I'm with Rich and Ronnie. I found it unremarkable. Nothing I'd drive for or crave.

I've not experienced mushy dogs or limp fries but only been on weekends around the noon hour. I will say even at that time the lack of customers has become noticeable and is bothersome.

Ronnie Suburban, I don't understand the "bun without poppy seeds" comment. Seedless is the default here, as it is at the places it is most like (based on my experiences): Gene & Jude's and Red Hot Ranch.

Shasson wrote:Ronnie Suburban, I don't understand the "bun without poppy seeds" comment. Seedless is the default here, as it is at the places it is most like (based on my experiences): Gene & Jude's and Red Hot Ranch.

Fair enough. Now, if the hot dog hadn't been mushy and the fries hadn't been limp . . .

=R=

Now, if the hot dog hadn't been mushy

sous vide?

T Comp wrote:I've not experienced mushy dogs or limp fries but only been on weekends around the noon hour.

Same here, except that I've mostly been during the week at lunch time or slightly later, like around 1:30 - 2:00. I guess I've been lucky because from my experience (probably 8 - 10 visits now), I rate Rand Red Hots one of the better examples of the traditional minimalist dogs being served. Is it the "best" example? I wouldn't go that far, but I can't see all the hate, either.

Also, I don't go into any hot dog stand without ordering my fries crispy. That really does seem to eliminate limp fry syndrome across the board.

I'm kind of surprised to hear so many neutral/meh/negative opinions of this place after it was just announced as a GNR. Plus the comments about limp fries doesn't jive with the GNR announcement which states " fries are done to crisp perfection every time". Apparently, that's not true. I haven't eaten here but the inconsistencies between the verbiage in the GNR announcement and recent reviews is somewhat troubling to me.

So is this place truly a GNR? Recent comments have me doubting that assertion and leave me less likely to make the effort to try it.

Seamus wrote:I'm kind of surprised to hear so many neutral/meh/negative opinions of this place after it was just announced as a GNR. Plus the comments about limp fries doesn't jive with the GNR announcement which states " fries are done to crisp perfection every time". Apparently, that's not true. I haven't eaten here but the inconsistencies between the verbiage in the GNR announcement and recent reviews is somewhat troubling to me.

So is this place truly a GNR? Recent comments have me doubting that assertion and leave me less likely to make the effort to try it.

Speaking for myself, having only been there once, I really tried not to make any GNR-specific comments during the discussion period. I felt that it just wasn't fair to comment on a place in that context after a single experience. I did, however, post about my experience here.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Speaking for myself, having only been there once

I've been to Rand Red Hots 5-6 times and have not experienced flaccid wieners or limp fries.

I always ask for fries crisp, no matter where.

RRH is a GNR in my book and in the same top tier minimalist league as Jimmy's, Gene & Jude's, Red Hot Ranch and the revamped Bunny Hutch.

Rand Red Hots, count me a fan!
.

I'm definitely still a big fan - I've never had a bad dog there, and the fries are among the tastiest. I have had some variety in crispiness (I don't special order them), but never what I would call limp.

While enrolled at a sexpositive exposition last weekend at a hotel in Rosemont, on Saturday afternoon I skipped out of there to motor to Rand Red Hots for a definite comparison to Gene's & Jude's "depression"-style hot dog.
I actually like limp, slightly soggy french fries. I found the hot dog to be quite similar in style and preparation to that of Gene's & Jude's. There is a slight difference in the ordering process. At G's&J's, you will get sport peppers on your hot dog if you don't tell it leave them off. At RRH, you have to explicitly specify you want peppers. Overall, this is a hot dog I endorse.
Bonus points for no line out the door at 3:50 pm on a Saturday afternoon.

pudgym29 wrote:While enrolled at a sexpositive exposition last weekend at a hotel in Rosemont, on Saturday afternoon I skipped out of there

Wait, what?

Thank you; I was afraid to ask.

Buddy

pudgym29 wrote:While enrolled at a sexpositive exposition last weekend at a hotel in Rosemont, on Saturday afternoon I skipped out of there to motor to Rand Red Hots for a definite comparison to Gene's & Jude's "depression"-style hot dog.
I actually like limp, slightly soggy french fries. I found the hot dog to be quite similar in style and preparation to that of Gene's & Jude's. There is a slight difference in the ordering process. At G's&J's, you will get sport peppers on your hot dog if you don't tell it leave them off. At RRH, you have to explicitly specify you want peppers. Overall, this is a hot dog I endorse.
Bonus points for no line out the door at 3:50 pm on a Saturday afternoon.

Can't imagine what made your mind turn to hotdogs

I admit that the limp hot dog bit is funny. On the other hand, I feel I know the board pretty well, so don't let's start piling on pudgy here. I find his openness and candor very commendable, and there is nothing negative about being sex-positive.

laikom wrote:On the other hand, I feel I know the board pretty well, so don't let's start piling on pudgy here.

Right, let's wait until we're in Rosemont.

I'm with laikom. I know I can support
"an emphasis on safe sex and the importance of consent." I am for anything that "advocates sex education and safer sex".
It seems the height of hypocrisy that every night we see 50 viagra-type commercials, but never one for a condom.
not that I'm like an ol' hippy dippy or anything....
just sayin....

Ok, folks. Back to the food, please.

Thanks,

=R=
for the Moderators

Ok, folks. Back to the food, please.

Wiener Positive

I went here today with my two sons. I have to say I wasn't terribly impressed. The thing of wrapping the food up with the hot dog doesn't really appeal to me. I had a polish and the bun was pretty much compressed and mangled by the time I unwrapped it. Maybe they should just ask you if its to go? We were staying so I didn't need it compacted. I thought the fries were decent but not incredible. At Poochie's for instance I have a really hard time keeping myself from eating every available french fry. We ended up throwing away a bunch. I would try it again and I'd like to get the hot dog again, but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to get there. I thought the vibe of the place was good, I do appreciate the reductiveness of the menu but I think when you do that you really gotta bring it with what you have.

When I ate here in early April I tried the char grilled Maxwell polish.The char and the grilled onions mixed quite well.You do get a pretty good helping of fries with it;the guy making the fries was a little ahead of the person making the hot dogs and polish which might explain why some got fries right out of the fryer while others got fries not as hot.

For me, they're still crushing it here, with a snappy dog and crisp skin-on fries that have a great potato flavor.
Would it kill them to put a pickle spear on the dog? For $3.10 with fries, I can live without it. (yes, prices have gone up a tad since they opened)

JoelF wrote:For me, they're still crushing it here, with a snappy dog and crisp skin-on fries that have a great potato flavor.
Would it kill them to put a pickle spear on the dog? For $3.10 with fries, I can live without it. (yes, prices have gone up a tad since they opened)

“If you want a pickle, go to Poochies”
- Jimmy (Jimmy’s Red Hots)