Portillo's Madison, Wisconsin - East Towne

Recently, I went inside of Portillo’s for the first time and omg?? I never knew it was so cute and retro, I regret not going in sooner! I was offered the opportunity to try out their new lemon cake flavor and the cake shake and it was AMAZING. If you like lemon, you’ll LOVE that flavor. I am impressed that they make the cake in house because a lot of places don’t do that anymore! You also cannot go wrong with their burgers and Italian beef. 10/10!!!

Another great dining experience with this chain and another great Italian beef! The decor of each location is slightly different but always unique to its location. The staff was super nice, and our food came out relatively fast.

Driving home to Chicago from a Bears game in Minnesota, this hit the spot! Not only was the food hot and ready on a chilly Sunday night, but the cashier shook our hands and said Go Bears, and our staff was nothing but friendly and attentive. Great team they have over there. 10/10

My son and I ate at your restaurant last night and we were greeted by the nicest woman, followed by a young man who gave us directions for how to get in line to order, followed by a woman who offered us free salad, and then the people who took our order were also very helpful. As we left, that same greeter checked back in with us about how we liked the food we chose and we stood and talked about the importance of being nice to people. I had commented that I felt like everyone in the restaurant were so kind. The woman who was serving salad also came and removed our trash from our table and she checked in with me and brought me salt and pepper for my free salad. Just a very pleasant experience all around! Thank you.

Was our first time getting to experience Portillo's. We had a variety of items from the menu, burgers, beef sandwich, chili and also tried 4 different desserts! Everything was outstanding! We will be back again. Few areas to improve would be them making sure the order is correct and all there before giving it to you. We had to return to the pickup counter twice, 1 for missing burger, 2nd time for missing sauces. But the errors were taken care of without issue. Second would be a better way to serve the dipped beef sandwiches. While I anticipated it being a bit messy I didn't expect to have gravy literally everywhere and dripping on everything just by taking it out of the bag and trying to unwrap it. The paper was literally mush and stuck to the sandwich. Don't get me wrong, it was an outstanding sandwich but there's got to be a better way. The vibe of the restaurant was 10/10 and the music was 🔥

NO MUSIC NO US We visited this Portillos tonight and it was very disappointing. We have dined here many times and picked up take home orders a few times. We have also been to several other locations between northern WI and Chicago. We have always loved listening to the great Oldies but Goodies while we chow down. Tonight at Portillos Madison East the music was so muted we couldn't hear it at all. The Rock and Roll music is part of the ambience of Portillos. Without the music Portillos is just another unrecognizable hot dog/sandwich shop. Those who have mentioned that they like that it is quiet for having conversations are missing what Portillo's history is about and the fun of the artifacts and the music experience. They might be happier at a coffee shop. We will wait until we get to Chi Town to have our Italian beefs and Chicago style hot dogs in the future. Actually it was not quiet there tonight. The workers on the intercom calling orders were very loud and the general accoustical noises were annoying and loud. Maybe the music drowned out those noises before. BTW our Italian beefs were so drenched in gravy they were a mess to eat, but still the best and no one seemed to be cleaning the tables between diners. We cleaned our table with napkins.

We have been to enough Portillo’s feel like there is an expected standard. This is our second time at this one. The food was good. The wait was a bit much. We were there at 2 in the afternoon and watched as a staff answered their cell phone, another got themselves a drink and enjoyed it, and a few were horsing around. I can understand if there was no one there. There were at least 6 of us (groups and individuals) waiting for our orders. Disappointed, likely won’t return to this location on our way through town.

Looking for classic American fare? Portillo's didn't disappoint. The burger was made to order correctly. Cooked well. Tasted fresh. The fries were just crispy enough with balanced salt. They had a busser making sure the place was in order who was respectful and attentive. It's a large place with the classic diner feel and the overhead music completes it. I rated 4 stars because it's everything I would hope to expect for an American fast food place of this caliber for $14. No WIFI however. The only other disappointment was seeing artificial ingredients in the chocolate cake (red 40, etc.). How artificial colors are still finding their way in so much food in a country with an obesity epidemic that has expressed an interest in healthier more natural food is beyond me but that is for another forum. A level up from McDonald's and comparable to Culvers.

Portillos is one of those--I'm so hungry and I have no idea what I want spots. Their locations are so consistent and employees always so nice and pleasant. I either lean towards the Chicago hot dog or the Italian beef sandwich. Either driving thru or eating in, the food is always fresh--French fries are always hot and fresh! Get the cheese sauce! It's on my bucket list to try the cake shake that they have. The interior is super fun to enjoy--lots of signs on the wall to enjoy.

I had high expectations when we walked in as the atmosphere and decor were great. The place was clean and the staff were hustling and putting out lots of orders. As we ate, we were all disappointed in the food. Basic food, nothing exciting. We paid $65 for 3 kids meals, an adult meal and a salad. This is pretty steep when you consider it's hot dogs and chicken strips. We all agreed-we will not return. We left dissatisfied and not having our tasty food itch scratched.

This is my second time here, first time was on my motorcycle with my wife, we waited 40 minutes for our food only to have it cold and missing some if it. They apologized and gave us a bunch of cake and deserts... We just wanted our food in a normal amount of time. This second time i stopped there on November 27 to pickup two lb's of beef, gravy and bread. I guess you can not just order this at the drive thru and think they could ever get it correct. I also ordered a double hot dog meal that was ice cold by the time i got to et it in the parking lot. I had to go inside to get bread for my two lb's of beef and then had to wait 15 minutes for them to hand me two frozen bags of bread. This place was not busy at all. Besides the cold hot dogs the order was fine in the end. This place has the worse service that I have ever experienced at a Portrillos, If you want a good experience and a complete order, do not go to this location. Yesterday was my very last time going there.

I can't understand how this place can't get a simple order correct. Ordered a Big Beef, dipped. Simple right ! Well they didn't put it in the plastic bag , like every other Portilllos does, so I set it on the seat of the truck, drove away, 3-4 mins later grabbed the bag, and the juice( grease) had seeped out of the sandwich wrap, soaked thru the bag,and into the cloth of my passenger seat. WTF !!! Who's going to pay for that to be cleaned ?? Let me guess, I Am ! Save you money,go elsewhere for food, I will be ! When I called the store to complain to the manager, the lady on the phone said hold a minute or two, after I told her what had happened. No one came back to the phone. So I called again, and the manager wasn't available now.. BS your ducking my call cause your idiot employees screwed up. No more money from me .

It was not clean. Food was marginal and there was a mistake with the order. I felt the employees were more interested in socializing with one another and not providing customer service. To pricy.

Really disappointed in beef sandwiches at this location. Beef was really dry and the peppers were few and mozzarella was on the wrapper not the sandwich. Gardiniera and mozzarella were limited on 2nd sandwich which was also very dry. We got the end of the bag of fries - none big enough to swipe in ketchup. Order wasn't complete in 1 bag and thankfully recognized it before we pulled away. Nobody else in line at 5:30pm should have been a clue!

Take cash when people are paying for product and goods and services with cash and not say no we don't accept cash will not be eating here anytime soon

I was craving a hot dog, and my partner suggested Portillos. We ordered 2 beef hot dogs with all the toppings, onion rings, and chili. The good: The onion rings were amazing. The bad: The hot dogs were so overloaded that the buns were soggy. They also weren't actually very "hot" with respect to temperature (we ate at the restaurant, not to go) which was a bit of a bummer. The chili was average, but also the temperature was luke warm which was a bit of a turn off. I might go back, but I might not.

This was the second time I have been to one of these places in Wisconsin - the other time was at their Brookfield location a few years ago. We stopped in for lunch on a Saturday and it was pretty busy. The line moved well though it was much longer once we got through it. The kitchen is absolutely huge - not really sure why but it is impressive. I decided on the classic Chicago dog with everything on it - of course. My mistake was ordering the regular size vs the jumbo because it was tiny and not very filling. The flavor was good not great. My wife got the chopped salad and said it was very good. We each got a shake (or was it a malt?) and they were good and huge even though they were the small size. Next time I have a craving for a Chicago dog and I am not in Chicago I will stop again but I will order the jumbo size (which really isn't that jumbo)!

Always nice employees and the food is pretty good. I had chicken strips that were tasty and the breading was nice. The famous chocolate cake is not very tasty ( maybe just my opinion). They have crinkle fries which I am not a fan of but my husband loved them. Restaurant is always clean and staff is always friendly.

It's my first time going to the fabled Portillo's. I ordered a breaded chicken sandwich and a chocolate cake shake. I feel that I am a bit of a chicken sandwich professional and this one doesn't quite make it high in my list. It's still a good sandwich, but it doesn't have the kind of soul like Zaxby's or Chick-Fil-A. While I was researching the nutrition facts of the cake shake, a small one has a whopping 110 GRAMS OF SUGAR. I couldn't drink the whole thing without thinking of my health. Service was fast and homey. Food was good overall, would go again.

I don't know why the poor reviews. I thought it was excellent! Visiting Madison for work and my buddy who grew up here insists that I need to go to Portillo's. I'm from Cali SF Bay Area , where the closest Portillo's is in Anaheim (never been). He insisted on the Italian beef - dipped. Bonus was that they serve draught beer! Too full for the Chicago dog or a shake, so will have to come back!

Always wanted to try this regional chain and was super excited to learn that they had locations in the Madison area. We decided to try their (Chicago style) beef hot dog, onion rings, fries, and of course we ordered their famous chocolate cake and chocolate cake shake. To be honest, the hot dogs and fries were alright. The hot dog tasted okay but the neon green relish was kind of off-putting and the fries tasted like they sat out for a while. Surprisingly, their onion rings were awesome. They were fresh, hot, and crispy. Their chocolate cake was moist and not overly sweet, I can see why they are known for their cake. The cake shake was equally good, but it was very rich. The shake kind of mellows out the chocolate flavor of the cake, but it paired well with their fried items. The large size can definitely be shared amongst a few people. Overall, food was okay, service was friendly and casual, can't say I would return again, one visit is enough for me.

Great burgers and get orders right. Better than west town Portillos 100%. Shakes are always blended through, sometimes Portillos doesn't Care to blend the cake shakes so if you want a good one, go here.

We have been to the Madison Portillo's before but it has been a while. We stopped in this evening for dinner. I got the number 1, it was good. The fries were really good. My wife got the rodeo burger, she wasn't a big fan of the baroque sauce. The service was good. The main thing that is keeping me from going to 4 stars is it is pretty pricey for a fast food place.

Second time here. Initial visit I tried the Chicago dog meal. It was okay. Not the best Chicago dog that I have had but ok. Today tried the "Big Beef" Italian beef sandwich dipped with hot peppers. Size was significant. Flavor was good. Peppers... okay. A little under served for the size. Overall it's a good sandwich. Again not the best Italian beef that I have had but good and will scratch the itch. Tried one of the cakes. I believe it was the Chocolate Eclair cake. Very rich. The chocolate overpowered the subtitles of the other flavors. But it's cake. So it's still pretty good. Next time I'll have to try the chocolate cake shake.

burger was cold. beer took 30 mins to get. apparently needs some sort of training to pour a beer. needed to wait for a manager to pour. what?

Wasn't exactly a warm feeling I got while walking into the place but all the employees seemed to take their job seriously and served me a nice lunch. Good portions. I got the steak and peppers and it was a tasty belly bomb!

It's Portillos! That is if you have eaten at this classic old skool feel for atmosphere. The staff is often large and you see them buzzing around behind the counter and in the kitchen. Though I have noticed a lack of inspiration from the staff as of late. If you go through the drive thru you will see a sign that asks you the customer to treat the employees like family and they would greatly appreciate it. In simple terms be nice they are there to serve you and make it a good experience. The food is tasty though not healthy so remember it's bar like food. It has a taste and maybe not great for me but I can see the appeal. Concerns of Portillos is the use of styrofoam for their stuff. Though really the fast food industry is stuff with plastics and the like. It can be fun experience with the atmosphere being 1950's style.

This place was such a disappointment. Went here with the family tonight. Ordered - Italian beef with sweet peppers dipped -chili dog -mustard and onion polish -bacon cheese burger The service was friendly, tables were dirty. All the booths on the side we were starting to sit at had footprints on them. The food was flavorless, literally bland. I prefer the Italian need at Falbos to this x10000000! Literally spent 49$ on 4 fast food meals as fries and drinks are separate. This is the first and last time we'll come here.. too bad because I liked the decor and the service.

Was greeted by T.Y. at the drive through. Very personable & received great service & conversation with beautiful smiles by both T.Y. & the gentleman who gave me my food :) I got the garden dog with fries. It was delicious!

Today took the proverbial cake. After I ordered and paid - I was informed the grill is off because they close at 8p today. Mind you it's 7:40p, 1940h as I write this. So, I'm happy to take a refund. This was the 2nd trip where char on a hotdog was something that just didn't happen. 1st time it took 18 minutes. No explanation 2nd time I was told upfront it'd take 10min to char a weenie. I opted out. Now today is the 3rd overall incident but counted in that #2 as mentioned above. I didn't count the first incident in that 2 count referenced above. This wouldn't be such a disappointment if I lived near east or on the Eastside. Plus, it's Super Corporate and I expect more than a mom or pops. Lastly, their Chicago employees are protesting for better wages and work conditions. This trip solidified it for me.

Wife and I stopped here the other day. Portillo's is one of our absolute favorite places to eat at. Since we moved to South Carolina we only get to Portillo's when visiting, but we order 3-4 times a year to get the Italian Beef/Sausage combo meals sent to us. I ordered the Italian beef/sausage combo with fries and my wife ordered the chopped salad. Normally Portillo's is pretty fast getting your order prepared and out to you. After 15-20 minutes we finally got our order. Not sure what the hold-up was, but I've never seen it this bad in any Portillo's before. I took the food to a table and found that they had given me onion rings instead of fries. Went back and had them give me the fries. Food still great....service at this place sucked. I see they are hiring...so Covid must've taken the toll on this site.

I ordered a chopped salad-no bacon no tomatoes and instead of grilled chicken I paid to have breaded chicken on it. Get home-MOUNDS of tomatoes and bacon and grilled chicken. Talk about being done trying to give this place a chance. The staff doesn't pay attention nor care. I spoke to the manager she refunded my money-but didn't even offer an apology for their mistake. Here's a pic of the piles of tomatoes I picked off.... the staff 80-90% of the time are too busy on their phones or going outside for smoke breaks. I wouldn't waste your time going here.

For fast food this is a solid 4 stars! I've been to the ones in Chicago so I was like let me try the one in Madison. I was very pleased with the food. Food: Italian beef sandwich was very tasty. It's pretty messy and soggy when you get door dash to bring it to you but it still tasted really good. I would also add cheese and the hot peppers for some extra flavor. The onion rings were really good too. The sausage sandwich was probably my favorite. Once again if you are using DoorDash the food is not quite the same as eating there but if you don't feel like leaving your hotel this is a great Option. The cheese sauce for the onion ring is quite good as well. I will definitely go back next time I am in town. If you are in the area stop by and try them out. Solid four stars.

Holy crap, my first time here. Will be back. Great service, great food, reasonable prices, nice atmosphere. Really appreciated Yvette Walking us through the menu.

The food here is very bad.I don't even know when my brat was made. Staff was uncaring and rude. The woman that took are order was very rude and she seemed like she was doing us a huge favor. She was also sitting in a chair, and didn't seem to be handicapped. Cmon give me a break!! I wouldn't let my dog eat this crap.

Coming from Chicago and having their Portillo's this one is extremely disappointing. It's clear they don't live up to a customer services standards. IF you could get someone to turn around and assist you they were rude, gave attitudes and rolled their eyes. Food was warm at best. The hot dogs were lukewarm fries were cold and stale - like the have been sitting out way to long. Beef sandwich was slightly above warm. We thought about bringing our food back or talking to a manager but the entire experience was disappointing and talking to someone probably would not have gotten us any fresh food. If you want a Portillo's experience go to Chicago. But I would recommend to go else where.

It seem to take forever to get my order for dine in as I watch the the employees just wonder around behind the counter I was not impressed to see 4 employees smoking and carrying on with another employee in a parked car in the parking lot close to the building together they were taking up two parking spots . It appears this Portillo's needs new management . I will not return to this Portillos

This was my first ever visit to a Portillos so wasn't completely certain what you all specialized in or what I was ordering going into it. I had received a sample of a ziti dish (or something similar) at a sporting event, so I was surprised not to see any Italian food on the menu. I asked the cashier what the most popular items were - she just pointed me to the five combo meals. I ordered the two hot dogs. Given the price, I expected them to at least be a little larger than they were. They were nothing special, in fact, not even that good. Fries were hot but appeared to be nothing more than frozen fries. So, two dinky/not that good hot dogs, small fries and small tea - and the total was over $14?!?! Are you kidding me? I could go to an Applebees or Red Robin or Outback and get a better deal and much better food. I understand the price of food has increased, but this meal couldn't have cost more than $2 to actually buy the food, so the markup is ridiculous. Doubt I'll return. A two star because the inside is actually a pretty nice place for a fast food restaurant.

Portillo's is one of my favorite restaurants of all time! So why not a 5 star review? I am a native Chicagoan who moved to Madison a few years ago. Portillo's is such a beloved staple in Chicago. Loyal customers adore the hot dogs, salads, and pastas. However, the Madison location (and many other out of state locations) do not have the same choices as the Chicago locations. They don't have many of the famous salads like the garbage salad or any of the pastas. Portillo's is known for having the absolute best vodka pasta. It also has amazing fettuccine, ravioli, baked mostaccioli, and spaghetti. Many Madison residents from Chicago, like myself, were really disappointed in the menu discrepancies. I personally feel that they're trying to change the classic menu too much. There's a reason Portillo's is so iconic in Chicago and its sad that they are taking away so many staples. They're adding things like brats and Chicago bowls. There is no reason to add these sub par items and take away from the amazing menu Portillo's in known for. With that being said, the Madison location does have the iconic Chicago hot dog and the delicious chopped salad. Despite how different this Portillo's is from the true Chicago Portillo's, I still frequently dine there and enjoy my experience. The food from the original menu is well made and comparable to the Chicago Portillo's. It is also in a great location right next to the East Towne Mall. It's decorated with the classic Portillo's theme and ambiance. It's filled with neon signs, old cars, and other retro digs. Overall, I'd highly recommend visiting!

There was so much excitement when Portillos made some stomping grounds in the Madison area and I think the hype is still there! I don't eat fast food often, but when I do, this is on the list. Service is friendly and efficient and the food comes package nicely for no spills in transportation. I love the Chicago style hot dog and the cheese fries. The cheese is a nice consistency (although I wish there was more of it sometimes!) and the fries are the thicker crinkle kind so a crunchy outer layer with a soft inside. Lastly, I always crave the chocolate cake shake! This sweet tooth of mine would love to have it everyday, but health right?! The shake is dense mixed with the cake, and it is oh so decadent!

This place suck.. ordered a piece of chocolate cake and they gave me chocolate putting or something that was disgusting.. was not able to return because I was on my way too work.. employee had a little nasty attitudes. Manger tried to Insult a colleague of mine just because we ask for separate bags. Praises to the guy inside the store who took our order he was the nicest and respectful person. Number one we our not from Chicago we our from California.. the service was trash. I really didnot a Appreciate the insult and the nasty attitudes.. for no apparent reason.

I tried this place for the first time on a trip to Chicago and loved it, so when I found out there was a location in Wisconsin I had to try it out. This location is very large and has an old school diner vibe. The people immediately greet you when you walk in and make you feel welcomed. The service was good and the food was even better. You might have to wait a while before you get, but it's definitely worth it. My only issue was my hotdog was put at the bottom of the bag and was smashed by the other food. Other than that I highly recommend it.

I'm a Chicago transplant to Madison -- imagine my surprise when someone told me there was a new Portillo's across the road on the East side. You can bet I drove immediately over to that drive through! The hot dogs were amazing -- just like they are in the city. The roast beef dipped sandwich was incredible, per usual. I had to try the chocolate cake again, and this is where it differed from Chicago's experience. The cake I had was not the decadent, moist Portillo's famous cake. It was way more dry and not nearly as delicious from cake to frosting. Other than that, I'm so happy this new location opened and it's pretty much always booming and busy. The service was excellent and the drive through was quick!

Amazing service by Jason. Food is off-the-charts good. Everything was cooked perfectly and exactly as we ordered it. 10 out of 10!

Horrible food. No customer service. A waste of money. Tried to report a mistake and was told to leave, and to contact Customer Service, which is non-existent.

Our family stopped here on a road trip on our way back home to NC. My husband grew up in Chicago and has been eating Portillo's for years and we have tried to make it to one during road trips at least once a year. We planned our trip back through Madison because they have added a Portillo's here. This is the worst service we have ever had. We came mid afternoon around 3-3:30pm, there were 2-3 tables with people eating and no one in the drive-thru. They had at least 15 employees working. We waiting forever for our food (at least 15-20 min) then realized they got my husbands order wrong. He went to the counter and no one even looked at him for several minutes. Then they asked if he wanted them to remake it and he commented that we had already waited for a long time and so they just tossed a couple slices of cheese in his container with no cares. So disappointing Portillo's. Not the service / quality we have become accustomed too. We have been to multiple locations in Chicago / suburbs including the downtown location and it is always packed inside and the drive through and the employees are energized and making it happen. Not at this location.

I've been to Portillo's in Greenfield, Brookfield, and Streamwood (IL) and this is by far the WORST franchise I've been too. Corporate needs to cancel this franchise.contract for non-performance. It's hurting their corporate reputation. The employees don't give a damn and the food is very poorly prepared. The female taking my order was leaned over on her elbows a the register and never looked up or acknowledged my presence until a minute later uttering "are you ready to place your order." The name "Mary Ann" was on my receipt. I don't know if that inidcates Mary Ann took my order but they need to fire whoever did. I ordered the beef dipped and it wasn't even wet. When I brought it back to the counter to tell them I wanted my sandwich dipped the guy offered to give me a cup of gravy so I could dip it myself. WTF?!?!?! I thought I was at Arby's. I also ordered a Beef/Cheddar Croissant and it had very little meat in it compared to other locations. STAY AWAY from this place!

We've been here twice and haven't been Uber impressed. First time was about a month after they opened and I thought maybe it was new staff trying to work out the kinks. The last time we ordered food there, they handed me a salad right away, then I waited for another 40 minutes in the drive through to get a combo with fries for my husband. By the time I got home, my salad was warm and gross. It's not cheap, either, but my husband loves their Italian beefs. We're going to wait until the west side location opens and hope for the best.

Extremely slow. Very slow., slower then heck. Waited at he drive up for 24 minutes for two salads. They have to figure this out.

rude employees and bad manners. and I guess it's okay to come to work completely stoned now. When I said what I wanted she said "MAM,AM WE DO NOT HAVE THAT" then proceeds to said never mind we do not even saying sorry for yelling at me. come on. fix this.

It's a tough review to write when you absolutely love the food but hate the ridiculous wait in the drive thru. It's not just a couple minutes, it's not even 10 minutes. As I sit here and wait on my single order, it's been 18 minutes so far. Culver's makes the food from scratch and still gets it out to you sooner. But hot damn the food is worth the wait.

I'm a little confused by all the Portillo's hype. The food was decent, there's also quite a bit of variety aside from what I had assumed there would be. But there are so many better places to eat that I don't get waiting in the HUGE line for some fast food. The service was pretty atrocious. The staff at the bar was downright rude and every person in our group had an item left out of their order. When we went back to get the missing items, it turns out that our numbers were called before everything was in the bag. So the missing items just sat, waiting for us to come back and claim them. I was pleasantly surprised by my jumbo hot dog and fries. They were really good and very reasonably priced. Worth the wait? Nah. I guess my advice would be to wait for the hype to pass (it will once people realize that this is no more than any run of the mill fast food joint). Maybe I'll go back at some point and update my review if they get their act together a little. If they don't, I doubt they'll be open for too long.

Rating this as an "up-scale" fast-food restaurant because there really isn't another category that Portillos falls into. My family and I decided to dine in after reading the many polarizing reviews about poor drive through experiences. The interior is really nice with a cozy ambiance that is accompanied by low lighting and classic memorabilia. As expected for a new establishment, everything was very clean and up to date (bathrooms, tables, kitchen) The food was a pleasant surprise as well considering I wasn't sure which reviews to take to heart before coming in. I had the (big) Italian Beef with hot peppers which had all the classic beefy, salty, and peppery flavor on a homemade Italian loaf. $8 for the large and it was about 1ft and filled to the brim with juicy Italian beef. I forgot to specify the gravy amount by mistake, but it came out perfect (not soggy or dry). The onion rings on the side were average but probably would have been pretty good if they were hot. Overall, I would definitely consider dining in at Portillos and certainly try the Italian beef sandwhich.

Every once in a while we'll come here for what we think is a "quick bite," but it's never a quick stop. Portillo's what you'd expect for Chicago dogs and Italian beef - tasty and truly hits the spot. The part that bothers me with this location is that it typically takes 5-10 minutes just going through the drive thru, but once you get your order, that Chicago dog makes it worthwhile.

3.5 Stars to be precise (.5 extra for the cake!) Let's get this disclaimer out of the door first, I was never keen on trying out this place as to me (Layman with no knowledge of Portillo) it just felt like another fast food hub. But my curiosity peaked every day as I kept seeing this hoard of vehicles queued up almost across the block and private security navigating traffic. I mean how can hot dogs, burgers etc cause so much excitement!??! So I just had to find that out myself and got myself ADDED to this long and slow queue (This was for a takeout btw, you can forget Dine In as that equated to like some red carpet!!) I got myself a Combo Beef and Sausage sandwich and a side of Chocolate Eclair Cake (Duh!). The "fun" bit was the Extra Gravy/Sauce I decided to go for. The sandwich itself was a decent sized one, with shards of sweet peppers almost falling out of it. The bread having soaked up that gravy, tasted great even though it didn't look very appetizing. The beef was OK, lacked seasoning IMO. The sausage was juicy and nicely spiced so it helped balance the bland beef. Taken all in at once, it does have a bite that you'd like to come back to. It's not great, but pretty decent. The chocolate cake was very good! It looks akin to a marriage between a traditional eclair and a tiramisu. Loved it! Considering that I still see a decent queue every other day, Id say its not worth spending more than 5 mins in line. A good sandwich, but not sure what the hype is about.

I am so excited that Portillo's opened in Madison! They have really cool decor, their tables were set up to maintain social distancing, and their staff was very kind and friendly. Their food was pretty good too, I had the Italian beef and sausage combo and it was a good size and value. Overall pretty good!

This restaurant is bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside. Seats a lot of people. I ordered the chili cheese dog and it was good, the delicious bun elevates the taste. My husband ordered the Polish sausage and fries. He liked the Polish sausage but the fries were barely warm when he got them and they cooled down fast. I tried a couple fries and they were just ok. A few things I didn't like about Portillo's was there were about 50 people in the restaurant but only three women I was one of them. I told my husband I wouldn't feel comfortable eating there as a woman eating alone. Also, the bathroom wasn't clean and the hooks on the back of the doors on the two stalls that I tried were missing so nowhere to hang your purse or coat. The restaurant didn't have a very cozy ambiance and people just stand around the pickup window until their order is up. My husband said he probably wouldn't eat there again.