[StealthBird]

Been going to Portillo's for nearly 30 years now, and watched them spread into various Chicago suburbs. They seem to dictate where and how they will build new restaurants by how much the local politicians are willing to bend over. Portillo can do this because wherever he builds, their restaurant instantly becomes the most popular restaurant in the area, generates huge taxes, and employs a lot of workers. Various suburbs have elbowed each other trying to get Portillo to build in their town, so like an NFL team owner, he can dictate conditions.

Our Portillo's (Bolingbrook) has moved three times over the last couple decades, and by moving, they simply built a brand new restaurant across the street from the old restaurant!

After their first move, their old location dried up and the building went vacant, as if Portillo sucked up the soil and killed everything around them when they moved. Their second location (across the street, in a brand new building) lasted many years, but then Portillo decided he wanted an entire corner at a major intersection, so they packed up and moved about 100 yards down the street. Once again, another custom built building, and this time Portillo got the ENTIRE corner, as in a strip mall, adding a Honey-Jam Cafe (also owned by Portillo's) right behind his main restaurant.

I've probably downed 1000 Portillo's Italian Beefs over the decades. And over those years, I've also tried at least two dozen other beefs at various places where friends and/or co-workers said that THEIR Italian Beef was the best, and none of them compare.

But last summer, as much as I hate to admit it, I found a better Italian Beef at Bueno Beef. They changed their formula a few years ago, and now it's like Portillo's with a little spice to it. I've now had at least 4 other people that converted. I feel like I'm cheating on Portillo's when I eat a Bueno Beef, but darn it, it's actually better.

But Portillo's still has MUCH better french fries than Bueno Beef, along with their hamburgs and hot dogs. I hope they don't sell, but if they do, I hope they keep everything the same as it is now.