When you first walk into Nella’s Beef, you look around and see something that isn’t really too special. However, the food will change your mind.  Located at 818 S McLean Blvd in Elgin, IL, it is a quick two minute drive from Elgin Community College. The main difference between Nella’s and other places around ECC is that it is Chicago-themed, including posters and artifacts showing how much Nella’s really loves Chicago. Apart from the atmosphere, the food, too, reflects how much they love Chicago.

The atmosphere of Nella’s is mediocre at best; the place looks run down because it is in a deserted strip mall and Nella’s is the only business left. Parking obviously is not an issue when you go there, however, the issue resides internally: the men’s bathroom. For the first time ever, this reviewer actually got stuck in the bathroom because of a wedged door. Nella’s needs to get that fixed. Other than that fiasco, the only complaint is that the restaurant looks outdated and is in a major need of refreshing, but the overall meal was not affected by the atmosphere.

To start, we got a Chicago-style hot dog, a hot dog covered with mustard, sweet pickle relish, onion, tomato, a dill pickle spear, sport peppers and a dash of celery salt. This hot dog was spectacular; this rivals hot dogs even in the city of Chicago. The overall taste of it kicked the experience up a notch . The hot dog came with french fries, also amazing in their own sense. Overall, I would give the Chicago-style hot dog a 4 out of 5 stars

We also sampled the gyro platter during our lunch at Nella’s. It came with a plethora of gyro meat, sliced fresh off the rack with onions, tomatoes, tzatziki sauce and of course, fresh warm pita bread. The gyro platter also came with crinkle cut French fries and a soft drink.

The meat was excellently seasoned. Since the gyro was kind of a build- your-own you concept, one could pile it high or let it actually fit into your mouth. The fries were hot, crisp and still had a little oil left on them so you know they were very fresh.

The menu itself has a Portillo’s style flair, serving classics like burgers and Chicago-style hot dogs but also offered a refreshing twist on what they called their ‘sang-wiches’; from a cheesy Italian beef with marinara to the Bacon-Lettuce-Avocado-Tomato also known as ‘BLAT’.

They also offer classic sub sandwiches, milk shakes, shrimp baskets and salads– if you’re the type of person who wants a salad at beef place. Nella’s also offers daily specials that lower the cost of their already-pretty-inexpensive food. The discounted hot dogs and burgers also have no limit, so come hungry or challenge your friends to your own hot dog eating contest.

Nella’s Beef exemplifies the one off diner feel and that really shines through in their food. If you’re a big Portillo’s fan but want something that has a better test for the price, Nella’s Beef is the place for you.