Portillo’s, famous Chicago Italian-beef restaurant, brings its ‘Beef Bus’ to Texas

Fort Worth and Arlington don’t have a Portillo’s yet, but we’re about to get a taste.

Chicago-based Portillo’s, known for Italian beef and hot dogs, will bring its rolling “Beef Bus” to AT&T Stadium in Arlington July 15-16 to promote the national chain, opening its first Texas restaurant later this year in The Colony.

Development maps in north Fort Worth also show a Portillo’s coming to Presidio-area development, but it’s never been more than a sales pitch. The only confirmed Portillo’s will open at 5752 Grandscape Blvd., The Colony.

For now, we’ll have to settle for a short “Beef Bus” stop at that address at 1:30 p.m. July 11, followed by the weekend visit to Arlington outside the Summer Truckin Nationals.

An Italian beef sandwich at Portillo’s.
An Italian beef sandwich at Portillo’s.

The Portillo’s food truck will serve Portllo’s Italian beef sandwiches with Chicago-style celery-salt-and-sport-peppers hot dogs, Polish sausage and “Maxwell Street” sausages with grilled onions.

From Arlington, the “bus” will roll July 19 to Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, then continue July 21 to Grandscape, July 22 to the Truck Yard patio restaurant in the Colony and July 23 to Denton Brewing Company.

The chain began as a Villa Park, Illinois, hot dog stand in 1963 but has grown to a major restaurant chain.

The new restaurant in The Colony is promoted as having a 180-seat dining room plus 80 seats on two patios.

To follow the Beef Bus, see @beefbusofficial on Instagram.

Portillo’s expects to open a restaurant in The Colony, Texas in fall 2022.
Portillo’s expects to open a restaurant in The Colony, Texas in fall 2022.