Who cares if you overhear conversations from visiting Chicagoans or transplants? Portillo's has a good concept and great bread to serve their beef on. That's the focus, not the people you happen to meet eating in the business.
It's never a disappointment to order the original beef with hot giardiniera and a side of gravy. This to be said about the Tempe location: DELICIOUS.
The beef, tasted like beef. The bread chewed like good Italian bread. The 'gravy' was a great foil to cut the hot giardiniera.
Spent 3 days in the Phoenix area and had lot's of choices to eat a quick meal. Glad I ate here than some pretentious dining establishment on this day.