While my partner grew up eating Portillo's, I had never had the chance to try it. So right before heading out of town on a Saturday, we found ourselves in need of a quick lunch and thought Portillo's would be a great choice. The place is huge, with three different dining rooms and an outside patio. The parking lot is large enough to accommodate such a crowd as well, as the place was pretty packed and we had no issues getting a spot not far from the restaurant. We did not wait long in line to order, and I was impressed by how fast the food came out. They obviously have a great system and plenty of workers to make sure you food comes out fast, fresh, hot, and correct. I got the chopped salad, since I needed something refreshing, and my partner relived his childhood with his favorite burger, fries, and a milkshake. The salad was great! I was skeptical about the pasta in it, but it added great texture and held onto the gorgonzola cheese well. Overall the flavors were balanced and each bite was tasty. The bread it is served with is also great. It came out still warm and went amazing with my salad. My partner loved his burger, saying it was just like he remembers, and let me try his vanilla shake. It was thick, creamy, and had great vanilla flavor. While I am not a plain vanilla fan, I found their ice cream very good. We were in and out in an hour and spent probably the same amount of money we would have at any other fast food or fast casual place. The bathrooms were also clean and had plenty of stalls. If given the opportunity again I would definitely come back. read more

I haven't been to a Portillo's in over 15 years, just once, and that one was in Chicago, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The store in Normal is about a 15 minute drive off Interstate 74 from the south side of town. I started with 2 Chicago-style hot dogs. There was a pickle spear, a tomato slice, and some peppers in with my hot dog, on a poppy seed bun. I devoured them. Then I let my wife know where I was eating. She suggested I try a hot and wet, and the chocolate cake. The hot dogs were excellent so I decided to try them. I wasn't sure what a hot and wet was so I asked the cashier who took my order. She said "I got you." It was a slow-roasted Italian beef sandwich with hot peppers and dipped in the beef's natural "gravy" that dripped off it while it was roasting. I opened the package and started eating immediately. There was no stopping until it was gone. The photo in their online menu is pretty accurate. I didn't pause long enough to take one myself. Then there was the cake. If you like chocolate cake, this is a no-brainer. It was definitely non-dry. It was likely the best cake I''ve eaten all year. The restaurant was nice and clean, with someone cleaning up after customers as soon as tables were vacated. The cashiers were friendly, and the woman calling out the numbers was extremely friendly. I saw her offer to help a woman across the dining area from the pick-up window to package up a large to-go order. She also noticed that I went back for the cake. I will have to stop here again the next time I'm passing through. read more

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Not as accessible as I would wish. This location is huge! Accessible parking is not an issue if you choose to forgo the drive through. However once you get to the door you may have issues. The doors were so heavy that I couldn't open it, then the restroom door was the same. The toilet was so low and the sinks were tall and I had to really reach for the soap and faucet. Thank goodness for friendly people helping strangers. There is only a diaper changing station in the woman's room so thats a disappointment. The food is what you expect but you need to be super clear with what you want because the cashiers ring up the orders so fast. I got the signature sandwich with sweet peppers, onion rings, Chicago dog, and a signature shake. The onion rings were a little too crispy and tasted like oil. They do have plant based food items but check out their chocolate cake slices too. There was plenty of seating for parties of 1 to 15 so bring the team in. There are tables and booths and there are high chairs too. The old Americana vibe was interesting, so great to play I spy games. The restaurant is huge and hard to hear your order being called, so stay tuned in before sitting down. read more

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Portillo's consistently delivers hot, tasty food. Today our party had hotdogs, Italian beef, and fries with cheese sauce. Someone I was with had the Italian beef on a croissant and although I didn't have it, it apparently is a "can't miss." We also shared some cake shakes which are a family favorite. The place was busy today but staff were quickly cleaning tables and serving food. Also, when we first arrived, we had a hard time finding a place for our whole party and a staff member quickly helped me push some tables together. I appreciated her helpfulness. The reason for four stars is due to the changing table in the women's restroom. It is on it's way to being fully broken. It overextends which makes it a little precarious with a squirming baby. read more

Portillo's Normal - Waiting area for food. - Hot Dogs Near Me - Normal, Illinois

I've always loved Portillos growing up and am glad to see them expanding towards me!I always get the 2 hot dog meal Chicago style and an Italian combo to go. Service is pretty good even when busy and the decor is pretty standard at the different locations but it's nice and comfortable. read more

Portillo's Normal - Grab and Go section - Hot Dogs Near Me - Normal, Illinois

Let me start off by saying we don't have a Portillo's anywhere near where I live so if there's one I'm going. I ordered a Chicago hot dog and fries with cheese sauce. Totally hit the spot. This restaurant is huge, has a drive thru, and skip the line kiosks. Food comes out quickly although staff is not mean but they aren't that friendly either. The lady at the cashier didn't smile, and was sitting down the entire time while the long grew longer and longer. read more

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Portillo's in Normal gives me that special taste of Chicago whenever I'm in the mood, and it's quick and tasty. Sure, you can get good hamburgers and hot dogs and fries, but there's so much more. There's little better than a good Chicago beef or Italian sausage. The Chicago combo bowl gives you both without filling up on the bread. Add some sweet peppers (or hot), and you've got a great meal. I'll often take one home and heat it up later. The Maxwell Street Polish is another Chicago classic. There's something so special about the combination of the sausage, mustard, and onions. When I'm feeling a bit guilty about all that sausage and beef, I'll get the chopped salad (which is a delicious meal in itself, but also conveniently goes in the fridge and lasts a couple of days). The house salad dressing is excellent. I'm not a fan of gorgonzola cheese, but you can order it without (or they may offer a substitute cheese). Portillo's has the speed and efficiency of fast food, but is so much better. read more

We stopped in here to grab some dinner before we went to the concert. We were just driving around and found Portillo's the service is go to the counter order and they call your number when it's ready. All the servers were friendly. We had chicken sandwiches and fries that were delicious, I wish I had tried the sausage. The history of this restaurant was told on the walls and with pictures very cool! The ambience was great. They were a little busy considering that the Bears were playing, the drive thru was jamming. Definitely worth getting a meal here. read more

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A small issue that the staff and management went out of their way to make things right way above and beyond!! The food was amazing, a great birthday dinner for my daughter!! Will definitely return!!! read more

Put an online order in. Supposed to be ready at 722. Was ready well after that. I actually saw my bag sitting for almost 10 minutes under the heat lamp. I asked the counter about my order. She promptly ignored me for a few more minutes before then finalizing my order which was literally only waiting for a piece of cake. Fries ended up cold. Not sure what's up here, but they aren't good at service and moving orders through. read more

Great Italian beef. I really enjoyed the beef in a bowl option to watch the carb in take. I have never been disappointed with the food or service. Great family atmosphere and affordable prices. read more

About a 15 minute wait for food when there was hardly anyone there at 11. Hot fries, cold chicken sandwich and soggy buns on the hamburger. Not sure what people see in this place. read more

Good but overhyped and over priced. Better than most ff options. The fries need some work.

My wife and I came to Bloomington for her work. We happen to come to this Portillo's. They were very fast, friendly and very attentive. We got it to go and we're in and out within five minutes we got back to our room and the food was still hot and delicious the chocolate cake shake was the star of the meal. I don't know how they do it. The chocolate cake was like something I've never had before. I couldn't quite place the flavor other than chocolate I would guarantee anybody that would go here would have a good experience. read more

Went on a cross-country trip and had to stop for a Chicago dog. Open floor plan makes this restaurant seem bigger than it is. Hospitable staff and perfectly cooked dog made the experience that much better. read more

Portillo's Normal - Hot Dogs Near Me - Normal, Illinois

The people are really nice and the food is consistent quality but items are often left out in drive thru orders

First off I want to say, $50 for 2 people to eat here is OUTRAGEOUS! We had to wait 30 minutes for our food. It's fast food for crying out loud. We saw our bag sitting up there for a long time. We even asked them and they were very polite and said it wasn't ready. Then we got to our table and my wife's Italian beef was cold, my burger was so soggy it was like it sat up there for 30 minutes, oh wait, it did. If you ever want to come here, I'd consider Steak 'n Shake. That's where I'm gonna go for my burgers for now on. read more

A neighbor from Chicago highly recommended this place and it's now one of my favorite fast food spots. I had the beef and cheddar croissant and fries with the cheddar sauce. I ordered a traditional Chicago dog to take with me to eat later in the hotel room. First of all most definitely get the cheese sauce with you fries. I absolutely loved my sandwich. I got the chicken tenders for my dogs who travel with me and tried a bite even the tenders were very good. There are other items on the menu I want to try but I love the beef and cheddar and the hot dogs so much I don't know if I will be able to resist. Finding this place for sure is another thing to look forward to on my way to Iowa! read more

Service was pathetic. Food was not hot. Went through drive through and it took forever.

It's Portillo s what more can you say. Great dogs and beef sandwich . I was at the original in Chicago Ok, now get someone to open a stain St. Louis read more

I was at your store in the drive thru on Tuesday night 10/21/25 for an online order pick up and my American Express was charged twice for the amount of 55.75. I called the store the next day and was told they couldn't refund the duplicate charge. The gave me the number to corporate 630-954-3773 which hangs up on you and won't let you leave a message. I ordered 2 hot dogs no onion or peppers, one cheese dog no onion, one fry, one beef and cheddar croissant, a big beef dipped with cheddar cheese and two slices of chocolate cake. Give me a refund for the duplicate charge. I thought you guys were more honest than that. I also tried leaving a message at Portillos.com which doesn't left you leave a message. I know times are tough right now but I never thought you would resort to double charging your customers to stay in business! read more

The atmosphere was nice and the place s clean. The service was bad, we didn't get an opportunity Fred of fries we ordered and she forgot to give us a drink with one of our meals that we paid to have. The food was okay the chicken sandwich was okay. But the beef sandwich was gross the bread could have been better. Overall 2/5 read more

Portillo's Normal - Chicken sandwich - Hot Dogs Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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In Normal dropping my son off at I.S.U . Let's get Portillo's everybody ! It's our go to in Bloomingdale Illinois and St. Charles located in the western burbs of Chicago. Who can screw up a hotdog ? Who can serve hot French fries that weren't Deep fried long enough. A double cheeseburger that I picked up as soon as the girl that makes a rhyme With your number ( 59 , time to dine ) but was not warm . I've had a hotter burger that I picked up from the Bloomingdale location on lake street and drove home 15 minutes. So ,, like I asked before I went on a tangent. Who can screw up a hotdog ? Portillo's , Normal Illinois location !! Understaffed , poorly managed, the list goes on . Somebody call "Restaurant Impossible ." Old man Tony Portillo would be rolling over in his grave . You've come a long way from the original location in Villa Park Illinois. But there's work to do in Normal Illinois. read more

A local classic institution for Italian Beef sandwiches. It's about the same size as half a Subway sandwich, but a hundred times better. They have quality thin sliced beef simmering in juices and then place a sizeable portion of it onto a bun. I highly recommend the "Dipped" option in which they then take the entire beef sandwich and dunk it in the beef juices. If you're extra hungry then have them they're an Italian sausage into your sandwich too! Finally I highly recommend the mix of spicy and sweet peppers on there. They use a spicy giardiniera with a high quality olive oil and also nicely marinated bell peppers. As a side dish, their fries with cheese sauce are excellent! They serve alcohol, including my favorite Blue Moon beer on tap. Great for large groups as long as you come during off hours like 4pm for example. Otherwise it gets very busy during prime time. read more

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It's portillos. Italian beef every time. Chocolate cake. Awesome. A little bit of chicago in Bloomington il. read more

How can it take 90 minutes for a fast food order? The staff was rude and made no attempt to rectify the situation. Food was cold when we finally got it. Yes, it is homecoming weekend in Normal, and it may have been more crowded than usual, but they were completely unprepared and got mad at customers who just wanted the food they paid for. read more

This location is slowly getting better with service, and the portions are improving. Still skimpy with their hot peppers at times. I've seen the shakes and malts be premade and sit too long and get thin instead of making them on demand. The food overall is good, buns are usually fresh. Their cakes are delicious, but again the portion for a slice has dramatically shrunk in the last couple of years ... use to be almost a quarter of a whole cake! Typical decor of any Portillo's. Prices have also increased, but what hasn't. 3.5 stars for food, 3.5 stars for service (improved) and 4 stars for decor, like the old local photos and stuff. read more

Good Portillos. Clean place. Service was good and food was standard delicious Portillos. I got the beef sandwich and a hot dog. Both were very good. Big parking lot and good location. Easy to get in and out. read more

Portillo's Normal - Hot Dogs Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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So incredibly disappointed with my first experience at this chain! I had intended to visit this restaurant chain when I was out in Tempe, AZ, but I never made it. So naturally I was very excited when I saw this restaurant in Normal IL and I was really looking forward to a simple but good dinner. I had heard so many positive things about this restaurant! But unfortunately I can not say too many positive things about my experience. I want you to know that I came to this restaurant on a weekday evening, not on some super busy and crazy Friday or Saturday evening. There was a long drive-thru line, but I wanted to dine inside the restaurant anyway . Once inside I got in the line to order, not too long of a line, probably less than 15 people. But after standing in line for about five minutes about 10 people in front of me just gave up and walked out. I talked with a few of them and said the line was not moving for the last 15 minutes. So I decided to stay in the line and in about 10 minutes I made it to the front of the line to order. The young lady taking my order was clearly tired and overwhelmed, and yet she was extremely pleasant. She was the first shining star in my otherwise dismal experience this evening. Ok, so with my receipt and order number in hand I headed down to wait for my food with the other huddled masses of humanity! This is when the real craziness started to unfold. While I was waiting for my food there seemed to be some kind of altercation between two of the employees preparing food, and before you know it there was a lot of very loud yelling. Then the manager came over and yelled some more and kicked one employees out of the kitchen and told her to go home!! It was obvious that the employees were just worn out from the extreme workload. Regardless of the situation, I don't think it's ever appropriate to yell or scream at your employees in front of the public - just not professional in any way. Now on to the food...the Italian beef sandwiches were sorely lacking flavor to me, maybe my expectations were too high, but overall my standards are very high. I was very pleased that the beef seemed to be of a very good quality, no fat or grizzle at all, but I felt that the beef and the sandwich overall were significantly lacking flavor. I also purchased an order of onion rings, but they were obviously from a frozen bag resulting in a very poor onion rings to say the least - absolutely nothing special about them at all!, I want to end on a positive note. The final two shining stars of the evening were two employees doing all they could to get the food out of the kitchen. The first employee was the guy working the fry station! He was like an absolute machine!!! He was great! No matter how much craziness was going on in the kitchen he just kept his head down cranking out fries! The final shining star was the lady actually checking the orders and getting them to the customers- she was working "the pass". She looked so completely exhausted and yet she remained pleasant in the mist of the storm! read more

Portillo's Normal - Italian Beef Sandwich with cheddar - Hot Dogs Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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I went to drive thru to order even though I have the app. For some reason, it is not too friendly. A young lady helped me with my order and she asked if I have the reward. I have been going there since they opened. This is the first time ever that I was asked about the reward. Whoever that young lady is, kudos to her! as far as the food, it is just average. I always order the big beef for my son. We were also in the restaurant in the past. Oh I had to tell you, when I pulled up to the window, a guy's behind was facing me. Did not acknowledge me and the whole 2 to 3 minutes were talking to the two ladies inside the window. No one ever acknowledged me. Then I was handed the food. So the three stars is for the order taker, not for anything else! read more

Passing through Normal on our way to Nashville. Had to stop at my favorite chain for a combo. Wifey ordered the Greek salad, her favorite Portillo's item. Combo with fries and fountain drink was perfect for the occasion. Combo was nicely prepared, plenty of beef and superbly cooked Italian sausage on a crusty roll with gardineria on the side. Fries were perfectly prepared. Wifey salad looked odd. She opened the container to find a Caesar salad. That's when Jennifer showed up. Jennifer was working the floor as a guest relations person. She corrected the situation immediately and comped us with a two for one sandwich coupon and a piece of cake. It was my birthday and much appreciated. Food was great, as usual, and service was spectacular. Jennifer is a super star. Portillo's is the best. Highly recommend without any reservations. read more

This is a great alternative to a fast food meal. A Chicago favorite, this chain has now stretched outside the city to locales throughout the state. This one is located about a mile off of I-55 on the northeast end of Bloomington. The menu consists primarily of Chicago style hot dogs, hot beef and Italian sausage sandwiches, burgers and maybe a few others. The French fries are thick, crispy, salty and very good. Their chocolate cake dessert is tasty as well but can come mixed in a shake which is a must try. The facility has a fun atmosphere with nostalgic signs, photos and oldies music playing. Definitely worth jumping off the interstate and driving the extra 2-3 minutes to get to versus your standard fast food. read more

Portillo's Normal - BIG BEEF with Peppers - Hot Dogs Near Me - Normal, Illinois

Instead of hot dogs (our usual choice), we ordered chicken and sausage/beef combo online. We ordered as we got close to the exit, and we are glad we did. The line through the drive thru was out to the street. All orders can be picked up in the drive they only! No inside pick up. I ordered the grilled chicken on a croissant with honey mustard, lettuce and mayo. Customizing was easy. Husband ordered the small fries and sausage/beef combo on roll with gravy on the side. We forgot to ask for catsup. When we got to the drive thru, we were able to bypass the line since we ordered online. Our bag was brought out to us at the last window. Husband ate two bites of the combo before taking off the beef. He wanted to taste just the sausage. He ate the beef after. My sandwich was okay. The chicken was dry. I liked the croissant. We ate our meal in the car, in the parking lot, with other patrons. All of the staff was polite and friendly. They all wore masks. It was a quick and easy order and meal. read more

Portillo's Normal - Order sealed in paper bag, and placed in plastic bag - Hot Dogs Near Me - Normal, Illinois

Solid spot especially in Normal. The cheese sauce tastes like middle school and that's perfectly fine with me because it's a must have with my fries. Not a Midwest kid so I appreciate the regionality of the beef and sweet peppers combo, I feel like I should get one when I'm in the Midwest and this place is consistent and always delivers. Tried the chocolate cake and it gets better the more you eat it. The place is good at what it does and eventually I will venture off to maybe trying the chicken sandwich or the burger. read more

Specifically came here for the chocolate cake. Had a burger too. It was decent. I had never actually been here before. We just got this restaurant back home in Az. I had gotten food from the drive thru. The burger was good here and cake is delicious! Pretty fast service considering how busy they were. read more

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Visited Portillos in Normal ,Il Tuesday Sept 2, 2025 Ordered Italian beef, fries, mug of beer. The beef had lots of chewy grislte even though is was ground up finely rathan sliced thin, maybe the bottom of the barrell from the day before, because they were not at all busy. Noticed that the patio garbage can was overflowing and not emptied from the previous day. Both I and the wife used the restrooms, VILE! SHE SAID THE LADIES ROOM WAS FILTHY AND TERRIFICALLY UNSANITARY! The mens was also a mess with over flowing waste canisters and no paper towels in the dispenser! This was all at 330 pm and it all appeared to be not cleaned up from the prrvious day, no doubt a busy day as it was Labor Day. With the slow in store business the staff was all just hanging out wasting time on the clock talking to one another. You have to wonder, since the staff uses the same public restrooms as the customers that they could not possibly be getting washed up in there after a visit, makes you wonder just how clean the rest of the place is if the restrooms are this horrible? We got turned off and don't think we will go back any time soon! Too bad there were so many non-proactive employees here, does not bode well for the future of this popular business! read more

So I did drive thru because I am the only family member that loves Portillo's. Ordered a sausage and beef hot. Only got the beef. I also ordered a chocolate cake shake. They did not bother to give me a straw. Get the order right next time please. read more

So good! Always a must eat when I'm in the area. The big beef with cheese and hot peppers

This is the problem when a formality once great Chicago food chain sells to people that don't get what made Portillo's great. Once impeccable customer service has dwindled down to a service persons flippant attitude when I said "we ordered 2 fries" (vs 1 that she placed on our bag) with an eye roll and toss of her head- as she was walking away, "you were only rung up for one." I waited for her to walk back towards me and I said "how was this my fault I ordered 2! 2 fries, 2 drinks, 2 dogs." She didn't want to give us our fries but decided to shut me up and threw the fries in the bag. No apology. This would have NEVER flied under founding members of PORTILLO'S watch. Do better PORTILLO'S. read more

Burger was burnt and the sandwiches were a mess. The workers were touching brooms, dust pans, and trash cans without changing their gloves before touching the food. Workers were extremely loud and using foul language towards one another. When we were leaving we ordered 2 cake shakes and we watched as they sat for 15 minutes behind the counter. During this, a worker opened the lid and started messing with our shakes because they forgot to hand them out to us. I am a big fan of Portillo's so this experience was really disappointing.. read more