It was a little over two years ago that Texas first got a taste of Portillo’s. The iconic Chicago fast-casual restaurant made its Texas debut at The Colony in Grandscape in 2023 in what Dallas Morning News then called one of the biggest openings of the year. Since then, the company has opened 10 locations in North Texas with restaurants scattered across Fort Worth, Denton, and Arlington. This week Portillo’s opens its first official Dallas location.
The first proper Dallas Portillo’s opens on March 31, 2026. Located at the Dallas North Tollway at 13904 Dallas Parkway, the restaurant is the company’s first within Dallas City Limits.
The 6,250-square-foot space features a “Restaurant of the Future” vibe, offering a small dining space, Portillo’s Pick Up shelves space, as well as the restaurant’s signature double drive-thru lanes. The Dallas Portillo’s also features an outdoor patio that seats 40.
Portillo’s began as a small Chicago hot dog stand over 60 years ago. Since then, the restaurant has become a Midwestern institution that has expanded with over 100 locations across the United States – from Florida to California.
While famed for its hotdogs, the restaurant’s Italian beef is the real menu highlight. As Portillo’s CEO Michael Osanloo told Dallas Morning News back in 2022: “If people are coming to Portillo’s and they’re eating one thing, I’d say get a beef sandwich – it’ll blow your mind”.
Osanloo went on to add, that if you eat two things: “you should compliment it with our fries”.
On the sweeter (decadent) side, Portillo’s Cake Shakes are another fan favorite. Much like it sounds, the restaurant’s shakes are made with a slice of cake, complete with frosting, blended directly into vanilla shakes.
Following Portillo’s opening at 13904 Dallas Parkway, the company plans to open a smaller dine-in restaurant in Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The company has not yet stated when it plans for the DFW Airport location to open.