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| - I need to explain a few things about this review. You see, I recently lost my mom, and a lot of the memories I have of her in the past few years involve this restaurant. What does that have to do with this place getting 5 stars? Everything.
Mom never liked going into Portillo's. It's busy, a little loud, and kind of hectic. It's a place where families take their kids, and she was in her 80's and getting around with a walker. So this became the place for the rest of us to go when Mom wasn't around.
Turns out she liked the food just fine, it was just the part about going there she didn't like. Fine, drive-thru it is. It's a very efficient drive-thru. If you come in during the rush they have a brigade to get the order in and cooking so you don't have to wait very long. It's also open late, which comes in handy.
So besides the delicious combo sandwich (Italian sausage & Italian beef), the salads, and everything else I've had there, my lasting memory will be my mother in the ICU across the street grabbing a Portillo's hot dog out of my sister's hand before my sister could unwrap it for her and began chowing down. She hated hospital food, and when we all decided to send her home to hospice the doctor said we could bring her whatever food she wanted. Portillo's was her pick.
Food is love and food brought her joy that day. We lost her several days later. But the look of joy when she bit into that hot dog after 4 days of being in the hospital? That's going to stick with me for awhile.
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