Their burger is so good that I might never even try anything else on the menu. The mixed reviews on the hot dogs aren't helping to sway me on that either.

I haven't stopped into RHR since the new year, every time I've walked by it's been dead. I went in today around 1pm and it was a full house, glad to see they're doing a steady lunch business. Pretty much everyone was ordering the double cheeseburger, though one lady did come in and order a polish. They've raised the prices, the burger + fries is now 5.50, but of course that's still a great value. I can't remember if this was mentioned in the past, but you can request no fries and get $.50 removed from the total. I'm still a fan of the well done fries here. I can't comment on if they're upped their dog game as I've been burned enough by those in the past.

..

Red Hot Ranch, Ashland



The ne plus ultra of Chicago minimalist style dogs.

Red Hot Ranch Ashland, Count me a Fan!

Just had my first RR Dog. Forgot it was a minimalist approach, which for me is extra sparse since I don't do relish (I know, I know). So when I unwrapped the dog, I confess to a little disappointment. Then, at the first bite, what a wonderful experience. A glorious pop, great dog flavor and just some mustard, onions and sport peppers to enhance the experience. Not sure this will be my go to style in the future....actually I am sure, it won't.....but I really enjoyed the experience! Oh, and those fries, good stuff.

Max wrote:

jay2021 wrote:The rubbery dog your refering to is a natural casing Vienna hot dog. Sometimes the casing can be thicker than others but that's a Vienna issue. The only hot dog stands I go to have this product. Let's just call it the "snap dog". If you primarily eat char dogs the casing is compromised by the direct flame making it less rubbery. The dogs cooked in the old fashion crocks at places like the ranch, jimmys, genes and judes and 35th street red hots tend to have more of a snap.

I know what a natural casing dog is, RHR is the only place I've ever been where the dogs are consistently rubbery instead of having the snap. For whatever reason, their dogs just don't do it for me.

If the hot dogs or polishes from the crocks aren't to one's preference, at the Ashland location there is the option of ordering them grilled.

--
edc

I was in the Ashland location today, the guy who was there said burgers were coming to the Western location in 2 or 3 weeks.

That is the best news I have gotten in quite some time...

Bspar wrote:That is the best news I have gotten in quite some time...

Haha, just lop a couple of years off my life.

=R=

I live a 37 second walk away from the Western location (I timed it once). I'm going to die.

I don't know, 74 seconds of exercise a day must be enough to counteract the food.

This is great news. Love the burgers, but getting up to Ashland is definitely a harder task. Please report when this happens and if the quality is up to snuff!

That is amazing news! I love their burgers and live a few blocks from the Western location...

+1 for best news ever. Passing there at least twice a day is going to get a lot harder.

Burger and fries, makes me smile just to say...........

Red Hot Ranch co-owner (and formerly Wiener Circle, too) Barry Nemerow passed away, per Eater.

My condolences to his friends and family.

However, I have to ask, any news on Western location and burgers?

I popped in last weekend to ask and the burgers should be coming to Western in a couple months. They have the space cleared out for a griddle and once that is installed, it will take a bit to get up to speed.

Burgers have arrived at the Western location today. Got the double cheese, all the toppings, very solid. Very happy to have the burger option in the neighborhood now.

2Utah2 wrote:Burgers have arrived at the Western location today. Got the double cheese, all the toppings, very solid. Very happy to have the burger option in the neighborhood now.

Thanks for the heads up on this. I love the crew at the Ashland location but I will have to give the burgers at Western a shot.

=R=

Nice, thank you for the info. I would be interested in a comparison of the burgers from each location, but I foresee a visit soon regardless.

I've been waiting for the burgers since I helped them carry the grill in a couple months ago. I popped in on Friday to grab a double dog and got word they were launching Sunday and I've been burgin' hardcore with no relief since. Can't wait for dinner tonight! It's going to fill a huge void in the neighborhood because there are no real quick burger options beyond the Golden Arches.

A few years ago, after enjoying a cheeseburger at the Ashland Avenue location, I told a gentlemen behind the counter (who might have been the owner or manager) that the burger was the closest thing to In N Out that I've ever had in Chicago. I said to him, "I bet you get that a lot." He had no idea what In N Out was.

Kevin Pang did a story on the burgers at the Ashland Ave Red Hot Ranch - January 2015

At the start of 2013, Jeff Greenfield and Barry Nemerow were eating burgers at an In-N-Out in Las Vegas when inspiration struck.

The two respectively owned Red Hot Ranch and The Wiener Circle, Chicago institutions known more for mass quantity hot dog-slinging than for being serious foodie destinations. Their idea: Replicate the In-N-Out Double-Double for Chicagoans . . .

ld111134 wrote:A few years ago, after enjoying a cheeseburger at the Ashland Avenue location, I told a gentlemen behind the counter (who might have been the owner or manager) that the burger was the closest thing to In N Out that I've ever had in Chicago. I said to him, "I bet you get that a lot." He had no idea what In N Out was.

I honestly don't think it's even that close. The crispy edges on rhr's patties make it a far superior version.

Redhot Ranch on Western Ave. started serving burgers about a week ago.
Edit: Oopsy. Already reported. So, GFY. ✊

WhyBeeSea wrote:

ld111134 wrote:A few years ago, after enjoying a cheeseburger at the Ashland Avenue location, I told a gentlemen behind the counter (who might have been the owner or manager) that the burger was the closest thing to In N Out that I've ever had in Chicago. I said to him, "I bet you get that a lot." He had no idea what In N Out was.

I honestly don't think it's even that close. The crispy edges on rhr's patties make it a far superior version.

"Closest thing" wasn't meant to imply that In-N-Out was necessarily better, just that RHR's burgers are similar to In-N-Out.

Before I go further I have to relate my story of eating at In-N-Out. It was high noon in Vegas and the mercury was at 105 degrees. I saw INO from my hotel room window and thought, "hm, it doesn’t look that far, I'll just walk there". An hour later I was still wandering through a sweltering concrete maze of onramps, parking lots and dead end alleys, panting like a sick dog, trying to make my way to the INO sign shimmering like a mirage. I actually wrapped my shirt around my head to keep the sun off, like a somewhat fatter Lawrence of Arabia. When I finally staggered through the air-conditioned door, the burger I bit into was one of the best things I had ever eaten in my life.

Anyway my point is, the Redhot Ranch burger I tried yesterday at Western was quite good, with a great crispy crust on the meat. But – and maybe it's the heatstroke talking – it wasn't quite as good as In-N-Out. INO has the proportions down just right, so the sauce, vegetables and meat meld into a delicious whole. RHR has a great patty but the bun seemed a bit too fluffy, plus the produce wasn't as fresh. I would consider RHR a step below the great griddle burgers like Edzo's and Workingman's Friend but within a generous spitting distance.

eating while walking wrote:
Before I go further I have to relate my story of eating at In-N-Out. It was high noon in Vegas and the mercury was at 105 degrees. I saw INO from my hotel room window and thought, "hm, it doesn’t look that far, I'll just walk there". An hour later I was still wandering through a sweltering concrete maze of onramps, parking lots and dead end alleys, panting like a sick dog, trying to make my way to the INO sign shimmering like a mirage. I actually wrapped my shirt around my head to keep the sun off, like a somewhat fatter Lawrence of Arabia. When I finally staggered through the air-conditioned door, the burger I bit into was one of the best things I had ever eaten in my life.

Anyway my point is, the Redhot Ranch burger I tried yesterday at Western was quite good, with a great crispy crust on the meat. But – and maybe it's the heatstroke talking – it wasn't quite as good as In-N-Out. INO has the proportions down just right, so the sauce, vegetables and meat meld into a delicious whole. RHR has a great patty but the bun seemed a bit too fluffy, plus the produce wasn't as fresh. I would consider RHR a step below the great griddle burgers like Edzo's and Workingman's Friend but within a generous spitting distance.

I agree with EWW's assessment. Furthermore, I think that the Animal Style option puts In-N-Out ahead of RHR...and the In-an-Out imitators such at Five Guys. Mustard grilling, grilled onions, and Thousand Island-like sauce and the fresh lettuce and tomato put In-N-Out ahead of any place locally serving the crispy patty. RHR's patties are on par with In-N-Out's patties, but the fixings make In-N-Out a superior burger experience, IMHO. That said, I think Schoop's patties are better than RHR, In-N-Out et al.

eating while walking wrote:
Before I go further I have to relate my story of eating at In-N-Out. It was high noon in Vegas and the mercury was at 105 degrees. I saw INO from my hotel room window and thought, "hm, it doesn’t look that far, I'll just walk there". An hour later I was still wandering through a sweltering concrete maze of onramps, parking lots and dead end alleys, panting like a sick dog, trying to make my way to the INO sign shimmering like a mirage. I actually wrapped my shirt around my head to keep the sun off, like a somewhat fatter Lawrence of Arabia. When I finally staggered through the air-conditioned door, the burger I bit into was one of the best things I had ever eaten in my life.

The degree to which this story has been embellished is irrelevant to me - I love it. I'd probably even pay money to see the movie (but maybe only at matinee prices).

Anyway, I can appreciate debates over the RHR burger vs. In-N-Out. I always eat at In-N-Out when I visit my parents out west (usually a few times a year) . . . but I still prefer the RHR burger, though perhaps not by that much. But the fries. I just don't understand how In-N-Out's fries are not better . . . and nothing really makes them better. On the other hand, RHR's fries are really fantastic and that ends the debate for me. I also look forward to giving the Region a try (I admit I've never tried Schoops), but batter dipped fries?!?! Nooooo!!!!

Just back from Phoenix where, due to some uncontrollable factors, we hit I&O 3x over a 7-day period (we also had some real food, too). By the 3rd visit, I finally figured out my go-to order: mustard-grilled double double with grilled onions, lettuce, pickles and extra sauce. That landed it at about 75% as good as Redhot Ranch's Double Ranch Burger. And even ordering the fries well-done, they sucked. The trick with fresh-cut fries is frying them twice, not longer. I&O's were initially hard but not really crispy, especially after a few moments of sitting. I&O is a fairly decent stand-in but Redhot Ranch leaves it in the dust, imo.

=R=