Portillo's & Barnelli's Chicago

"What To Get: Char dog, cheese fries, chocolate cake shake. What To Know: The original stand opened in 1963, the River North location opened in 1994, and now Portillo's is a national chain. It's a tourist-filled restaurant with indoor seating and a drive-thru, but it’s a classic." - adrian kane, john ringor, nick allen, veda kilaru

"Portillo’s can do no wrong. This is our go-to spot in River North for hot dogs, Italian beef, and cheese fries. Don’t skip the chocolate cake shake." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru

"For his fifth local restaurant review, posted Sunday, July 28, Lee shakes things up with a head-to-head battle between famous Chicago-area chain Portillo’s and Al’s Beef, a legendary spot since 1938 with branches all over the city. Both are hailed for their Italian beef sandwiches, which inspired the meaty exercise. First up is Portillo’s, where Lee ordered a double-dipped sandwich with hot peppers and a side of cheese sauce for $8.20. There’s some confusion about the brand’s history — Lee says he visited the “OG location,” but the video shows a large outpost in River North, a location swarming with tourists. That location, the first to open in Chicago proper, opened in 1994. The chain was originally founded in 1963 in West Suburban Villa Park. Initially, it appears someone made a critical mistake and omitted hot peppers from Lee’s sandwich. Fortunately, for Portillo’s, they are retrieved in short order and end up making a notable difference, upgrading Lee’s pepper-free 3 out of 10 ranking to a slightly spicier 5 out of 10." - Naomi Waxman

"Technically Portillo’s is a chain that exists in six other states. But it started here in Chicago, and there’s a good chance your cousin (and hopefully future on-call babysitter) doesn’t have access to this delicious Italian beef where they live, not to mention the Portillo’s chocolate cake. Take them to the one in River North with a drive-thru and use the wait time to demonstrate how to secure the car seat." - adrian kane, veda kilaru

"Portillo’s can be a daunting place, especially the flagship River North location. Don’t be distracted by the 87 different lines, multiple menus, pictures, paraphernalia on the wall, and people screaming across the massive space. Instead, find the Portillo’s Hot Dogs line (not Barnelli’s) and order what Portillo’s is known for: Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef. Both are solid , though the Italian beef comes with thicker-than-average slices of meat that’s kind of bland and dry, even when ordered wet. And not ordering a piece of Portillo’s chocolate cake would be a mistake. photo credit: Azuree Wiitala photo credit: Azuree Wiitala photo credit: Azuree Wiitala photo credit: Azuree Wiitala photo credit: Azuree Wiitala" - Veda Kilaru