Portillo’s Honors Pope Leo XIV with ‘The Leo’ Italian Beef Sandwich

Portillo’s—the absolute icon of Chicago fast food—is rolling out something wild to mark Pope Leo XIV snagging the papacy. They’re dropping a limited-edition sandwich called The Leo, and honestly, it’s just classic Portillo’s energy: big, beefy, and a little tongue-in-cheek. Basically, this beast of a sandwich is all about that juicy Italian beef, soaking in gravy, and loaded with your pick of sweet peppers, spicy giardiniera, or both—gotta respect “the holy trinity of peppers.” And yeah, all this is happening because Chicago can’t stop flexing about that first American pope being one of their own.

Let’s get real: Portillo’s is leaning into the church puns like there’s no tomorrow. I mean, they legit call the beef “divinely seasoned” and claim it’s “baptized in gravy.” Too much? Maybe. Hilarious? Absolutely. Pick your vibe—cool with sweet peppers, liking the kick from giardiniera, or just go all in and combine. I mean, why be shy? Either way, whether you’re craving mild or need your food to fight back, The Leo’s got you.

But hey, don’t sleep on this thing—it’s a limited-time deal, gone after May 31, right in sync with Italian Beef Month (didn’t even know that was a thing, but sure). Eight bucks and change, and you can snag it pretty much any way you order: in-store, online, those weird kiosks, whatever. And yeah, their marketing crew is absolutely milking the whole pope moment—social media’s losing its mind, just like you’d expect.

You know Chicago is gonna Chicago—folks are wearing pope-themed tees, bars are serving up weird Vatican cocktails, and now this beefy, greasy homage. Out of all the tributes spinning around the city, Portillo’s The Leo kinda wins, right? It’s silly, it’s local pride, it’s messy, and it’s basically a meal you’ll remember—unless the gravy puts you in a food coma first.