Portillo's Multiple Locations
Chicago · 18678 IH 35 N Frontage Rd, Schertz, Texas 78154
This is a chain with multiple locations - the address above is the one reviewed here.
★★★★★ 1 review(830) 202-2550
Menu Items
Reviews
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Chicago Flavor - Hot Dogs & Italian Beef
I was lucky enough to snag an invitation to a preview sneak-peek at the brand-new Portillo’s location opening in Schertz (conveniently located on I-35 between the movie theater and Bussey’s Flea Market). The chain is famous for its Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sanwiches, burgers, and salads.
******* Grand Opening Will Be June 9 (2026) *******
*Full disclosure: This preview meal was provided to me at no cost—thanks, Portillo’s! Because the dining area was packed and I had an unexpected vehicle issue, I had to take my food to go, meaning I couldn’t eat it fresh right out of the kitchen. Even with the delay, here is how the menu stacked up:*
**Portillo’s Hot Dog (Chicago Style, minus tomato) 4.5/5**
This was exactly what you want from an authentic Chicago dog. It featured their signature, fluorescent green "atomic" relish, diced onions, a dill spear, and some incredibly potent sport peppers. These peppers were *hot*—honestly some of the spiciest I’ve ever had on a hot dog. I ended up removing them, but the juice they left behind provided the perfect amount of lingering heat. The frank itself had a great snap, though the casing was a bit stiff and took a little extra chewing. Overall, the toppings were plentiful and the flavor was spot-on.
Italian Beef Sandwich (Dipped, with Sweet & Hot Peppers)
The portion of thin-sliced, beautifully marbled roast beef was incredibly generous—combined with a side, this is a very filling meal. The meat was tender and pulled apart easily. I got it with both types of peppers; the sweet peppers were flavorful with zero heat, while the hot giardiniera added a nice kick (though it was much milder than the hot dog’s sport peppers). My only critique was on the carrots in the giardiniera; they were very crunchy, and there were barely any in the mix.
*Tip:* Try ordering a side of cheese sauce. It tastes similar to our local Rico’s brand. And adding it to the sandwich completely transforms the flavor profile. I recommend tasting the beef by itself first, as the cheese takes away from roast beef flavor, but changes the texture.
Onion Rings
These were a major highlight. They are a good size, not massive, but much larger than typical fast-food rings. The onions have a decent thickness, and were coated in a crispy, flaky, panko-style batter. Great flavor and a generous single-serving portion.
Fries
Easily the weakest link of the meal. Crinkle-cut, but my bag was full of odd, misshapen pieces. The kitchen was clearly struggling to keep up with the crowd, and these came out undercooked. They had a dense, un-crisp texture and an off-flavor of undercooked potato. To top it off, they were oversalted—and I usually love salt. Hopefully, this is just an opening-week kitchen kink they work out.
"World Famous" Chocolate Cake
The to-go bag proudly advertised this cake as world-famous, it was incredibly rich, dense, and moist with a heavy frosting. It was a 2 layer cake with more frosting in the middle. It was good, but I wouldnt call it unique. The icing was very rich, almost fudge like, and the cake was moist, with lots of bubbles in it. If you like chocolate cake and fudge, then you'll love this cake.
Images are of the actual food received, backgrounds were replaced as some photos were taken in my car, and others because the wrappers were falling apart from the long ride in the broken car.. The sandwich and the hotdog were very juicy from the relish, pickle, and the pickled peppers.
Italian Beef Sandwich with both sweet and hot peppers.
Portillos Hot Dog - Chicago Style (No Tomato)
Onion Rings
Chocolate Cake
Storefront
— Paul