Originally Posted by
matsellah 
Just about any mom & pop shop is going to be better than Portillo's, but they are a big franchise, so if you're not sure... hit one. You can't go wrong.
I'm posting because you call out two names I think I'm familiar with.
First, you called out 'Johnny's,' but the one I'm thinking of is called 'Johnnie's' on North in Elmwood Park, if we're talking about the right place - I agree!!
And the Carm's I'm familiar with is one I used to visit regularly on Wolf Rd in Hillside. It's closed now.
The more famous Carm's (and the one many say is the best in Chicago) is in Little Italy, where it's been for like... a 100 years or something, but I've never gotten to that one.
When I lived in Harwood Heights, there was a place on Irving Park just before what used to be Nickey Chevrolet, across from Portage Park... wow. Baptism by fire. Your first is always your best, y'know?
Lots of people talk about Mr. Beef's, and there's a couple of them with that name. Some say the copies are better than the original. Haven't been to any of them, but I tend to look at this the same way I look at pizza; the tourists will look for Mr. Beef's and go to Gino's for a deep-dish, but the best Chicago pizza is still a thin-crust... with Italian sausage and mushrooms!
