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| - I'm originally from Chicago and never go back without visiting Portillos at least once. I am 5'3" 115 lbs. and my order is a beef sandwich, extra gravy, sweet and hot peppers, an oder of onion rings, a "Chicago" style hot dog, a tamale and chopped salad. Oh, and a diet Coke because I'm watching my weight :-) My brother told me about Al's and thought the beef sandwiches were comparable to Portillos. Since I didn't have my entire Chicago family with me to help eat my meal, I stuck with the beef sandwich (with hot and sweet peppers and dipped), the tamale and had to go with their french fries because they didn't have onion rings. The beef sandwich was okay, but wasn't as good as Portillos. I guess my main complaint would be the giardineria. While they say the giardineria is freshly made, I've had better from a jar. Although it was spicy, the taste was a bit off. The fries. According to the menu, they are freshly cut and made each day. They need to send somebody over to In-N-Out Burger to see how its properly done. They were not that good. The tamale. People born and raised in AZ may not appreciate these types of tamales, but they are what I grew up on. Al's tamale came in a plastic wrapper (are these picked up from Costco in boxes of 24?) and are nuked. I guess in the day they were steamed, but with the introduction of the microwave, that's how they are cooked today. Unfortunately, mine may have been in the microwave a couple seconds too long. Still edible, but pretty dry. And it does lose something when it comes in that plastic wrap. I didn't have a chance to check out their hot dogs or chopped salad. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back there again (which I did today), but if I were in the area, I would go back and try the dog and chopped salad. Luke's is being opened down the street from my home, so I'll have to do a comparison. In the years I have been in Arizona I have yet to be impressed by any establishment claiming that something is "Chicago" style. I'm not quite sure why it's so difficult. Portillos does have two stores in the Los Angeles suburbs - when I have a hankering, I am just going to have to hop in the car and take a road trip for lunch!
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