Portillo's Arlington — Restaurant in Arlington

This place has the potential to be incredible, but someone needs to gather everyone working up and discuss, openly and without pointing blame like childen (obviously), issues that customers are having.

Despite reading the 1 star reviews, I chose to give Portillo's a try today and the first thing I would like to point out are the cleanliness of the establishment, atmosphere and aesthetic, and excellent management and teamwork despite a consistently large volume of customers. It all runs very quickly, and the team seems to be working quite well.

I ordered two things: the italian beef sandwich (despite reports of it being soggy) and the chili cheese dog. I recieved the sandwich (soggy) and a standard chicago dog...

In hindsight, I should have asked questions when the item showed on the system facing me as "hot dog," but I gave the benefit of the doubt knowing the pretty young lady at the counter spoke my order back to me, even going so far as to ask if I am okay with onions on the dog. Fortunately, what I recieved was quite tasty. The dog especially was a solid 8-9/10 as opposed to the sandwich, which I'd rate 6 due to the sogginess of the bun turning the texture of the bread into something resembling slurry. Instead of each bite containing balance and harmony of ingredients, the beef and its juices overwhelmed everything—even the hot peppers (it's that extreme.)

Something to note though is that the sogginess is not due to grease. It's not grease at all. The sogginess is entirely due to the juices of the meat—it's, ironically, too juicy.

These were my issues, and here are my solutions: I believe the system for cashiers to choose the items being ordered likely has a flaw of some sort. I don't know how it works, but that the lady in front of clearly had no ill intention and that this was clearly an honest mistake tells me that the system is more likely than not arranged in such way that users are easily confused. After all, I can gather from other reviews that I am not the only victim of this. Perhaps changing aspects of the system to eliminate mistakes like this could help Portillo's rating at this location. Maybe more color coding? Something needs to be done, and it isn't just the employees that should adapt.

The soggy sandwiches... There was so much juice (though not to the extent of soaking the entire sandwhich completely through) that I understand why some people have posted 1-star reviews about how they were nauseating, sickening to to eat. Perhaps it's possible actually drain the meat some before making the food? Perhaps at least let the meat set on a metal grid to let the juices seep out, just a bit—at least enough so that the juices don't slushie the bread.

I will be coming again. This 1-star review is a 1-star because i know that more people will read this—I know the establishment might read this. As I said earlier, the hot dog I recieved was actually very, very good. I also suspect that the burgers are likely very good as well. I saw the crispiness of the onion rings from afar too. There is more here I'd like to try... But stay away from the italian beef until enough time passes that they cannot justify having the issues they currently...

Heard a lot about this Chicago hot dog place so wanted to try it. Parking and entrance is little confusing right now as lot next door is still under construction but that should improve once that is completed

My rating is based on fast food restaurants

The restaurant is large for fast food place. It is laid out well and definitely designed to handle large volume of orders. It is at least twice as big as most fast food places.

The bread is fresh and soft but strong enough to hold up to the task. That doesn’t sound like much but it is important when you have lots of toppings or really juicy fillings. They also have poppyseed.

The hotdogs come are basically a fully loaded Chicago dog with pickle peppers and tomatoes and run about $3.89 each.

The beef sandwich is large. It is sliced thin and stacked high. Somehow it tastes like a pot roast and has a similar mouth feel to it. The texture is nothing like a hand sliced brisket or even a Ruben where the meat is sliced at the deli. I suspect it is precooked/ sliced and warmed on a steam table.

I got the “sweet” pepper for an extra $0.75. It was not sweet nor any type of kick. It was not pickled either like in the dog. It frankly seemed like a slice of cooked bell pepper. Added nothing to the sandwich at all.

The fries are crinkle cut. Nothing special about them at all. Onion rings are real rings with more of a breading than a batter. Funny because the two items are key to many fast food places and to have average food service brought in on staples is concerning. They are not bad but not great either.

The cake is good. Nice addition and at the end of the service line. I gather you can pay up front when ordering food. You can also purchase separately if you decide later to get cake.

The self serve drink station is next to the ketchup dispensers with the napkins and plastic ware. I did not notice if there was a second drink dispenser on the other end. I hope so. They have two napkin and ketchup dispensers.

It is clear they laid out the details well and decidedly set up to serve lots of people quickly. The kitchen well staffed and large.

It might do well once the buzz wears off. There are other food options that I did not try. Such as the Italian sausage and combination sausage and beef.

There are also hamburgers on menu too.

Prices are typical I think. I have maintained for a long time quick service is mostly for traveler looking for a known quality or someone on the run. There are too many sit down places to eat with a similar price point and better food.

If in the mood for a relatively small lunch for under 10 then grab a...

This might be my new favorite fast food restaurant. I’ve gone two times during their soft opening. First time there wasn’t many people, second time it was like it was their grand opening—drive thru crazy, dine in line and lobby was crazy, and this was at nighttime so you can imagine just how many people they’ve had all day.

I love the decor. It’s fantastic. The customer service is amazing. Every cashier interaction I’ve had has been spectacular and there’s even someone who periodically checks in to see if you like your food. There’s plenty of employees working. The employees from the cashier to the cooks to the lobbyists seem happy (if they’re faking it, they’re doing a great job). There’s someone cleaning tables and chairs so there’s always somewhere I can sit and eat. The employees are friendly, bubbly, knowledgeable, and attentive.

The food is great too. The fries and onion rings aren’t too soggy, they’re thick and crispy. A large size side is actually large enough to feed 2 people so it’s worth the money you pay. The cheese sauce is good quality, queso like cheese. The Chicago hotdogs taste like what a Chicago dog is supposed to taste like. The Italian beef tastes better than Weinberger. The hamburger tastes like Carl Jr’s. The broiled chicken sandwich tastes like a regular chicken sandwich but the sauce gives it a pretty nice taste. They grill their burgers/chicken sandwiches in a fire grill so you get charring on the meat which tastes nice compared to a traditional fast food grill. The chocolate cake is moist, sweet but not too sweet (even the icing), tastes good to me. The eclair is SOOO GOOOD. I highly recommend it.

Prices are expensive. Not very expensive, but more than a regular fast food place. You are paying more for better quality food and better customer service and environment.

Edit: spicy chicken sandwich is okay-good. Chick-fil-A spicy chicken sandwich tastes better. The brioche bun makes it taste better. Both the chicken fillet and the sauce make it spicy. I prefer the broiled chicken to the fried chicken. Wouldn’t get the fried chicken again.

The big beef sandwich is as if you order an Italian beef sandwich as big as a Subway sandwich. It’s big and comes in an aluminum foil in a plastic bag. Just a bigger Italian beef sandwich. The hot and sweet peppers are extra but it adds a nice taste to it.

Ordering a small side (fry or onion ring) is like ordering a medium at any other fast food restaurant. Ordering a large will definitely get you enough for...