Review: Portillo’s Italian Beef Sandwich
Author: indianapoliseater | Filed under: At Home, Food Reviews, Recommended: Hall of Fame
What I Got: Portillo’s Italian Beef Sandwich (part of the Portillo’s Party Pack for $23.70)
I’ve shared my love of Italian beef sandwiches and of Portillo’s on this blog before. Needless to say, I love them both and have been looking endlessly for an acceptable substitute in Indianapolis (see my prior C.R. Heroes review; I may have found one). But sometimes the planets align and I end up at a party where someone has gone and gotten Portillo’s at their Northwest Indiana location in Merrillville and brought back a party pack for the party that they are hosting and then life is good. At a Super Bowl party this past year, a friend of mine did just that.
I know that there might be better Italian beef sandwiches in Chicago, but since I live in Indianapolis, I don’t have the time or convenience of trying them all out, so Portillo’s serves as my harbinger for everything that is good about this sandwich and I love it. It’s VERY thinly sliced roast beef cooked and served dripping in au jus juices on Italian style roll and everything about it is delicious. It has tender meat and the au jus juice is flavorful and peppery without tilting toward being too hot. If you really want to get frisky, you can get it with either hot (Giardiniera) peppers or with sweet peppers and turn up the heat and/or sweetness of your sandwich just a little bit more. Also, you can have them serve it dry (no extra au jus), wet (extra au jus dumped on the bread to make it soggy) or even dipped (they take the completed sandwich and dip the entire thing in the au jus; you need a fork to eat this one).
I usually choose wet so that I can somewhat hold the sandwich and allow the flavorful au jus to just run down my arms as I eat it. I also had both hot and sweet peppers so that I can add even more kick, but if you don’t get any peppers, it’s not a big deal because it is still delicious. You just have to make sure that you get it either wet or dipped though. Having this sandwich dry is just not the same and whenever my order gets screwed up and I get it dry, it really makes me sad.
Would I Buy It Again? Yes, absolutely, definitiely, no question, etc. I would list out every single word for yes in the English language, but that would take me hours. This is truly my favorite sandwich in the world (and maybe even my favorite food in the world) and Portillo’s does it the best (remember, that is out of all the options that I have had). I try to get it every time I go to Chicago or pass by the Merrillville location on Interstate 65 and I would HIGHLY recommend that you do the same. You will not regret it.
-IndianapolisEater
Tags: Food, italian beef, peppers, portillo's
Dang, another delicious food that’s out of my reach!!!! Good review
I *finally* posted a new review at my blog, btw. It’s been like 3 months since the last one, LOL. I wish I was as motivated as you guys are!
You know, you can mail order portillos online, they send you the stuff frozen and you just heat it at home and bake the bread. Turns out really good if you follow the directions closely… And you can just get your own au jus and dip your sandwich as you eat, thus avoiding the soggy bread problem.
We do this fairly regularly at my house…
Portillo’s is a perfectly fine specimen of the Chicago-style Italian Beef. Yes, there are better ones, but you have to live in the Windy City to get those. That’s not anyone’s fault. You get what you can. You do know you can order Portillo’s in bulk via that there interwebs thingie, right? A tad bit pricey, but worth it for the giardinara alone.
Have you tried Fat Dan’s on Broad Ripple Avenue? I haven’t had Portillos, but Fat Dan’s Italian Beef is very, very good. Here’s a review:
fat dan’s
@Erin & Cornjob: I know I can order it online and have them ship it to me, but I never do it. I’m too cheap to pay the shipping charges.
@Kevin: Fat Dan’s has been on my list of places to try for a while. I don’t make it down to Broad Ripple often and when I do, I always try to have plans to hit up Fat Dan’s but they always fall through. I’ll make it down there soon though because I have heard from you and others that it is quite good!
@IndianapolisAmy: I’ve had the Italian Sauage before and it is outstanding as well. So is the Vienna beef hot dog. My stomach is starting to grumble just thinking about all these things now…
IE: Italian beef rocks…wet is the way to go with lots of peppers sweet and hot. I’ve ordered the pack many times when I’m in Merrillville and never been disappointed. Next time you go to Portillo’s, try their Italian sausage…vg
I tried Sweet Home Chicago’s (Brownsburg)- Chicago Dog and was impressed. They have an Italian beef sandwich and I need to try it. It’s next on my list.
@ ABomb…nice…I need to get over there and read it.
@ Kevin: Fat Dan’s is on my shorlist as well.
@Cornjob: Probably my favorite reader username since we started the blog… ha ha.
Btw, I like Portillo’s, but I think that it is overrated.
Portillos = immortal
Mmmm, had my first Portillo’s beef in October when we went to Merrilville to buy our new car. My husband and I were hooked on the dogs so we never tried the beef before. So very good! Now, I’m thinking it is worth a road trip up there on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
I kills me that this sandwich hasn’t caught on all across the country. Not a single sub shop in my neck of woods makes anything remotely close. The best I can get, is to make one myself. That means hitting the deli for roast beef and boiling a pot beef broth and spices to dip it in. Yummy!
that looks great. but like a puff pastery in the gocery store deli, I usally steer clear. all puff and no filling. and I dont make my own, but the philo dough is pretty good. but its always over or under filled . jezze… this country is so polarized hey… polar, brown grisilies or black or panda bears are ok… untill you get in the pen with them… and I have eaten bear. sandwich, with mayo and texas pete. kind of stringy. better have some dental floss. better him than me… but I would like a recipe for meat pie filling for the crust other than those pi ( 3.128) hey common it close enough) pie crusts in the frezzer section… but I like wiba. thanks. please start a thing for washers and dryers and cars
We are from the chicagoland area and every-time we go up we have to buy 3 things in the grocery store… you do this and you will pay less and have a sandwich comparable to Portillos..
1. Go to a Jewel or other large grocery store
2. Buy a couple bag of Turano French rolls(Can’t find down here either)
3. Buy a bottle of hot Giardiniera
4. Last but not least you need to make it a combo… hot italian sausage…
This is my favorite sandwich.. and you will spend the same amount as the Portillos party pack and have enough for 20+ sandwiches
A decent sandwich but nothing spectacular–especially considering the $5 price tag. I’ve had big, better beef sandwiches at nondescript little restaurants….