It is probably not news to anyone by now that Portillo's has sought out their first Wisconsin Restaurant in Brookfield, Wis., which is about 20 minutes from Marquette's campus. This glorious proposal is even on Portillo's website, so no, it is not too good to be true! As Marquette's Chicago population rejoices, myself included, I have overheard a lot of non-Chicagoans questioning how good the food could possibly be. Fear not my poor unfortunate peers who have not been blessed with the heaven-covered mustard, peppers, onions, an entire pickle, and more that is a Portillo's hot dog, I am here to help. Without further ado here is your one-stop guide to Portillo's.
Hot Dog
This is going to be your go-to item on Portillo's menu. It is only $2.75, but easily worth more. It has mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes, a pickle and peppers. Order it with everything and pick off what you decide you don't like as you go, because the ingredients are put together for a reason, and let me tell you it is magical.
Italian Beef
Although the hot dog is my personal favorite, a favorite of many others is the Italian beef. This one is $5.45, but could easily feed two (with a side of fries). The Italian beef is definitely something that needs to be put near the top of your "must-try" list.
Cheese Fries
Are you hungry yet? If not, you will be after you stare at the Portillo's cheese fries. These are a must, and a large is only $2.75! If you're not huge on cheese fries, you can still get the fries by themselves for $2.09.
Cake & Cake Shake
Save room for desert because if you don't, you will regret it. Portillo's has arguably the best chocolate cake, and a slice is only $2.79, but you should not stop just there. Something that Portillo's has on their menu that is not on most menus is the cake shake. The cake shake is a chocolate shake with a piece of cake blended in with the rest of the shake. It is not your average shake, but you get the best of both worlds with this one. Make sure you grab a spoon to scrape the cake that is left from the bottom when you're done!
There you have it, a must-have list for when the Portillo's opens up in Brookfield. You are safe ordering anything on the menu (I have never heard anyone complain about something they got at Portillo's), but hopefully this helps narrow down your decision when you finally get to experience Portillo's heaven.
