Pork & Mindy’s

Chicago, United States

3.9

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 773-799-8759
Website:
www.porkandmindys.com
Address:
1623 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL, 60647
b/t Damen Ave & North Ave
West Town, Wicker Park
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
450 ftDamen
0.5 miAshland & LeMoyne
0.6 miClybourn Metra Station
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Today –
Local time (Chicago) 04:06 Sunday, 22 June 2025

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Description

Specialties

We’re a Chicago sandwich shop specializing in smoked meats, but the buck doesn’t stop there. Sure, we’ll feed you some killer hand-​pulled, hickory-​smoked chuck, pork, lamb and mulberry-​smoked chicken with only the most complementary concoctions, but we’ve also got salads, smoked mozzarella, tots for days and a whole heck of a lot more.

History

Established in 2015.

It all started with an epiphany. Pork & Mindy’s CEO and founder, Kevin Corsello, was on a long drive home when he realized what was missing from today’s scene.

«We needed something better,» the award-​winning amateur chef noted. «Something that would bring together food, music and art to help build and strengthen communities.»

So, Kevin called long-​time buddy and Food Network star, Jeff Mauro. It was a melding of the minds for two Italian kids from Chicago who are happiest behind a grill or slow-​smoker, enjoying great food together with family and friends. Jeff had been searching for a more personal way to share his passion for cooking with people everywhere. As a fellow music lover and supporter of the arts, the concept was a perfect fit for Jeff.

Voila! Pork & Mindy’s was born. We’re excited to share some great experiences with you.

Meet the Business Owner

Jeff M.

Business Owner

It’s true, Jeff Mauro fell for the arts even before he fell for cooking. Immersing himself in the performing arts at an early age, the Illinois native split his time in Chicago between a lead role in Tony and Tina’s wedding and making soups, sandwiches and salads at his first eatery, Prime Time Deli & Catering. Jeff later moved to Los Angeles in the hopes of blending his comedic skills with his culinary talents. While in Hollywood, he enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu to further sharpen his cooking skills and graduated as class valedictorian. Soon after, Jeff packed up his knives and returned home to Chicago where he became a private corporate chef and sandwich artist. But all the while, he stayed true to his commitment to the arts, performing on the stage on weekends. Jeff won Season 7 of Food Network Star. He currently hosts the Emmy-​nominated «Sandwich King», which is in its sixth season, and co-​hosts «The Kitchen».

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20 reviews of Pork & Mindy’s

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Place rating: 2
St. Charles, IL
I am so not a pork fan… EVER, but I had heard great things about this place and when a Gilt City deal was offered, I thought, why not? This is a very cute restaurant and they have some very interesting items on their menu. Pig Candy? Gross! But hey, if you like that sort of thing, then this place is right up your alley. Fortunately for the rest of us that do not like the «other white meat», they also offer chicken options. I was sad that I did not find some really cool, funky veggie burger though. We ordered the chopped chicken salad, tots, and chicken and french toast sandwich. The tots were good, but nothing special, just tots with homemade ranch. The ranch was good, albeit a little too thick. The chicken french toast sandwich was very interesting and very good! The chopped chicken salad was bland and awful! I ordered the ranch and vinaigrette so that I could decide which dressing was the best. Again, the ranch has the thick consistency of a dip, so that was a little awkward getting it on my salad and the vinaigrette was just so damn greasy, I just couldn’t take it and after about 5 bites, the salad went in the trash. Sad, because the chicken was great!
All in all, it was good, but I won’t be breaking my neck or any speed limits to get back here anytime soon.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
I came here and tried the Bao to the Pork, Chicken & «French Toast,» Tot’tines, and the Turtle ‘Nado. I thought everything was delicious and very affordable. The Tot’tines are amazing and a cool twist on poutine. They have a variety of sauces you can try on everything at no extra cost, in case you want to add a little extra flavor.
I’m surprised to see a couple of reviews that call this place expensive. $ 8 – 9 for a gourmet sandwich in Chicago, and $ 6 for a giant order of Tot’tines that should be shared between at least 2 people? That is cheap. I am a total foodie and have explored many restaurants in Chicago, and there aren’t a ton of places that offer food this cheap, other than greasy fast food joints with lower quality ingredients and a side of heart attack. You shouldn’t come here expecting McDonald’s prices, because it’s well above and beyond McDonald’s quality.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
Had Pork and Mindy’s at Do Division Fest yesterday and wanted my fiancé to try it today since he’s the ultimate bacon lover. Great food and service both days! It was cool to see the man himself behind the counter today too. Love the mix of food, music and art.
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
I have been dying to make it here for a great sandwich constructed by the sandwich King.
We went last night (Thursday) and there was ZERO people in there at 7p. Not necessarily a good sign. The guy at the front was helpful in suggesting some items.
Bao to the pork-​was good, but kind of bland. I was expecting more pop from this sandwich. Just tasted like bland meat with no pizzazz. I didn’t taste the plum sauce or any of the pickled goodies. This supposedly is the best sandwich… sigh
The chuck-​this was my favorite. Nothing too special… I just liked the combo of the chuck and cheese. It was cheese sauce on it… which kind of reminded me of an Arby’s. The bun just tasted like bread… nothing special about this «everything» bun.
Chicken French toast-​severely disappointing. There was zero maple flavor. Chicken was bland. Very disappointing
Smoked Mozzarella-​I don’t know how they did it… but this was also bad. It had a weird, bad bitter after taste. The mozz was good but everything else on this sandwich was gross. We didn’t even finish eating it.
Lamb-​this was good but the lamb was pretty gamey and the tzaziki tasted nothing like it… maybe just a strong goat cheese flavor… weird.
Tot Tine-​meh, it was good but it just didn’t do anything for me. The cheese, potatoes, etc was all good but nothing was melted. It was just like hunks together. We poured the gravy over it and that gave it a little flavor.
We tried one more tot thing… it had pork and coleslaw on it and again, very forgettable.
Pig candy… tasted old. Like it had been sitting out forever.
Also, they originally forgot the bao to the pork and the pig candy… good thing I checked the bag before leaving. I have the worst luck with take out. :/​
The sandwiches were average at best. They are made on an assembly line at the front. All of the items are pre made… from what I could tell. There’s isn’t one thing that I ate that I would go back for. And for the price… the sandwiches that are served a la carte, are very small. Like the palm of my hand, my female, small hand.
Disappointment city.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
I wish I could give more stars!
I’ve been meaning to go in as I live down the street, but when it popped up on the Giftie app I knew it was time. When I came in, I was greeted by the nicest manager ever, Joe. He was so helpful and so excited about what they had to offer. I would go back just based off of his service alone.
The food is totally killer. I got the Bao to The Pork sandwich and Tater Tots with the homemade ranch and was in total heaven. First off, the presentation is absolutely beautiful which makes me a happy lady. Meat was so moist and flavorful. Happy to have them in Bucktown, I’ll be back!
Place rating: 3
Saint Louis, MO
Visiting Chicago for the weekend and had to try Jeff «Sandwich King» Mauro’s restaurant. I was happy we went, but I wont seek it out again. Food was good, just not over the top amazing.
The Unilocal reviews all said to try the Pig Candy– was served cold/​room temperature. I was expecting it to be warm for some reason. Served in a little envelope, there were about 5 pieces of bacon candied and covered in brown sugar. For just $ 3 this is worth a try.
I couldn’t make up my mind on what sandwich to order, so I ordered them all! Not really, there is an option to order sliders with your choice of meat: pork shoulder, chuck roast, or chicken. My favorite was the chicken. The check and pork were dry, even when covered in sauce. There are maybe 8 different sauces to try– there are 3 on each table, so make sure to scope out the sauces on other tables or make a trade. My favorite was the sweet heat blended with the vinegar sauce. But in the end, I had a pile of all the sauces blended together, and it was lovely.
The Bao to the Pork sandwich was smaller than expected. Just barely bigger than the sliders. You will leave hungry if this is all you have. My husband thought it was tasty.
The Smoked Mozzarella sandwich doesn’t have any meat, but the mozzarella patty is meaty enough for you not to notice. It was topped with some fresh basil, tomatoes, and a wonderful balsamic glaze. I would order this one for myself next time. Unfortunately, if you order this sandwich, you wont get to dip it on all the sauces since balsamic and BBQ sauce don’t blend well in my opinion.
The check on Unilocal earned us a free soda– Ski is the brand they have on tap.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
I was hoping to be blown away by the flavors of the sandwiches here because they were created by the Food Network’s sandwich king. I think my expectations for this place were a little too high because they were not met.
We arrived early on a weekend (1130am) thinking the place was going to be popular and super busy. It wasnt. However, by 12 noon the place did start getting more busy.
We ordered the:
chicken salad roll– skip, funky tasting
bao to the pork– good
cole slaw-​good
chicken and waffle-​okay
The restaurant does not offer complimentary cups of water so expect to buy fancy bottled water if you need some.
The chicken salad roll was so bad that we could not eat it. The flavor was off point. My overall rating for this restaurant was initially 3 stars (based on food). However, one of the managers approached our table to ask why we had not eaten the chicken salad roll sandwich (we had asked the staff to take it away while they were clearing food off tables). We advised that it was not very good and too spicy and that is why we had to order another sandwich. The manager was very nice and said she would refund us the price of one of the sandwiches so that we ended up only paying for 2 sandwiches instead of 3. Therefore, the customer service we received here boosted my review for this place to 4 stars.
I really want this place to do well but I dont have any need to come back here again any time soon.
Also, many of the sandwiches here have Jeff Mauro’s favorite condiment: spicy giardiniera. Unfortunately, many of the sandwiches on the menu have this ingredient or some sort of spiciness to it. The only sandwich on the menu that doesn’t have any heat to it is the chicken and waffle sandwich. I suggest the restaurant offer spicy giardiniera as a side instead of incorporated into the sandwich for those that can’t eat it.
Place rating: 3
Carmel, IN
I was super excited to try Pork and Mindys as I watched Jeff in Next Food Network Star and Sandwich King. His food always looks fantastic and I’m no stranger to a sandwich.
The restaurant is set up Chipotle style but you don’t actually pick your ingredients. I suppose it’s a way to see the ingredients? Unsure, but confusing since my brain is wired to go bread, meat, veggie, and sauce.
We ordered the Chuck, Chicken and Waffles and the Tot-​tine. You can easily go to their website to see the ingredients so no need to explain. We both felt that everything was fine. There was no explosion of flavor. I would not order the tot’tine again. The cheese curds didn’t taste like anything and the gravy was flavorless and there wasn’t a lot of gravy — just enjoy to make the tots soggy. The tots also fell apart when trying to put a fork in them. I LOVE Poutine so I was super disappointed.
There are 7 sauces on the table to accompany your meal. The 7 sauces might have been too many options — I would prefer Jeff pick 2 or 3 of his favorites and point me in that direction. I did like the mustard sauce!
There are way too many good options on Bucktown now to not WOW your customers with every bite.
The Jones soda and Pig Candy were a win!
Place rating: 1
Chicago, IL
Ugh I wanted to like pork & mindys so bad, but unfortunately it was not for me or my cholesterol. I got the pork tots, the idea was there… pork and coleslaw on top of crispy tater tots. Between the tots and the pork, it was SO salty, like past the point of being able to consume. I tried eating them separately, added sauces to distract from the intense salty flavor, but no luck. Had to throw about half of it away, no leftovers for me.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
To answer your question, Yes, it’s worth a visit if you are looking for something quick and quality, and ok with a pricier option (compared to other quick places).
We had the Bao to the Pork and the French Toast and Chicken with apple and pepper relish, shared a side of tot’s & ranch (I don’t understand the need for an apostrophe in tots) and the three-​tone power slaw.
First note, the best thing about this place is the sauces, hands down. Before you eat anything, get a spoon and taste-​test every single one.
I normally try not to drown my sandwiches in sauces, because I’d rather taste the intentional flavors of the sandwich as served, but don’t hold back here.
The coolest thing about one of their most popular sandwiches, the Bao to the Pork, is that it’s served in a Bao bun. It’s unique, it works, and the subtle Asian flavorings are nice with the pork. The pork is good, but not worthy of our prostration, so go crazy with the plum sauce, and/​or any other.
Although less popular, the French Toast Chicken sandwich was better than the Bao to the Pork. Plenty of sweet and a little heat in this sandwich (which goes perfectly with their sauce — sweet heat), and it is served on french toast shaped into a hot dog bun. The french toast provides a really fun texture, and the sandwich has enough flavor that it doesn’t require extra sauce, but keeping in theme; let loose and get saucy with this one too.
The three-​tone power slaw is good, and don’t sleep on the tot’s & ranch. The ranch is made-​in-​house and excellent.
Pro tip: mix the vinegar bbq sauce with the ranch from the tot’s & ranch, pour that concoction on anything even remotely edible and gorge.
Place rating: 3
Downers Grove, IL
I’m not here to suck up to the celebrity chef owner. I’m not big on sucking up, so I’m going to shoot from the hip here, as I usually do. The food here is fine. It’s good. But it’s not end-​of-​the world last-​meal amazing, which is the impression I got after reading some of the reviews and added it to my must-​try list. I ordered the Bao to the Pork, a side of the candied bacon and a side of tots, plus drink. I missed the Unilocal check-​in offer for a free drink until I was leaving. My bad. $ 17 and some change. That’s a little steep. I realize I got two sides, but still that’s a lot of dough for a simple fast casual meal.
The pork was tasty, but nothing you can’t find elsewhere. The side of tots was a little on the smallish side for the price. I’d say what they really excel with is their sauces. I liked all of the ones I tried (sweet, sweet spicy and mustard), and had a hard time choosing which one worked best on my sandwich.
Will I return? Prolly not. But it was worth giving them a try if you’re up for something a little different while you’re in the neighborhood. I wouldn’t recommend making this a destination trip, tho.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
Solid sandwich shop. This is more like a fast-​casual concept. You order at the register, take a number and then they bring you the food. The space is very bright with a decent amount of seating. They also had good music but it wasn’t so loud that you couldn’t have a conversation.
We came in a few weeks after they opened. I was surprised to see Jeff Mauro working the line. Having watched Food Network, this was somewhat of an exciting celebrity sighting for me. He was very friendly and made sure to greet everyone. The staff was also very friendly and helpful.
We split the Bao to the Pork and the Pig Candy BLT sandwiches and shared the Tot’ine (poitine and fries). I really enjoyed the Bao sandwich — loved the bao bun which is very different. The plum sauce complimented it very well and the pickled daikon and carrot help cut the richness. The Pig Candy BLT was also delicious. The bacon was nice and crispy. The Tot’ine was good although nothing really blew me away about it either. The tots nice and crispy and a good ratio of tots to sauce. I wish there was a bit more pickled red onion. The Jones soda machine is a nice touch. There are a nice assortment of sauces to accompany the sandwiches/​tots — all were yummy.
It is a great spot for a reasonable quick meal. It was about $ 15/​person.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
CANDIED BACON!. need I say more? Fantastic sandwich offerings from the «Sandwich King» Jeff Mauro. Staff is amazing and if you are lucky– you may even get some live accordion action while you eat!
Try:
–Tot’ine (Poutine + Tater Tots)
–BAO to the Pork (Pork Shoulder on a bao)
–Chuck (pulled chuck sandwich)
–Candied Bacon
–Turtle Porknado (baby milk shake but better. has candied bacon in it!)
Place rating: 4
Cudahy, WI
We’re trying to expand our Chicago restaurant patronage; and Pork and Mindy’s was today’s restaurant pick. Cute place and the interior is very fun. Love the local art and the Indy music playing– great atmosphere. The staff was really friendly and answered questions we had.
The food was great: we tried the Bao to the Pork and the Chicken and French Toast sandwiches. Both were really unique and delicious. I loved how the crispy veggies paired with the smoky pork on the Bao sandwich. And the French toast bun was really tasty. We got the sliders for our daughter; and she polished all three of them off in record time.
We also tried the candied bacon and promptly died and went to foodie heaven. Just try it– it’s out of this world.
All and all– we enjoyed our meal– food was tasty and the price was right.
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
Jeff Mauro «the sandwich king»! Came here with a group of people a couple weeks ago. Sort of a fast food place but made to order I think. The staff is super friendly and engaging. The sign is a little hard to read as its small, black, and white lit lettering. The interior has very super bright lighting. Whoa, I can see! It’s a little concerning. You order your food, then take a number and sit at your table with a quarter half sheet tray.
I ordered the Chuck tots. Tots are salted and perfectly seasoned, very sweet pickles, and the beef brisket shredded was tender and tasty, smokey, though some of the ends were jerky like. The cheese slop tastes good (horseradish aged cheddar), but is visually coagulated. The flavor combo is certainly good, but if the meat has been cooked perfect and the cheese was less sludgy, it would have been a textural dream. I also ordered the baked beans on the side. Hello spice! Hot kicking’ like Bruce Lee, spicy, mushy, smokey.
The French toast and chicken bun had marinated juicy chicken with an apple and onion relish (tasty and the acidity gives the overall sandwich good balance). The same coagulated but good tasting cheese topped that. The bun had a mapley flavor.
Customer service was ON point! I’m guessing he was the manager on duty, and came to check on us periodically, and as we were taking the rest to go, he tops us off with fresh tots and some free pig candy. (caramelized candied bacon strips) Very nice Asian gentleman. A+ to that guy!
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
For a Sandwich spot in Wicker Park– it’s as good as it gets– I have been twice now– first visit I had the Bao To The Pork Sandwich– very busy little sandwich with a lot going on– here is how the menu describes it: Hickory-​smoked, hand-​pulled pork shoulder topped with our Asian Plum Sauce, pickled daikon & carrot, fresh cucumber & jalapeño relish, served on a toasted bao bun… My bun didn’t seem so toasted, but it was OK– and the jalapeño relish is something I would never put on a sandwich if I were making it myself, but it worked and provided just a little kick… very tasty– pulled pork was great, wish there was more of it.
Next visit, I had the Pig Candy bacon with lettuce, Roma tomato, dry rub mayo, balsamic caramelized onions, served on a buttered & griddled brioche bun. .Now come to think of it– looking at their description, I don’t recall any onions on my sandwich, if they were there, and I suppose they were, it was subtle, and I didn’t taste them– but as BLT sandwiches go– there is no finer one that at Pork and Mindy’s. The bun, mayo, and bacon make it 5 stars– when I return, I will probably get that again!
Service was fast and friendly, they have Jones Soda on tap, which if I were going to have soda pop, that would be delightful, (not drinkings sugar drinks) Nice to see though.
I’ll be back soon, there is lots to try on the menu, but that BLT, is out of this world!
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
The delicious smell of porky joy and goodness hits you as soon as you walk through the door. To me, that’s maybe the best way to start lunch!
The menu is very straightforward and offers a variety of meaty options. I went with the chuck sandwich… the everything roll won me over! The meat was tender and tasty. The horseradish cheddar offered a nice kick and the pickles were just the right mix of spicy and acidic.
Because I was feeling extra fat kid, I got the tot’ine. Cheese curds and pickled red onions, stellar. The smoky gravy was nice without being super heavy. The tots were seasoned well but definitely not crispy as billed on the menu. They didn’t quite hold up to the gravy making the dish tricky to eat… darn tots kept falling apart faster than I could shovel them in my mouth hole!!! Flavors were all on point. The atmosphere was inviting and there was plenty of room. The food came out quickly. Can’t wait to try some of the other offerings.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
My friends and I tried Pork & Mindy’s last night and overall I found everything to be tasty.
Food prices aren’t too bad, service is friendly & quick, and the food quality for the price point — pretty darn good. The Chicken & Waffle sandwich has pulled chicken covered in a apple & tomato slaw, with pickled red onions on top — all in a maple french toast bun. This is just about as unique as a sandwich can get! I could do without the slaw but I’m sure that’s just a personal preference since I’m not into tomatoes and there are tons of these little guys cubed all over the sandwich. ‘Twas a well balanced yet indulgent sandwich. The chicken wasn’t deep fried as you’d usually imagine with a chicken n waffles thing, so that left me feeling like I was slightly healthier than I could have been. Score for Sarah!
Even moreso than the «sangwich», I really liked the tater tots! They have 5 ways to get your tater tots done. My friends and I went with the Tot’Tine their base model to ease ourselves into the madness. Tasty cheese curds, light gravy that soaked most of the tots… a chick was starving and I scarfed these things down! I love me some tater tots and I’ll try some of the other fun options next time I’m in.
Now onto the shakes… why they are called ‘Nados I don’t know. Ian Ziering fan running the place perhaps? I’m sad they all use vanilla ice cream and wished I could have chocolate ice cream instead! Alas, my shake was still delicious and filled with goodness. I went for the Turtle Nado with ice cream, candied pecans, salted caramel, chocolate sauce & their special Pig Candy creation which is candied bacon, sprinkled with brown sugar & smoked until brittle. Unique and tasty shake that I’d get again if I was in a porky mood.
I’m happy I rolled by Pork & Mindy’s and though it won’t be a regular stop in for my eats, I wouldn’t roll my eyes at going in again and trying more items. Huzzah!
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
Are you kidding me with this place? Pork and Mindy’s is a GEM. You can’t go wrong with anything on their creative, diverse, and DELICIOUS menu, and the friendly staff will make you feel welcome from the second you walk in the door.
My friend and I had lunch here and ordered the pork bao, the chuck sandwich, the tot-​tine, and the pig candy… holy moly. The perfect blend of fresh ingredients, the ample portions, and the perfect finishing touches made our choices to die for. I highly recommend trying the bao! Ands don’t forget the pig candy for dessert… candied bacon. Need I say more?
The ambience is trendy yet simple and promotes local artists work. How cool, right? They also sell their delicious sauces by the bottle.
Do not miss out on this amazing new Wicker Park spot – you won’t regret it!
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
Chef Jeff Mauro! Nicest guy ever. I was pleasantly surprised to see Jeff Mauro working hard in the back and entertaining customers in the front. What a nice fella! He asked us how we were doing. He went to all the other tables and grabbed us the sauces that we were missing. He also didn’t make a big deal when my girl’s service dog went running loose in the store haha. Thank you for that. His staff was extremely helpful and one of them gave us a free Milk shake! It is a very clean establishment. They also have a jones soda machine. Ummm Amazingggggg!
/​/​Bao to the pork — 8 $ — I really loved this sandwich. The Bao bun is so soft and delicious. It’s the perfect mix between a bun and a Bao. Soft yet firm. The meat has a nice smoky flavor and is extremely tender. I like the cross between Vietnamese and American.
/​/​Mozarella sandwich — 8 $ — pretty tasty. Different type of bread on this one. All the sauces go good on this one. My friend is a vegetarian so this was the really only option. It’s still a good option.
/​/​Cannoli milkshake — 6 $ — this shake was soooooo good. I loved the top off pistachios and the broken cannoli shells inside. They also have little tiny chocolates in there. I only wish there were a few more chocolates chips in there. But it was so interesting and unique. Definitely worth trying
On to the sauces, my top three, Asian plum, Chicago steakhouse, and apricot habanero. Try all of them I liked the mustard sauce as well but my favorite. Asian plum. I didn’t think it would taste so well with my pork sandwich.
Definitely would go back. Would love to try the tots! GOOD luck to chef Jeff Mauro! (And his team)