Review: Portillo’s Italian Beef Sandwich with Hot Peppers

Bottom Line: The Italian Beef Sandwich from Portillo’s is a superior version of this Chicago staple, and the hot peppers really kick up the heat.

Portillo’s is a Chicago-based chain primarily known for their hot dogs and for their Italian Beef Sandwich. Back in the day, I used to travel to Chi-Town on a regular basis, and this was a go-to place, usually for lunch. My particular favorite item on their menu is their Char-Grilled Italian Sausage Sandwich (you can read my review at this link), but a close second is the Chicago-Style Hot Dog (also covered in the review above) and then their Italian Beef. Portillo’s has been expanding across the country, with several locations now in Texas, and while visiting Houston recently, I stopped in for a bit of nostalgia.

Here is the description from the website of the Italian Beef Sandwich, and tell me it doesn’t get your mouth watering:

Our famous, homemade Italian beef is slow-roasted for four hours, thinly sliced, and served on freshly baked Turano French bread. There are many ways to order an Italian beef sandwich. The standard sandwich is served by splashing a bit of our flavorful, secretly spiced gravy on it. Some like their sandwich “dipped,” which means we dip the whole sandwich in our gravy. You can also order it “dry,” with very little gravy. Why do we call it gravy? Because it’s actual gravy, just like grandma used to serve: We use the beef’s natural gravy that comes off of it while roasting for four hours.

In addition to dipped or dry, you can order the sandwich with their oven-roasted sweet peppers and/or their hot giardiniera peppers, which is a mixture of marinated veggies and chili peppers. The sweet peppers are okay, but it is the hot peppers that really take the sandwich to the next level.

I did make a slight tactical error as I was ordering from the kiosk and forgot to request the sandwich dipped. But then I used to typically get “slightly wet” (the standard option) in Chicago since Portillo’s was generally a lunch stop, and you really need to be hosed down after plowing through the dipped version of the sandwich dripping with gravy on all sides.

The generous portion of meat included in the sandwich is thinly sliced and quite beefy, seasoned well and perfectly tender. It does have some chew to it, but it is never tough or gristly, and each bite is full of flavor. The giardiniera brings a tartness that suggests olives, even though those are not included in the mix, along with a bit of tang and a nice kick of heat. The bread is crusty on the outside and soft in the middle, and it starts to get mushy on the bottom from the gravy and liquid from the giardiniera. But that is actually a feature as all those flavors come together and soak into the roll. This is not just a sandwich, it is an experience and a taste of Chicago!

The beef itself is not spicy, but the hot peppers pack enough heat to kick things up nicely. With those added, I would put this right about Medium on my scale, and that heat does linger a bit. You definitely want to take a utensil and push the pepper mix into the sandwich so that you get some of that in every bite.

The Italian Beef comes in at 690 calories, and those hot peppers tack on another 50 cals. That’s not terrible for a fast food joint, but it is getting to the high side. You’re going to want to get some crinkle-cut fries as well, and those add on another 340 cals for a small order. And if you get the cheesy fries (recommended), that will be even higher (I don’t see the numbers for that, though). Just call it a splurge and schedule some extra time on the treadmill for the coming week.

The Italian Beef Sandwich sells for $8.49 for the regular in my area and $10.49 for the “Big” version. That’s getting a bit pricey for a fast food item, but considering the amount of beef you get and the quality, it’s worth it. The hot peppers add another 99 cents, and if you get the combo with fries and a drink, you will be paying around fifteen bucks. Again, on the high side, but this is a splurge I’m willing to make. Portillo’s is expanding throughout the country these days, with more and more locations opening all the time, and you can check for one near you at their website.