Just my opinion.... Being a born and raised Chicagoan and spending much of my time in the Little Italy area, Portillos is good but by far not the best. Bueno Beef is better and the best is a little Italian Deli on 22nd street In Bridgeview, called Vesuvios' Genuine and authentic the biggest and the best for less than the chains like Portillos. Lukes was a chain also that had really good Italian Beef. I never knew till I moved here that Italian Beef is a Chicago thing, the Italian places here looked at me like I had 2 heads when I asked for it LOL. I will give Big City another try hopefully I just went on an off day. Also I tried the "Maxwell Street Polish at Big City and it was horrible. No where near a true Maxwell Street Polish
Oh Ricobenes on 26th St in Chicago is another great place. If you have never had a breaded steak sandwich from there you are missing something special!