For my first real post I thought I would go somewhere outside of my city to review with an open and unbiased mind. I decided to head to Chicago. Only a 3 hour drive, Chicago offers endless options for food and fun, and is more then possible to make into a day trip. I, however decided to stay the night to get more out of our trip. I brought my father and one of my best friends, Miller, with me. We met up with my cousin Phil also since he was from the area and had some insight on where to go. Chicago, home of almost every culture out there, had so many food options. From Chicago Dogs and Italian Beef sandwiches, to Deep Dish and flawless steamed fish, we had the hard choice of deciding where to start. We decided to head out of the city a bit to Schaumburg which is west of the city by abut an hour.
Portillo’s caught my eye on the drive to the hotel and we decided to check them out. When we walked in we saw an old school diner meets Chicago’s best combined into one. They offered everything we could dream of for food, now we just had to figure out what to get.
I ordered a Chicago Style Dog, a 1/3lb cheeseburger with the works, some delicious cheese fries, and a soda. Phil and my dad ordered Italian Beef sandwiches. The price of my meal was very reasonable with the hotdog being under $2.50 and the burger under $4.00. We ordered and sat down at a corner circular table.
When our food arrived my jaw dropped. I have had my share of Chicago dogs but this was by far the tastiest one so far. The sweet and spicy pepper, the slices of tomato and the giant pickle made my taste buds explode. I finished that off in no time and was ready for more. I took a bite of my dads Italian Beef and it was also delicious. Juicy beef, sweet peppers and grilled onions, all on a fresh french bread made it unforgettable.
When I held the burger in my hands, my mouth watered. After trying to figure out where to start I just dug right in. The cheese melted to perfection and the fresh veggies made this 1/3lb burger a loaded one. I was about half way through it when I realized that my eyes were bigger then my stomach. I grabbed a to go bag and got ready to head out on the town. As we were leaving we glanced back over the menu and saw Tamales, Ribs, Salad and Pasta. This place does really have anything you could ask for. I encourage anyone who wants a good Chicago experience to check this place out.
Portillo’s has various other locations around Chicago and the suburbs, so no matter where are in Chicago there is a place for you to eat. I hope my first blog was helpful for you and I hope you find yourself having your own great experience in Chicago.