I don't know the relish back story, but I'm just guessing, if they switched to the neon green relish in the Chicago area, it might have something to do with a deal with Vienna Beef. Not even all Chicagoans are thrilled with the neon green, and I wouldn't be surprised if it were a turnoff to people who live away from Chicago and aren't yet sold on drag-it-through-the-garden Chicago hot dogs. What I mean is, going to neon green relish seems to me to run counter to wider geographic expansion plans. Does anyone know if they're using it at the as-yet few Portillo's locations outside the Chicago area?

My memory of eating in Milwaukee is neon green, but I'm not sure.

JoelF wrote:Remember they also make Nathan's.

Just in the Chicago area? Nathan's website suggests that Nathan's is owned by Smithfield Foods.

VB does make the Red Hot Chicago brand, I believe. And, sort of a Shake Shack connection, VB does have an LA office, along with the Chicago Pickle Company factory there. Which reminded me of the old Pace salsa ad with the cowboys saying "Made in New York??"

tjr wrote:

JoelF wrote:Remember they also make Nathan's.

Just in the Chicago area? Nathan's website suggests that Nathan's is owned by Smithfield Foods.

VB does make the Red Hot Chicago brand, I believe. And, sort of a Shake Shack connection, VB does have an LA office, along with the Chicago Pickle Company factory there. Which reminded me of the old Pace salsa ad with the cowboys saying "Made in New York??"

Perhaps it changed. I'm reasonably certain they made Nathan's at one point.

JoelF wrote:

tjr wrote:

JoelF wrote:Remember they also make Nathan's.

Just in the Chicago area? Nathan's website suggests that Nathan's is owned by Smithfield Foods.

VB does make the Red Hot Chicago brand, I believe. And, sort of a Shake Shack connection, VB does have an LA office, along with the Chicago Pickle Company factory there. Which reminded me of the old Pace salsa ad with the cowboys saying "Made in New York??"

Perhaps it changed. I'm reasonably certain they made Nathan's at one point.

Vienna definitely owns Red Hot Chicago.

tjr wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote: Vienna Beef makes a proprietary blend for Portillo's, so the dogs they serve are bit different than other Vienna natural casing dogs.

I was wondering how "different" made them better. Sometimes different is just, well, different.

I was told they used to have a Vienna proprietary blend, but that was years ago before Dick sold it and they switched back to a standard Vienna recipe (perhaps with a slight tweak as Gary said). They still use mostly beef tallow for the fries.

Ram4 wrote:I was told they used to have a Vienna proprietary blend, but that was years ago before Dick sold it and they switched back to a standard Vienna recipe (perhaps with a slight tweak as Gary said). They still use mostly beef tallow for the fries.

Back in the day everyone had their "own" dog. Superdawg hada proprietary dog manufactured by Oscherwitz, Best Kosher's parent, until they went udders-up.

Portillo’s Launches Its First-Ever Plant-Based Hot Dog
https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciakels ... d-hot-dog/

Why ?

Because vegetarians and vegans would also like to eat hot dogs?

gnarchief wrote:Because vegetarians and vegans would also like to eat hot dogs?

Thank you!!!

The Garden Dog.

Did it taste just like a Portillo's hot dog? Just like? Of course not, but it was close...so close, that in a side-by-side tasting, when Carolyn took her first bite, not knowing if it was the Garden Dog or not, she thought it was just a regular Portillo's hot dog.

With enough of the highly recognizable, iconic condiments on the Garden Dog, it's going to taste close to the dragged-through-the-garden Chicago dog. I will say this, though: it had no snap, and the "meat" was looser (more mushy, if you will) and somewhat flatter tasting that that of an actual meat hot dog. Honestly, that was no surprise.

From Forbes:

The Non-GMO Project Verified recipe includes pea protein, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black better, nutmeg and paprika. The Garden Dog is smoked for added flavor.

I think the real Vienna Beefs include garlic juice, not powder, so that could account for a flatter taste. Or it could be that "black better."

Met some folks at the Deerfield outpost today. The Jumbo Dog was unpleasantly mushy, lacking any snap, although I appreciated the neon green relish and generous application of sport peppers. Onion rings were supplemented with a plastic tub of giardinera sauce ($0.90? that seems a little steep). It's tasty, but not hot enough. Coca-Cola was delightfully syruppy.

Hammond is right -- "dragged thru the garden" can pass. It wasn't as juicy as a beef dog, but can scratch the itch if you're not too fussy. The big difference for me was that after consuming the garden dog it felt "one and done," whereas after a beef dog I want more.

Good for some I guess, but I am none and done.

The family vegetarians both enjoyed it and I found it to be "good." So while it's not for everyone there's plainly an appreciative market out there.

Interestingly (or maybe not), most vegetarians I know have zero interest in meat replacement products. That kind of makes sense to me. If you're not into meat in the first place, these products probably hold little allure. Guessing that they're geared more toward folks who have (recently) given up meat and miss it? Or those who dabble in meatless periods.

Me? I'd try it and have tried other, similar products. The barrier to entry is low, so why not? That said, I'm more likely to avoid Portillo's than a plant-based meat substitute.

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ronnie_suburban wrote: Guessing that they're geared more toward folks who have (recently) given up meat and miss it? Or those who dabble in meatless periods.
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Once-carnivorous-now-vegetarian diners probably make up a sizeable portion of the projected demographic for the Garden Dog. I know life-long vegetarians who are grossed out by the texture of meat, so they likely would not be potential customers, but those who are sacrificing something they like (e.g., meat) for a higher cause (health, religion, ethics, whatever) might take some solace in this meatless wiener.

David Hammond wrote:I know life-long vegetarians who are grossed out by the texture of meat . . .

Yes. I hear this regularly from my vegetarian friends.

David Hammond wrote:. . . but those who are sacrificing something they like (e.g., meat) for a higher cause (health, religion, ethics, whatever) might take some solace in this meatless wiener.

Yep. Makes perfect sense. I remember trying the meatless sausage at The Moonlighter and thought it was pretty darned good. Can't remember if it was Impossible or Beyond.

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A dining room-less Portillo's with three drive-through lanes -- only the second in the Chicago-style food chain's expanding portfolio -- will be built on a prominent corner in Rosemont.

https://www.dailyherald.com/business/20 ... o-rosemont

"We always thought it should be the first stop when you come from the airport or are going to the airport," Stephens said.

Because it's a great warmup for the endless airport security line!

tjr wrote:

"We always thought it should be the first stop when you come from the airport or are going to the airport," Stephens said.

Because it's a great warmup for the endless airport security line!

I have a cousin who for years lived in Arizona, and Portillo's was his first stop every time he came back to town. Second was Buffalo Joe's in Evanston.

I just had Portillo’s 20 minutes ago. Skokie location. I’ve dropped a ton in this place over the years - and glad I did because it was great!

I ordered a beef for my wife and a bacon cheeseburger for me.

They were both total crap. At least by the old Portillo’s standards. Bland. Bland. Bland. 8 on a flavor scale of 100. They started like heat-lamp pre-cooked garbage from Mariano’s or Jewel or whatever. Or better yet, like correctional facility food.

Never again. Ever. I can find a lot better elsewhere.

Sad. It’s like they ran out of all flavoring for every ingredient.

Has anyone ran into getting your ID checked to pick up an online order? I have never had my ID checked to get a pre-paid food order at any restaurant. Is this actually a thing? Portillos Chicago Addison has a security guard checking IDs and order confirmations. It was an interesting interaction.
I waited to hear back from Portillos before posting. I let Portillos know that I will not return to the Chicago Addison location as a result of my visit. Also, I provided feedback that on the same trip, the handicapped parking spots were not accessible as they have set up blockades to control traffic in their lot. They emailed that they have addressed this with the management team...

The food / drive thru experiences at this location have been inconsistent since opening but this was a new one to me.

mkess wrote:Has anyone ran into getting your ID checked to pick up an online order? I have never had my ID checked to get a pre-paid food order at any restaurant. Is this actually a thing? Portillos Chicago Addison has a security guard checking IDs and order confirmations. It was an interesting interaction.
I waited to hear back from Portillos before posting. I let Portillos know that I will not return to the Chicago Addison location as a result of my visit. Also, I provided feedback that on the same trip, the handicapped parking spots were not accessible as they have set up blockades to control traffic in their lot. They emailed that they have addressed this with the management team...

The food / drive thru experiences at this location have been inconsistent since opening but this was a new one to me.

I've not been asked to show an ID. One spot no longer has the fulfilled orders out. They gave it to me when I gave my name. I'm guessing Portillo's and this place had orders go missing and that's how the responded.

Shivas wrote:I just had Portillo’s 20 minutes ago. Skokie location. I’ve dropped a ton in this place over the years - and glad I did because it was great!

I ordered a beef for my wife and a bacon cheeseburger for me.

They were both total crap. At least by the old Portillo’s standards. Bland. Bland. Bland. 8 on a flavor scale of 100. They started like heat-lamp pre-cooked garbage from Mariano’s or Jewel or whatever. Or better yet, like correctional facility food.

Never again. Ever. I can find a lot better elsewhere.

Sad. It’s like they ran out of all flavoring for every ingredient.

I have also noticed a decline in flavors. River north location. In all menu items besides polish sausage and fries.

chunker wrote:

Shivas wrote:I just had Portillo’s 20 minutes ago. Skokie location. I’ve dropped a ton in this place over the years - and glad I did because it was great!

I ordered a beef for my wife and a bacon cheeseburger for me.

They were both total crap. At least by the old Portillo’s standards. Bland. Bland. Bland. 8 on a flavor scale of 100. They started like heat-lamp pre-cooked garbage from Mariano’s or Jewel or whatever. Or better yet, like correctional facility food.

Never again. Ever. I can find a lot better elsewhere.

Sad. It’s like they ran out of all flavoring for every ingredient.

I have also noticed a decline in flavors. River north location. In all menu items besides polish sausage and fries.

Given their expansion and the money behind it, this is unsurprising. It's a sad, familiar and predictable script.

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ronnie_suburban wrote:Given their expansion and the money behind it, this is unsurprising. It's a sad, familiar and predictable script.

Yup, and more so because people who go to Portillo's (or Uno Chicago etc etc) in other parts of the country will think Chicagoans know nothing about good eating.

tjr wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Given their expansion and the money behind it, this is unsurprising. It's a sad, familiar and predictable script.

Yup, and more so because people who go to Portillo's (or Uno Chicago etc etc) in other parts of the country will think Chicagoans know nothing about good eating.

Maybe so. IMO, Portillo's was never great to begin with. They served B-grade versions of items that, at least locally, are easily found -- and of higher quality -- elsewhere. Beyond the convenience of multiple locations and their broad menu, I never quite understood the allure.

This is not directed at you tjr but I am so tired of hearing about how great their chocolate cake is. First of all, no one who wants to get their grub on gives a flying f*#k about chocolate cake. Secondly . . .




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