Top 5 Chicago Wiener Joints

I can't believe I've never done a post on hot dogs. I've done burgers, record stores, restaurants and so many more 'Top" lists.  While I don't eat them as often as I used to, I still love to splurge (calorically) once in a while. While I'm still partial to the Chicago-made dogs (Vienna Beef & Best's Kosher) I have developed a taste for Nathan's Famous (NYC) as well but this post will focus on Chicago dogs and the best joints to get them. The traditional Chicago dog comes with mustard, onions, neon-green relish, a pickle wedge, tomato wedges, sport peppers and celery salt. No ketchup. Really. People are very serious in Chicago about ketchup not being a part of the hot dog.

1) Wiener's Circle 2622 N. Clark, Chicago - If you ever have someone visit Chicago (or if you visit) and ask you for the best place to get a Chicago hot dog, this is the place. Technically it's not a Chicago-style dog because they grill them (not boil or steam) but for the experience of it, Weiner's Circle is a must-visit. Order the char dog with whatever condiments you wish and sit back and wait for the hate. The women who work here (mostly the late-night employees) toss out insults to the customers that would make Don Rickles blush. One night years ago when we were on our way home from a bar (Raven's) I saw one of 'em rip into some stereotypically Italian guys with "Take your order, you f*^%$n Sopranos". By all means, try to throw insults back but it will rarely match their level of skill. Anyone can cook a dog but to cook a dog and hurl the venom like they do is a rare gift. A great dog to boot. Killer cheese fries as well.

2) Gene & Judes - 2720 River Road, River Grove, IL - Other than beverages, Gene & Jude's have only three items on their menu: Hot dogs, tamales & fries. That's it. That's all you need though when the dogs are natural-casing Vienna Beef and the fries are fresh-cut right before your eyes. When you order, the potatoes are cut and dropped into what I'm certain is trans-fat laden shortening. The fries are then salted and wrapped along with your dog in wax paper. I've never had the tamales but they're the pre-fab kind, not homemade. This place is the epitome of bare bones but they have great dogs.

  3) Parky's 329 N. Harlem Ave. Forest Park, IL - I literally grew up with Parky's.  Whenever we'd visit my grandparents on my mom's side in River Forest, we'd either go to Parky's or Russell's BBQ afterward. It became dangerous when we moved to Forest Park because I could literally walk there. And did. The fries at Parky's are the gold standard by which I judge all fresh-cut skin-on fries. The dogs aren't Vienna Beef but still tasty and the burgers are pretty good too but I always felt wrong getting a burger there. There used to be another location in Berwyn but sadly they sold it and the new owners went in a different direction and lost the name, bad move.

4) Hot Doug's 3324 N. California Ave. Chicago - This is the 'fancy' hot dog joint. It's not just a hot dog place but 'The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium'.  You can get a traditional Chicago dog here (only a $1.50!) but Doug specializes in rare and game meat sausage as well as duck fat fries, which I've never had but they sound delicious.

5) Portillo's - Various Locations throughout Chicagoland - It may seem wrong to include a chain  hot dog restaurant but Portillo's does it right. Natural casing dogs in poppy seed buns. They have killer crinkle-cut fries but the side to go with is the onion rings, literally the best onion rings I've ever had. In fact literally everything on their menu is fantastic, Carla swears by the chopped salad, which she calls the 'crack salad'. Every restaurant has unique decor, all variations on old-school malt shops and heavy on antiques. When we were living in Forest Park, we had hot dog Heaven, Parky's and a Portillo's in the same town. I'm surprised that no national hot dog chain exists in America but if one company were to try, I hope it would be Portillo's.

I know I forgot one of yours or if you don't live in Chicago, tell us your local favorites.

Comments

[Megan]

I think you pretty much nailed it on the head, Ken. No argument here.

[DW]

I've been dying to talk about hot dogs.

Despite the fact that i'm now officialy a pizza traitor (the NYC slice is superior, sorry), the Chicago dog still rules the bunned cased meats category. Personally i've always been partial to the Portillo's version (my favorite part always being when the tiny mustard boat lets it rip), and my favorite non-Chicago dog being Gray's Papaya- definitely worth hunting down next time you're in NYC.

As a (maybe) interesting side note, I was just in Brazil where they pile the standard dog with ketchup, mayo, salsa, fries and mashed potatoes before they mash it all in a hot press. Pretty damn good (except for their damn Brit style ketchup), but where they got that recipe is anyone's guess...

[freakgirl]

Here in Jersey (as far as I know), it's all about either the Texas Weiner or the Italian Hot Dog. Why we call a Jersey dog a Texas weiner is beyond me, but whaddya gonna do.

http://tinyurl.com/2zn2tu - A startingly thorough history of the Texas Weiner.

http://www.answers.com/topic/italian-hot-dog - Italian hot dog.

Now I'm hungry. Thanks.

[molly]

So if you are a Lent practicing person and find yourself at Portillos on Friday, I HIGHLY recommend the fish sandwich (add cheese) it is the BOMB!

[Perry/Chicago]

The burger at Parky's (along with the beefs etc) as you know Ken are fairly recent additions. For decades they were bare bones like Gene and Jude's.
Secret for ordering at Parky's: Always have them bag each dog seperately (they always ask.) Your fries quotient goes up dramatically that way. Seeing Judy Barr Topinka there regularly almost gave me enough of an affinity to vote for her.

And in as far as Gene and Jude's you left out two important memories from the past: Being there late night and hanging with the Thirsty Whale metal heads after a show. Now that was entertainment !
And if you were there at a more reasonable hour, getting your dogs and walking across the parking lot to Cock Robin for a One In A Million malt or one of the cones with the three square scoops of red, orange and green sherbet as a finisher . . .

Perry/Chicago

[ken]

Perry- Good points. I was going to mention the individual fries thing at Parky's but for me these days, one bag is more than enough. And you're right about the new menu additions, the have meal deals there now too, which is great for the regular lunch crowd.

And yeah, the first time I went to Gene & Jude's was after a Whale show. The only place you can get Cock Robin anymore is in Brookfield and that Cock Robin is for sale. I think it's a sign to you, Perry: buy the Cock Robin and make it cool again.

[Ara]

I have eaten at Portillos and Weiners Circle (several times each) as well as Parky's once. I still remember the Parky's experience vividly, as I saw a bullet hole in one of the windows. A couple other places I'd highly recommend is the World Famous Superdawg at Milwaukee/Devon & Nagle in Chicago as well as Nicky's which can be found down near Midway at 55th and Central.

[Scotty]

I want to hear what Lyn has to say about the whole hot dog issue.

Babes Jumbo Hot Dogs here in Joliet put out a pretty good dog.

[mattbarr]

i actually have very little to add about hot dogs. i'd say weiners circle is overrated, but really, i'm more of a burger guy anyway so i feel unworthy to comment. however...

1. to whoever made the comment about NYC pizza being better than chicago pizza - i feel sorry for you. no place has better pizza than this town.

2. r.i.p the thirsty whale :(

3. there's nothing like eating some hot steamy Cock....Robin. i used to work at a record store right next to the one in brookfield and ate there all the time. but you know, despite the fun of it all, that food was really shitty.

[megan]

haha - me too, Scotty.

[Perry/Chicago]

Is the Cock Robin gone that was on Lake street in Melrose Park about 17th Street? They closed but opened back up after a while, though I haven't been down that way in a bit. Great burrito a few blocks west at El Ranchito. Open 24 hours.

My brother, and to a slightly lesser degree myself loved the double cheeseburger at Cock Robin. To best describe it would be a cross somewhere between Billy Goats and White Castle. You can see the disgusting appeal.

There used to be a Cock Robin on Harlem Ave. in River Forest at Oak, just north of Lake St. (right across from Mickey's which is another thread) that was torn down and replace by a McDonald's. My brother has refused to ever eat at that McDonald's. He was a root beer One In A Million malt man.
Doing up a Cock Robin and making it cool again would be a real trick. You'd have to find believers, have a great location and be open at least until 4:00 AM on the weekends.

But just to keep this post on topic, in as far as red hots go, Paradise Pup on River Road in Des Plaines does a bad ass char dog and probably one of the best burgers and fries in the Chi-Town area. The double cheeseburger (I like you Ken are now off such delicacies) is one of those things that once you commit, you cannot put down. It's straight thru or your outta the groove . . .

Perry/Chicago

[ken]

Ara- I forgot Superdawg, that place is classic. A true survivor, one of the last true drive-in's extant in Chicago.

Perry- I'll have to try Paradise Pup in Des Plaines. You could really turn the Brookfield Cock Robin into something, add some great BBQ to the menu and still keep the old menu items as well. You can't beat that location, right across the street from the train station.