Portillo's Elmhurst

I am not from the area and love to try local foods. I was excited to try this place and it did not let me down! The burgers were delicious and the fries were crispy as well. I had the strawberry milkshake and it was very very tasty with natural strawberry flavors. I would highly recommend this location.

Visiting Portillo’s was a memorable experience that balanced hearty flavors with a fun and lively atmosphere. I opted for their steak sandwich, which was served in a buttery croissant instead of the usual bread. This unexpected choice elevated the dish: the croissant was flaky, warm, and perfectly complemented the juicy, flavorful steak. Each bite was indulgent yet satisfying, and it felt like a clever twist on a classic comfort food staple. To accompany the sandwich, I tried their famous “cake shake.” This is exactly what it sounds like—rich chocolate cake blended right into a creamy shake. It’s decadent and fun, though definitely a dessert that requires both a straw and, eventually, a spoon. The texture shifts as you work your way through it, making it more of an experience than just a drink. It’s the kind of treat that makes Portillo’s unique and worth talking about. The ambiance was equally impressive. While the restaurant has a diner-style setup with casual seating, the décor feels much more sophisticated, with thoughtful design touches that make it feel welcoming and vibrant. It’s a place you could come with friends or family and enjoy not just the food, but the energy of the space. If there was one drawback, it was the service. While staff were generally friendly, condiments ran out and weren’t quickly replenished. It wasn’t enough to spoil the meal, but it was noticeable. Overall, though, Portillo’s delivered on taste, creativity, and atmosphere—making it a spot I’d happily return to.

It's been many years since I've been at the Portillo's here on Elmhurst. It's as good as it was back then! Italian beef with Giardiniera can't be beat!

great atmosphere and friendly, efficient service, which makes dining here pleasant. Unfortunately, my Italian beef sandwich was a letdown: the bread was too wet, which made it hard to enjoy, But the fries 🍟 were good. It’s my first and last time at this place . Overall, a nice place to visit for the vibe and service, but choose your order carefully.

11/22/25. UPDATE!!!! Just tried to give them another chance. Hey Peter! Thanks for no sweet peppers in my gosh darn sandwich!! What the heck are you guys doing?!?!?! I don’t know what the problem is with this place maybe it’s the jerk manager, but the guy in the drive-through with the face mask can never get my order right obviously it’s clear. They don’t understand what juicy or double dipped beef means. This is dry as a bone and the cheese is not even melted….. And when you try to bring it up to their attention, they don’t fix it. They have nothing to say and nothing ever changes. I don’t recommend this place at all. They may be long-standing, but the service is NOT worth it.

Tasty as always at Portillos 🔥 fries absolutely perfect condition! 😋 Although I ordered Cheeseburger +bacon and got a Bacon Cheeseburger, which is a different meal (without onions, pickles and taste difference in general). Was too hungry to complain and changed 😅

This particular restaurant had a '50s '60s vibe and it was absolutely cool on the inside. Food was really good.

10 out of 10 for a quick fast food breakfast!! Loved every thing we tried. Especially the chocolate cake doughnut and the polish and egg sandwich. Yum yum!!

Stopped in today and had a chopped salad and a fake hot dog (plant based :)) I got to tell ya the plant based dog is very very good , the Cobb salad was also a winner Food fresh and great tasting , service was fast and courteous and the dining area was very clean Great meal Excellent stop !

This is my favorite portillo's location in the west suburbs! It's retro themed with tons of unique decor, they've got the kiosks ordering, AND a gift shop grab and go area! We specifically tried their new breakfast menu this round. Ordering on the kiosk was easy and the pickup staff was great and very polite and helpful when we noticed we were missing a side of cheese. Super quick to remedy! The breakfast is so fun and quite yummy! The donut collab with Stan's is EXCELLENT and I love the chocolate cake flavor ice coffee, it really does taste like one! I love the Polish sausage with the sauce, it's a little heavy on the egg for me but easy to just pick some off. The croissant sandwiches are also a fave for me!

On April 15, 2025, Portillo's will be starting to sell breakfast at select locations. We were invited to try two breakfast meal deals today in Elmhurst and I decided to review it. My bottom line overall impression is that I would do this again for breakfast. My husband got the bacon, egg and cheese croissant meal deal with iced coffee and I got the Polish sausage, egg and cheese meal deal with hot coffee. We also bought two chocolate cake donuts that are a collab with Stan's. Personally, I am not a fan of Stan's donuts, but these were amazing and I would get one again. PROS: * VERY filling * real scrambled eggs, done well - not mushy * giardiniera sauce - I want a whole bottle of it! Just enough kick to elevate the sandwich. * coffee - surprisingly tasty and fresh * real bacon, done well, and a healthy portion of Polish sausage * each of our meals was bagged up as a meal, which made it nice - no guessing what item belonged to who CONS: * not a FAST drive thru (McDs is faster), but Portillo's is far tastier (but, as typical with Portillo's, still very fast considering the amount of people) * more of a eat-in meal or bring it home to eat..... too messy to eat in the car * a good portion of hash browns, but they're served in a big bag, so it appears small * donut was put in the same bag as the hot food, so it got melty - needs to be in plastic like their cake, or bagged up separately * a runner who was handing out food outside the drive thru was complaining to another employee about the early hours he was asked to work to accommodate the new breakfast service - I'm sure he's just an immature kid, but it's in very poor taste to complain about your job in front of customers.

Stopped in for dinner on a Saturday night: the food was OK. There was too long a wait at the Pizza place I had scoped out before our trip to Chicago, so ended up stopping for dine-in on a whim while driving to our hotel. There are many ways to order from Portillo's now: this time we used a kiosk since it wasn't too busy, which spit out a number that was used as an identifier. I had multiple chuckles as an employee called out orders that were ready for pick-up, using the number along with a rhyme. Hokey, but fun. The food was ready within 10 minutes, and I took it back to our booth to eat-in. My wife and I ordered our typical, and it tasted OK. We remarked if the au jus of the Italian beef sandwiches has been water downed...it just doesn't taste the same anymore, and without the hot juice from the Giardiniera, has no spiciness or flavor. There was a good quantity of beef, though, in our Big Italian Beef Sandwich ($10.39) and because we asked for it dipped, it needed to be finished pretty quickly before the bread disintegrated. I also got my one Chicago Style Hot Dog ($3.99), which was good. A large cheese fry ($4.88) had a good amount of crinkle cut fries, and a good nacho cheese sauce on the side that you used for dipping. A large drink ($2.99) was self-serve with Coke products.

Visiting from out of town, and was told I needed to go here. Disappointed. Nothing special, quality is what you expect from a chain restaurant.

Had to review this specific Portillo. Our basketball team came here and they delivered our food so quick. The food was amazing as always and you know the Portillo ambiance it's awesome.

Anyone else have a bad hot dog lately? The last few times I've had one they're like rubber. No more for me.

They've gotten pretty bad since going public. The beef sandwich was dry the last 2 times we got it. Chicken sandwich was overcooked. The burgers vary a lot. Their salad options leave a lot to be desired. I use to love their southwest chicken salad that they got rid of years ago. Even the malt didn't have much malt in it.

This location is so much FUN! I met some friends who live in the suburbs here for a lunch with our kiddos. Portillos is such a fun spot to bring kids because there is so much to look at -- especially here! It's a super retro vibe with old-timey booths, lots of colors, and bright 60s signs and art hanging from the ceiling. The service is what I find to be pretty universal at most portillo's...great! The line to order was super quick and food came out in a flash despite being busy both inside and in the drive-thru. I went with beef and cheddar croissant and cheese fries. Best cheese fries in the game!

I came back from a church service looking for something to eat, I came across here very tired. Customer service is not so good, lady was impatient and very quiet. Looked like she hated me and some tables aren't clean, only Like the food that's it

First of all, I ordered with the self order kiosk and I proceeded to wait 15+ minutes for my order of two people. In the time I was waiting, I watched people, some with bigger groups, get their order before me, from ordering from the counter and the kiosk. I did not receive help from the woman who was at the counter giving out orders after watching her help two other men with their orders, who also waited so long for their orders. Eventually, a worker helped me, and after opening my bag, they forgot my cheese sauce that I paid over a dollar for, making me go back up AGAIN to ask for it. Finally, I am able to eat, and I open my god damn sandwich up and what do I see? My Italian Beef sandwich I ordered to be SLIGHTLY wet was drenched in the gravy for the sandwich. Moral of the story, everything sucked about this place, and now I'm just upset.

I find myself craving Portillo's every so often. Maybe because of their perfectly salted fries or because of their fresh burgers. You have to try the iconic Portillo's if you are in Chicago. My favorite is their cheeseburger, but the Chicago-style hot dog and Italian beef sandwich are classics. I was surprised, but their char-broiled chicken sandwich is also very good. Portillo's is a fast-casual restaurant with slightly higher prices than fast food but you're paying for better ingredients. Not only is the food great, but the atmosphere is unlike any other restaurant. Each location has a historic Chicago theme from the 20s-60s. In my experience, the wait time has been around 15-20 minutes.

As always, my visit to Portillo's was a real treat. I tried the garden dog as my MIL had talked it up so much and it was definitely yummy. My husband had the beef sandwich (baptized) and it was awesome- the last time I tried one I was pregnant with our son and just couldn't do it. But now I definitely could! We shared cheese fries and while I liked the fries I wasn't a fan of the cheese food. The decor is retro and really fun and proved to be a life saver if a distraction at the end of our meal when my son was DONE but the rest of the family was still chatting.

Always good food! Never gets old and will always come here . Service is fast only you have to wait for the food for a while like a restaurant. Other than that this place is clean and friendly servers.

This is the second time I went to the drive thu and ordered a combo beef and sausage only to get home to find beef and no sausage. Paid 12dollars.

Juicy and seasoned well simple. Large amount of beef, great ratio to bread. Fries a bit too much salt. Hotdog standard. Will be back! Beef!

Best hot dog I've had in my whole life! Get everything on it. I miss it! When I'm Chicago get a Portillo'a hot dog!! Wasn't a fan of the beef sandwich.

Ambiance is nice with oldies music playing, service sucks, the cashier got the order wrong not once but twice. The beefs were not made as ordered and complaining didn't help so the food was not as it's supposed to be. The meat was dry and they didn't dip the beef. This place is busy and is not as good as the one down the street so we won't be coming back anytime soon. Even if it takes longer to get to Willow brook, that's where we're going. 3 stars only because the kids behind the counter were friendly and engaging with the customers.

From the walk in the door I felt that this is so needed in Connecticut. I let them know this is our first visit and great suggestions were made. I had the Italian Beef with extra gravy and a chocolate cake milkshake. The sandwich was amazing. The bread was nice and soft. The beef was seasoned to perfection. I really enjoyed it. The shake with cake crumbs was different but omg, I opened the lid and ate it with a fork. Crazy delicious. The 50's decor is fun and there's lots to look at.

Service A+, drive thru in the rain, two guys standing out in the rain, fast, friendly, correct. Food A+ best chili cheese dogs and fries combo I've had in years. Pleasantly mild chopped onion. Really good.

Delicious Chicago hot dogs at their finest. 10/10 would order again with all the toppings!!! Yum yum yum!!! Fries delicious too!

I've always enjoyed Portillo's cheeseburgers. One of the best charbroiled burgers ever. The double is very filling. This time I tried the Italian beef with extra gravy. It was fantastic as well! Will be a hard choice next time. The interior of the restaurant always has things to look at. Service has always been quick and friendly. Highly recommend them. Been to 3 different locations and all have been great.

It's been a while so just a quick update here. After the corporate buyout I was worried the famous Chicago hot dog chain would slip. I'm happy to say they haven't messed with the winning formula! The service, cleanness and quality of the food is still fabulous. Keep up the good work.

I've been to Portillo's hundreds of times. Good to very good almost every time. No real complaint with the take out meal today except that the onion rings were clearly the worst I've ever had at Portillos. They were not warm and had no flavor.

Fool me twice, shame on me. According to a very rude employee, the "beef and cheddar is always served on a croissant". Told me to let him finish how things are prepared, uh maybe ask the customer if French bread is preferred when a beef with cheddar cheese is ordered. Not sure what you call this but I assume it cost the same as a French roll beef at a 1/3 the portion size. Terrible customer service. No accountability.

Came inside during non-prime/rush time. I was able to walk right up to the cash register. The restaurant had plenty of people at their assigned work stations. However staff were talking to each other. One staff was even talking to his mom, who didn't order anything but she was just talking to him. If there were plenty of guests, I would have understood the wait times. I watched my hot dog sit by the bag as my burger was prepared. Tasted ok, but service definitely lacking.

Stopped in for a quick lunch to my favorite Chicagoland "fast food" restaurant. This one didn't disappoint, the employees are always helpful and smiling. They are always on top of your order and it's cooked fresh to order. My usual order is a cheeseburger, fries with cheese sauce on the side (please get the cheese sauce!!!). Today I went with the big beef (dipped with mozzarella and hot peppers), it is so good. Pro tip: get the chocolate cake shake!

Not a fan of this Portillo's location. The drive thru takes forever and is ran poorly. The food was not good at all. The large fry was half filled and the fries were not cooked all the way, they were still partially frozen. The big beef was not a big beef. They skimped on the beef. For everything it was $21 and not worth it at all. I will not be returning to this location due to the poor service at drive thru and the food itself was not up to standards.

I normally love their chopped salad. I just learned not to order it in the evening. Not at all fresh. Instead of crispy lettuce, it was wet and on the soggy side. Very disappointing.

Portillo's is a must any time I visit the Chicago area! This location was quick to turnaround food after ordering. The restaurant itself was clean and had ample seating at lunch time on a Friday. Their chopped salad with the little pasta noodles is outstanding. And their iconic beef sandwich is amazing. I highly recommend getting it dipped for more of the delicious au jus type sauce. They have crinkle cut fries if you're picky on your fry type.

Inside the no foot traffic, ghost town was a sure sure sign however I proceeded to ordered an Italian Beef, fish sandwich and fries to go. The fries was undercooked, the bread was toasted/crusty and the very small size fish was overcooked with burnt edges. Noticeably staff was working out of a brown box of frozen french fries. I asked for some more fries and the uninterested team members ultimately served me undercooked fries. Avoid THIS location at all cost.

This place is unbearably noisy. The food is the same as what you get at any Portillo, which was actually better when Dick P owned the chain. Overpriced for what you get, much better beef, sausage. and hot dogs at many other places

The only thing good about this location was the ambiance I had the Beef char-sausage with fries, wasn't ask if I wanted sweet peppers or Hot and fries. which I'm used to being ask at other portillo's locations . meal was luke warm also tea drink was bitter.will not go back to this location Very disappointed

Go to a different portillos lmao. They're trippin here. Throwing bags around. No body looks like they Wana be here. Half ass made my food. Flipped over tables, and broken seats lol. Run down. Terribly ran.

Believe me when I say "Your kids will love this place!" My niece and nephew are super picky, but each said they would rate Portillo's 5 out of 5. Me personally, I'd give it a 2, but will settle at 3 since the kids were happy. This is "late night" or "let me grab a quick bite to hold me over during the day" food. I would return for the kids, but will be very specific about what I order. Here's a summary of what we ate: Chili Cheese Dog - delicious per the kids Char-Grilled Hot Dog - average, would probably eat again Flounder Sandwich - awful Beef and Cheddar - very poor execution, there was hardly any cheese and it was dry Char-Grilled Maxwell Street Polish - sausage had good flavor, onions were bland, and needed way more mustard

Great food. I have never had an issue with the food. Clean restaurant. Great service. Service with a smile and a rhyme when they call out your food. The Ambiance is great. Always good music playing. Booths are bright and colorful making it a fun time for all.

It was a typical late night, fast-food, drive-thru experience. Unfortunately, the plant-based item wasn't the best, but the service was pretty good.

Food was good it's what I expected cost was reasonable. Started putting chairs up early which told us to leave. Kind of rude when that happens.

Absolutely SUBLIME service, whether delivered or eat-in. We're new to the Western Suburbs (Elmhurst), so my first order was kind of a gamble. SURPRISE! A hot-dog in all its glory. French-fries fried to perfection. I may not need to leave home ever again. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

BACK IN TIME Eating at this Portillo's makes me feel like Marty McFly in Hill Valley, circa 1955. As with all locations of the legendary hot dog restaurant, this one focuses on a bygone era. While the Portillo's in Northlake (less than 10 minutes away) is representative of the roaring 20's, this Elmhurst spot has the look and feel of a diner from the 50's & 60's. The façade out front even looks like a jukebox, with neon lighting trim! Inside, the floors are checkered and the booths reminiscent of decade. I seriously expected to see Lorraine Baines sitting at a table with her friends, as George walks up to them and tells her "you're my density." Of the few times I've been here for lunch, most recently it was to enjoy a bacon cheeseburger ($6) and cheese fries ($3). I have to give them props for perfectly crispy bacon and a legit tasty, juicy burger. With lettuce, tomato, and mayo, it really hit the spot. Employees are cool and generous with the refills, although today I experienced plenty of confusion at the register with using a gift card. At first she swiped it like normal, then told me my balance. Then she said "actually, you owe $13". Then, "sorry, nevermind, the card had $13 on it". Wh-what? It had only $10.37, how'd you get that number?? There's usually a long line of cars in the drive-thru, but workers crank through them quickly. Note that it's only accessible via northbound travel on Route 83, unless you turn into the parking lot shared with Whole Foods. Good stuff as always, regardless!

As soon as I came in, I felt like I walked into a 1960's movie. The memorabilia is great at this restaurant. It looks like a lot of the original construction from the 20th century has been preserved. Music of the past was playing non stop. Portillos is known for its hot dogs. Today, I discovered some other items on the menu. I tried the chopped salad, which is full of savory bacon bits, chopped chicken, blue cheese crumbles and veggies, with house salad dressing. It was delicious. The ribs were juicy and tender. The onion rings were crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. For dessert, the caramel shake and chocolate were awesome. The chocolate cake was light and fluffy with creamy cocoa frosting. The milkshake was rich and creamy. Overall, my walk in the past was great!

What a fun place! Loved the setup, loved the booths, and the fries and dogs were excellent :) Definitely a spot I'd like to revisit!

Don't go here they forget simple things like a cheeseburger. I live 5 miles away so this will be the last time I go to this Portillo's.

Slow drive thru! Ouch. 20 mins behind about 10 cars. No orders came out at all for over 5 minutes. Not a viable business based on this experience

Food was terrible and didn't give us fries included with the rib dinner. I even asked the lady if they were in the bag and she said yes. I didn't check because I believed her. Croissant sandwich was so soggy it fell apart when I tried to eat it. Onion rings were cold and only got 5 didn't even fill container was supposed to be large order. Ribs were ok

Well just another day here in the Windy City! And well my hotdog and polish sausage cravings where satisfied. Been wanting to try it and well it was so delicious. Wow I can't complain it was more than satisfying.'this place is amazing and the decor is out of this world. Welcome back 1950!!! Everything was amazing the bathrooms also tip top clean!!!! Thank you for this hotdog experience will be here for a few weeks and I'm going to try it all!!! This dad bod I'm working can't live with out the necessities of food food!!!

The restaurant was very clean. The employees were extremely friendly. I got a hotdog and extra crispy fries. The food was very good. It was a nice experience. I will return to Portillo's.

What happened to Portillo's??? I used to love their food but not anymore. I stopped in yesterday with a friend at around 2 PM after the lunch rush, there were just a few people in the restaurant. We ordered a Beef and Cheddar croissant and a salad. It took 15 minutes to get the order and the food was just bad, The croissant was tasteless and the amount of beef on the sandwich was laughable. This place used to be good but not anymore. I expected better for over $30!

So, my wife put in order via the app. At approx. 650 pm. Was told via the app that the order would be ready for pickup at 7:15 pm. She arrived at 7:15, text that she was there and even spoke on the phone with a female employee to verify she was in spot number one waiting on delivery. The girl told her they didn't have an order under her name. Now, the app verified the order and even varied pre-payment so somethings not right. She couldn't leave or cancel since the order already charged our credit card, so she was told to re-order on the app, and the response she received said 7:45 pickup. First, it takes 30 mins for a beef, a combo and fries? From portillo's? No way! I've walked in and been out with a similar order in five minutes. That's what you expect from Portillo's: good food, great speedy service. But she said ok I will be out here in spot one. 7:46 she feels something is wrong so she goes inside and a girl tells her "oh, your order has been ready since 7:15 and it's been under the warmer". WT*! No one came out to deliver the order, no one called my wife back on her number to tell her it was ready inside, nothing. Now we are forced to eat soggy fries and warmed up beef sandwiches. I like the bread to a bit juicy, that's why you order a beef right? But the bread was literally falling apart in little soggy pieces by the time she got home (5 mins away) that we had to eat it with a fork it was so messy. Also had to put in the micro cause it was cold. Obviously this is not the great service you'd expect at a Portillo's. The girl didn't offer an apology or to make a fresh order, just completed the transaction like it was no big deal. My wife didn't want to show how angry she was and just paid and left. But it really left her feeling like something went very wrong. (stuff happens, no biggie but own it!).but no one took accountability for it. My wife wasn't looking for a discount, free food, nothing. We aren't like that. A simple apology and acknowledgment that someone dropped the ball, a fresh order possibly would have been all that was necessary. And we aren't looking for anything here either. But it's important for the consumer to relate bad experiences so others who also may frequent a certain location can see if it's prevalent, or a one off. I'm going with it's a one off as we are avid fans of Portillo's and frequent this location often. Give it 1 for terrible service and lack of accountability. As far as the food, give it a 2 cause of the too soggy bread and soggy fries. A shame, we were really looking forward to the meal. Should always be a five at Portillo's! I should have looked at other reviews. After doing so I take it back! It's obvious this location has a lack of oversight and management, and the employees don't care. We are never going back, plenty of other locations to choose from. Dick Portillo was a great leader of this company. They are damaging the great reputation he built over many years. What a rotten shame.