Quote:
Originally Posted by Electronic M
Portillos hotdogs in Brookfield.
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We have a Portillos down here. When it started up the lines were a half mile long
(of cars). It wa highly touted by my friends. Is a 2 minute drive from my house.
I went two or three times. Absolutely nothing special at all. Hamburgers are
not very good, hot dogs are good but nothing worth a special trip.
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The last restaurant I visited, arriving an hour ago, was the Champaign Black Dog Smoke and Ale (original is in Urbana, temporarily closed by the unmentionable topic).
Now THAT's special .... worth a special trip from anywhere (e.g. Kansas City or Fort Worth or Charlotte). Once rated by Maxim magazine as #2 BBQ joint in the USA. And it really was, and may still be. "May" because their premier product "Burnt Ends" (the fatty part of beef brisket) went downhill last summer when they reopened, from being cooked 24 hours to only 12. Their pork ribs and especially rib tips remain the best. They also have exceptional "baked beans" which are not actually baked, but have "cuttings" from the brisket in them. Ditto cornbread ... the absolute best. Finally, a creation called Texas Caviar, which is Black-eyed peas, hominy, and mild, just spicy enough, peppers (cold). Some people swear by their catfish, but not me.