Portillo’s is bringing a little bit of Chicago to the northwest Twin Cities with the opening of its new location in Maple Grove, coming January 23.

Portillo’s, which started as a single hot dog stand in 1963, now has locations across the country, with buildings and themes as diverse as the people who eat there! (Read more about the history here.) The theme of the Maple Grove location is 1930’s Prohibition, and you can see it reflected in the art and memorabilia covering the walls inside. The menu includes a wide variety of hot sandwiches, as well as burgers, pasta, salads, and of course—hot dogs!

My family got a taste of this delicious “Chicagoland tradition” at their sneak-peek dinner on Wednesday night, and we are hooked! The environment is vibrant and eclectic, the staff was courteous and efficient, and the food was even better than we expected. We tried one of their famous hot dogs as well as a cheeseburger, Italian beef sandwich, and flounder sandwich, and each was uniquely delicious. The hot dog was one of the best I’d ever tasted, and even my 4-year-old was wowed by the fish sandwich. 🙂

Here’s a peek at the new printed menu (click an image to view larger), or you can browse photos and descriptions of their individual entrees at http://portillos.com/menu/restaurant.

If YOU’RE hankering to give Portillo’s a try, head over to my Facebook page and enter the giveaway for two free passes to the Friday sneak-peek meal >> facebook.com/stmamom
Giveaway has ended. Congratulations to our winner, Trish!

Portillo’s
12251 Elm Creek Blvd N, Maple Grove  (map)
Website: http://portillos.com
Menu: http://portillos.com/menu/restaurant