Portillo’s needs no introduction: Family recipe Italian beef, hot dogs, family recipe chocolate cake. Much more, of course, but these are Portillo’s holy trinity.
From its humble beginning 53 years ago as a hot dog cart in Villa Park, Portillo’s has grown to 46 fast-casual restaurants in six states. The company opened five new restaurants in 2016, the latest in Deerfield. It took three years and a couple of false starts, but the 9,000-square-foot location at 700 Lake Cook Road offers the quintessential Portillo’s experience of quality food served friendly and quickly in a lively atmosphere while offering new flavors that set it apart from other restaurants in the chain.
Portillo’s restaurants have different themes, such as 1950s/60s diner and Prohibition Era. The Deerfield Portillo’s interior is all kinds of far-out with ’60s and ’70s décor and memorabilia. The centerpiece of the dining room is the groovy ’70s bus, only the second of its kind in the chain. A ’70s mural on the outside of the building is the only one of its kind.
Artifacts range from vintage comedy albums by Cheech and Chong and George Carlin to Nixon campaign posters. As in every Portillo’s there is a hidden-in-plain sight inscription, “Dick Loves Sharon,” referring to founder Dick Portillo and his wife.
The Deerfield Portillo’s does not offer Barnelli’s Pasta Bowl, a specialty featured at nine locations, including Vernon Hills, but it is using this location to launch specialty salads, including a Thai Salad with Chicken and a Chipotle BBQ Salad with Chicken (both $5.25/half, $7.95/full).
But seriously, if you’re playing a word association game, “salad” is not the first word that comes to mind at the mention of Portillo’s. That would most likely be the Italian Beef sandwich ($5.49), which is the restaurant’s biggest seller, according to General Manager Jose Vazquez.
The hot dog ($2.85), too, is a signature sandwich (there is also a jumbo version for $3.25). In addition to char-broiled burgers and chicken sandwiches, the Deerfield Portillo’s offers its Naperville Ribfest-winning ribs ($17.50/full slab, $11.50 half slab).
And did we mention the chocolate cake? ($2.79). The recipe is from Dick Portillo’s daughter-in-law, who is married to his oldest son, Michael, leader of the chain’s training team. The baking begins on the premises at 7 a.m., Vazquez said. “We’re averaging about 130 cakes a day.” How in-demand are they? “Every (family) party, I have to bring home a cake,” Vazquez joked.
To life’s inevitabilities such as death and taxes, one could add lunchtime crowds at Portillo’s. But the chain prides itself on fast and friendly service, Vazquez states. “Mr. Portillo’s theme was, ‘Long lines don’t impress me.’ He wanted to see that line moving.”
The Deerfield Portillo’s opened in November, but as a recent lunchtime full house indicated, it already feels like an established part of the neighborhood. “We intend to get involved and grow with the community,” Vazquez said. “There is much more to come.”
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Mon.-Thurs.; 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri.-Sat.; 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday.
Address: 700 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield.
Contact: 847-597-0010 or visit www.portillos.com
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Donald Liebenson is a freelance writer for the News-Sun.