The Ingredient List Isnt Dogmatic
Naturally-cased all-beef Frank. Poppy seed bun. White onions. Tomato. Pickle. Sport peppers. Celery salt. Sweet relish. Yellow mustard. Thats what goes into a classic Chicago-style dog. But as youll see, the list is open to riffs and reinterpretations, which fuels peoples allegiance to different spots. I’ve also heard there’s a cocktail with said ingredients. No thanks.
Cant Believe Its Not Meat
Cant Believe Its Not Meat offers two kinds of veggie dogs . Besides a Chicago-style hot dog, the menu features the Bucktown Bratwurst: a meatless brat topped with grilled onions and peppers, mustard and ketchup. Address: 1368 E. 53rd St. in Hyde ParkHours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays, 4-10 p.m. SaturdaysPhone: 773-289-0798Website
Michaels Grill & Salad Bar
Michael’s Grill & Salad Bar in downtown Highland Park.
This North Shore institution, once known as Michaels Chicago Style Red Hots, has rebranded for the modern era and pared down its hot dog menu to greatest hits that include a Chicago-style dog , a char dog , a Polish sausage and whats known as The Chosen Char , a Romanian jumbo kosher dog. As the new name suggests, Michaels has also added an array of salad options, including a robust salad bar, plus wraps and burgers. What was once merely a hot dog joint now has something for everyone. 1879 Second St., Highland Park 847-432-3338 eatmichaels.online
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Best Chicago Dog Chicago Reviews
Choosing the appropriate chicago dog chicago can be tough. However, if you consider these factors, your job will be easier.
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Sit Means Sit Dog Training Chicago

Sit Means Sit wants you to master how to control your pooch on and off the leash.
And they do this while maintaining your dogs unique personality and dogginess.
Got a pup or a senior dog?
It doesnt matter.
They accept all types of pooch.
Their professional trainers are also praised for their fun and creative classes.
Services:
- Group Class for Continuing Education.
Website |
3266 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618 |
Phone |
Zen Dogs provide a calm and nurturing place for your dogs.
Truly putting your dogs in zen mode.
With their training, theyll level up your understanding of your pooch.
And turn them into well-balanced dogs that create long-lasting bonds with their humans.
All their training classes have follow-up lessons to secure its success.
They also have two locations.
What are you waiting for?
Go and visit the one near you.
Services:
- Train and Play Day School.
- Train and Stay Boarding School.
Website |
Fulton Street:1924 W Fulton Street, Chicago, IL 60612Logan Square: 2409 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60647 |
Phone |
Catch My Dog promises 100% results guaranteed with their training.
Theyll teach your fur baby basic commands like heel, sit, stay, down, etc.
And more importantly, theyll also teach them manners.
They will develop a specific training program for your dogs.
Working and improving all their weaknesses.
Avail of their 4-week lodge and learn camps where theyll teach you pooch car manners and etiquette.
They do this by taking them to public stores and car rides.
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Fat Johnnie’s Famous Red Hots
Lots of places call themselves a hole in the wall, but Fat Johnnies literally is oneit’s the kind of walkup stand that looks like its literally about to fall down. The David Berg kosher-style dog doesnt have the spice of a Vienna Beef dog , but this is one of the few spots you can still try a Mother-in-Law, the dog-less tamale in a bun that became a fixture of Depression-era Chicago.How to book: Stop by for counter service or order take-out and delivery via Uber Eats.
Found Chicago Boarding & Training Center
Found Chicago wants to get to know your pooches first.
They want to understand each dog and translate and share what they learn with you, the fur parent.
This way, youll know what your pooch needs.
With their help, your dog will transform into a happy and healthy companion.
Services:
Ruby Madrigal started K9 University Chicago to give dogs a safe and loving home.
A place where dogs play, learn and grow.
And thats exactly what their facility is all about.
People who had tried their services are very satisfied.
And they kept on coming back to them ever since.
They wont settle for anything but the best for you.
Learn more about them by downloading their app in or the App Store.
Website |
2945 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60612 |
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Where It All Began
Chicagoans can thank Germans for bringing hot dogs to America. At the end of the 19th century, 25% of Chicagos population was German-born or first generation German, and in 1880 36% of ALL butchers in Chicago were German immigrants. They brought their food culture with them, particularly the Vienna sausageat the time a mix of pork, beef and spices.
This worked well in Chicago, which was the meatpacking capital of the world and a leader in the industrial food market. David Berg, the citys oldest hot dog brand, was founded in 1860 once steam-powered choppers enabled factories to turn meat trimmings into hot dogs.
The Union Stock Yard & Transit Co., or the Chicago Stockyards, a centralized processing area for the … meat packing industry, Chicago, Illinois, circa 1920-1960.
Getty Images
The hot dog was cheap, delicious, and could be topped with nutrients in the form of condiments, which helped it take hold during the Great Depression. Flukys sold the first Depression Sandwich, featuring mustard, pickle relish, onions, a dill pickle, hot peppers, lettuce and tomatoes in 1929. It cost a nickel.
Post-Depression, the hot dog stuck. Chicago was a working class city, and the Chicago dog was an affordable, working class food. World War II veterans returned home and found opening a hot dog stand in the newly expanding suburbs was a great business opportunity. Soon, every neighborhood had a hot dog stand or two, many of which still exist today.
Superdawg Is The Best
Im not from Chicago. Im going to take heat for my choice, regardless of what it is. But let me say this, as someone who writes and eats for a living: Superdawg made the best Chicago-style hot dog I ate all day. The dog itself was perfectly cooked, with a snappy natural casing. The toppings were all there, in perfect zen-like harmony. The tomato was pickled, providing enough of a deviation to make it interesting. The pickle was crispy, the bun pillowy soft, and the mustard applied with a caring touch. It was a hot dog that made me truly happy, and at the end of that day, thats what a hot dog should do.
14 hot dogs? Not so much.
These are the top three spots I went to:
1. Superdawg2. Red Hot Ranch3. Fatso’s Last Stand
Honorable Mention:Kimski, which was insanely good, even if the polish sausage, topped with kraut kimchi, soju mustard, scallions, and sesame seeds on a buttered toasted bun wasn’t really a hot dog.
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Everything You Need To Know About Chicago
Its National Hot Dog Day! Once a year the nation gets together to celebrate the many variations of sausage in a bun. Hot dogs became popular in the U.S. in the early 20th century, perhaps nowhere more so than in Chicago, where Chicago-style hot dogs are as much a symbol of the city as the Bean.
This National Hot Dog Day, lets take a look at the history of the citys favorite street food, what makes a Chicago dog a Chicago dog, and where to find some of the best.
Th And 21st Centuries
1900 to 1939
During and the 1920s there was a major expansion in industry. The availability of jobs attracted African Americans from the . Between 1910 and 1930, the African American population of Chicago increased dramatically, from 44,103 to 233,903. This had an immense cultural impact, called the , part of the , in art, literature, and music. Continuing racial tensions and violence, such as the , also occurred.
The ratification of the 18th amendment to the Constitution in 1919 made the production and sale of alcoholic beverages illegal in the United States. This ushered in the beginning of what is known as the Gangster Era, a time that roughly spans from 1919 until 1933 when was repealed. The 1920s saw , including , , and battle law enforcement and each other on the streets of Chicago during the . Chicago was the location of the infamous in 1929, when Al Capone sent men to gun down members of a rival gang, North Side, led by Bugs Moran.
Chicago was the first American city to have a homosexual-rights organization. The organization, formed in 1924, was called the . It produced the first American publication for homosexuals, . Police and political pressure caused the organization to disband.
In 1933, Chicago Mayor was fatally wounded in , during a attempt on President-elect . In 1933 and 1934, the city celebrated its centennial by hosting the International Exposition . The theme of the fair was technological innovation over the century since Chicago’s founding.
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The Best Best Chicago
Each city has its token street food, and theres no doubt that the Chicago-style hot dog is a part of city culture that will go down in gastronomic history.
The Chicago-style hot dog is a perfect representation of the citys early diversity. Immigrants and visitors from all over the world came to the city in the late 1800s, culminating in the 1893 Worlds Fair that attracted thousands of visitors. These people brought their foods, ingredients, flavors and cooking techniques to Chicago, and the hot dog that came as a result is a fascinating product of a multitude of influences.
The hot dog itself was a German creation, and it was usually eaten with mustard. The all-beef sausage came from the Jewish community, and the tomatoes and onions were additions from hot-dog-eaters in Little Italy. Pickles arrived in Chicago when Mexican tamale vendors arrived for the Worlds Fair, and relish was an addition from the English community from Britain. Celery salt was, at the time, considered to be the latest in fad-diet trends in neighboring Lakeview, and poppy seeds were an addition from the Eastern European community.
Simple, authentic and superbly delicious, this hot dog joint is THE place to go for a Chicago-style hot dog in the city. There are four locations to choose from, including this South Loop spot, one in Lakeview, one in Wicker Park and one in Gold Coast.
Call Of The Wild School For Dogs

Theyre a premier dog training school in Chicago and has set the standard for effective dog training.
They combine professional coaching and owner involvement.
Through obedience training, they want to enhance your dog-human relationship.
Aside from dog training, they also offer daycare and boarding services.
3027 N. Rockwell St/Chicago, IL 60618 |
Canine Perspective was established in 2012.
And ever since then, their clients would double every year.
With a great demand for the services of their head trainer, Jesse San Miguel.
He is also called Chicagos Dog Whisperer.
Jesse and their other great trainers will surely unlock your poochs potential.
Website |
2700 North Campbell, Chicago, IL 60647 |
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How Do You Make A Chicago
What is the Best Way to Cook a Chicago-Style Hot Dog?
While the average Chicagoan is familiar with the condiments of a Chicago-style hot dog, many individuals are unfamiliar with the process of cooking one. To avoid a soggy and unappetizing dog, you should avoid cooking it in the microwave. Grab a pot and fill it with water.
Next, increase the heat on your stove to medium and boil the pot of water. Once the water is boiling, decrease the heat to a low setting and drop the hot dog in the water. Cook it for a total of 5 minutes on the stove.
Once the Chicago hot dog is finished, grab a plate and place a dry paper towel on it. Next, remove the cooked hot dog from the pot and place it on the plate. Prior to popular belief, its important to cook or steam a bun to prevent your Chicago hot dog from getting cold while its being assembled.
Grab a steamer basket and drop it into the pot and cook the hot dog bun for a total of 2 4 minutes. Once the hot dog and bun are cooked, its time to assemble the condiments. First, drop the hot dog in the cooked or steamed bun.
Next, add the mustard, neon green relish, diced onions, tomatoes, pickle, sports peppers, and celery salt to the Chicago-style hot dog. The tomato wedges should be added vertically between the hot dog and the bun to prevent it from falling. Also, drop the pickle directly next to the hot dog in the bun.
How Many Calories is a Chicago-Style Hot Dog?
What Are the Best Beef Hot Dogs to Buy?
Dog Haus Biergarten Lincoln Park
Dog Haus Biergarten is LA Chain serving wide range of hot dogs, burgers and sausage. I would recommend their original traditional style hot dogs, but place is famous for variety of sausage selection featuring flavors. Place also serves craft beers.
If you love craft beers then you may like my post on best breweries in Chicago.
Dog Haus Biergarten is located at 2464 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
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European Exploration And Settlement Prior To 1800
Carte de la Louisiane et du cours du Mississipi
French explorers and explored the in 1673. Marquette soon after founded a mission at the in . In 1680, French explorers under and constructed a fort at the site of present-day , and in 1682, a fort atop in today’s Starved Rock State Park. French Empire came south to settle particularly along the Mississippi River, and Illinois was part of first , and then of until 1763, when it passed to the British with their defeat of France in the . The small French settlements continued, although many French migrated west to and , to evade British rule.
A few British soldiers were posted in Illinois, but few British or American settlers moved there, as the Crown made it part of the territory reserved for Indians west of the Appalachians, and then part of the . In 1778, claimed for . In a compromise, Virginia ceded the area to the new United States in the 1780s and it became part of the , administered by the federal government and later organized as states.
Where To Eat Chicago Dogs
Now that you know the why, what and how of Chicago dogs, where should you eat one? There are hundreds of hot dog stands around the city and suburbs, many of them very similar. Here are a few serving varied styles.
The Superdawg drive-in on Chicago’s North side is one of the few remaining restaurants featuring car … hop service.
Corbis via Getty Images
Charred: Fatsos Last Stand serves an excellent charred hot dog. Cooks here cut each end of the dog like a cross and score it so it spirals. That helps char more surface area. I personally think that everything tastes better a little charred, says owner Floersheimer. He grew up in New York and is partial to mustard and sauerkraut, but well give him a pass because his Chicago-style hot dogs are some of the best in the city.
Jr.s Red Hots is another great char dog contender. In fact, Markoff of Vienna Beef, who has tasted thousands of hot dogs throughout his career, says the hot dogs here are his favorite. Go to Superdawg Drive-In for the hot dog, stay for the old-fashioned, kitschy cute vibe. Finally, if you can brave the harassment thats custom at The Wieners Circle, you will be rewarded with a classic char dog that’s as good as it gets.
Steamed: Rand Red Hots, another Markoff favorite, is a classic. A steamed hot dog with all the toppings and that essential Rosens bun.
Portillo’s makes one of the most famous and widely exported outside of Chicago hot dogs.
Portillo’s
And now
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