Should we shut MUScoop Down?

[MU82]

Wet Markets should be about italian beef

Oh, would I love it if Portillo's opened a restaurant in Charlotte!

[GB Warrior]

Oh, would I love it if Portillo's opened a restaurant in Charlotte!

Got me some wet beef at Portillos today, first outdoor dining experience with the kiddos since the pandemic began. This despite my nearest Arbys being 1.1 miles away.

[MU82]

Got me some wet beef at Portillos today, first outdoor dining experience with the kiddos since the pandemic began. This despite my nearest Arbys being 1.1 miles away.

Uh-oh ... you're looking for the death penalty here, admitting you went somewhere other than Arby's.

But oooooh ... Portillo's ... I miss it so!

[jficke13]

Okay, I'll confess, I don't understand the Portillo's love. I mean, it's fine. Good even. But people are *into* it. It's just a fast casual restaurant?

[Galway Eagle]

Okay, I'll confess, I don't understand the Portillo's love. I mean, it's fine. Good even. But people are *into* it. It's just a fast casual restaurant?

+1 I've never understood it either. It's not remotely the best hot dog, polish, Italian beef or Italian sausage and the burger's trash. Yet the Portillos around the corner is always backed up around the parking lot.

[Skatastrophy]

+1 I've never understood it either. It's not remotely the best hot dog, polish, Italian beef or Italian sausage and the burger's trash. Yet the Portillos around the corner is always backed up around the parking lot.

Man, even the Portillo's in River North had a line of cars down the block during the pandemic. There are better italian beefs to be had with no additional inconvenience if you have a car in the city. I suppose their upside is that they have a varied enough menu that a family can all order their favorite food from one spot.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

+1 I've never understood it either. It's not remotely the best hot dog, polish, Italian beef or Italian sausage and the burger's trash. Yet the Portillos around the corner is always backed up around the parking lot.

For us ex-pats from the Chicago area, Portillos is the best we got, usually.

So many good beef/dog places in Chicago and the suburbs,  agree that sitting in line seems really dumb.

[warriorchick]

So many good beef/dog places in Chicago and the suburbs,  agree that sitting in line seems really dumb.

To be fair, it is an amazingly efficient line.  I would rather wait in a 10-car Portillo's line than a 5-car Culver's line.

[The Sultan]

Culvers is always a "just get out of the car and go inside even for take out" type of place.

Bonus is that I just get a scoop of custard to eat while waiting.

[jesmu84]

Portillos was a lot better before they sold.

[wadesworld]

To be fair, it is an amazingly efficient line.  I would rather wait in a 10-car Portillo's line than a 5-car Culver's line.

Yup.  And when you consider the quality of food on top of it, it's not even a debate.

[Galway Eagle]

For us ex-pats from the Chicago area, Portillos is the best we got, usually.

So many good beef/dog places in Chicago and the suburbs,  agree that sitting in line seems really dumb.

I definitely can understand it in the snow bird communities and such. But even then, Al's beef had a Scottsdale location and didn't get near the attention. I'm in Forest park now days, there's at least three considerably better beefs/combos within 10min (including the spot almost unanimously agreed as the best in Chicagoland) from here yet still the Portillos at Des plaines and Roosevelt will wrap around the whole parking lot. It's crazy to me.

[warriorchick]

Culvers is always a "just get out of the car and go inside even for take out" type of place.

Bonus is that I just get a scoop of custard to eat while waiting.

I usually order a kid's meal.  It comes with a scoop of custard.  And Scoopie tokens.

[MU82]

Okay, I'll confess, I don't understand the Portillo's love. I mean, it's fine. Good even. But people are *into* it. It's just a fast casual restaurant?

Well, were money no object, I wouldn't choose Portillo's over Frontera or Alinea or Lula. I wouldn't even choose it among other "cheapish" places such as Pequod's or Xoco.

But if I'm in Chicago, and I want a beef sammich, I love me some Portillo's. I enjoy some other beef joints, too, but Portillo's is pretty ubiquitous there. When we lived in the city, we'd maybe hit Portillo's every 6 months or so.

Here in Charlotte, nothing similar exists. Someone mentioned Culver's ... we even have a few of those here now. But nothing even remotely like Portillo's dammit.

[jficke13]

Well, were money no object, I wouldn't choose Portillo's over Frontera or Alinea or Lula. I wouldn't even choose it among other "cheapish" places such as Pequod's or Xoco.

But if I'm in Chicago, and I want a beef sammich, I love me some Portillo's. I enjoy some other beef joints, too, but Portillo's is pretty ubiquitous there. When we lived in the city, we'd maybe hit Portillo's every 6 months or so.

Here in Charlotte, nothing similar exists. Someone mentioned Culver's ... we even have a few of those here now. But nothing even remotely like Portillo's dammit.

Well I'd never comp it as anything other than a fast-casual restaurant. It's fine and good as a fast casual restaurant. I'm not bagging on it, honestly. I've always just been a little baffled by the degree of devotion relative to how good I feel like it is?

A similar food opinion of mine that never fails to send randos into murderous frenzies: Qdoba and Chipotle are identical Americanized-Mexican fast casual restaurants and neither is better nor worse than the other. They are equally fine and good.

<presented wrists for pending crucifixion>

[Dr. Blackheart]

I definitely can understand it in the snow bird communities and such. But even then, Al's beef had a Scottsdale location and didn't get near the attention. I'm in Forest park now days, there's at least three considerably better beefs/combos within 10min (including the spot almost unanimously agreed as the best in Chicagoland) from here yet still the Portillos at Des plaines and Roosevelt will wrap around the whole parking lot. It's crazy to me.

Johnnies. Case closed.

[Galway Eagle]

Johnnies. Case closed.

100% agreed, Johnnies is the one I was referring to as the best. Is their second location remotely as good as the elmwood park one?

After Johnny's the next best I've tried are Mr Beef on Orleans and Clark Street Dogs. Freddy's in Cicero supposedly has a really good one too but I always get a sub, pizza or pasta there.

Chainwise Buona Beef > Portillos > Al's IMO.

[Dr. Blackheart]

100% agreed, Johnnies is the one I was referring to as the best. Is there second location remotely as good as the elmwood park one?

Arlington Heights. And hey, they take cards now.

https://roadtips.typepad.com/a_salesguys_guide_to_the_/2010/02/johnnies-beef-arlington-heights-il.html

[Galway Eagle]

Arlington Heights. And hey, they take cards now.

https://roadtips.typepad.com/a_salesguys_guide_to_the_/2010/02/johnnies-beef-arlington-heights-il.html

Knew it was up northwest somewhere. Adding the cards is a game changer! Hope they don't do that at the original Elmwood Park spot because the already crazy line will get out of control!

[Dr. Blackheart]

Knew it was up northwest somewhere. Adding the cards is a game changer! Hope they don't do that at the original Elmwood Park spot because the already crazy line will get out of control!

Well, I think we all know why it was a cash only business.

[Skatastrophy]

I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Luke's in the loop. It's been walking distance from work for a lot of my career, and they're so fast no matter how busy they get.

[MU82]

Well I'd never comp it as anything other than a fast-casual restaurant. It's fine and good as a fast casual restaurant. I'm not bagging on it, honestly. I've always just been a little baffled by the degree of devotion relative to how good I feel like it is?

A similar food opinion of mine that never fails to send randos into murderous frenzies: Qdoba and Chipotle are identical Americanized-Mexican fast casual restaurants and neither is better nor worse than the other. They are equally fine and good.

<presented wrists for pending crucifixion>

I mean, out west people worship In and Out Burger ... and there sure ain't nothing special about that joint. People get attached to their faves.

I don't understand it at all ... unless we're talking about Leon's, of course!!

[ZiggysFryBoy]

I mean, out west people worship In and Out Burger ... and there sure ain't nothing special about that joint. People get attached to their faves.

I don't understand it at all ... unless we're talking about Leon's, of course!!

In and Out was probably the biggest disappointment in my fast food life.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Well I'd never comp it as anything other than a fast-casual restaurant. It's fine and good as a fast casual restaurant. I'm not bagging on it, honestly. I've always just been a little baffled by the degree of devotion relative to how good I feel like it is?

A similar food opinion of mine that never fails to send randos into murderous frenzies: Qdoba and Chipotle are identical Americanized-Mexican fast casual restaurants and neither is better nor worse than the other. They are equally fine and good.

<presented wrists for pending crucifixion>

You don't get organic, free range E coli at Qdoba.

I like Pancheros simply because before they roll the burrito, they mix up all the fixings.  No sure why no one else does that.  No more bites of just rice or just hot salsa.

[MU82]

In and Out was probably the biggest disappointment in my fast food life.

I was like: "Well, this is kinda like Mickey D's ... with worse fries."