This Fast-Food Chain Just Dropped a Sandwich Called ‘The Leo,’ and I Feel Blessed

I’ve had my fair share of tasty treats throughout my career as a fast-food critic. I’m talking fried chicken, ice cream, and pickle fries. But I live in Chicago, and I’ve never had the chance to review a Windy City original: the Italian beef sandwich.

Introduced in the early 1900s by Italian immigrants, Italian beef is a staple of our proud city. When you visit, expect to have at least four Italian beef restaurants nearby at all times. When it comes to Italian beef restaurants, Midwestern fast-food chain Portillo’s shines with a heavenly glow.

The chain was quick to capitalize on Chicago’s latest global achievement, the election of Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025. Just one day later, Portillo’s announced “the Leo,” a scrumptious Italian beef created in honor of its holy namesake.

I booked it over to my nearest Portillo’s as soon as I heard the news.

What does the Leo taste like?

Melany Love for Taste of Home

This simple-looking Italian beef was quite possibly one of the most delicious sandwiches I’ve had in an obscenely long time. It’s been running laps around my brain, and now I want it for every meal. Breakfast? The Leo. Snack in the middle of the day? The Leo. Not even that hungry? The Leo.

Portillo’s humbly describes this sandwich as a “divinely seasoned Italian beef, baptized in gravy, and topped with your choice of sweet or hot peppers.” Every bite of this sandwich has oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary-soaked beef.

Any self-respecting Chicagoan goes extra dip with the gravy, but there are some drier options for those not looking for bread bathed in juice. As a lover of the spicy life, I also opt for both sweet and hot peppers.

The soft texture of the roll combined with the intense flavor of the tender beef and spark of the peppers created a Broadway spectacle on my tongue. I didn’t even stop to grab a napkin as the juice rolled down my wrists. I can’t speak for the Pope, but I have a feeling he’d be honored to be immortalized with such a meal.

How long will the Leo be at Portillo’s?

While I want the Leo to be available every day, I don’t think it will be a permanent menu item. Perhaps it will last through the end of May, or the end of summer. Possibly, it will be on the menu until Pope Leo XIV is no longer pope. For those unlucky few who can’t drive to a Portillo’s, check out our favorite Portillo’s copycat recipes and whip up a Leo at home.