Mmm Mmm Monday: Portillo's

In my quest to find the best Chicago dog in Chicago, Portillo's (100 W. Ontario, Near North Side) gave me more than I bargained for.
Portillo's has quite the reputation around Chicago. We found out last weekend, that it is a reputation that is well deserved. For me, what set this Chicago dog apart from all the others I've tried so far was the flavor of the dog itself.
check out that dog assembly line
The thing with Chicago dogs is that they are loaded with toppings. In fact, typically there are so loaded with toppings, you can barely taste the hot dog itself.
That is not the case with a Portillo's dog.

The hot dog has a very strong, and for lack of a better description, hot doggy flavor. For me, a HUGE fan of hot dogs, this is a good thing. And though the french fries left more than a little bit to be desired, I thoroughly enjoyed the Portillo's dog.
But not nearly as much as I loved the Polish Sausage and the Italian beef!
After we all finished our meals, we decided to split and try the polish sausage and the Italian beef too. We figured we were there, we should probably try them. Boy am I glad that we did. Even though I only had a small taste of each, they left huge impressions. Both were absolutely delicious.
I'm definitely looking forward to heading back to Portillo's soon. And even though the dog was yummy, I'll be ordering the Italian beef. Knowing my love of Chicago dogs, that's saying a mouthful.
Are you sick of all my Chicago Dog posts yet?