Portillo's Harwood Heights

Wow, loved this place!! As non Chicago residents we had heard of this place for years and finally ended up here after years of recommendations. Incredible food, LOVED the cake shake, and great atmosphere. We loved looking at old records, seeing old album covers, and just having a good time. Nice old-time feely place and definitely a 10/10 experience. Would recommend everyone to come here at least once - a must try restaurant. We got the classic Chicago hot dog, italian beef hotdogs, and the iconic cake shake.

Everybody is aware of Portillo‘s world famous Italian beef sandwiches and the best Chicago style hotdogs in the city. NOW they offer a $7.99 breakfast combo that you can add to the list of phenomenal options available at Portillo’s! The Harwood Heights location is fantastic. We have visited it three times over the last four days. We have tried the beef, the hotdogs, and this morning- the breakfast. Thanks to the quick and courteous staff for providing a great experience.

Cool place and fun old school atmosphere. Really friendly staff. Pretty good food and compared to the other Chicago dogs, it's a reasonable and cheaper price. Will be back!

The beed eith sausage is surprisingly tasty. Plenty of seats available. Place is not too busy when we went for brunch, but it took a while for the order to be ready. Self-checkout kiosks available.

I'm from the east coast and how I really wish there was a Portillo's by me! I love their food, the employees were great, and the atmosphere was perfect!!

Classic Chicago dogs and Italian beef sandwiches served in a fun funky setting. The dogs have a nice snap and loaded with all the right toppings. The beef was so tender it just melts in your mouth. Great prices and great regional specialty food.

Couldn't get an order right. Missed my dessert. Fries were undercooked and cold. A security guard handed my my inaccurate order. Pass

Give Dick Portillo some credit. He took a hot dog stand and turned it into a national franchise. There's a commonality that gives diners the comfort they seek. That is, all of the food everywhere tastes the same. The portions are adequate and the menu is diverse. All in all, not bad and a step above the fast food category.

Generally good food and service with the occasional misstep in either a missing item or bad service. My go to items there are a Polish Sausage (prepared my way--not Maxwell Street Style) or one of their exceptional hamburgers. Occasionally I'll get a Beef & Sausage if the mood hits. Try a charred hot dog for a change of pace. The Fries are pretty good, but I'd avoid the Onion Rings--they are hit or miss (usually miss lately) They offer delicious large salads at a good price and variety. The Chocolate Cake is awesome, though I've never had the Chocolate Cake Shake. Portillo's also rotates in other desserts during the year. While I usually use the drive through, I have brought out of towners into the place to get the full experience. The dining area and restrooms are kept neat and clean, especially during rush periods.

I have to get Portillos everytime I'm in Chicagoland area! This was probably my least favorite location I've gone to but food was still good. We ordered on the kiosks and I feel like it took longer for us to get our food than if I just ordered at the counter. There are tons of seating. They usually have an extra room to sit in but had it closed off today. I like sitting there usually but no biggie.

The onion rings were hot and cooked to perfection. Friendly staff took our order and it didn't take long to be served. Right when you walk in, the place is fun to look at, lots of memorabilia and items decorate the whole place. Oh,and the chocolate cake is delicious. If you sign up as a member there are perks, and special pricing regularly.

I had never tried Portillo's and on my recent trip to Chicago I got to try their hot dogs and breakfast! This location was super inviting! We opted to have their breakfast and dined in. Everyone in my party found something. My nieces enjoyed the cake donuts. I chose the breakfast bowl and loved the spicy sauce packets they offer. So much cheese- there is no shortage of cheese. Love their potatoes. They're a nice crisp coating. They also have coffee options, so be sure to try those! Parking was a breeze at this location too.

Love Portillo's. I've been to at least three different ones and I'm never disappointed. This one in Harwood Heights has kept up the standard. Good Job!

What the heck ! No burgers, no fries, no chicken sandwiches today. They are "sold out" of burgers and chicken and unable to make fries right now (?). OK modifying my order...no one at the window to take my money. Wait, wait...pull up to see what's going on at next window and the smug woman there asks me why I didn't pay. Disorganized, unfriendly, not worth a trip to this location on Harlem Avenue.

I got the chicken Caesar salad and only got half a boiled egg. I've gone to other locations and ordered the same thing and they give a full boiled egg. Why is this location being cheap? Also, the lettuce looks flimsy. Disappointed. The qualify of food has gone down at Portillo's. This place is over-rated.

This restaurant is like a yo yo , up and down with its service and food delivery but I must say one thing is always consistent. Dining room host Kathy is one of the hardest working most pleasant people you'll ever come across. Today's visit I had the pleasure of saying hello to her after my meal. Today's meal was a broiled chicken sandwich , fries , and a diet. Food was made right and came out quickly. Rest of the staff was pleasant and price was good. Todays visit was one of the better ones I've had in a long time Some of my past reviews beat this place up and justifiably so but today was a good visit Thanks all and keep being awesome Kathy Be safe Be well

You can't go wrong w/Portillo's beef sammiches. I've never been to a Portillo's that I didn't like. They also have a whole slew of other goodies like their ribs, salads & chocolate cake to die for. They also have excellent burgers FYI - IF YOU GO IN ON YOUR BIRTHDAY THEY WILL GIVE YOU A SLICE OF THEIR DECADENT DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE CAKE FOR FREE Portillo's always good for a quick inexpensive meal

This location lives up to the standard that Portillo's has set. Every time I am back home, I need an Italian Beef, Vienna All-Beef Hot Dog, Fries and Chocolate Cake Shake. My taste buds were so happy we came.

First time at a Portillo's and was not disappointed! Got a Chicago dog and chocolate cake shake; both were tasty! I will definitely be back to try more of the menu. The staff were friendly, and the restaurant was clean too.

I think we can all agree that the food quality has gone way down over the years..But the service is even worse.. Mr Portillo needs to go to Johnnys beef.. And figure out how I can order a beef or sausage ,, and get it handed to me no more than a minute after I pay.. This place moves slow as hell. To order and to make food. And they have a real lot of emplyees. The cashiers are brain dead..The counter and prep help is slow.. It must be a horrible place to work because no one seems to stay working there..These employees are more brain dead than those at Mcdonald..Im done with Portillos..

Portillo's never disappoints! Loved every second of it! Highly recommend to immediately stop if you see one.

I've eaten many Italian beef's in my day, yet by far Portillo's always ranks at the top of my list! With the addition of sweet peppers, you have the most satisfying meal. The beef is seasoned perfectly, Piled high on Italian bread and dipped in au jus to your liking. There are also a variety of burgers, hot dogs, Italian sausage that will sate every appetite. Great delivery service!!

This location sucks!!! I've given this location multiple chances to get food/order correct, but this is the 4th time (that I kept track of) where the food is horrible and/or messed up the order! The chopped salad was mostly the white lettuce, ordered a plain hog dog, received it with everything....then there is the Char Grilled Polish. The onions are over cooked and looks unappetizing! I know grilled onions obviously get dark when cooked but this is terrible looking and tastes gross! The beef lacked flavor and had less meat than before! Also ordered 2 chocolate cake shakes. It's been a couple of years since the last time I had one. They barely had any Choco-cake!!!This place either gets the order wrong or the food is just ok. That's enough "just ok" food for me. We pay too much money for this.

The cashier seemed to be annoyed she had to work. It started with the Food being just okay.. minus the peppers being left off of my $15 dollar Big Beef sandwich and being given 4 small fries vs the 4 Large fries I paid for. Outside of that and spending $65 dollars on an average meal. It was just OKAY. Won't go back.

I have been here in person in the past and was a thumbs up. However, Portillo's has IT problems with their app, and Harwood Heights was the location I was trying to order from. I missed my one chance to try the May "buy one get one" month, gave up and ordered Al's Beef on Ubereats. I tried the app for the first time for delivery tonight to get the May deal (NW side of Chicago, closer to here than the Addison one) and no matter what I did it says "Something is wrong. Sorry, we ran into an issue. Try reloading this page, that should do the trick!". But nothing actually fixes it. I made sure it was updated, closed and restarted, every other possibility and the Portillos app is crap.

I ordered a jumbo hot dog, large fry, Italian beef sandwich, and a vanilla milkshake. The fries were great but overall, I enjoyed the milkshake more than food. The beef lacked flavor. This location has lots of seating and the employees are super sweet.

Completely my fault for not double checking the order after having errors in the past, but the drive through people again forgot to put some of the food in the bag. Do yourself a favor and unpack everything before you leave.

Loved my visit to chicago this time Portillo's is always a great experience. This one was great. Less busy than in the city and great service The shakes are amazing.

Ordered a big Italian beef earlier today from the hardwood heights location. The sandwich looks like they changed it. No where near what it used to be. Less meat and smaller bread. Waste of money if that's the case. The big beef sandwich looks nothing like the one on their menu. Sad to see their best selling sandwhich be reduced in size.

The manager Jessica is the best. You can tell she has the best relationship with her staff. She has amazing service as well, rushing out orders and chatting with cars in the drive thru line. She was amazing and definitely a huge part of the team.

Love it!! the lemon cake is gorgeous !! Please try it Definitely one of the best hot dogs in Chicago.

August 2024 my family of had a great experience at this location. The woman who took our order was really friendly and helpful. The food was great; we got Italian beef sandwiches and fries. There was a host working in the dining area who spoke with us and was just above and beyond hospitable and kind. He brought my 10 year old son a Portillo's hat and gave my husband a free slice of cake after learning it had been his birthday the week prior. We really enjoyed eating here.

Heard this was a must when in the Chicago area. I don't eat beef, but I was happy to see pork sausages as an option. I ordered char-grilled Italian sausage with hot and sweet peppers. Apparently this particular sausage blend was made specifically for Portillo's. It was yummy. The peppers were flavorful also and everything together was good. The sausage did have fennel, so if you are not a fan of fennel you might not like this. I also ordered cheese fries. The fries were good! Lightly seasoned and crispy. The cheese sauce was basic..nothing special and just basic cheese sauce. It was a very filling lunch and I'm happy there was a selection of items that didn't include beef. Average but reasonable prices.

Once again the food is awful. I'm done. Ever since they went nationwide the quality isn't there. The beef sandwich had cheese, which was not ordered, then scraped off. That and the beef was gritty--no where near the quality when they were private and there weren't so many of them. Avoid this location at a minimum--they just can get it right.

The kids that take the drive thru orders are usually very nice and helpful. I kind of feel sorry for them especially in inclement weather. They do try to get the order right and fast. Inside is also good service too. The food is fabulous.

People are nice, have me like no food in my sausage and beef bowl, I don't write reviews because I don't care but I'm hangry and they didn't give me my hot peppers. Better off at buona across the street

Terrible experience today in the Harwood Heights location. The once delicious pepper and egg sandwich now had American cheese which changes the entire flavor. Never again will I go there for pepper and egg. God knows what else has changed, I don't want to know.

Its Portillos, I don't know how you could give it any other rating. I have never had a bad experience here and it's always fun to go with the boys

It's too much work for them to accept cash. From the employee.... I guess when corporations can't handle paying people a decent wage they hire complete morons and force everyone to use a card. Your cash is not good here.

This place has huge parking area. Inside is big with lot of tables. Service is quick. Prices are reasonable. I ordered Portillo's hot dog (jumbo) which is the signature hot dog in Portillo. It was really good. You need more than one hot dog if you are really hungry, but it was good for late lunch option.

I rarely give out a one but in this case, I just couldn't help it. The hotel I was staying recommended this place as a local favorite. My girlfriend and I hopped in an Uber and headed down. The place was colorful, fun and clean. The girl that took our order was pleasant and very pretty. My lovely girlfriend doesn't eat meat, so she asked if they had any meatless options. Ie, a veggie based hamburger patty in lieu of real meat. We were assured they did do we ordered. We paid and waited for our number to be called. When we sat down and opened our food, the sick joke was on us. They literally gave my girlfriend a bun with nothing but lettuce, pickles and a tomato. No patty of any kind. Her meal, that we paid for, was a joke on us and we didn't especially find it funny.

Get your taste of hot dogs, beef sandwiches, sass, and desserts to this old fashioned style fast food dine in place with its classic 1920-1940 decor. Interesting decor from the past and takes you back to the older era with music vibe the time. It did hear a variety of music from 1930 - 1950 music. Just wondering where they found all of this stuff. Great to take a young family to see the place just to se how it looks. I do like the chop salad and their shakes / desserts. I am ranking it higher here since it's better than the 2 star average shown. I really think the price of the food brings the value down since it's pricey. Grab a few things for food and skip some drinks if you really don't need it to keep the price lower. Nice to have one of these restaurants in neighbor so we can something different. Swipe and read some of my other reviews. Hit the thumbs up button below on this and several of my post of you learned something.

Legendary food, great service by the cashier working today, and the vibes are always fantastic. Recommend the hotdogs or beef sandwich!

This place always hits like every time it always hits . I recommended the beef or hot dog which is the only things you should get here although the other stuff is good too

It's not the best place in the world but it's amazing for fast food. The fries, seasonal milkshakes, burgers, and hot dogs are amazing. This isn't a fancy restaurant, it's the 5 star version of McDonald's. Love it and will keep coming back

Service is generally good, but man have Portillo's really let their quality go down. I unfortunately had to move from Chicago and when I came back I was really looking forward to an Italian beef, and was I disappointed. No flavor, and the meat was almost rubbery. Sad, because I used to love Portillo's

One of my first stops every time I visit Chicago, and this was my first visit to the Harwood Heights location. It didn't disappoint! The Portillo dogs were as perfect as expected - crispy pickle, luminescent relish, the snap of the dog and poppy seeds scattering with every bite! Topped off with the chocolate cake shake, this is a meal that can't be beat. I'm already planning to go again...

We came inside to eat. Long long line and long long wait. The food was tasty but only warm not hot. My group had jumbo dogs, bacon burger, cheese fries and beer. I know staffing is hard and no one wants to work. These staff folks definitely were not feeling friendly today.

First the food isn't bad of course it has a nice atmosphere and everything but when I was getting my order after it being called on I don't know if she's a manager or something but she had this smell coming from her and it made it unpleasant to go back and ask for a side of honey mustard not to mention doesn't seem like she does a lot of work I didn't catch her name sadly but her work pace and hygiene needs to be worked on.

I always order online here and they never get my order right. Whether it's getting peppers, cheese, or even the ability to make it dipped and I mean dipped in extra gravy like I have asked. They simply do not bother it's so extremely disappointing of an experience. Save your money and go to Addison.

Great people at the drive thru but man oh man most pathetic beef sandwhich EVER! $10 BEEF for a soggy piece of bread with less than 5 slices of beef..get it together man. Absurdity

Ok while on a business trip...my staff member has been here before and absolutely raved about it...so we decided to give it a go. This is not typically in my wheelhouse...but when in Rome... So my staff got the hotdogs --Chicago style and I got a hot Italian.. They loved the burst of flavors with the hot dogs No Ketchup! Informed this is way better than others hotdogs! My Italian beef was "dry" which was still pretty wet but the bun was dry enough to be able to be handheld. It was shaved beef with a peppery taste and no need for other sauces. The fries were crinkle cut and along with the onion rings all very crisp. The staff-- Brandy - was very patient with our questions! Although It is not my typical place to go ----my staff loved it . They also have salads, dessert, fish and mushroom sandwich along with chicken

I'm most likely the ONLY person who ordered the fish sandwich. Cashier was lovely and handoff was great. Kinda low on the fries, mmhh ok..Coolio. Coolio. We get home and I am soo looking forward to this sandwich.. to open the well secured box.. and this is what I find. Like. For. Reals. How lazy and unkind are you? You had ONE JOB! Just one! I even made it easier for you by denying lettuce! Serial? Serially? Thanks.. that's a $bunchofmoney gone..at least that is what it feels like when eating out. We won't be coming back. Breaded Whitefish Sandwich Breaded Whitefish SandwichChili Cheese DogCheeseburger

My kids wanted Portillos and I warned them not to go to this particular Portillos, but the didn't listen. HOW DO YOU SCREW UP A HOT DOG??? WELL I'LL TELL YOU.... 1. Serve a room temperature hot dog 2. Make sure your bun is cold 3. Only put a sprinkle of onions and relish on the middle of the COLD HOT DOG AND BUN 4. Put one sport pepper on one dog and 5 on the next And just for kicks...your coke tasted funny DO NOT GO TO THIS PORTILLOS! GO TO A DIFFERENT ONE

I was unfortunately a little disappointed in this Portillo's. I met a friend here tonight for dinner, I'm in town for a conference and I noticed they had a location about 10 minutes from my hotel, which was awesome. I have previously only been to the Ontario Street downtown location. Another friend had told me to order the beef sandwich with peppers, so I did that, with the gravy on the side. It was extremely greasy and tasted just okay. It also took a really long time for my order to come out, for some reason; it seemed like they were more focused on takeout orders instead of dine-in people. I also got an order of onion rings and the chocolate eclair cake, and both of those were excellent. The onion rings were nice and crunchy and the eclair cake was very different from other cakes I've had before - it definitely tasted like an eclair. Last time at Portillo's I got the Chicago dog and really enjoyed that, so next time I would get that instead of the beef sandwich. My friend got a salad and she said it's her go-to order there because it's usually really good.

I ate here on New Years Eve, ordered a beef sandwich no peppers and a double cheeseburger. The double cheeseburger was fantastic except for the single slice of shabby lettuce. I high recommend the burgers with no lettuce. The beef was not good, sorry to say. It was not sliced beef but shredded pieces of beef. If I come back here, I will stick with the burgers not the beef..

Came in from Wisconsin and one of our favorite places is Portillos. I had a jumbo beef dipped and loved every bite. You can't beat a Chicago beef sandwich. My wife loves their hot dogs and we both enjoy their cheese fries. The food is always hot and tasty. The servers were all friendly and efficient. One even took the time to stop by our table and remind us to fill out the survey on the receipt which gets you a free large fry the next time you come in. The restaurant is clean and bright! A nice change from other fast food places.