I am finally home from Chicago friends and back to working on a computer that recognizes my camera. As promised, I have some restaurant reviews for you, but will try to spread them out so you’re not just seeing restaurant reviews from me.

First home is Portillo’s. Apparently, Chicago is famous for more than just it’s deep dish pizza (who knew?) and equally as famous are their “Chicago Dogs” and the “Italian Beef.” My coworker and I were on a mission for a chicago dog for lunch last week and were instead instructed to go for the italian beef, as chicago dogs can be found pretty much everywhere, but the italian beef is the best at Portillo’s.

I was actually surprised by the size of the place. For being technically “fast food” it was probably three times the size of your typical McDonald’s. I fell in love with the place before even eating the italian beef as soon as I walked in. The interior is total kitsch, with vintage posters, photos, neon signs, and even a vintage car hanging from the ceiling.

Once I got past oohing and aahing over the decor, I ordered the italian beef with a side of onion rings. To be honest, I really was not expecting all that much, I mean, a sandwich is just a sandwich, right? WRONG. The italian beef is not just a sandwich, it’s a euphoric experience.

You have the option for extra gravy, dipped, or dry. I opted for mayo on my italian beef (yes, I know you chicago people are offended by this and for that I am sorry but it was delicious with mayo). The sandwich is then dipped in an au jus type sauce. You also have the option for sweet or hot peppers, which my coworker assured me are worth getting if you like them.

After finishing my sandwich and coming to terms with the wave of sadness that accompanied my sandwich being gone, I started in on the onion rings.

The onion rings were decent, but really nothing to write home about. I will be honest and say that the sandwich was so good that I ate lunch there three days in a row. Yeah, it’s really that good. The second day I opted for the fries and they were so much better than the onion rings. They were crinkle cut and really salty, just the way I like them. Sorry I forgot to snap a photo of them, but take my word for it and get the fries instead of the onion rings if you ever find yourself at Portillo’s.

Have you ever had an italian beef sandwich? Fries or onion rings?