Portillo's & Barnelli's Niles

This Portillo's location is a captivating tribute to its history and the unique charm of Niles. What I adore about Portillo's is their signature Chicago street-food style, yet each store is a distinct work of art. While the original downtown Chicago location remains my favorite, this one easily secures the second spot in my estimation. The sheer volume of pictures, hanging memorabilia, and signs is remarkable. Though the overall style is consistent with the brand, the placement of each item feels unique, with historic pictures carefully chosen to reflect the local heritage of Niles. The service was exceptional, with a meticulous 15-minute wait ensuring that every item was perfectly packed, complemented by a well-stocked to-go station. The food, as always, was outstanding, but the cooks here truly excel. The gravy bread and Italian steak were flavorful masterpieces, and the lemon cake was a revelation—surprisingly moist with a perfect icing. Even as someone who typically avoids icing, I found this topping irresistible; it was rich yet tart, with a silky texture that beautifully balanced the ingredients. This Portillo's is more than just a restaurant; it's an immersive experience that celebrates both the brand and the local community.

Quick and very good. The chicago dog was delicious as was the beef sandwich with peppers. The onion rings were good also. Very crunchy.

Excellent Italian food, great shakes, great Chicago style hotdogs, Italian beef and burgers. The new breakfast offerings are awesome! Examine the photos on the walls while you wait for your order. There are allot of celebrity and well known, local people praising their favorite Portillo's offerings.

Hot dogs are super famous in Chicago.🌭 And I found a famous spot that had a vegan hot dog.🌱 It was a cute, smaller size and so good!😋 Loved being able to taste a little piece of Chicago.🤍✨

The inside of this location was very cool. Easy to find as well. No waiting. Multiple kiosks to order from if you're into that. Restroom clean. Beef sandwich great. Chili dog great. My first time to a Portillos.

The food is always satisfying here! I had the single cheeseburger and my family had the Penne Ala Vodka, Mostaccioli with 1 meatball, Fettuccine Alfredo and a jumbo chili hotdog! My favorite was the Penne Ala Vodka, it had a lot of flavor and the perfect amount of sauce! At this location, there were quite a few kiosks that you can just order on your own without waiting in line! The food came pretty fast! I will always go back and try others!

Loved the place. Being from Alabama, we usually smother everything with cheese, but this meal had so much flavor that it was amazing as is!! The experience was great with the decor of different historical pictures as well as random family ones. The food quality had flavor but not overly greasy. Extremely impressed with this! Keep up the great work!!

A great place to get a good Chicago dog. I came with a friend after being told for years to how cool portillo's was. I was not prepared for how overwhelming it was with its character in charm. We ordered some Chicago dogs, some fries and milkshakes. The Chicago dogs were really good. Not the best weiner in the world, but everything else about the dog was good. The fries were good. Love me some crinkle fries. The milkshakes each use an entire slice of chocolate cake for them. What could go wrong? Honestly, it was one of the best milkshakes I've ever had. Everything else was just good. I would absolutely recommend portillo's in a heartbeat. I think if you're in the Chicago area you owe yourself to check them out. If not, just for the audacity of the place.

After a long flight into Chicago, my brother's very first stop had to be Portillo's. He'd heard so much about it and was beyond excited to finally try it--honestly, I don't see him light up like that very often, and I'm glad we went. The food wasn't exactly what I expected, but it was really great. Everything is made fresh, and there are tons of options. I'm not usually a hotdog person, so I went for a sandwich--and wow. The bread was fresh, the meat was thinly sliced, and the gravy was perfectly seasoned. It came out quickly, hot, and delicious. The atmosphere is casual and fun, with Chicago history and memorabilia decorating the walls, which made it especially enjoyable as someone visiting from out of town. Ordering is easy either at the counter or from one of the kiosks, and the staff worked hard to keep things moving. The dining area was busy but well-kept, with staff constantly cleaning tables. I really wanted to try the famous chocolate cake, but after finishing my sandwich there was just no room. My niece, however, ordered the chocolate cake shake--and oh my goodness. It was rich, thick, and absolutely decadent. Worth the hype! We actually ended up going to a couple of different Portillo's locations during our 5-day trip (at least three times!), which says a lot. Prices are a little on the higher side, but not unreasonable for the quality and portion sizes. If you're in Chicago--whether it's your first time or your tenth--Portillo's is absolutely worth a stop.

First timer! Had a classic big sandwich with fries & a drink. Service was quick from kiosk to food on the table. Very flavorful; dipping gravy on the side. Location was clean and very fun vibe & decor. Next time I'm coming back for a shake or a slice of cake!!!

We ordered the famous chocolate cake shake, a chicago hot dog, italian beef dip with spicy and sweet peppers, a slice of chocolate cake and one of the pastas (can't even remember which one, it was unmemorable and the pasta was overcooked). All I'm going to say is that I would go back for only 3 things: the italian beef, the shake and the decadently moist chocolate cake. Enough said!

The best thing on the menu is their famous chocolate cake. It's the absolute best and always moist. I've been many times and have never left without a slice. sometimes I drop by just for a slice! for the vegans out there, the plant dog is surprisingly good, as are their onion rings. Late night it is a bit hit or miss with food quality, but daytime is solid.

Very disappointed with the food at this location. My fries were cold and limp and woefully undercooked.The bacon on my double cheeseburger wasn't fully cooked either and I had to throw it away. The burger itself was fine. It seems whoever was preparing the food needs more training or doesn't care. Not good.

Checked out the new breakfast options. Ordered the polish sausage, egg and cheese sandwich, hash brown and chocolate cake donut. My daughter ordered same, but we shared the donut and she ordered a chocolate cake iced coffee. It wasn't too busy when we got there around 9. It was the first time I used Portillo's perk and ordered on the kiosk. We were going to order combos, but I already had my coffee and my daughter wanted to try the chocolate cake iced coffee which we didn't see as an option. So we did a la carte. I realized I never had their polish sausage before. It was juicy, fat and full of flavor. The eggs were definitely liquid eggs and very fluffy. I couldn't taste the giardiniera and didn't really like the cheese which was disappointing since I love their cheese sauce. Hash browns were the highlight. They were very crispy and not greasy. The donut was ok. Not what I expected. The chocolate cake iced coffee tasted like vanilla syrup and no chocolate flavor. I don't know if it was made incorrectly or the drink flavor development was lacking. I would get their breakfast again. Would I go out of my way to get it? No. I'd rather go for lunch or dinner for an Italian beef or chopped salad.

Wow, it's hard to believe my one and only review of this place was almost 10 years ago! Time really flies, but this big and popular Portillo's is still going as strong as ever. I also can't remember the last time I ate in here (not counting a couple of Yelp events), but it could be the same 10 years, yikes. Anyway, the wife and I ate in for lunch today as it was just too convenient. I ordered a regular Italian beef ($8.19) and a hamburger ($6.19) for us and we just roughly shared it, and roughly means I had more than 1/2 of the tip-top delicious Italian beef ha. For the first time, I also used one of their handy self-ordering stations. I liked having the Italian beef with the gravy on the side for self-dipping. It's still the best Italian beef out there IMHO but I will admit to some waffling after having an IB from Johnnie's in Elmwood Park. The hamburger patty on the other hand was pretty bland and all you could really taste were the condiments, but at least it was all hot and fresh. This Portillo's is still one of the best around for its offerings and thanks for being such a reliable stalwart in our neighborhood.

Who knew Portillos now has breakfast menu! It's not too large but I thought it was pretty good. I had a savory breakfast with polish sausage breakfast sandwich which came with eggs. It was good, definitely quantity. But never thought of polish sausage as a breakfast item. The eggs were excellent, not dry and exactly like how I like scrambled eggs. The croissant was a hit with my kid, as they gobbled it up quickly. I like the breakfast at Portillos.

I mean...it's Portillo's. It's the best fast food in the world. Italian beef, cheddar, sweet and hot peppers. Fries. Arnold Palmer. Nothing else needed.

Shoutout to this location for being open late. My friends and I came here after a long day and it was a great spot for us to hang out at. The food was great as per usual, I had the cheeseburger, chili cheese hot dog, fries, and a drink. I also ordered a blue moon because I didn't know that this location served beer! We'll be back! Thanks for having us!

Portillo's really needs to examine their business model. When you pick up your order in the drive through, their employees read your order to you off the receipt that's stapled to the bag. And since I assume the employee who took the order entered it correctly, of course the order will be recited correctly if the person handing you your order is simply reading the order off the receipt. That says nothing about what's actually IN the bag. More than once in recent visits an item has been missing but if I had not checked the bag before driving away I'd have been out the money and missing part of someone's meal. The folks here also act annoyed or put out because you're holding up the line by checking to make sure everything's correct, but... if they're not going to, I'm not going to leave the line, find something's missing, and then have to wait in line again. Anyway, it's surprising to me that Portillo's seems to be so obtuse about this problem with their order/delivery system, but maybe they're counting on people not caring.

I heard a viral rumor that Portillo's had partnered with Stan's donuts to turn the iconic Portillo's Chocolate Cake Shake into a donut. So the next time I hit the Windy City, found myself at the Portillo's in Niles with a pack of six Chocolate Cake Shake donuts and a few cups of coffee to go! Smooth, black and bitter coffee, offset by the soft, fluffy cake donuts encased in sweet chocolate. A little waxy, but sweet and filling. Is it the same as eating a Portillo's Chocolate Cake Shake? Of course not. But it's close enough, especially at 7am in the morning. Don't know how long these "limited edition" donuts are gonna last, but if you're a fan of Portillo's, you gotta at least try these once. A fun morning for sure!

Same good food but my first time at this location. They also have Barnelli's which offers pasta dishes. We were here for a fundraiser. I had the spicy chicken sandwich and my daughter had a burger. We split cheese fries and the new chocolate eclair cake, which is amazing, in addition to their traditional chocolate cake. The line was long but they process orders quickly. Would return when I'm in the area.

Got to come to try their new breakfast menu. Got a meal deal breakfast which was a sandwich, hash browns and a drink. I got the sausage sandwich- which was an Italian sausage with eggs, cheese and sauce on it. The eggs were made well and there was a lot of it. The sandwich is a bit messy to eat and the portion is good as well. The hashbrowns were very standard and good. The chocolate cake iced coffee was sweet I don't think I would get it again as I prefer just a standard iced coffee.

03/13/25 - Portillos has a good cheeseburger w/bacon, tomato, lettuce & (light) mayo for a middle of the road price point burger.

The food is always satisfying here! I had the single cheeseburger and my family had the Penne Ala Vodka, Mostaccioli with 1 meatball, Fettuccine Alfredo and a jumbo chili hotdog! My favorite was the Penne Ala Vodka, it had a lot of flavor and the perfect amount of sauce! At this location, there were quite a few kiosks that you can just order on your own without waiting in line! The food came pretty fast! I will always go back and try others!

I want to give them a good review because the food is good. It is classic American comfort food done better than most fast food places. Unfortunately they can't get an order right. Every time I have ordered something they have messed something up. This has ranged from simple things like putting chicken on a salad that I specifically said no chicken, to forgetting to give the delivery person my entire order. Then there is small things that alone are no big deal like giving the wrong dressing which alone is no big deal. Admittedly each time they did make good and delivered the correct thing eventually. Unfortunately, it makes it not worth my time to have to call back every time and wait for a corrected order could be sent. This lack of attention to detail cannot be good for the bottom line.

Came here on a Monday night and it was nice to have it much less crowded. Still enough people to make it feel festive but no waiting in line and lots of seating. The food came super fast. I liked the grilled chicken sandwich. Chicken was flavorful and juicy with a good amount of mayo. Tried the chocolate cake. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate cake normally but this one is packed with chocolate flavor, light, and extremely moist. The frosting takes like the stuff my mom used to buy at Jewel to put on box mix yellow cake - very sweet. But I was in the mood for chocolate and it hit the spot.

Coming from Texas, I enjoyed the beef sandwich with spicy peppers (reminiscent of a Philly cheesesteak) Cheers!

It's like other Portillo's but with an extended menu with pastas and ribs. You order with a cashier and your order number is called once the food is ready. I ordered the spicy chicken sandwich and was a little disappointed by the spice level. It comes with a mild giardiniera sauce but perhaps they didn't put enough on my sandwich. Their onion rings and French fries are good, especially with the cheese sauce. My kids also like their garlic bread and tamale.

Food was amazing! Staff was helpful to right-size the order. Drive-thru was prompt and accurate. Decor is traditional Portillo's! It did not disappoint. Thank you!

This is a big open building with muted light and jazz playing in the background. It looks like they stole their decor from Po Folks. It's also loud. Lots of people talking, kids screaming, staff calling out numbers, etc. And it's confusing. There are three counters, which one do I order at? They aren't marked. Is one for to go orders? Just for pasta or pizza? Shrug. I ordered, but I had to pick my Greek salad up at a different counter than fiance's Italian beef. Why? The salad was good and there was plenty of it. The grilled chicken on top was okay. It came with hot garlic bread. There wasn't much garlic on it but I still enjoyed it. Her Italian beef was good and her crinkle cut fries were okay. Basically everything is good but not great. They are a chain restaurant serving regional food. There are many better mom and pop joints but Portillos has the name. I do admit, ordering a salad at a place known for its beef may not be a fair way to judge. If we go back I'll try the Italian beef.

Portillo's has once again proved how big of a failure they are. Wanted to try their Breakfast and I sat in the drive thru for 10 minutes then placed my order and waited another 10 minutes and still waiting. I just left without even getting to the window to pay because of how f---g slow they are. 2 cars in front of me and they are still in the drive thru. And they wonder why they continue to loose business. Guess I will never be able to try it and maybe that's for the best

Never disappoints! My friends and I stopped here for lunch. I ordered the jumbo hot dog. Don't get all excited...I put ketchup on my dog and yes, I was born and raised in Chicago!. The restaurant is spacious with plenty of seating. The staff is so nice. I would really like to be the person who shouts out the orders when they are ready!

Stopped by here for dinner yesterday with mu family - restaurant has fast customer service and the quality of the food is really good. Dinner has that classic American ambiance. Apart from getting double cheeseburgers w/ cheese fries & the cake shake - We also tried pasta from here as this is a Barnelli's Portillo's. - pasta was good as well. Definitely worth checking out.

What happened? Oh yes, Big Corporate America. I reviewed the one in Norridge. Just awful. In all fairness, the manager reached out after the review. I didn't reach back. Now Niles! Always was consistently good. Not anymore. It's been a while since the food was decently warm, but I put up with it. Today, the hamburger was lukewarm at best, and the fries were downright hard and cold. Portillos was always good before being sold and going nation wide. It has consistently gone down hill since. The chicken has become rubbery as well. So, no more. End of an era.

Ordered catering with concierge over the phone because we wanted pasta with our food. Totaled over $800. It was delivered by DoorDash! Had to have my guests bring in boxes and set up. No help with hot tray setup. Missed a few salads, which were refunded but was told I wanted DoorDash (didn't) when I questioned why it came that way. I live about 5 miles from the restaurant. Like the food, but will never ever order catering again. Don't expect an answer from their Guest Service Team either.

I've been sick all day and I have my brother pick me up food and I gotta say I'm disappointed. They don't fill the cup of cheese. The job is simple, pour a spoon full of cheese... This has occurred many times and I don't have the energy to go and complain to the manager. So I figured this would be easier to catch their attention!

Food was delicious! Ordered the chopped salad and wasn't disappointed. Service was super fast.

We were meeting my brother for lunch and he knows I like Portillo's so we ended up going to one I've never been to. I haven't been in a Portillo's with a Barnelli's in a very long time. It felt really good to be in a location back home. There was only a short line and we were able to place our order quickly. My kids went simple with Chicago style hot dog and french fries while I broke down and had an Italian beef sandwich dipped with hot peppers. I was extremely happy with my food and everyone else enjoyed what they got as well. I was very tempted to get something from the other side but the beef sandwich was the perfect choice for me. If you've never been in a Portillo's location then you are missing out. The decorations are different in every one of them but with so much good stuff to see. You really get the feeling of an old style diner but more to the extreme. I think almost every location has some type of a vehicle mounted up in the air and there are a lot of automotive decorations throughout. If I had the chance I would probably try to visit every one of their locations around the country. We had a really great meal and then went to do some shopping afterwards.

Today is May 30th 4:00pm I purchased full slab of ribs and a baked Mostaciolli through the drive thru. I had told them well done. Well we get home and the ribs are undercooked and the pasta was with meat sauce but we get home and there is nothing but pasta and the lightest sauce , why would anyone want to order a bowl of plain pasta ??!??

Never buy a jumbo dog at Portillos, its a rip off. Their exactly the same size as a regular hot dog. Dont spend the extra money

I haven't been to Portillo's in a while but was craving an Italian beef. I took it out of the bag and laughed. Where's the beef!? It was cold tasteless and had a ridiculously small amount of beef I could only laugh. I guess this happens when you go corporate and are beholden to your shareholders and not your customers.

Got the combo and the sausage was burnt! Took it back up to the counter and they replaced it with ANOTHER BURNT sausage! Because it was burnt it was also very dry. Never again! Also, very little beef! Definitely not like the old Portillo's!

When you find yourself in the Windy City and are in search of a fast-food meal that exceeds the average, look no farther than Portillo's. Many folks know this place for its Italian beef, but in my estimation, the star sandwich of Portillo's is the double cheeseburger. It is not a triplet of tales, sir! The taste is massive while the burgers themselves are perfectly proportioned. That is, they don't sacrifice height for width. One of the things I like best about this burger is how cheesy it is. The first sign of a crust forming on the bottom bun was the prelude to the Curtis Mayfield jam that is the morsel my wife and I enjoy. Then there's the service. Don't expect your food to arrive at lightning speed the cheeseburger is worth the wait. And if you do, by some miracle, find a table, know that the restaurant is clean and inviting that you've no business being squeamish about it. And yes, it's a tad pricier than your average fast-food joint, but when you take that first bite, you most certainly won't be thinking about that. In fact, you might even be on your way to achieving cheeseburger zen.

We went through the drive through and when we went through our bag they forgot our extra juice for the beef sandwich, the fries were so cold, and they didn't even give us straws for our drinks. Very disappointing.

I love going here, the food is consistent and their chicken salad is my favorite food item from there. The music and ambience is very nice and the customer service is decent despite usually being very busy. I have had them forget my food sometimes lol but it's okay because they handle it.

The Hotdog and Italian beef sandwich are amazing !!! But my favorite thing is the lemon cake milk shake !!!! P.s. shake here super thick the straws are too small to drink out of

Ever since Dick Portillo sold the food quality and service have gone down. No longer a place I don't mind paying more for food

The Niles store is kept well. The store is ran well. The employees are mostly friendly and work good. I enjoy the Veggie Dog.

This is a regular place for the family. This is very good quality food for the fast food category. It's not the junky stuff you get from the big names. Salads are freshly made in the restaurant. Burgers are lean. Beef and hot dogs are a well deserved staple. Chocolate cake is amazing. The only thing keeping me from the full 5 star review is that they botch the orders a little too often. Every restaurant on the planet makes mistakes, but, the reason I'd mention it here is because the mistakes they're making lately are in adding items to the order. Like, we'd ask for two burgers, and they'd put three on the order. I can't say for sure that it's intentional to increase revenue, but it's been happening a lot lately, so my eyebrows are raised.

I'm here right now (Sunday 5-25-2025, 10:51 am) enjoying my online breakfast order of the same breakfast items (1 of every breakfast sandwich and 3 hash browns), but this time, I also ordered an OJ and the Chocolate Cake Shake Coffee! This experience was LIGHT YEARS better than my previous visit because this time, upon entering the restaurant, there was a metal stand with white sign facing the entrance which clearly told you to go left to pick up Online and Delivery Orders!!! Great job, Niles Portillo's!!! If I could give a million star review for this day's dine in experience, I would! My online order was actually brought out exactly just as I walked into the Online Order section! Perfect timing! I decided (like last time) to eat my order at 1 of the tables in that section! It was awesome because like last time, my order was accurate, the food was hot, fresh and flavorful, and the whole section (like the whole restaurant) was immaculate -- plus they were playing even better 70s tunes overhead! Even more so, the folks who work here are so charming and personable! I had the pleasure of speaking with Rose, who did a great job ensuring the dining area was clean, but also happened to also be from the Philippines, like me! She was so engaging, personable and professional! Definitely a big selling point for me to come back to Niles Portillo's!!!

I had all of the new Portillo's breakfast sandwiches and hash browns for the first time this past morning! First of all, they were delicious! I just wish the breakfast sandwiches were much LONGER! They were only 2 inches long, including the Polish dog with scrambled eggs sandwich, but were luckily girthier!! LOL Also: I placed my order online with the Niles, IL restaurant. Today was my first time at this location. I didn't know Online Orders had to be picked up at the separate register counter off to the left in the corner, because this restaurant does NOT have the common sense to have a sign that clearly shows that when you walk in!!! So, I wasted 15 minutes waiting to be told where to pick up my order because I got into the regular order pick up line (with the big neon sign) and had to wait for the guy in front of me to get his messed up order fixed! Another thing, I'm pissed off about Portillo's is why they didn't have their locations in Arlington Heights, IL and Schaumburg, IL also serving breakfast?! Those towns have far more money than run-down, grubby Niles, IL! Anyway, I would order those breakfast sandwiches again and would return to the Niles location (it was nice and clean and had an upbeat, homey feel to it, with good 70s tunes playing overhead)! I would've given this location a 5-star rating but I was really annoyed by having my time wasted trying to pick up my online order and by the shockingly short (albeit, girthy) breakfast sandwiches!

Great food! I was in town briefly and decided to get all the local iconic food. I had the Chicago Style Dog and the Italian Hot Beef Sandwich! Very good, and would do them both again. Lived up to the legend!

i went through the drive through. i asked for my fries to be well done and with cheese sauce and also a large beef. the fries were not well done, the cheese sauce was 2/3 full, and my beef was not cut in half like it usually is. im so upset because a lot of emphasis was placed on the fries being well done. seems like the employee didnt get the message across

This Portillos is getting worse every time I visit. Today I ordered fries and chicken tenders. The cashier was very sweet and nice. The service window where they call your order was the issue. There was a girl and a guy there looking at their phones watching videos and laughing. There were clearly orders ready to be called out, but neither one was doing their job. The person behind frying the chicken tenders drops half of them on the floor and kicks them underneath the fryer instead of throwing them in the garbage. Idk who is in charge of hiring these people or training them, but it was very unprofessional and I sadly will not be coming back here unless they hire better professional people.

I usually come here for burgers and fries but the last two times I have been doing pasta and Ribs. I have to say the Ribs are pretty tasty, fall off the bone and the BBQ sauce is tangy. My only recommendation is to provide plates for the Ribs. The cardboard box is great to go, but for eat in, rather have a plate. The milk shakes are excellent and let's not forget the chocolate cake

Always a good experience here, both inside and in the drive thru. Before my most recent visit I'd been at the Lutheran General outpatient center next door, and as I walked out I saw a long drive thru line. Uh oh, better wait a few minutes and reassess. I sat in the car and sent a couple texts, and when I looked up again the line was gone. I drove through, had my order, and was on my way home within five minutes. I can't ask for any better than that! The workers are courteous and hard-working, and the food is always fresh and tasty. The only improvement I wish they'd make is in the packaging -- I almost always order a double hot dog with American cheese only, and am often disappointed to find that they put the cheese on top of the hot dog, and half of it ends up on the paper. If they'd put it on first, and the dogs on top, it'd be perfect. This location, and the one in Skokie, are both a few miles from home, so I usually only go there when I'm nearby for another reason. How happy I'd be if they'd open a location somewhere in the Village Crossing area. That would make my day, week, and year!

This location is quick with service and my order is always accurate, what more could you ask for? I know the food will be great at Portillo's but the having it fast when you're in a rush or there's a line is invaluable. This location is near the hospitals but it can handle a busy lunch hour with the best of them. I like to customize my orders and even change it from visit to visit, yet this place gets it right every single time. Tips to make your visit a success: 1) Branch out every visit. We all go in knowing our usual or our favorites and it's very easy to stick to that one thing. But this place has an extensive menu and Ribs and pasta aren't a bad combination for lunch. 2) Don't sleep on the Shakes. Desserts aren't a common lunch finisher but their shakes are delicious. Shakes are a staple for any food I get here and if you haven't been able to try them, then do so on your next visit. This location is one of my favorites and worth an extra 10 minute drive to have that well made meal.