The Popular Hot Dog Chain With Char-Broiled Burgers That Deserve More Spotlight

We actually live in a world where you can find a great salad at Zaxby's, a delicious coffee from Wendy's, and a crispy and flavorful fish sandwich from Arby's. Seemingly, up is down, black is white, and some of the best fast food hits can come from unexpected chains. Keeping with that theme, what if we told you one of the best burgers in the fast food universe comes from a hot dog chain?

That's right, Portillo's char-broiled burgers make Redditors swoon and TikTok reviewers speechless. The chain is mostly known for its hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches — obviously, since Portillo's originated in Chicago. But don't sleep on those char-broiled burgers. 

The chain offers ten variations of the burger, starting with a basic hamburger (priced at $6.69) that comes with mayo, lettuce, tomato, sliced red onion, pickles, and ketchup, served inside a corn-dusted bun. Then there's the most extravagant burger option at Portillo's: The Double Rodeo burger, a $12.69 creation that includes two ⅓ pound patties on a brioche bun with crispy bacon, sliced red onion, onion rings, American cheese, and Portillo's BBQ sauce.

Reddit loves Portillo's burgers. One commenter on r/burgers wrote, "Tbh, if you're actually in Chicago it's the best thing to get from Portillo's. They're really not the 'best' at any of the stuff that they offer but their burgers are phenomenal." Another Redditor commented, "I love the charbroiled flavor that they get on the meat! So delicious. Adding bacon on it is always a great option!" Adding to the praise, a Redditor wrote, "Like most Midwestern things, it's a solid, hearty burger that focuses on quality ingredients instead of doing something crazy to make it stand out."

The key to all that flavor is the char-broiling process. That basically involves grilling the burger patties at a very high temperature to caramelize any sugar and produce that beautiful and flavorful char. The outside is crispy while the interior stays tender and juicy. It's a much different process than cooking a burger on a flattop, like most fast food restaurants.

So, sure, Portillo's char-broiled burgers aren't anything fancy, but they certainly do the job in terms of flavor and quality. The chain already kicks out plenty of tasty hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches. Now you can add a list of burgers to the wide range of delicious fast food that you'll find at Portillo's.