From giardiniera dogs to fried apple pie, Portillo's and McDonald's join fast-food promotion of America 250

CHICAGO - As America's 250th birthday approaches, what could be more fitting than a giardiniera-infused hot dog, fried apple pie or a fireworks-topped mini Bundt cake? There's no shortage of unusual patriotic-themed menu offerings as fast-food giants gear up to celebrate a special July Fourth in the land of the Big Gulp and the home of the Whopper.

While the menu innovations vary, themes of red-white-and-blue and retro food offerings seek to tap into the collective culinary unconscious of Americans, with promotions tenuously connected to the founding of our nation. Chicago-based Portillo's, for example, found inspiration in an ephemeral reinvention of the most American of foods - the hot dog.

In case the weather isn't hot enough for you, Portillo's is adding a little more fire to the menu Tuesday with its all-new Char'diniera Dog.

Available for a limited time and somehow tied in with America's 250th anniversary celebration, the Char'diniera Dog is aimed squarely at Chicago taste buds with a char-grilled beef hot dog infused with giardiniera and provolone cheese. Going all-in on the Chicago street food vibe, the Char'diniera Dog can either be dragged through the garden or dressed Maxwell-style with mustard and grilled onions, delivering a smoky flavor, medium heat and a likely need for extra napkins.

"America's 250th anniversary is the perfect moment to celebrate one of the country's most iconic foods, hot dogs," said Denise Lauer, chief marketing officer at Portillo's. "And since Portillo's was founded as a hot dog trailer back in 1963, this milestone gave us a natural opportunity to honor our roots while introducing a bold new take on an American classic."

The Char'diniera Dog is specially crafted for Portillo's by Vienna Beef, the Chicago-based purveyor that essentially invented the city's quintessential hot dog more than a century ago. Lauer said the spicy new dog had been in the development pipeline since last year.

Vienna Beef, which introduced its sausages to the world at the 1893 Columbian Exposition, embraced the opportunity to go where no Chicago hot dog has gone before in conjunction with the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary celebration.

"Vienna Beef is excited to team up with Portillo's by introducing this innovation on their hot dog menu this summer," Tom McGlade, senior vice president of marketing at Vienna Beef, said in a news release.

Portillo's is just the latest fast-food chain to tap into America's 250th birthday.

Last week, Chicago-based McDonald's brought back its iconic fried apple pie, which was supplanted by the ostensibly healthier baked version more than three decades ago. Available for a limited time, the original fried apple pie was cooked up at a Tennessee McDonald's in the 1960s and eventually rolled out nationwide.

To celebrate its revival, McDonald's erected a 35-foot Fried Apple Pie at the kitschy Route 66 Park in Joliet. The monument to bygone fast-food desserts rose up last week at 920 N. Broadway Street, near a restored ice cream stand and the unofficial start to America's Mother Road. Fans can make a pilgrimage to the giant apple pie in Joliet through July 4.

"The Fried Apple Pie holds a special place in our history, and in our fans' memories, as one of McDonald's original desserts," the company said in a statement. "We couldn't think of a better time to bring it back than this summer, as America celebrates a big birthday … and a comeback this big deserves a monument to match."

Other fast-food chains getting in on the act include Burger King, which introduced a Firecracker Cookie Pie this month topped with red, white and blue star-shaped sprinkles, while Sonic brought back its Red, White and Blue Slush Float to help celebrate America's 250th birthday.

Nothing Bundt Cakes is celebrating America's 250th birthday with such offerings as a Patriotic Decorated Cake and Fireworks and Freedom Toppers - essentially mini-Bundt cakes with July Fourth flags.

Meanwhile, Krispy Kreme rolled out a new patriotic doughnut collection last week in advance of America's 250th celebration, featuring an unglazed doughnut filled with cream and dipped in red icing with stars and a USA sugar piece. There's also a Firework Doughnut dipped in vanilla-flavored icing with gold glitter and a firecracker sugar piece.

Anyone showing up at a Krispy Kreme location on July Fourth wearing red, white and blue will also get a free glazed doughnut.

Beyond the limited run of the Char'diniera Dog, Portillo's is wrapping up its America 250 celebration with patriotic packaging for all menu items featuring stars and stripes, while supplies last.

"You will see some limited edition packaging featuring red and blue," Lauer said. "Normally, you don't see the blue on our package, but of course, again, with America's 250th anniversary, we wanted to really lean into this major milestone celebration of Americana."

Some fast-food July Fourth celebrations are a bit more somber, however.

While it may not qualify as an official semiquincentennial event, Pizza Hut, once the nation's largest pizza chain, closed 250 stores during the first half of the year, likely an unintentional tie-in with America's birthday. Yum Brands agreed this month to split up and sell the struggling pizza chain for $2.7 billion to a private equity firm and a Chinese company.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 11:07 AM.