Famous Restaurant Offering Chicago-Style Eats Coming to Bradenton
Of all the things to make me excited as 2024 winds down, this may be on top as a famous restaurant offering Chicago-style eats is coming to Bradenton.
Being born and raised in Chicago when it comes to pizza, hot dogs and Italian beef it doesn’t get any better. There are many places across the US that offer Chicago-style food and while some definitely do it right, like Chicago Joe’s in Las Vegas and Chicago Pizza in Cape Coral, others have fallen flat. But to me, there’s one place that’s on another level, and that’s Portillo’s. I hear the name and my mouth starts watering. And soon, we’ll have one just over an hour away in Bradenton.
Famous Restaurant Offering Chicago-Style Eats Coming to Bradenton
The history of Portillo’s goes all the way back to 1963 when Dick Portillo opened his first hot dog stand. Since then, over 70 locations have opened around the country, including 8 here in Florida. I usually go to the location in Orlando when I’m up there, but I also never mind driving to Tampa to hit up one of those either. There’s something about that Italian beef sandwich that is just too good. I can’t find anywhere else that even comes close, although I’ve been told Jimmie the Beef Guy in Bonita Springs and Fort Myers makes a great one. And let’s not even talk about the chocolate cake shake.
The Bradenton Herald reports that plans for a Portillo’s are in the works for a restaurant on State Road 64 and Grand Harbour Parkway in the Marketplace at Heritage Harbour plaza. It’s just about an hour and a half from my house in Fort Myers and my brother lives right down the street, so talk about a way to kill two birds with one stone. He may have a visitor a little more often now.
There’s no word on when the Portillo’s may open, but it’s something to look forward to.
