Portillo's Hot Dogs is an american restaurant in River North, Chicago.
Portillo's in Chicago is the Ontario Street flagship of the chain founded 1963 by Dick Portillo, with Chicago hot dogs, Italian beef and the chocolate cake.
Editorially verified May 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Chicago hot dog, Italian beef sandwich, Chocolate cake shake
Must order: A Chicago dog, an Italian beef dipped, a small chocolate cake shake.
Tip: Drive-thru is faster than the counter. The chocolate cake shake is a chocolate shake with a slice of chocolate cake blended into the cup.
Address: 100 W Ontario St, Chicago, IL 60610
Mr. Beef on Orleans in Chicago is the no-frills Italian-beef counter that inspired The Bear, opened by Joe Zucchero in 1979, with a sandwich line out past.
Signature: Italian beef dipped, hot peppers, Italian sausage combo
Order: Italian beef, dipped, hot peppers. The combo if you want sausage on top.
Tip: Cash only and counter only. Closes by 16:30 on weekdays, earlier on weekends.
Mr. Beef on Orleans in Chicago is the no-frills Italian-beef counter that inspired The Bear, opened by Joe Zucchero in 1979, with a sandwich line out past.
Signature: Italian beef dipped, hot peppers, Italian sausage combo
Order: Italian beef, dipped, hot peppers. The combo if you want sausage on top.
Tip: Cash only and counter only. Closes by 16:30 on weekdays, earlier on weekends.
Al's Beef on Taylor Street in Chicago is the original 1938 storefront opened by Al Ferreri, the Italian-beef sandwich on Gonnella bread that defined.
Signature: Italian beef dipped, Cheesy beef
Order: Italian beef, double-dipped, sweet peppers. A side of fries to mop the jus.
Tip: Eat standing at the counter with the lean-rail. The sandwich does not survive a sit-down booth structurally.
Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park is the suburban-edge Italian-beef counter on North Avenue since 1961, known for the combo (beef and sausage) and the Italian.
Signature: Italian beef combo, hot peppers, Italian lemonade
Order: Combo, dipped, hot peppers. Italian lemonade in the lemon-and-ice flavour, large.
Tip: Cash only. Two lines: one for sandwiches, one for Italian lemonade. They are not the same staff.
Superdawg in Chicago is the 1948 Norwood Park drive-in on Milwaukee Avenue, with car-hop service and a pair of giant Superdawg-and-Maurie figurines.
Signature: Superdawg with everything, Crinkle fries
Order: Superdawg with everything (mustard, relish, onion, sport peppers, pickle, fries inside the box).
Tip: Use the car-hop. It is the same price as the counter and the experience is the point.
The Wieners Circle in Chicago is the Lincoln Park late-night hot dog counter on Clark Street, open since 1983, famous for the staff-and-customer banter past.
Signature: Char dog, Chocolate milkshake
Order: Char dog with everything; cheese fries on the side. A chocolate milkshake to walk home.
Tip: The shouting is the show. If you are not up for the banter, the daytime queue is exactly the same dog without the audience.
Gene & Jude's in River Grove is the 1946 hot-dog stand on River Road, west of Chicago: no ketchup, no tomato, no cheese, no chairs, just dogs.
Signature: Hot dog with everything (no tomato, no cheese)
Order: Double dog with the works (mustard, relish, onion.
Tip: Fries are tucked into the same paper as the dog. Eat them off the dog as you go, that is the point of the design.
