Portillo's Elgin

Fantastic family restaurant. When we're visiting family & friends in this area we always patronize Portillo's & have a great time. The food & the dining atmosphere is always top notch.

e you go — a strong, very negative review in English for the Portillo’s, focused on bad food and bad service: ⸻ ⭐☆☆☆☆ Terrible Experience at Portillo’s in Elgin This was honestly one of the worst restaurant experiences I’ve had in a long time. The food at this Portillo’s was a complete disappointment. My order came out cold, tasteless, and looking like it had been sitting out for ages. The hot dog was soggy, the fries were greasy and limp, and the beef sandwich had absolutely no flavor. Nothing tasted fresh. The service made everything even worse. The staff looked annoyed to be there and acted like customers were a bother. No greetings, no explanations, and when I asked about my delayed order, the employee responded with attitude instead of help. The whole vibe felt unprofessional and rushed, like nobody cared at all. 01/31/2026 3:30pm Also the manager with the name of Lincula S should have better control which I believe he’s not capable to manage the situation and the restaurant.

So sad. Have not had a piece of chocolate cake for reasons but decided I’m getting a piece today! Same large price but the size has half the size of past times. I love this place but so disappointed.

Great spot for a tasty burger! The patty was juicy, the flavors well balanced, and everything was fresh. Friendly service and casual atmosphere made it even better.

Portillo’s Review – A Must-Visit for Delicious Chicago-Style Eats Portillo’s never disappoints! I eat here about once a month, and honestly, everything on the menu is great—from the hot dogs to the beef sandwiches to the cheese fries. But today, I want to highlight one of my favorites: the Chopped Salad (without noodles and extra Gorgonzola cheese). The Food The Chopped Salad was absolutely amazing. The extra Gorgonzola added a perfect tangy richness, and if you like a little heat, here’s a tip—ask for a side of hot peppers and mix them in. It gives the salad an extra kick of spice and flavor that takes it to the next level! If you’re in the mood for something more indulgent, Portillo’s also delivers on all the classics. The cheese fries are creamy and delicious, the hot dogs are perfectly loaded, and the Italian beef sandwiches are some of the best around—juicy, flavorful, and served just right. Service & Atmosphere The drive-thru is card-only (no cash), which is something to keep in mind. But the service is always quick and efficient, and the employees are friendly and welcoming. The restaurant itself is super clean, which is always a plus. Final Verdict I highly recommend Portillo’s. You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. Whether you’re craving a fresh salad with a twist or a classic Chicago-style meal, this place always delivers. 10/10!

I got the hotdog here with everything. The hotdog was good well steamed, the vegetables were all very fresh. The bun had poppy seeds on it and was fresh, my two small complaints were that I only counted two sport peppers and generally needs at least three. Also, a dusting more of celery salt would be awesome.

Portillo’s never misses. The food’s always hot, fresh, and loaded with flavor. You can tell the crew actually cares about getting orders right, even when it’s busy. The Italian beef with extra gravy is unbeatable, and the chocolate cake shake should honestly be illegal(it’s that good). Prices are fair, portions are huge, and service is fast. You can’t go wrong here; it’s Chicago comfort food done right.

I will never eat there again! The last time I had a salad and was sick as a DOG! This time, my beef was so oily (requested DRY) I COULDN’T EAT It, not to mention, it was the SLOWEST fast food known to man! Not waiting in line for crappy fast food EVER! $35 for crap, I may open a joint!

Ok not sure what is going on with this location. Staff were observed smoking in their parking lot, on phones in the kitchen, and wiping sneezing hands on tables. We ordered 3 items, and it took 15 minutes. During this time, I think 2 other people got their food. They definitely need to work on theit work flows in the kitchen.

So super salty French fries! It was so sad that they were extremely salty. They are not potatoes, they were just salty things. I wonder if they don't want to be bought the French fries by customers anymore.

We stopped in for lunch as my husband couldn't stop talking about the Big Burger Bundle deal. For $9.99 you get a burger, fries and drink. I had mine without the bun since Portillo's doesn't have gluten free buns. The burger was perfectly cooked with a nice char and all the fresh toppings were great although it needed to be eaten with a plastic knife and fork. The place has a 1950's diner vibe and the staff keeps it very clean. My only complaint is the design of the building that requires walking across the drive thru lane to get in from the parking lot.

When the office caters Portillo's you know it's going to be a good day! It's never too early for Portillo's and a hot dog at 10:00am gets the day off to a great start. There were pain hot dogs with all of the ingredients to make a Chicago style dog on the side. In store or catered, you can never go wrong with Portillo's!

World's most pathetic chopped salad with wilted lettuce and no real lettuce involved. Do better.

This location is terrible.. Their portions are half or a third of the other locations. This is the 3rd time [and last for sure] ordering from this place. The "big beef" is a $12+ sandwich with sweet peppers. There is no beef and only 2 sweet peppers? Wtf? Ever since Dick sold this place, the quality has sucked. I would suggest finding another beef spot. At least another Portillo's location. This one is garbage.

Ordered a combo with sweet peppers. $11 sandwich. I keep trying to like Portillo's but it's just not the same as prior owner.

Used the drive thru and service was great. People are always friendly and helpful. Please open a Portillos in Summerville SC. So many of us from the Chicago area down there and can't get a good Italian beef anywhere.

It's Portillo's. It's awesome! That should be the end of the review. A staple for any Chicagoan, Portillo's has the goods! Whether you're looking for a Chicago dog, an Italian beef , an Italian sausage, a Burger or fries, Portillo's is the place to go. Portillo's has multiple locations and you can expect the same service, same experience and same great food at any location around the country. I've been to locations in many different parts of the country, and they never let me down. My Recommendation for a newbie would be the Italian beef/sausage combo, extra sweet peppers, giardiniera on the side and an order of cheese fries. Now, if you're strictly looking for some dogs, you can't go wrong with Portillo's Chicago Dogs. I'd also give the fries a whirl as well. Would I go back? I do. All of the time, every time and as much as I can. Portillo's is one of my favorite restaurants of all time. You can eat well, eat great and not break the bank. Portillo's is Chicago! Do yourself a favor. On the way out, grab a slice of the chocolate cake and/or a piece of the eclair cake. You won't regret it.

In an ever-changing world, Portillo's is a constant that delivers a solid meal EVERY time. It has been MONTHS since I last ate at Portillo's and I finally satisfied my craving for a plant-based dog and those iconic crinkle cut fries. For folks who are unfamiliar with this place, Portillo's is an iconic spot with 50's-esque retro decor. The mood in every restaurant is always pleasant, uplifting, and joyful. The folks working here are always so kind; from the crew members who take our orders, to the line cooks who prep our food, all the way to the folks who call out orders when they're ready. SOLID and iconic! My family and I ate in, each ordering our go-to orders; my sister - the chopped salad, my mom - the hamburger, myself - the plant-based dog. Although the vegetarian options are limited, the plant-based dog and its wholesome goodness are enough for me! Each of us enjoyed our order, leaving no crumbs behind. As always, Portillo's is a fast-casual dining spot I recommend to everyone whenever they are in town or are local/looking for a quick and delicious meal!

This location used to be the best. Don't know what happened. Order accuracy is out the window. They miss main dinner items and get wrong what you do get. I paid for sandwiches and additional ingredients to some items and got nothing. Even what appeared to be right, a salad, was wrong. Seriously, who wants a spicy salad? If I wanted one I would have ordered it. I asked for items taken off of the salad and instead I got lettuce cabbage and jalapeños. (Sarcasm alert). Oooo yum! Their service dropped to a zero! Last chance Elgin... I thought Batavia was bad, but at least they got my orders right... (oh yeah, this is the 2nd order screw up in a row)

I will never understand how this place has a line. The food is a joke. Sometimes I wonder if people have good taste buds. It's an overpriced rat hole. Portillo used to be so good, but, that was a long time ago. Save your money and eat somewhere else.

This was supposed to be a bacon cheeseburger no mayo. Substitute grilled onion. The grilled onion was on the bottom. Plenty of ingredients missing. I took it back and spoke to a young lady that was a manager. She just said well the girl making burgers is new. I can get you a new one and refund your money for the burger. I asked if the General Manager was around or a business card. She said the Manager under the GM was there. I spoke to him about everything including the other Managers response. He handled the situation much better. He brought me a new burger that aside from the bacon being half cooked was made correctly. My family has had our last bad experience at this location. We will avoid this Portillo's going forward.

I did a family take out order that I scheduled for pick-up! What an awesome job done! Our order was over $175, specific beefs, hotdogs, tamales, salads, chicken tenders, and sandwiches (chix and Italian sausage) Everything was done correctly!! All sauces and special requests were filled. I ordered at 2:30pm for 4:15pm pick up and when we arrived, there it was! Packaged perfectly with napkins and utensils! All I had to do was unload at home and pass it all out. Thank you Portillo's crew for making our dinner lovely

Respectful workers but insane wait times, especially in the drive thru. If it's past 5 minutes then you should be parking people. Consistently the slowest Portillos in the area.

We've given this Portillo's enough chances. Every single drive thru order has missed something in our order or got the order wrong. Ordered a hotdog with everything, got home and it only had ketchup (gross!!!) Looking forward to cheese fries. Missing the cheese cup. Maybe instead of rushing orders to get them out the door. Take the time to insure they are accurate and given to the correct car.

five stars yummy I loved it But if you want cleaner for the please go to Algonquin Illinois. They have bathrooms at Portillo's.

Food wasn't as good as it used to be. Bathrooms were disgusting, and the employees barely noticed I was there

Can never go wrong at Portillos. The ordering process is very easy the only complaint is if you are "dining in" why still bag everything. Keep the paper bag and save the planet! Very clean..ample parking.

Great food. The service was fast and friendly. I love the eclectic decor. Just a fun place to go too and eat.

Good for fast food at a slightly higher price point. My friends daughters burger was a little over cooked. My cheese crossaint was good but a little soggy. Service was pretty slow. The place has cute decorations, 50s style mishmash.

Whoever is on the fries stop putting so much salt on the fries seriously every time i get my food in the drive thru my fries are super salty

I miss the days when Portillo's orders were correct every time. The Elgin Location struggles. Check your food before you leave. 50/50 chance order is wrong. Worst location and better to drive to STC or Batavia.

Yum! Love Portillos. Large parking lot, drive thru available, customer service is helpful and friendly. The counter service is excellent as well. They have people constantly cleaning the dining area inside and the restrooms inside. In the winter, parking lot is cleared, salted and worker are opening doors and helping you. I think I had an order wrong ONCE here in the last 2 years and they fixed it immediately with no hesitation. I will always be a portillos fan! The fries with cheese are great! The beef sandwiches & hot dogs are also another favorite! If you aren't from Chicago and here visiting - TRY IT!

I had two portillos gift cards that I had been holding on to for a while. I placed an order online today using my giftcards (it used all of both of them- and also some of my own money). About 30 min to an hour late I got a notification that my food was delivered; but it was not at the door. I got on the computer and realized I did not specify that my street has 'west' after it. So my food was delivered somewhere else. I called portillos and was hoping to get to explain to someone over the phone and see if I can get my gift card money back so I can re order. I spoke with 2 staff members, one was the manager. The manager was abrasive, rude, and down right not friendly. I will not be ordering porillos anymore. She did not give me the opportunity to even speak. She talked over me the whole time. Angry is an understatement

ALWAYS. GOOD. I swear, Portillo's has my heart. It is never a bad choice. The double bacon cheeseburger is just so greasy and so good. The chocolate cake milkshake is heaven (and so rich and creamy). The fries are also so good. Always salted just right. The service is fast. Just know that if you don't know the menu, I would look it up beforehand. They always have people outside in the drive thru lane taking orders. It's rare that you'll make it up to the menu in the drive thru to look at it.

One of my favorite go to places. I always dine in because I have no will power to drive it home without eating it all in the car. I am who I am. Since the pandemic, I'm finally experiencing the drive through. Although it is always long any given time of the day I go, it's always moving quickly. The last time I went, it took about 5 minutes from the moment I got in line, ordering, and then I even got my food before making it to the front. I've tried their chili cheese dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, polish sausage, hamburgers to their chopped salad and chocolate cake shakes. They're all my favorite and I'll just rotate sometimes but I've ordered their hamburgers many times in a row. Just thinking about their burgers makes me crave one right now lol Good thing they're not open 24/7 because that would be dangerous to my wallet. There has been a few times when they will forget the bacon on the burger, or a cup of cheese which is why I took one star off. Because what's the point of adding extra stuff if you're not going to get it sometimes. But for how busy they do get, they are still doing a great job! Thank you!

Food is well prepared although very busy service is relatively quick and if you eat indoors, it's a fun view with all the antiques

In the "I'll never order it again" category, had the pepper& egg sandwich for dinner. Dried up eggs, uncooked peppers.

Can never go wrong with a beef sandwich or a hot dog! Always busy which means they doing something right

Portillo's use to be a favorite , but lately the quality has gone down , and now they are passing a hotdog bun dough shaped like a croissant as a croissant How cheap are they getting , makes the sandwich a doughy piece of crap. The hot dogs are not what they use to be either, I literally couldn't bite through it as the skin was so rubbery . I guess Il just go to the local mom and pop hot dog stands from now on as it's obvious that this chain doesn't care about quality anymore

I've been a Portillo's customer at this location for years, and in my estimation, it goes up and down drastically in the quality of food and service provided through the drive-thru. I stopped eating there for 6 months or so because of several bad orders in a row but went back recently since it's close, and I remember the good old days when every order was great. Things had improved and were better for a while -- a new manager, better help, who knows, but lately if you don't go around lunch or dinnertime you run the risk of dried out food & cold cheese on your lukewarm cheeseburger. This happened twice in the last 2 weeks. Here's what I've decided - Just don't go through the drive at off times - they must have food sitting around from the lunch rush times and then pawn it off on the drive-thru customers in the afternoons and off times, which is usually when I go. And, don't order the cheeseburger with everything. The meat will be lukewarm, the cheese cold and the sandwich looking like a child slapped it together. The fries, forget them - reheated and dry. So disappointing and so expensive. I think I'll take another break and give Chik Fil A a try. It's also close by. Come on Portillo's, go back to the good old days and really give your customers what they are paying for.

The cashier that took our order greeted us and was enthusiastic. That type of energy is non existent in many of the workforce these days so kudos to this employee. The beef sandwich was good however the $0.70 for the skimpy amount of hot giardiniera was disappointing. They use to give more. The order line always moves fast. The wait for the food not so much.

What happened I use to love this place! Quality sure not what it use to be even a year ago. They even had good salads now just throw together. No fresh brewed tea. Beef have no taste. Wife had like 3 onions squares and no celery salt on a everything Chicago dog, just sad

Portillos, a Chicago favorite started by Dick Portillo in literally a shack in Villa Park I believe. They've since been bought out by a Warren Buffet Company I was told. This visit was at the west side of Elgin location. It was a drive thru experience that left much to be desired. Let me start by saying that the food as always was delicious, the food we actually received that is. It was a large order for me and my sisters family of 5. We placed our order and when we got to the window we were handed our bag, which felt light. So we asked, "hey this was a big order, are you sure everything is in this bag?" We were told that everything was in fact in the bag. So, we took their word for it and drove 10 minutes home. Once at the house, all the hungry teens were gathered around the table to eat their succulent treats. Ahhhhhhhh how disappointed everyone was when we discovered that half the order was missing. I'm reminded of a Seinfeld episode regarding taking the reservation, but not holding the reservation. You can take the order, but you didn't fulfill the order. This is a pretty big deal because now, half the family is eating so their food doesn't get cold, while me and their father have to drive all the way back to see the manager about the drive thru fail. Wasted time, wasted gas, and it's no longer a family dinner because everyone is in a free for all so they're not eating cold food. Like I said, the food is good, always has been, but the delivery was no bueno. I get that it gets busy, I get that people make mistakes, but take some pride in what you do please, you ruined a family dinner that doesn't happen often due to travel and busy schedules.

*Drive thru experience review* The line was long, but employees worked hard to make it go quick and efficient. Food was pretty good. It's fast food, nothing knocked out of the park, but for how fast it was prepared I really can't complain. The chili dog looked so messy wrapped up, however for someone who regularly spills, I didn't get a drop on me. That's impressive compacting! I have to be honest, the infamous Chicago hot dogs are not my thing. I ordered it to say I've tried it, but I don't see the need to put all that on a dog.

What happened to Portillos. Just picked up a chop salad with only four pieces of chicken. Onions on it when I said no onions. Four small pieces of tomato And where is the feta? So they should renamed the salad a chopped lettuce salad. $10.69 for this.

I went to Portillos at the Elgin location this week for a chopped salad and Chicken Club I've had them at other locations and always a favorite of mine Well at this location..part of my meal AND management service was NOT good at all When I arrived back home, I went to eat my crispy Chicken Club and it was hard in the middle. Around the edge was fine but middle was not. I ripped it open and notice its not well cooked all the way through. I stopped eating it. Called Portillos around 945p. Spoke with a manager who doubted my claim of having a bad sandwich..wow really? She kept saying ..'this is unbelievable There's no way. Our chickens are PRECOOKED (eww) and there's no way...' Told me she would refund the chicken and hung up on me. WOW Hey manager lady...here's the pic of my 'no way, unbelievable, precooked chicken' I'm sure that Portillos may not read Yelp reviews nor reply...and that's a shame BUT customers who dine at the Elgin location...I hope you see the review.

First bad experience at a Portillos. We had to wait 20 minutes for the food and it was cold. All sammiches/hotdogs/burgers/etc were made right away and then they waited on fries. For 20 minutes. So hot fries, absolutely cold food. Got a refund and went to McDs. Seems to have gone down since Dick Portillo sold out.

Spacious restaurant both inside and out. Fast service and the food was delicious! We highly recommend this location!

I was working out of town and wanted something quick and not too pricey. I planned on trying the hot dogs but I ended up getting the Italian Beef. Loved it!! Sandwich was huge though so I was only able to eat about half of it. Fries were fresh (crinkle style). I think maybe some spicy mustard would have made the sandwich better. But it was good even without that. I did get a slice of lemon cake and was underwhelmed with their dessert choice. If I have time I'd like to go back and try the hot dogs. Also....they had beer. Being from out of town, it was unusual for me to see alcohol served in a fast food restaurant. I didn't order any but the more I've thought about it I bet a craft beer and a hot dog there would be pretty great.

The employee working the pick up station was very nice and helpful in getting my second order! Food was so good; I was craving Portillo's because I hadn't had it in AGES. Delicious! The atmosphere inside was buzzing and it felt so nice to be inside there with all the yummy smells and music.

I used to love Portillo's but twice now I've had a beef and cheddar croissant and they were awful . The bun is not a croissant it's a cheap one and it tastes terrible . The meat was dry and in between there was shredded processed cheese that was not melted . I wouldn't go back anymore something's changed and it's for the worst

A Portillos is a Portillos, at least here as the one in Chicago has hard disgusting fries and food as well as racous crowds. The food here is what you'd expect from Portillos. Great fries, pretty tasty hotdogs, and zesty carbonated Sprite and sodas. Beats McDonald's and other fast food anyday!

If you like waiting in the drive through for half an hour after 10:00 at night, while your food gets cold because they don't know how to run their line, then by all means, eat here. If you want to order a side of cheese sauce, only to have them not secure the cup, drop it in your bag sideways, and spill all over everything else, eat here. If you want to make a simple order, and get the wrong thing, eat here. Never have they gotten my order right. I will be eating elsewhere from now on.

Screwed up my sons birthday dinner to go. Made us come back and pick up the completely messed up food. No apology and lots of confusion when I went back. Poor management and customer service. Won't be back.

Outstanding customer service! We went here the other night as the storms came in and waited for them to pass. Once they did, we used a large golf umbrella to protect us from the wind and rain. A stray gust turned the umbrella inside out. We entered, wrangling four feet of metal and cloth. I went to hand it to a worker to throw it away, when Felicia appeared and said she could fix it. We went to order our food and before it even came out, Felicia handed us our perfectly restored umbrella. Way to go, Felicia! Oh, and the food was good, too.

Stephanie was so helpful over the phone with our catering order and our regular delivery order, going above and beyond to make sure that we were happy customers!

my second favorite place to eat! i like how you can watch everything be made in front of you and we could see how fresh everything is. the only two things i would change are the prices and how crammed the place is everyday lol