shakes wrote:

Ram4 wrote:Interesting, I guess Josh understands that it'll be 100% locals or bust because there is no signage for people driving past this shopping center to indicate his place is tucked in the corner. I work less than 5 minutes from Josh's in Northbrook. He does use natural casing Vienna and has some decent items including the burger with meat from Elegance In Meats. It was written up around 5 years ago (when Josh's was still Wolfy's) by Kevin Pang aka The Cheeseburger Show. This is an even riskier idea considering Portillo's still could happen close by (I still can't believe they are having problems with yet another location!). I wish him success.

Josh is an old friend of mine. Great guy, glad to see his place doing well. The new place is going to be modeled after Michael's in HP. Its going to have a salad bar and a party room. Hopefully that type of expanded menu and services will set him apart from Dear Franks and any other competition that shows up.

It will help if he does it like Michael's. The salad bar and party room is a smart move. That's what people want around here. Me? I want a real Italian Beef joint, but that's not happening!

Anyone know what the new owners' plan is for the brand? I really hope they continue the "slow and deliberate" method of expansion rather than trying to do the rapid-expansion thing. Quality control almost always suffers dramatically under the latter.

At any rate, for all the talk about whether Portillo's makes one of the best dogs or beefs, for me their big draw is the burgers. IMO they have the best burger in the fast-food/fast-casual business by a long shot -- though I have yet to try the vaunted In-n-Out. Always just the perfect amount of seasoning and that tiny bit of crisp char around the edge even as it's thicker than most "charred-edge" burgers... just a magnificent thing.

CEO's message: We won't ruin Portillo's

Looks like plans for the Deerfield location are back on . . .

After two failed attempts at securing a Deerfield location, the Oakbrook-based restaurant chain said it will open at the former South of the Border site at 700 Lake Cook Road, according to a village news release.

Portillo's announces plans for Deerfield location — again

=R=

Third time's the charm!

ronnie_suburban wrote:Looks like plans for the Deerfield location are back on . . .

After two failed attempts at securing a Deerfield location, the Oakbrook-based restaurant chain said it will open at the former South of the Border site at 700 Lake Cook Road, according to a village news release.

Portillo's announces plans for Deerfield location — again

=R=

"South of the Border"?

Drover wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Looks like plans for the Deerfield location are back on . . .

After two failed attempts at securing a Deerfield location, the Oakbrook-based restaurant chain said it will open at the former South of the Border site at 700 Lake Cook Road, according to a village news release.

Portillo's announces plans for Deerfield location — again

=R=

"South of the Border"?

I think it was On The Border.

=R=

The sort of quality writing we've come to expect from the Trib these days.

Drover wrote:The sort of quality writing we've come to expect from the Trib these days.

Haha, so true. I always remember the name of the place because it was so close to On The Toilet. No one would ever say South Of The Toilet.

=R=

I love that they tore down the Chi-Chi's that was there to build On the Border because the original ersatz Mexican decor wasn't ersatz enough.

It took Dick Portillo 51 years to grow a single hot dog stand into a $1 billion restaurant empire. His second act, as a real estate investor, is moving much faster.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... eal-estate

Not a fan of TGIMcPortillos, but while perusing one of the areas newspapers - I saw in the Peoria Journal Star they are planning on opening a location in Normal, IL. in 2017

http://www.pjstar.com/news/20160428/por ... al-in-2017

I was in Scottsdale for work a couple of weeks ago, and since one of my friends drove in from LA, he wanted Portillo's which was less than 10 minutes from the office. The food was great, and we were happy with having decent Italian Beef away from Chicago. But something happened that for the geek in me was a food service miracle. I was getting a free slice of cake for my birthday (email) and I went back to get my food which was already waiting for me. The lady said, "Your fries are probably cold, let me get you some new ones." I felt as though I was transported immediately to the Twilight Zone. This just doesn't happen. But it did. Out of the bag went the lukewarm fries, and here come fresh, hot fries right out of the fryer. How did she know that's how I want them every time?! I order them well done on purpose just to get them this way. I know they aren't the best fries (but they are cooked in beef tallow there and I like them), and I love just about all fries fresh cut or frozen (except Waffle fries). I have to admit that I live for the little things like this. No meal should be mediocre, even a fast food one - and I appreciate it every time if everything is served as it should be. Anyway, we enjoyed our Portillo's - sitting outside of course - in the warm 85 degree Arizona desert sun.

jimswside wrote:Not a fan of TGIMcPortillos . . .

Who??

Word in the hinterlands of central Illinois is that Portillo's is coming to Normal, IL!!!

Drover wrote:

jimswside wrote:Not a fan of TGIMcPortillos . . .

Who??

This appears to be a portmanteau of three different restaurant chains. Not as bad as McWendking.

scottsol wrote:

Drover wrote:

jimswside wrote:Not a fan of TGIMcPortillos . . .

Who??

This appears to be a portmanteau of three different restaurant chains. Not as bad as McWendking.

OK, but WTF is it supposed to mean?

I suppose he is not a fan corporate chain restaurants.

There will be a new Portillos on spanning Clinton and Franklin one block north of Roosevelt Road. The site looks like it will have some parking.

Elfin wrote:There will be a new Portillos on spanning Clinton and Franklin one block north of Roosevelt Road. The site looks like it will have some parking.

Actually it "spans" Clinton and Canal, with Taylor to the south and Arthington to the north; it used to be the parking lot south of the 840 S Canal building. Were it to actually span Clinton and Franklin it would be without question the world's largest Portillo's, given that it would need to extend multiple blocks east and west of the Chicago River. It would probably still be busy as hell, though.

Watching this thing go up I've been amazed by how quickly it's gone up. Demo on the parking lot didn't start until December and now the new Portillo's parking lot is about 1/2 paved, with the structure itself and facade complete some time ago. I wouldn't be surprised if this opens in the next couple weeks.

Kman wrote:

Elfin wrote:There will be a new Portillos on spanning Clinton and Franklin one block north of Roosevelt Road. The site looks like it will have some parking.

Actually it "spans" Clinton and Canal, with Taylor to the south and Arthington to the north; it used to be the parking lot south of the 840 S Canal building. Were it to actually span Clinton and Franklin it would be without question the world's largest Portillo's, given that it would need to extend multiple blocks east and west of the Chicago River. It would probably still be busy as hell, though.

Watching this thing go up I've been amazed by how quickly it's gone up. Demo on the parking lot didn't start until December and now the new Portillo's parking lot is about 1/2 paved, with the structure itself and facade complete some time ago. I wouldn't be surprised if this opens in the next couple weeks.

The restaurant will open May 31 at 520 W. Taylor St., Portillo's spokesman Nick Scarpino said.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016042 ... ening-date

From out of nowhere, a new Portillo's in Harwood Heights on Lawrence, just west of Harlem (7308). For an area I'd thought I was pretty familiar with, I didn't even see or hear about this and it looks pretty close to opening.

http://www.portillos.com/next-up-for-po ... -illinois/

They continue their expansion march, opening in Champaign IL out on "franchise row" soon.

Hi DG! As a former Champabananan, I'm wondering what you mean by "franchise row." Over by the mall? Personally, I think Portillo's would be a good addition to the C-U area.

Katie wrote:As a former Champoobananan, I'm wondering what you mean by "franchise row." Over by the mall?

It will be at 2306 North Prospect Avenue, a half mile north of I-74.

Well, that's up in the Market Place Mall area. Thanks for the address, nsxtasy. If I hadn't looked it up on Google Maps just now, I wouldn't have known that the Portillo's location was right by a Binny's. Binny's in Champaign? When did that happen? I've been out of town too long.

Katie wrote:Binny's in Champaign? When did that happen?

Early 2012.

They opened one in the Milwaukee Area (Brookfield) and have another in process in Greenfield. This area has been a wasteland for Italian Beefs. Nothing good unless you made your own. I must admit, they make a good product. Good to have them local, and not sure what took so long to get a quality beef up here.

They are going to be opening everywhere. I heard Fishers, Indiana is getting one (Indianapolis) as well as one near St. Paul, MN.

Funny that they picked Brookfield and Greenfield for Milwaukee so far. That's where two of the three Kopp's area located.

Katie I must get "home" more often that you and I'm in Alaska! Prospect Ave. North of I74 has blown into just another Chicago suburb looking mess. No offense to suburban messes of course. Portillo's have purchased a defunct "Old Country Buffet" location, stripped off the building, and are in the process of popping up a pretty good sized hot dog stand.
The good news is one can now get just about any franchised food group one wants in Champaign-Urbana...the bad news is one can get just about any franchised food group they want...