Portillo's Scottsdale — Restaurant in Scottsdale

It really pains me to write a bad review for Portillo's. It truly does. I'm not the kind of unhappy person that goes around writing mean-spirited reviews all day. In fact, this is the first bad review that I've ever written.

I really love Portillo's food. I grew up in Chicago and went to Portillo's at least 2-3 times a week. Portillo’s was big part of my childhood. I would dream about their food. Portillo's was literally always my first stop whenever I got off the plane when I returned home to visit family during the holidays. I never had a bad experience in almost 20 years at any of the dozens of Portillo's restaurants that I’ve been to in and around Chicago.

I moved Scottsdale in 2012 and when Portillo's announced they were opening a location there; I couldn't believe it. I went there 3-4 times a week for at least a year when they opened in 2013. The quality of their food was outstanding; exactly the same as Chicago. I was in heaven. My favorite place to eat in Chicago had opened up in Arizona close enough that I could go whenever I wanted. It was a dream come true.

But something changed about a year and a half ago and my dream turned into a nightmare. The quality of the food started becoming noticeably worse at the Scottsdale location. At first it was smaller things. They would get orders wrong more often, the wait times become longer even when there weren't that many people there, the bathrooms and tables were noticeably dirtier and cleaned less often, etc. Then the food quality stated becoming worse. Their bread and buns became stale no matter what time of day I went to eat (I really really loved the soft fresh buns at Portillo's, I could literally eat them all by themselves!).

Where I really noticed the dropping quality the most were the french fries. As long as I can remember, Portillo's crinkle cut french fries had always been perfect. Crispy, light and golden. I never had a bad batch. Sometime at the end of 2017/beginning of 2018 the taste of the fries at the Scottsdale Portillo’s changed dramatically and became horrible. The fries at the Arizona locations started consistently tasting really old, overcooked and so very greasy. Even when they were literally just made fresh. The fries are now a dark almost burned brown instead of that golden color (see pic). They are now so heavy and greasy that having only the fries in the bag creates multiple grease stains they soaked through the side (pic). The old burned greasy smell of the fries is so strong that it fills my car for days after having them in it for only 10 minutes.

The fries at the Arizona locations are now consistently bad. I tried everything to see if I just got unlucky a few times and got a bad batch of fries with old cooking oil. In my hope to see what was happening, I went to Portillo’s went multiple times a day, day and night, weekdays, weekends, when they were busy, when they weren't busy and bought their fries. I did this for weeks. All in a vain attempt to see if there was a time when the fries tasted better and fresher. The way they used to be. The way they should be. Alas, it was a fools’ mission. The fries tasted horrible every time. Consistently bad food no matter when I went.

As much as it broke my heart, I had to stop going to the Portillo's locations in Arizona (The one in Tempe is even worse if you can believe that). The poor quality of their food was making me sick. I recently took a trip back to Chicago and the quality of the food and fries at the Chicago locations is still so amazingly good. There is clearly something bad happening at the Arizona locations.

Even though I live less than 10 minutes away from the Portillo's in Scottsdale, I just don't go anymore. Their food is too bad. Now, I'm back to going to Portillo's only when I return to Chicago to visit my family during the holidays. Just like when I was away at college.

I long for the incredible, fresh and tasty Portillo's food that I remember and hope that the Arizona locations can be helped to get back to the amazing tasting food that I know they are...

A Nostalgic Place for Chicago Visitors and Transplants

The Chicago-style hotdigs in this restaurant are "okay" (2.5 Stars). However, I certainly did not find the dogs to be exceptional by any standard.

Their legendary menu item is a "traditional Chicago Hotdog," and that's what my guest and I ordered.

I found their basic hotdog to be overpriced for its size. The hotdog itself was nothing noteworthy — as Portillo's seems to depend on an over abundance of garnish and toppings to execute the actual flavor experience. My guest, also a first-time visitor to Portillo's, shared my evaluation and opinion.

Personally, I think Costco's hotdog is better tasting, has more flavor, and it is certainly a much better value. But, on the other hand, Portillo's provides much nicer and more comfortable setting to enjoy lunch or dinner.

The ambiance of Portillo's is very nice, and it offers a casual/retro theme with tables and booths. There is adequate lighting, and the abundance od nostalgic signage and decor makes for a comfortable and pleasant eating environment.

I often judge the overall cleanliness of a restaurant by visiting the restroom facility. Normally, when dining at a restaurant for the first time, I will visit the restroom BEFORE sitting down or getting in line to order food. This time, I broke my rule.

The men's restroom at Portillo's was in dire need of a good cleaning and had an unpleasant odor. My guest used the women's restroom and reported the same — plus the towel dispenser in the women's restroom was empty. As mentioned, this time, I used the restroom AFTER dining. Had I used the restroom BEFORE ordering my food, I would not have stayed.

In my opinion, if a restaurant doesn't keep its PUBLIC restrooms spotless and odor free, it doesn't give me confidence about the "behind the scenes" areas — such as food prep and storage.

All in all, if you are visitor/transplant from the Windy City, and you just left a Chicago Cubs spring training game in Scottsdale, or you are "homesick" for a Chicago-style hotdog, Portillo's of Scottsdale may make you feel right at home.

Since I have no nostalgic connection with Chicago, I judged my first Portillo's visit by the food. Judging a restaurant based on just one menu item is not necessarily a good idea or fair. However, Portillo's is known for their hotdogs, and that's what I ate. Based solely on my hotdog experience, Portillo's restaurant is not something I would revisit...

RIP to a Legend: The Tragic Fall of Portillo’s

The Taste of Chicago Has Left the Building!

Portillo’s is officially dead. Not wounded. Not limping. DEAD.

A Chicago icon, fallen.

Murdered in cold blood—by spreadsheets and soul-crushing corporate cost-cutting.

We just left the Scottsdale location, stunned, devastated, betrayed.

Whoever decided to overhaul the food deserves to be banished from the Windy City forever. I’m convinced some out-of-touch CFO, armed with a calculator and zero tastebuds, decided to squeeze a few extra cents of margin—and in the process, squeezed the soul out of an institution.

Let me set the stage:

I’ve been going to Portillo’s since I was a kid. It was a flavor time machine—every bite a portal to summers in Chicago, the smell of Italian beef and grilled onions wafting through the air, the sound of the order numbers echoing off the neon lights. It meant something.

And when I moved to Arizona? Portillo’s was home. My happy place. My edible connection to the city that raised me.

Not anymore. What they served us tonight?

Unrecognizable garbage. A tragic parody of itself. Let me break it down:

The fries? A crime against carbs. Limp, cold, unsalted—like they were cooked in shame and finished in a microwave.

The Italian beef? Where’s the love? Where’s the gravy-soaked glory? Now served on some glossy, synthetic, grocery store imposter roll that repels au jus like it’s waterproofed.

My wife’s burger? Cold. Crumbly. Depressing. The bun disintegrated on contact like it was made of despair and sawdust.

The lemon cake? A ghost of its former self. Once a seasonal dream—now a dry, flavorless sponge that tastes like it was baked during the Eisenhower administration.

I’m not just mad—I’m heartbroken. This wasn’t a bad day in the kitchen. This was systemic sabotage. A full-blown culinary coup.

Portillo’s wasn’t just food—it was a vibe, a memory, a Chicago staple.

And now? It’s just another case study in how to kill a beloved brand with a balance sheet.

So here lies Portillo’s:

Once mighty, now microwaved. Once delicious, now depressing. Once a place I’d drive an hour for—now a place I’ll never visit again.

RIP, Portillo’s. You were too good for this world.

And you deserved better than death by...