IL Restaurant Makes 'Best Fast Casual' List, Slips A Few Spots

OAK BROOK, IL — A year after taking the No. 1 spot on TripAdvisor's list of Best Fast Casual Restaurants in the nation, a Chicago chain remains in the top 5 despite falling a few spots in the rankings.

Oak Brook-based Portillo's is No. 5 on this year's list, a year after beating out legendary eateries including In-N-Out Burger and Shake Shack.

But the beloved hot dog chain won out over the likes of Five Guys, Tacos el Gordo, Teddy's Bigger Burgers, Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and Kewpee Hamburgers.

Here's this year's top 5 fast casual restaurants, according to TripAdvisor's Travelers Choice rankings:

1. Earl of Sandwich - Orlando
2. Shake Shack - Miami Beach, Florida
3. In-N-Out Burger - Los Angeles
4. The Taco Stand - La Jolla, California
5. Portillo's - Chicago

Reviewers' accolades for Portillo's were simple: "Best hot dog," one wrote. "Awesome hot dogs," said another.

The Travelers' Choice Awards rank "the best things to do in the World as determined from ratings by travelers like you," according to TripAdvisor. Winners are based on the number and quality of reviews a restaurant, hotel or attraction has gotten on TripAdvisor over a period of 12 months. Last year marked the first time Best Fast Casual Restaurant were part of the rankings.

Portillo's got its start in 1963 when Dick Portillo opened "The Dog House" in a tiny trailer in Villa Park. By 1967, the eatery moved to a larger space and was renamed Portillo's. Portillo's first drive-thru opened in 1983 in Downer's Grove, and its first Chicago location opened in 1994. The chain now has 60 locations in Illinois, Indiana, Arizona, California, Wisconsin, Florida and Minnesota.