What the codes on your Portillo's bag mean

The unique symbols on each Portillo's bag are clues to a special language understood by all employees of the chain. Besides the unique food codes, items are placed in specific locations on the bags. Beef sandwiches, hot dogs and hamburgers go in the top left corner, as those items are earliest on the assembly line. Fries are on the left just above the crease of the bag, as the fry station is later in the line. Salad orders are written in the top right corner. Drinks, shakes and desserts are below the fold.

Here is a glimpse at some of Portillo's secret codes, as explained by the company:

• What we write: B SW What it means: Italian beef sandwich with sweet peppers on French bread. Alternatives: “B HOT” is an Italian beef sandwich with hot peppers and “B N/P” is without peppers.

• What we write: E What it means: A hot dog with everything on it. No ketchup. We call this an “ever,” short for “everything.” Alternatives: If you'd like to add ketchup, that's “E + K.” If you want a hot dog with only ketchup on it, that's “K—.” For other combinations of ingredients, we simply write the abbreviations for those ingredients. For example, a hot dog topped only with mustard, tomato and celery salt would be: “M + TOM + SALT—.”

• What we write: BC What it means: Charbroiled chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and mayo on a fresh bun. Alternatives: If you'd like to add cheese, that's “BC + AM.” Want it without mayo and with honey mustard sauce instead? That's “BC n/mayo + s.” We frequently use the letter “s” to mean “sauce.”

• What we write: BCR HOT What it means: Italian beef and cheddar cheese sandwich on a croissant with hot peppers. Alternatives: “BCR SW” indicates a sandwich with sweet peppers and an “N/P” indicates one without any peppers.

• What we write: LF What it means: Large fries. Alternatives: If you want your fries well done, we'll write “LF WELL.”