Even though the line can be long, it goes by quick. Online ordering is another good option. I got their chili hot dog regular size.. it's not too big if you were debating... I've just had better chili dogs. It wasn't bad but compared to other places... it's not cheap either. The dining area is super spacious! Iw as surprised how big it was. I've tried the Italian beef and liked that better. read more

Portillo's Allen - Chili dgo regular - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

Dessert Review update: Ordered both a slice of chocolate and lemon cake. Chocolate was way better this time around, not as dry as before. Lemon cake was good, frosting was a little odd. Solid choice is the strawberry shortcake instead. read more

Portillo's Allen - 7/10 - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

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I patronize this restaurant frequently and the service is just going down hill. Food is starting to take too long, the last time I ordered from here my fries were soggy and all that time and UPSELLING (on deserts) for them to NOT PUT MY CHEESECAKE IN MY ORDER that I really didn't want but got upsold on so I said forget it I'll shell out the lil extra money in this horrible economy ! I'm highly upset ! read more

Portillo's Allen - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

Great food, prompt service, the best decor! This place is roomy - bring all the people! They really take the time to clean as well. No dirty tables in sight. They are promoting their chocolate heart cake... which I'm sure is delish... but hear me out! The Chocolate Eclair Cake (ErrrmyGossh!) Don't get it if you don't want another craving! No military discount... sorry Vets read more

Portillo's Allen - Chocolate Éclair Cake - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

Portillo's definitely makes me love HOT DOGS! The Chicago style dog with onions, relish, celery salt, tomatoes and peppers works well. I love the bun with the tiny black dots. Then I add Ketchup and Mustard with some EXTRA Onions. It's so satisfying and tasty. The crinkle cut fries on this visit were hot and crispy. I wash it all down with some yummy Fanta Orange. Service was quick and food was hot. It's always a cool vibe with the FUN decor. I left feeling full and happy with the overall experience! read more

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Large space with many tables to sit at. This is an order at the front (or tablet) and find your own seat type of places I enjoyed the food and while I did not interact with the staff much they were nice and helpful. The meal was very filling and the cheese fries are worth the extra charge! Tasty subs need to come back and try other meal items as well. read more

Portillo's Allen - Cheese fries - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

Was greeted by super nice lady at the register. Told her that I wasn't sure what to order yet so she gave me some time. She explained to me what goes into a beef sandwich. So I got me a beef sandwich with some onion rings. Boy, them onion rings were gooooooood and crispy. I ate it with the comeback sauce which sorta tastes similar to canes sauce. I'm interested in trying the chicago style hot dogs! I'll probably be back to try it. Anyways, it was probably the best onion rings I've had in a while. They called out my number "29 no more waiting in line" or something like that. It was cute! Loved the decor of the place too. read more

Portillo's Allen - Comeback sauce with onion rings slapped - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

This was my first time at a Portillo's outside of Chicago. Thankful for the opportunity to share my thoughts. First off, lots of parking which makes it easier to get in and out of the restaurant. The cashier Hayley was very friendly and knowledgeable. Love the environment of the restaurant, lots of lighting and seating. I ordered a beef sandwich with mozzarella cheese with onion rings. Food is hot and fresh and very delicious. I missed the lunch rush, so that was a positive as I was on my lunch break. Was able to get in and back to work with 40 minutes. Unfortunately, I took my food to go, so the bread was soggy from the commute. Did not take away from the flavor though. read more

Portillo's Allen - Beef sandwich with mozzarella cheese - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

I live near this place and have never thought to try it out. Came up here with my daughter because we were in the area and of course I made the list for the Elite week. I love that the meat is char-broiled. I ended up getting the Big Burger Bundle, aka the #3. I should have actually ordered the single meat, lol! It's a really good sized burger, especially if you order all the fixings with it. I had some leftover. I also had the cheese sauce with my fries. The bun is a little different than your typical burger buns. I asked and they are corn dusted. I still liked it but my daughter didn't that much. Everything was good. I would come again but just order a single patty instead. read more

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My family came to Portillo's for lunch. It's a very spacious, well kept restaurant. The lady who took our orders was very helpful as it was our first time at Portillo's. I ordered the Beef & Cheddar Croissant with spicy peppers and sautéed onions with cheese sauce on the side and onion rings. My wife and daughter both got cheeseburgers, and a side of onion rings. The onion rings were hot, and delicious! The portion of the onion rings were good for the price as well ($3.99). My beef and cheddar croissant was good, they forgot to put the onions and peppers on it, so I had to go to the counter and they gave me them in containers which I poured onto my sandwich. It's a big sandwich, I was stuffed after eating it. Overall the sandwich was good, not great. My wife and daughter both really enjoyed their burgers. I had a bite and it had a lot of flavor. It was like a higher end Burger King burger with the charbroiled flavor. It's also 1/3 lb so it will definitely fill you up. I would definitely order one of these next time. My wife got the chocolate cake shake. I took a few sips and it has a lot of flavor and is very thick. The size of the small shake is huge! She said next time she would just order a slice of chocolate cake. The service, quality of food, portions, and cleanliness of the restaurant would definitely bring us back. read more

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The first time I visited a friend in Chicago he took me to Portillo's for my first Chicago style hot dog and Italian beef. I was hooked. When it was announced a couple of years ago that the second Portillo's in Texas was gonna be here in Allen I was excited. Trey took our order quickly after making a couple of useful suggestions and then we found a booth after grabbing our sodas. Our food appeared quickly and we chowed down. I had an Italian beef with sweet peppers and it was lightly dipped and my wife had a burger that looked really tasty ( and she said it was). We also split a large fries. Food was hot, fresh and mighty tasty and the price was very reasonable. Unfortunately there was no room for their famous chocolate cake. The service was very friendly and efficient and the store was very clean. Portillo's was quite busy today at lunch and it's not hard to see why. Y'all gotta check em out! read more

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Another great experience at Portillo's. Hot beef with fries, real coke. My son and I hit it after the busy hours. It's always easy to order either at the kiosk or at the walk in window. Great art and decorations on the walls. read more

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I may not come here enough but they have a good Chicago dog. I was satisfied with their regular size and didn't even need sides to be "full". I really like the "snap" that they talk about whenever Chicago dog comes into conversation. Protillos has grown in the DFW area but I think they did grow too fast. When they opened The Colony location, the hype was real but then it died down when multiple locations have shown up too rapidly. They should've milked the popularity first when they opened the first location. This is just my opinion as a Texan girlie who likes her Costco hotdog plus drink for only $1.50 :) read more

Portillo's Allen - Regular hotdog with everything. - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

I grew up on portillo's in the Chicago suburbs. The food at location is as good as the 3, I go to in the burbs. If you like Real Chicago food this location will not disappoint. Service is fast and people behind counter very curious. It has a large dinning room. This location has self service soda fountains, i prefer this to having the person behind the pickup counter pour. read more

Portillo's Allen - Big beef sandwich - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

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For my first Portillo's experience, I ordered a beef hot dog and had it served with everything on it. My side was small fries - more than enough to be filling. The fries were super salty, making ketchup necessary. I enjoyed the hot dog more than I expected. I've never had a hot dog at a restaurant (fast or anything else) so I wasn't sure what the experience would be like. I couldn't keep all of my toppings on it so had to take a bite of dog and a bite of pickle and peppers. The flavor balance was really good. These two items were 700cal, and I deliberately picked the lowest cal items on the hot menu. Just go in prepared. There is a ton of seating inside with a variety of booth and table formats to accommodate small and large groups. read more

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I really enjoyed inside. It's a really nice ambience. Lots of seats. They offer a really good menu lots of options. The employees were very nice and friendly and they were patient and explained the menu. I opted to get the dip beef sandwich and french fries just so I could try everything separately. Definitely check it out if you're ever in the area. read more

Portillo's Allen - Fries - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

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Came and got the cheeseburger combo with cheese sauce and a cake shake. The burger had a really good charbroiled taste but not much seasoning flavor under that. Still delicious though. Cake shake is the shining highlight of any portillos visit. This location wasn't crowded at all, tons of seating, both indoor and outdoor. Service was very quick and helpful in ordering as well read more

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I went for the chocolate cake but got the strawberry shortcake instead. It was around $6 and worth every dollar. It was excellent! I went through the drive thru and the service was similar to Chick-fil-A where the attendant takes your order outside. I never understand why they do this, especially when they are not busy. I like to review the menu and order from the speaker. I feel rushed with them standing there. Today is 1/3 and the cake had a made date of 12/31 but it was still good. read more

Portillo's Allen - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

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I ordered classic Chicago style dog with fries. I gotta be honest, the fries were the star of the show. They were fresh and hot as all fries should be! read more

Food Delivery Fail I made a food run and went through the drive thru. Logan took the order correctly. Food given at the drive thru, got home. Was not given Chili Dog that was ordered. Instead, it looks like a polish sausage dog. Wife unhappy and I'm not happy. Called the restaurant to let them know of the mistake. Navigated the voice menu to speak to someone. It rang a few times then it disconnected. Now I'm more unhappy, thus the reason I'm writing this review. Photos included as proof. read more

Portillo's Allen - Receipt - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

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I was out taking care of a few things and wanted to pick up something to eat before heading back. The weather was terrible -- pouring nonstop -- so I really didn't feel like parking and going inside anywhere. I specifically searched for somewhere with a drive-thru, and since I've been making it a point to try spots I haven't been to before, I figured it was finally time to check out Portillo's. When I pulled up, Jaydon was outside in the rain taking orders, and he couldn't have been more pleasant. He greeted me with a big smile and such a positive attitude despite the weather. That alone stood out. I ordered a cheeseburger combo with fries and a Coke, and everything came out hot, fresh, and really tasty. It hit the spot. What made the visit memorable, though, was the service. Jaydon was easily one of the friendliest drive-thru employees I've ever interacted with. His attitude made the whole experience better. Overall, it was a really solid first visit, and I'll definitely be coming back. read more

Portillo's Allen - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

I would rate Portillo's at a solid 3.5. We visit this restaurant 1-2 times a month. The service is wonderful, always. The food varies from absolutely delicious to subpar, depending on how busy they are. If you've never had Portillo's and want to try it, go during the week when they're not busy. The busier they are, the lower the quality of food. We visited on Sunday 11/23 during lunch. It was busy and the food reflected that. It still tasted good but the hot dog I got was cold on the inside and my wife's sandwich was cool to the touch. Other than that, I'd recommend the place for a quick bite. Definitely try their onion rings, they have the best! read more

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This was the most disgusting fish sandwich. I couldn't attempt to actually eat it, because who would want to eat that? The fries were cold and hard and hot dogs were slopped together. This was so disappointing. They also got 3/4 of my order wrong. We went at 9pm they close at 10:30. Either way it's no excuse to serve me burnt cold food. read more

Portillo's Allen - Fish Sandwich - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

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As a member of the Elite squad, I was delighted to be able to try Portillo's this past week. After a week of being snow bound in the house I ventured out to run an errand and take advantage of this Elite event. As a person who eats pretty strict carnivore I was excited to find a place where I can actually get just the meat and be satisfied. This is a carnivore's dream. In most places if you just want the meat you end up paying for the whole meal even though you tell them you don't want potatoes, veggies etc. So I got the beef bowl and it was exactly that a bowl of thinly sliced meat that had been cooked in a seasoning with just the tiniest hint of heat (spice) just a little tingle on the tongue. It came out hot but unfortunately although it was 43 degrees outside it felt like the AC was on and it was cold in the dining area. The staff was very friendly and efficient. I notice an older man who worked there diligently filling the plastic silverware containers, straws, etc. along with wiping down tables. He was a very tall older man and had sort of a shuffle to his walk but I was glad to see that a business would employ older people who are in need of extra income. As a senior myself I know how tight the budget can get and I appreciate a business that understands that while older people may not be as fast as the younger ones we can be diligent in getting the job done. As I was finishing my meal I was sort of startled when he came up beside me and asked if I was enjoying my meal and if everything was to my satisfaction. I appreciated that gesture because you don't find that in fast food places often. The dining area is large, plenty of room for large groups. Comfortable seating in both tables with chairs and booths. Decor is sort of western style with the old metal signs of the 40's and 50's advertising products like Coke, motor Oil, a wagon wheel on the wall etc. As a disabled person who uses a rolling walker I appreciate the space that made it easy to maneuver. Their system seems very efficient. Your receipt has a number and you can look on the illuminated board to see if your meal is in progress. When it is ready it shows on a second illuminated board that it is ready for pick up. They also have a drive through and a special area inside that has shelves for take out and delivery orders. I had a little trouble finding the fountain drinks, they are kind of hidden but I did find it and in spite of being cold outside and cold inside I had a cup of Iced tea which was good. It was freshly made, some places make tea and serve it left over but it has a taste to it that I can tell it's old tea. This was fresh brewed. Except for the inside temperature on a very icy cold day it is a great place. My family gets together once a month since they live an hour north of McKinney where I live so we have already planned our family get together for the end of February this month. But next time I think I will get some cheese and maybe cheat a little with some peppers. It's also very close to home, so there are times when I am out doing errands and don't feel like cooking when I get home so I can use the drive through which makes it easy for me to stay on my carnivore way of eating and enjoy not only a good healthy meal, but also the convenience not having to cook. It was a good experience, looking forward to more visits. read more

The staff are very friendly, and food was really good. The burger does have a char taste to it, I like that a lot. They also offer cheese fries, which I shared with my friend. We let loose that day for sure, so we did try the chocolate cake shake! It was also very good. I enjoyed my lunch there over the weekend! read more

Great good as always. It was our first time eating in vs drive through. Friendly service and fun says when they announced your order was ready. The beef with peppers is super messy, so get lots of napkins. Decor is fairly typical fast casual. Portillo's is a big step above most fast casual places. read more

Portillo's ok? After a day of dedicating myself to the nourishment others. My marito and I thought we would check out Portillo's in Allen on our way home. For starters, this place is HUGE for basically a sandwich shop. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect, but from a drive by, I thought it was a casual, sit down restaurant. I was wrong. They have a drive-thru were you can place an order or pickup. They also offer catering, delivery, carry out, to-go( with an indoor grab and go to boot) and of course, dine-in. Speaking of options, it doesn't stop with the ways to pickup your order. It extends to the order process and menu options as well. You can order online, drive-thru, have someone take your order in person, or order via the kiosk. With 3 kiosk available for ordering, it really helps to keep the flow of order placement going. It was easy to use and the options were clear and concise. On the menu. Way more options that I was expecting. The signage outside would indicate that they mainly offer beef. However, Portillo's started out as a hotdog shop! Over the years, they have added to the menu with beef sausages, Italian beef sandwiches, char-grilled burgers, chicken sandwiches, strips, salads, bowls(for the low carb in you) and a fish sandwich. Who Knew! Mi Amore had the #1 which was an Italian Beef sandwich, fries, and a drink. The bread was impressive! Crackle on the outside, soft on the inside, and durable with a great chew. The beef, while very tender, was lacking. The sandwich was simply meat, mozzerella, and bread, which made the sandwich mid. It need a sauce, peppers, something to enhance the beef. By the time you got halfway through the sandwich, you have somewhat of a dry mouth feel. Now, they have peppers and they even state that the sandwich is best with the pepper and/or hot giardiniera peppers. It's an option(because they are full of options). Except for it costs extra? My suggestion? If you order this sandwich, order it WET(it's an option) and throw some peppers on it while your at it. The fries were great! Hot, fresh, and crinkle. I had the fish sandwich which came with American cheese, tarter sauce, and lettuce on Brioche. It was hot, lots of tarter(which I like) and pretty good overall. The picture of the fish sandwich was this beautiful, 1/2" thick square slab of fish lushishness. But that bad boy had the thickness of a Geo Metro donut. I also had onion rings with my sandwich and they were beige. Basic onion rings that were just ok. One thing that might have helped, was for them to be hot. They were not. I really enjoyed the aesthetics of the place. Tons of memorabilia and signs distinct to Dallas, help to mesh the old and new. The space was very clean and all the employees appeared to be enjoying the tasks before them. It was the food that just fell short. Maybe next time. read more

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Portillo my son is a huge fan . Anytime he's bored we make our way there . Kind staff and good food

I decided to try Portillo's again for dinner and of course I changed it up from what I had the last time, well mostly. First, let me talk about the online ordering....I give it a B. Why? Because for some reason, you can't use all options with each menu item. I can order my Big Italian Beef sandwich dry, with gravy on the side, but I can't do that with a Beef and Cheddar Croissant? That's not right. You also can't order hot or any peppers on the side. Ok on to the order. First - Big Italian Beef and Sausage Combo. I went with the French Bread option and that was a GREAT idea! It's HUGE! First few bites, I was wondering if they forgot the sausage...but no, it was in there buried by loads of Italian Beef. I think I might do the hot/sweet peppers on the side next time. They didn't skimp on anything. I'd had one of these before at the Schaumburg, IL location and this time, the same awesomeness! Second - Fish Sandwich without lettuce. This thing was also HUGE and sadly, it was not edible. Why? Because it had close to 1/2 a pound (or seemed that way) of tartar sauce on it. I tried scraping it off, but the fish fell apart in doing so. I wish I could have weighed this sandwich, it was MASSIVE. I did take a bite of course and what I did taste of the fish, it was really good. The bun matched it for flavor and hugeness. Next time I'll get the tartar on the side. Gotta admit, I didn't think too much tartar could ruin a sandwich...but yes, it can. I guess I could have grabbed a fork and ate the sandwich? Third - Jumbo Chili Cheese Dog. Just like the last one, this thing was also HUGE and the only thing...when I opened it, the chili was all over the dog and the bun, and the inside of the wrapping. It was also on the last one I had, but not wrapped so tight that it made the chili go everywhere. Anyways, this one I enjoyed of course. Maybe I'll go with chili on the side next time? I still get confused if that door in the drive thru is an entrance to the inside...haha. Wicked fast service! Overall this visit has to be a 3 because of the fish. I fully expect a 5 star review next time I visit. read more

When I first walked in love the decor and there's also merch right beside the cashier lines! Me and my mom sat down and they have a screen we're your number is in progress or time to go so they call it and you get your food. Overall the food was good and they had cheese for fries!! read more

Portillo's Allen - Tables,worker,soda station - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

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First time trying this place and we were not disappointed! We ordered a mega Italian beef sandwich. Wished it had a tad more salt, but overall, it had good flavor. We got both sweet and spicy peppers and they were hot! But worth it. The kiddos had a cheeseburger and it reminded me of Burger King. The Chicago dog was good, though I wished it was a tad more grilled. The kiddos finally got that chocolate cake shake and that was yummy. Though it was a lot (quite rich) so order your size accordingly. The restaurant was huge with plenty of tables. I know it can get quite busy at certain times. Will be back to try other items on the menu. read more

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Although it is always busy and finding seats inside is difficult, the food is well worth it. We can't ever complain about the quality of service or food from here. It's a hustle and bustle and a bust environment, but that's to be expected. read more

Portillo's Allen - Burgers Near Me - Allen, Texas

I've lost track of how many times we've driven past Portillo's and I've wondered what it was. Luckily, one of my close friends and her hubby are from Chicago and told us all about it. How could we not try a place that's approved by Chicago natives?! The first time we tried the food, we ordered takeout and drove it all the way home. While still good, I highly recommend dining in to enjoy the hot and crisp textures of the meal. Hot dog - the original Chicago style, this is my favorite thing to order here. Get it with everything on it and it's delicious. The sport pepper spice builds up so be wary if you're not used to heat. Chili cheese dog - usually my go to when they have it on a menu anywhere. While this was good, it's a close second to the classic for me. Maybe I'll try it again when I dine in and it'll be better when it's still hot. I cannot remember if my husband ordered the Italian beef or the big beef sandwich the first and second times we went. At any rate, both times, the sandwiches are made so much better when they have cheese sauce added. Yes, it's extra, but pay for the extra side of cheese sauce and thank me later. Pro tip: there's a side called "gravy bread" which is their bread soaked in their homemade gravy. To me, the gravy is much closer to an au jus. I wonder if the sandwiches can be ordered with gravy bread. Because that with the cheese sauce drizzled on could be magic. I'm going to have to remember this for if I order a sandwich next time. To be continued... There's still quite a few menu items that I would like to try when we stop by again. But so far, so good. It feels like you can't really go wrong with much here. read more

Not proud but I did live in Chicago-land for 8 yrs. What I did swiftly appreciate is a good Italian beef. Most times anymore I get the combo. Light wet extra giardianiera. The dogs are phenomenal but considering how far I have to drive I just go with the combo. Soooooo good. The joint is always clean, and well it's Portillos. Everyone is friendly. If you've never had an Italian beef, you're missing out. Insanely good. read more

The new Allen location needs to work on service and consistency of the food. Sometimes the french fries are not cooked all the way or the fryer is out. Drive thru is slow and needs better lighting at night. Overall, the food quality is not great at this location read more

The price and correctness of order when using a drive thru are of pretty high importance. This was my very first visit and most likely my last. I told the server this was my first visit, she wasn't impressed. That's ok, but don't rush me when I have questions about the product I'm about to put in my body! $5.29 for a hot dog ala carte, and to deliver an incorrect order is jacked. What a hot mess! No napkins in the bag, mustard literally all over the wrapping and the bag. I ordered extra pickles that didn't happen, but got a slice of tomato??Who does that on a hot dog?? Plus my bun was covered with celery salt which I requested it not be on my food. YUCK. Shame on this weiner place for a fail! Messy, messy order! It's not often that I eat a hotdog. I expected it to be spot on. Huge fail for what I paid and for what I received. Disappointing. Maybe it's because I used the drive thru? Appears, they only have a pick-up location inside. My mistake. They do have sit down spots inside. I'll give it another try. Only because I have some control as a in person diner. It will provide me the opportunity to enjoy the full experience. November 2023 read more

I am shocked right now. Being from Chicago I love having Portillos here in DFW. I've never had a bad experience at any of the locations until now. We've been to The Colony location so many times and also to the Denton location. It's always stellar service and incredibly delicious fast food. We've never been to the Frisco location as it is brand new and we just moved out of that area. But this is our first time at the Allen location and I am so disappointed. The fries were cold and soggy. Usually they come out hot, fresh and crispy. I rarely have the fish sandwich because it's not what they're known for but it's incredibly delicious nonetheless. It's nothing like a fast food fish sandwich usually is. Crispy, fresh and delicious always. That's why I get it at this place because there is no fast food that can do fish sandwich like Portillo's. I don't know if they have changed things in general at all the locations, but this is the first time I had a very small rectangular patty with what looked like fake breading and definitely tasted like it had been previously frozen. You know that taste when you can still taste the freezer on it. Yeah. It was very small and there was very little lettuce on it. Normally it's stacked high with crisp, fresh lettuce and the circular patty is breaded like it's homemade. I knew right away, looking at the Allen fish sandwich that it was different before I even tasted it. Again, I have never had anything bad at a Portillo's. The fries are usually my favorite anywhere at a fast food place. And I've had everything on the menu because everything is usually so good. I also had the cake shake which they blended too well. I usually like when there's a big chunk of cake at the bottom but I guess that's just personal preference and not really a big deal. If I had to give a recommendation I would say stay away from this location. Maybe they were having a bad day, but I think the amount of people in there should have given it away. I've never been to a Portillo's that wasn't packed 24 seven. This one was practically empty. I think I've already given a Portillo's review, but just to reiterate, this one is only for the Allen location. I love other locations. read more

Madysen at the front counter was very polite and knowledgeable and helpful with my order. she recommended that I try the new chardinera dog and I told her I would try it on my next visit! restaurant is very clean! read more

I saw the advertisement as this place was near the outlet and I decided to eat before I shopped at the outlet. I had a hard time deciding on whether to get a combo or Chicago dogs. I ended up ordering the 2 Chicago Dogs with fries and a drink for 15 dollars. The order came within 15 minutes and it was really good and tasty. I ended up satisfied after the meal. The décor was cool and had a rustic feel. Overall would come and eat here again. read more

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A few months ago Chicago " hot dogger",Portillos opened their first restaurant in the area a few miles away. It hit the scene with great fanfare and heavy PR. I wanted to try it but,it was continuously slammed with horrendous lines for inside dinning and drive through. Then,a new branch closer to me. Great. I'd been wanting to try and after being open a week, I calculated now is as good a time as any. A few blanks to fill in before I get into the " meat" of the subject. My first encounter with a Chicago style hot dog was living in Houston in 1977! Looking back it makes since. A lot of Chicago migration to that area. My boss was born and raised on the south side. Still,when I was served a hot dog with tomato and pickles I was mystified. I'm still mystified. The Portillos is obviously geared for those with this type food experience, the cornerstone of some point in life. Much as our beloved Whataburger in Texas probably isn't appreciated as much by a Chicagoan. I had the 2 hot dog combo,fries,drink and a piece of what they bill as their "Famous" chocolate cake. I ask when ordering if I could choose different hot dogs. " Yes,for a slight up charge" came the answer. So I got a Portillos dog and a Chili cheese. The up charge made my smallish chili dog over $5 which is too high for a simple fast food dog. The chili had beans which is a Hugh no no on dogs and burgers. The Portillos was their signature dog with 2 average tomato slices,large pickle and a pepper. In a nutshell they tried to upsell my combo meal the entire check out process. Do you want large or small fries. Large or small drink! I really hated that. I answered small to both questions and my total was still $20. Unacceptable for one person's junk food meal. When In and Out came to town 15 years ago with similar hub bub,I tried. Not that great I thought but,I loved their business model and now I love them. Somehow I see no way Portillos can massage this so that it's attractive to me. But,that's not to say you shouldn't try and decide for yourself. By the way, the Famous chocolate cake was average. There's better fast food chocolate cake just around the corner! read more

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