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Portillo's Coming To Your Town? Here's How To Order Chicago Food Like A Pro

By Linze Rice | February 24, 2017 6:00am | Updated on February 27, 2017 10:56am
 Portillo's is expanding into Minnesota this year.
Portillo's is expanding into Minnesota this year.
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DNAinfo/David Matthews

THE LOOP — Perhaps the heart and soul of all true Chicago grease joints is the Italian beef.

Plenty of the city's original neighborhood beef joints like Al's and Mr. Beef have been honoring the classic sandwich for decades, but when it comes to larger operations, Portillo's takes the (chocolate) cake as a Chicago favorite near and far. 

Minnesota is expected to get its first taste of Portillo's in 2017 (Wisconsin, California, Arizona and Florida already have outlets). And if Al's venture into Texas is any indication, the restaurant could be a hit: Texans and Chicago transplants stood in line for hours and the restaurant literally ran out of food when it opened outside Dallas in 2015.

We put together a helpful guide on the crucial nuances of ordering classic Chicago fare for our friends to the north. 

The Beef 

Chicagoans know one does not simply order an Italian beef. 

The first and perhaps most important consideration is how soggy you'd like your sandwich. Italian beef is thinly sliced and marinates in its own juices before being forked into a softly crunchy Italian roll.

You can order the sandwich as-is, which keeps your beef handheld but still sopping with au jus (French for juice) — or get it dipped. In that scenario, your beef sandwich is fully submerged into a pan of hot juices. 

Alternatively, you can order it dry, wet (with some juice) or with juice on the side. 

Next comes the question: sweet or hot? That is, do you want to top it all off with sweet roasted bell peppers or giardiniera, an Italian blend of spicy pickled vegetables.

Want to really treat yourself? Add fan favorite mozzarella or Portillo's precious liquid cheese sauce.

Pro tip: Up your savings and your romance by splitting a extra-large Big Beef with your beloved.

[Facebook/Portillo's]

The Hot Dogs

If you ask for a Chicago-style hot dog, here's what you'll get: a Vienna Beef dog cooked in hot water saddled between a poppy seed bun and topped with hot sport peppers, chopped onions, celery salt, tomato slices, a bun-length pickle wedge, mustard and neon green relish.

But of course, there won't be any ketchup (seriously).

Pro tip: upgrade to the double-dog to get twice the amount of hot dogs in your bun.

The Combo

The combo sandwich is an homage to the hungry and undecided, and definitely not for the faint of heart. A whole Italian sausage is stuffed into a traditional beef sandwich for an extra-meaty behemoth of a meal. 

Pro tip:

Looking for a lighter route? Try a Maxwell Street Polish sausage, which comes topped with mustard and grilled onions. Onions are healthy, right?

[Facebook/Portillo's]

The Burgers

Burgers aren't Portillo's claim to fame, but the charbroiled patties are a worthy competitor to the big dogs.

Pro tip: They are still delicious.

The Cheese Sauce 

Order it. Put it on everything.

The Chocolate Cake (Shakes)

Save room because the cake at Portillo's is so good they'll even throw a whole slice of it into a milkshake for you. 

The moist, chocolate frosting-covered cake derives its special powers from a (well-known) secret ingredient: mayonnaise. 

Pro tip: Get a cake shake with a strawberry base and take a well-earned nap.