Krispy Kreme literally next store to my Catholic grade school.  It was simply where we went to get donuts after church, and nothing else.  Years later, I found the amazingly long lines at their new Chicago locations to be highly amusing.

I hope Portillo's doesn't suffer the same long-run fate.

[GooooMarquette]

Maybe I am just spoiled because I have lived within a 10-minute drive of a Portillo's for the last 28 years, but I don't get what the big deal is.  It is good, but certainly not worth of its cult status.

It's just like the whole Krispy Kreme obsession a few years back.  When I was a kid, there was a Krispy Kreme literally next store to my Catholic grade school.  It was simply where we went to get donuts after church, and nothing else.  Years later, I found the amazingly long lines at their new Chicago locations to be highly amusing.

I hope Portillo's doesn't suffer the same long-run fate.

Yeah the Krispy Kreme thing is kinda funny.  I first had some in Nashville around 1990 when I was in law school, and thought they were pretty good, but not exceptional.

Fast forward to 2003 at the FF in New Orleans - on one corner outside Jackson Square was Cafe du Monde; on another was a brand new Krispy Kreme.  My wife and I walked right into CdM and had a great order of hot, fresh beignets...and looked on in amusement at the long line to get into KK.

[MU82]

Maybe I am just spoiled because I have lived within a 10-minute drive of a Portillo's for the last 28 years, but I don't get what the big deal is.  It is good, but certainly not worthy of its cult status.

It's just like the whole Krispy Kreme obsession a few years back.  When I was a kid, there was a Krispy Kreme literally next store to my Catholic grade school.  It was simply where we went to get donuts after church, and nothing else.  Years later, I found the amazingly long lines at their new Chicago locations to be highly amusing.

I hope Portillo's doesn't suffer the same long-run fate.

Agree totally about Krispy Kreme.

Portillo's ... during the 16 years we lived in Chicago, we went there maybe 15-20 times. It wasn't very convenient (our nearest one by far was downtown) but it was very delicious. Going there required effort and was a bit of a "treat."

We've been out of Chicago for 6 years and haven't had a decent beef sammich since, so I probably romanticize Portillo's a bit. If I still lived there and three opened up within a 10-minute drive, yes, the "specialness" would be gone.

BTW, if you live in an area that has Houston's restaurants, or vacation where there is one, they have an incredible French dip sammich. It is prime rib, very lean and sliced thin, and the au jus is wonderful. Of course, it costs about 4-5 times as much as a Portillo's beef sammich does!

[real chili 83]

Al's Beef. None finer.

[Herman Cain]

Maybe I am just spoiled because I have lived within a 10-minute drive of a Portillo's for the last 28 years, but I don't get what the big deal is.  It is good, but certainly not worthy of its cult status.

It's just like the whole Krispy Kreme obsession a few years back.  When I was a kid, there was a Krispy Kreme literally next store to my Catholic grade school.  It was simply where we went to get donuts after church, and nothing else.  Years later, I found the amazingly long lines at their new Chicago locations to be highly amusing.

I hope Portillo's doesn't suffer the same long-run fate.

I frequently went to the location Clark and Ontario. The food was good, but not really worth the long lines at lunch hour. I eventually migrated to the Rosebud where they had a great $5 burger special at lunch.  Would enjoy going there and having a burger on a hot summer day and watching the US Open or British Open  golf on the big screen.

[warriorchick]

Al's Beef. None finer.

The Al's that is about 2 miles from my house lasted about 6 months before it went belly up.  Not nearly as good as the Portillo's down the road, or for that matter, our amazing local deli, Augustino's.

[jsglow]

The Al's that is about 2 miles from my house lasted about 6 months before it went belly up.  Not nearly as good as the Portillo's down the road, or for that matter, our amazing local deli, Augustino's.

Augustino's granddaughter graduated from Marquette in 2014 and is friends with our daughter.  We've long said Auggie should open a location on campus.  Jimmy John's, Subway and Cousin's would fold like cheap tents.  Fantastic deli sandwiches.

[Coleman]

It's human nature to treasure novelty and things that are difficult to obtain.

That said, portillos is good, but not amazing.

Many independent shops that do it better. I highly recommend Ricobene's on the south side.

[wadesworld]

Portillo's chocolate cake and eclair cake are both fantastic, as is their cake shake.  But all 3 are very rich.  I love their strawberry smoothie as well.

[Dish]

The Al's that is about 2 miles from my house lasted about 6 months before it went belly up.  Not nearly as good as the Portillo's down the road, or for that matter, our amazing local deli, Augustino's.

You guys must live either in Carol Stream or Bartlett.

[real chili 83]

The Al's that is about 2 miles from my house lasted about 6 months before it went belly up.  Not nearly as good as the Portillo's down the road, or for that matter, our amazing local deli, Augustino's.

Probably because they didn't serve the right brand of Brie.

Italian beef, dipped with hot giardiniera.  Portillos doesn't hold a candle.

[dgies9156]

Maybe I am just spoiled because I have lived within a 10-minute drive of a Portillo's for the last 28 years, but I don't get what the big deal is.  It is good, but certainly not worthy of its cult status.

It's just like the whole Krispy Kreme obsession a few years back.  When I was a kid, there was a Krispy Kreme literally next store to my Catholic grade school.  It was simply where we went to get donuts after church, and nothing else.  Years later, I found the amazingly long lines at their new Chicago locations to be highly amusing.

I hope Portillo's doesn't suffer the same long-run fate.

I had Krispy Kreme on the way home from church when I was a kid. I hated that crap then and I do now! If you like Krispy Kreme, save the money and buy a tin of Crisco and a bag of sugar. Won't taste any different.

[real chili 83]

I had Krispy Kreme on the way home from church when I was a kid. I hated that crap then and I do now! If you like Krispy Kreme, save the money and buy a tin of Crisco and a bag of sugar. Won't taste any different.

Many years ago, my friend was the regional director for KK.  I took my boys and the neighbor kid to a new store opening. My friend treated them to all the donuts they could eat.  3 dozen plus donuts later, I drove the boys home with them having the biggest sh1t eatin' grin.

[wadesworld]

I had Krispy Kreme on the way home from church when I was a kid. I hated that crap then and I do now! If you like Krispy Kreme, save the money and buy a tin of Crisco and a bag of sugar. Won't taste any different.

I don't know what Crisco is, but can it really be that much cheaper than Krispy Kremes?  I think I paid like $6.75 for a dozen Krispy Kremes the last time I went.

If you eat them while they're fresh and hot they're fantastic.  If you let them get cold and soggy they're horrible.

[wadesworld]

Has anybody had Portillo's ribs?  They advertised them as having some award in Chicago, not sure what though.

[Benny B]

I don't know what Crisco is, but can it really be that much cheaper than Krispy Kremes?  I think I paid like $6.75 for a dozen Krispy Kremes the last time I went.

If you eat them while they're fresh and hot they're fantastic.  If you let them get cold and soggy they're horrible.

This.  I hate cake donuts, but only when the Hot and Fresh neon is lit is when I'll stop at KK.

The KK-branded stuff in the grocery stores and gas stations is crap.  But I'd take that over Crisco and sugar any day of the week.

3 dozen plus donuts later, I drove the boys home with them having the biggest sh1t eatin' grin.

I bet they weren't grinning when they took their next sh1t.

[keefe]

Krispy Kreme is good stuff. People might not realize they are made from taters.

I will admit that while living abroad for so many years Krispy Kreme is one of the things I missed. Right up there with Q and corn-fed American beef.

[Coleman]

Has anybody had Portillo's ribs?  They advertised them as having some award in Chicago, not sure what though.

Yes, and they are quite good. Not the best ribs I've ever had, but for a fast casual joint, very good.

[keefe]

fast casual joint

fast casual and quality ribs are mutually exclusive.

[real chili 83]

fast casual and quality ribs are mutually exclusive.

Keefe,

That's a dandy looking deer rifle you have in your picture.

[jsglow]

You guys must live either in Carol Stream or Bartlett.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner. 

[Coleman]

fast casual and quality ribs are mutually exclusive.

Try them sometime. They're very solid ribs