If you’ve been to a Portillo’s, you’ve likely seen our team take your order by writing on a paper bag. Have you ever wondered what all the letters on the bag mean? Let us teach you the Portillo’s code, so the next time you order a Chicago-style hot dog and see an “E” on your bag, you’ll know why it’s there:
What we write: B SW
What it means: Italian beef sandwich with sweet peppers on French bread.
Alternatives: “B HOT” is an Italian beef sandwich with hot peppers and “B N/P” is an Italian beef sandwich without peppers.
What we write: E
What it means: A hot dog with everything on it. No ketchup. We call this an “ever,” short for “everything.”
Alternatives: If you’d like to add ketchup, that’s “E + K.” If you want a hot dog with only ketchup on it, that’s “K—.” For other combinations of ingredients, we simply write the abbreviations for those ingredients. For example, a hot dog topped only with mustard, tomato and celery salt would be: “M + TOM + SALT—.”
What we write: BC
What it means: Charbroiled chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and mayo on a fresh bun.
Alternatives: If you’d like to add cheese, that’s “BC + AM.” Want it without mayo and with honey mustard sauce instead? That’s “BC n/mayo + s.” We frequently use the letter “s” to mean “sauce.”
What we write: BCR HOT
What it means: Italian beef and cheddar cheese sandwich on a croissant with hot peppers.
Alternatives: "BCR SW” indicates a sandwich with sweet peppers and an “N/P” indicates one without any peppers.
What we write: LF
What it means: Large fries.
Alternatives: If you want cheese, we’ll write “LF⊕.” If you want your fries well done, we’ll write “LF WELL.”
The Portillo’s code is lengthy. What have you seen on a bag that you’d like deciphered?
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