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Round Lake Heights, IL · Food & Drink

The Independent

partner publisher · 2.6M followers

Popular Chicago chain known for its hot dogs set to close locations

The Chicago-based fast-casual chain, known for its hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, has 109 locations nationwide Getty/iStock To be frank, fans of a popular Chicago -style hot dog chain may not relish this news. Portillo’s plans to close a “mid-to-high single-digit number” of underperforming restaurants outside the Chicago area, mostly by the end of the year, CEO Brett Patterson announced Thursday. The Chicago-based fast-casual chain, known for its hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, has 109 locations nationwide. It said it looked at each restaurant’s sales, operating costs and expected future performance before deciding which ones to close. The company has not yet announced the affected locations. “This will improve portfolio quality, strengthen returns on invested capital and reflect our commitment to disciplined growth,” Patterson said. The move comes as Portillo’s looks to get back on track after struggling to find the same success in markets outside Chicago. The move comes as Portillo’s looks to get back on track after struggling to find the same success in markets outside Chicago (Getty/iStock) Portillo’s plans to put more focus on its existing restaurants and take a more careful approach to opening new locations, particularly in unfamiliar markets. Patterson said the chain

Chicago, IL · 3d

NBC Chicago

publisher · 127.4K followers

Portillo's to close up to 9 ‘underperforming restaurants,' company announces

Iconic Chicago hot dog and Italian beef chain Portillo's will close a "select group of underperforming locations," the company announced during a third-quarter earnings call Thursday. The update came as the company said its results were "ahead" of expectations. “Our strategy is centered on running great restaurants, leveraging integrated marketing...

Chicago, IL · 1d

familydestinationsguide.com

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This Illinois Seafood Restaurant Is Known Far And Wide For Its Incredibly Fresh Fried Fish

Some restaurants earn their reputation quietly, one perfectly fried piece of fish at a time, and The Fish Keg in Chicago has been doing exactly that for longer than most food trends have existed. If you haven’t heard of The Fish Keg yet, that’s about to change. The...

Chicago, IL · 3d

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Illinois Donut Shop Still Fries Its Huge Apple Fritters Fresh In The Window, Just Like Always

An apple fritter roughly the size of your face comes out of a fryer in a shop window, and the man flipping it opened the place in 1972. He was 85 in 2024. He still works six days a week. The fritters get stuffed with apple chunks and cinnamon. Then...

Chicago, IL · 9d

unearththevoyage.com

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For Two Decades, Illinois Families Have Picked Apples and Eaten Cider Donuts at This McHenry Farm

Some of the best days in Illinois start with a simple plan to grab a bag of apples and end with sticky fingers, a full trunk, and kids who refuse to leave. That is exactly what happens at one farm market tucked along a quiet country road. From the outside...

Mchenry, IL · 4d

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Family-Run Illinois Italian Market Still Bakes Its Bread Fresh And Piles Subs High For Under $10

A 9-inch Italian beef from this deli can show up looking more like a 12-inch one. That’s the kind of generous surprise that gets an old-school Illinois sandwich counter talked about across the city. The beef comes from a family recipe, and it can arrive fully dipped and dripping....

Chicago, IL · 4d

Chicago Food King

user · 11.2K followers

This Popular Long Grove restaurant experience ruined by Rude Workers.

Sorelle Italian Market in Long Grove: A Beautiful Restaurant, Decent Food, and One Employee Who Ruined the Entire Experience. There’s an old saying that you can have the most beautiful restaurant in the world, serve good food at reasonable prices, and still lose customers because of one thing: terrible customer service.

Long Grove, IL · 11d

takemetotn.com

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This Unassuming Illinois Pizzeria Serves Sausage Pizza So Good It Should Almost Be Illegal

Anthony Bourdain called one pan pizza the only deep dish he ever loved. That pie still comes out of a small, homey pizzeria on a quiet suburban street in Illinois. The crust edge gets so dark and caramelized that it looks almost burnt. It isn’t. That crunchy, cheesy rim is the whole point, and the sausage on top is a house blend.

Illinois · 8d

KFIL Radio

partner publisher · 17.1K followers

Remember the Sycamore Restaurant Destroyed by Fire? It's Back!

Remember when a devastating fire destroyed Tom & Jerry's in Sycamore? After months of rebuilding and a temporary home, this longtime favorite is officially back home!

Sycamore, IL · 1d

unearththevoyage.com

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This Low-Key Illinois Supper Club Still Grills Steaks The Old-Fashioned Way For Loyal Regulars

Some of the best meals in Illinois happen in rooms that look like they have not changed in decades, and that is exactly the point. You walk in expecting a simple steak dinner and walk out talking about the piano, the white jackets, and a slice of cake the size of a hatbox.

Chicago, IL · 9d

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Old-Fashioned Illinois Candy Shop Still Makes Its Own Fudge And Caramel Apples In A Nostalgic Little Shop

Caramel apples come with a choice of fruit at one little Illinois candy counter: tart Granny Smith or sweet Honeycrisp. That decision alone could stall a family for ten minutes. Then you spot the bear claws, the cheese popcorn, and the chocolate-dipped apricots. The fudge is made in house, the...

Riverside, IL · 6d

familydestinationsguide.com

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Drive Across Illinois Just To Try The Gloriously Overstuffed Sandwiches At This Legendary Deli

There are places you eat at, and then there are places you make a pilgrimage to, and Kaufman’s Bagel & Delicatessen in Skokie, Illinois, falls firmly and unapologetically into the second category. Pack a bag if you have to. The drive is worth it. When you arrive at Kaufman’s,...

Skokie, IL · 8d

gotodestinations.com

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Why Locals ADORE This Hot Dog Drive-In That’s Older Than McDonald’s in Chicago, Illinois

Open Sun–Thu, 11 AM–1 AM; Fri–Sat, 11 AM–2 AM. In May 1948, two newlyweds opened a summer hot dog drive-in in Chicago to help pay for college. 🌭. At Superdawg Drive-In, Chicago diners still pull into a carport, order through a speaker box and wait for a carhop’s tray on the car window.

Chicago, IL · 10h

thebloomingtonstar.com

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6 Chicago beef stands where the Italian beef comes dipped, juicy and topped with giardiniera

Chicago, Illinois – There is a particular way to eat an Italian beef sandwich in Chicago. You lean forward, keep a few napkins close, and accept that the bread may have absorbed enough rich meat juice to make your usual sandwich technique completely useless. The beef is thin, the...

Chicago, IL · 6d

everafterinthewoods.com

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With Bottomless Coffee And A 1970s Vibe, This Long-Running Illinois Diner Still Serves Country Fried Steak

The staff at this diner might announce your birthday over the loudspeaker and get the whole room singing. A complimentary ice cream with a candle shows up too, which feels like a very good deal. Then there’s the coffee, which keeps flowing as long as you keep sipping. The menu...

Elgin, IL · 1d

allamericanatlas.com

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5 Best Restaurants in Schaumburg, Illinois You Need to Try Before Everyone Else Finds Them

Schaumburg, Illinois — a place where the prairie wind still whispers through the maples, where glass towers rise beside old farmhouses, and where every block hums with the stories of families who’ve called this place home for generations and newcomers drawn by the promise of something better. Here, the laughter of children echoes from sprawling parks, the scent of barbecue and biryani drifts through neighborhoods, and the city’s heart beats in the rhythm of festivals, shopping sprees, and the quiet pride of those who built something from nothing.

Schaumburg, IL · 7d

CBS Chicago

partner publisher · 230.8K followers

NW Side café vandalized with racial slurs month after opening

Mi Gente Café on Harlem and Farragut opened its doors to the public a month ago.

Chicago, IL · 1d

Cultivated Comfort

partner publisher · 80.6K followers

Diner Calls The James In Downtown Geneva Illinois The Coziest Restaurant Around With Themed Dining Rooms Like A Historic Home And A Huge Outdoor Patio With A Bar

Some restaurants feed you. Others make you feel like you have stepped into somebody’s well loved...

Geneva, IL · 12d

fastfoodclub.com

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Seven Illinois Pizza Taverns Have Been Cutting Squares For Regulars Since The 7s

Ask anyone who grew up around Chicago how pizza should be sliced, and there is a good chance they will say squares, not triangles. Tavern-style pizza, with its cracker-thin crust and party-cut pieces, has been a neighborhood staple across Illinois for generations, and a handful of family-run spots have been serving it to the same loyal crowds for decades.

Chicago, IL · 3h

Secret Chicago

publisher · 7.1K followers

Chicago’s crown jewel of pan pizza just earned another national nod—thanks to its legendary caramelized crust

Chicago hardly needs another reason to defend its pizza credentials. But we’ll happily take this one. Pequod’s Pizza—the local favorite known for that exquisite ring of caramelized cheese —has been named Illinois’ pick in Food & Wine’s “50 States of Award-Winning Pizza.” And while the national recognition is nice, the real draw is waiting around the edge of the pan. What makes Pequod’s crust so special? At Pequod’s, you don’t leave the crust behind. As Food & Wine explains, t he pizzeria places a ring of mozzarella around the inside edge of the pan. As the pizza bakes, that cheese caramelizes, creating the signature rim that sets these pies apart . A deeply browned cheese surrounds a generously topped Chicago-style pizza. The menu starts with a cheese pizza, with toppings available so you can build your own order. Sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, giardiniera, and more are among the options—but that caramelized edge is something you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished the meal. Why Food & Wine picked Pequod’s Food & Wine assembled its state-by-state guide using existing accolades, including international pizza competitions, restaurant rankings, local journalism, and readers’ choice awards. For Pequod’s, the magazine points to two major wins:

Chicago, IL · 3d