Jimmy's Red Hots

It was good to see Jimmy's get some well-deserved attention recently. It occurred to me that Jimmy's didn't have its own thread. I first posted elsewhere on Jimmy's over five years ago. Then a couple years ago I took some pictures but never got around to putting them together. So here it is, hot off the press, five year old text (italics) with two year old pictures. It shouldn't matter, other than the prices, things don't change much at Jimmy's. Let's see if anyone can spot a major change in the building since these pictures were taken.

One of the great remaining classic hot dog stands in Chicago is Jimmy’s (not to be confused with Jim’s, formerly on Maxwell Street). This is a no-nonsense place, in business since 1954, that serves a basic Vienna dog plus fries better than just about anywhere in the city. It’s very similar to Gene and Jude’s in many ways but has more of a gritty Chicago character.

It’s a nondescript brick building on the corner of Grand and Pulaski with garish signs advertising Vienna hot dogs ("Give us a test. Ours are the best."). These signs are relatively new but there are several very old, round Coca-Cola signs that must date from the ‘50s.



A small parking lot surrounds the building. Inside there’s a narrow concrete-floored space with 2 wide ordering windows. A long standup eating counter lines the street-side windows. The menu is short: hot dog (w/fries), Polish sausage (w/fries), fries, Supreme tamale, hot sauce, and drinks. Hot dogs are the thing to get (the Polish is a not-so-special boiled Vienna and even the hot sauce can’t redeem those tamales). Condiments are limited to mustard, relish, onion, and sport peppers (on request). There is an ancient sign reading "No ketchup. Never, ever. Don’t even think about it."



The seedless bun is properly steamed and holds a perfectly cooked Vienna hot dog (yes, of course it snaps). The hot dogs are simmered in ancient white crocks set into the stainless steel counter.



Condiments are just the basics, not overdone. The fries that come wrapped with the hot dog are outstanding. Clearly freshly made [and twice-fried], they are slightly greasy, slightly moist yet crispy. More along the lines of Al’s than Gene and Jude’s. The sign says "served with a load of fries" and they’re not kidding; the portion is huge. It’s all served in an old Burger King bag or whatever they happened to get a good deal on.





[Note the natural casing dog.]

It always seems to be busy and the patrons are a true cross section of Chicago.





Last time I was there much of the eating counter was taken up with a display of videos for sale that some guy had unloaded from a beat up suitcase.



Jimmy’s is the real deal, the last of a breed. I doubt everyone will like it as much as I do but it’s a special place. For a $2, 10 minute lesson about Chicago it’s tough to beat.

Jimmy’s Red Hots
4000 W Grand Av (Grand is 1400 N at Pulaski)
Chicago
773-384-9513
Sun-Thu 10:30am-1am; Fri-Sat 10:30am-2am

Rene G wrote: Let's see if anyone can spot a major change in the building since these pictures were taken.

Pepsi, no Coke.

Now this is a Chicago experience worth waiting in line for. The "Hungry Detective" shoulda come here.

I used to be a social worker in that neighborhood and the principal at one of my schools used to ask me if I was coming to his school around lunchtime and would ask me to stop at Jimmy's and we'd have lunch in his office, almost every Tuesday. I took Evil Ronnie there on our own hot-dog-athon about 2 years ago, to show him the place and the 'hood. The only difference I know of now is that they have a gun under the counter (told to me by a cousin of the owners)

PIGMON wrote:Pepsi, no Coke.

Very good. Maybe a year ago the round Coca-Cola signs (which on closer inspection don't appear as old as I thought) were replaced by Supreme Tamale signs.

The Lovely Donna wrote:The only difference I know of now is that they have a gun under the counter

Yeah, they used to carry them on their belts. In my original post I mention the guy who always displayed a .38 revolver. Haven't seen him for a while.

The hot dog I was raised on as a kid was Demon Dogs and they arent around anymore but Jimmys is pretty much the exact same thing and for that, it is my favorite hot dog spot in the city. They have a very snappy dog that goes in a steamed bun served with great fries, that are a replica of Demon Dog's or maybe vice versa but either way thay are 5 star. I always get one with everything and one plain, on the plain one I stuff fries on top of the dog and in between the bun and it doesnt get much better. Great report.

Jimmy's -- yes, yes.

I grew up on the west side and my first visit to Jimmy's was about 50 years ago when a friend introduced me to hot dogs with sport peppers. You can imagine the reaction of a kid unfamiliar with heat at that time. My friend had a bit of fun at my expense, but I still liked the hot dog and did return.

My most recent visit was about a year ago when I introduced my son to Jimmy's. He's a bit fussy about his hot dogs and fries, and definitely liked Jimmy's. Guess I raised him right.

I ate lunch at Jimmy's yesterday. Their Polish is still excellent($2.85 with fries), their buns are still squashed, and the large Vienna Beef sign in the parking lot has a new bullet hole in the "V."

If there were a french-fry-a-thon, I would put Jimmy's up near the top.

Fresh cut with the skin still on, super-salted and greasy as sin.

They're works of beauty.

chicagostyledog wrote:. . . the large Vienna Beef sign in the parking lot has a new bullet hole in the "V."

The bullet hole isn't all that new but it certainly adds a nice touch of urban authenticity. These photos were taken in April of 2005.

LTH,

Seldom have I disagreed more strongly with David Hammond.

Chicago Reader, Jimmy's Red Hots

Enjoy,
Gary

Aye Carumba, Mr. Hammond must have gone on a way off night. Although as a patron of the place for decades I can attest that they can run the gamut from the Reader review up to Genes N Judes level and sometimes beyond. I would suggest giving them one more try during an afternoon.

Anyway, I have noticed a lot of talk about the alleged hidden guns at Jimmy's. There arent any guns hidden under any counters. The places owner is very active in charity events in and around chicago. He also has a permit to carry a weapon and I beleive the rumors may have started from customers who have seen him working the counter there with his chrome .45 strapped to his side. At times he may have off duty CPD there as well. Despite is tough looking exterior he is indeed a very kind and very generous man. My wife taught special needs kids years back and one of his kids attended the school. Jimmy footed the bill to send the entire class to the circus and always provided teachers and aides with gifts.

And for those who have mentioned some possible degrees of seperation from Genes N Judes, if you have ever headed to GNJ's on river road southbound from North Ave you have driven right past Jimmy's home. Kind of hard to miss since he has antique fire engines and hearses parked all around it. I always wondered if late at night when he felt like a hot dog and didnt want to drive to his stand if he would stop by GNJ's
bob

Jimmy is indeed a really nice guy, one time I bought a hot dog for someone asking for money outside and when I gave it to him Jimmy came running out and offered me another dog which I kindly denied since I already had two.



I had thought that they were all cops who ran the joint since it is a very popular place for the narcs...not surprising they know where to go for the best dog in the city.

Rene G wrote:The bullet hole isn't all that new but it certainly adds a nice touch of urban authenticity. These photos were taken in April of 2005.

For reasons unknown to myself, I chuckled at the sight of the bullet hole in this picture. I've become a jaded city dweller after 12 years of living in fringe 'hoods, apparently. I barely flinch at the sound of a gunshot, a recent murder two blocks away didn't catch my attention until I was told about it, and I haven't yet called Graffiti Busters to remove gang-related graffiti on my garage, which first stated in yellow, "Viva La Iran," before the wordsmithing graffiti "artist" returned a few days later to add the word "Glory" in the same yellow pen so that it now reads "Glory Viva La Iran." [I guess I find this amusing and am wondering if the graffitti-teer will return again, add more words, and before long, my garage will be a poetry installation.)

Anyhow, the next time I'm driving out to Caputo's I definitely intend to visit Jimmy's, if only to pick up some pirated DVDs.

G Wiv wrote:LTH,

Seldom have I disagreed more strongly with David Hammond.

Chicago Reader, Jimmy's Red Hots

Enjoy,
Gary

I think perhaps that Mr. Hammond mistakenly went to the wrong place and thought he was at Jimmy's. I can find no other logical explanation for the obvious disconnect in his review. It's a shame that such a misguided review will live forever on the Reader's website.

So, alleged bullet holes, a good guy owner, amusing local characters and pleasant childhood memories must yield a superior hot dog? Baloney.

David Hammond wrote:So, alleged bullet holes, a good guy owner, amusing local characters and pleasant childhood memories must yield a superior hot dog? Baloney.

No. Perfectly simmered dog and steamed bun, fresh cut double fried fries and the traditional standard toppings (non enhanced) yields a superior dog. The stuff you mentioned only adds to the atmosphere. Obviously, you hit them at an off moment. Was this your one and only visit to Jimmy's? That's the only explanation I can think of for such an erroneous view of the Jimmy Dog.

Edited to correct semantics on dog preparation

stevez wrote:Was this your one and only visit to Jimmy's?

No but it will be my last.

David Hammond wrote:

stevez wrote:Was this your one and only visit to Jimmy's?

No but it will be my last.

Well, it takes all kinds to make up a world.

P.S. Is this because of the no ketchup thing?

I think no one denies that Jimmy's has character by the ton. I also think they have excellent, just excellent fries. Maybe like Parky's in Forest Park it is worth a visit only for its fries. The hot dogs, well I have never visited Jimmy's when they've been on, and with Gene & Judes pretty close to me, I'll not try very again too often. Here's what I wrote before Chowhound started deleting posts on mine:

And the fries reminds me that I have been meaning for ages to report on Jimmy's, the classic hot dog shack on Pulaski and Grand. Famous as much for its nighttime black market, and being the alleged progentor of VI favorite eatery, Gene and Judes, I was for ages, remiss in trying it. Finally, one day, the Ultimo dragged me there after another meal. We both found the dogs odd to say the least, and they excused it that afternoon as the fault of their inventory re-filling. They had been delivered the wrong dog they cried. Willing to buy that, I tried again recently. Nope.

Jimmy's hot dog is, if you can imagine this, even skinnier than Gene and Judes. It is skinless, mushy and as I said above, possessing an odd taste that is different than the standard Vienna. What Jimmy's does continue to have, is very good french fries.I actually would give Jimmy's the nod over G&J when it comes to spuds. Crisper, just as fresh, and with the superior option of a special hot sauce, which is similiar to David Schy's ketchapeno.

Jimmy's serves a 5/1 skinless Vienna Beef Polish that's simmered in hot water, unlike the natural casing Vienna Beef Polish served by many Chicago hot dog stands. Natural casing Polish are traditionally prepared by deep frying, char grilling, or flat grilling, which enhances their flavor pattern to the Polish we know and love. Drop a skinless Polish into a deep fryer and the flavor pattern changes dramatically. In fact, when your teeth break the deep fried, pseudo skin of a skinless Polish, a tingling exhilaration bursts ecstatically upon your taste buds as your mouth rejoices in anticipation for the second bite. The next time you're in Milwaukee, stop at Martino's for a deep fried, skinless, Vienna Beef Polish with grilled onions and Dusseldorf mustard. I favor my Polish the old fashioned way-natural casing and deep fried.

Vital Information wrote:Jimmy's hot dog is, if you can imagine this, even skinnier than Gene and Judes. It is skinless, mushy and as I said above, possessing an odd taste that is different than the standard Vienna.

In fact, the usual dog at Jimmy's has a natural casing (and I believe, but am not certain, the hot dog is from Vienna Beef). At least every time I've been there that's the way it's been. Here are a few shots of the umbilicus.

Jimmy's, April 2005


Jimmy's, April 2006


Jimmy's, March 2008

The dogs we had sure seemed skinless to me.

Is it possible that like the take-away sacks, Jimmy's uses whatever wieners they can get?

David Hammond wrote:The dogs we had sure seemed skinless to me.

Is it possible that like the take-away sacks, Jimmy's uses whatever wieners they can get?

I think Jimmy's can be highly variable. Sometimes, even when the owner is working, they serve hot dogs that have been simmering too long. In my many visits to Jimmy's I've had some less than satisfactory experiences but I'm pretty sure I've never been served a skinless hot dog. Even if the snap isn't there it's easy to tell by looking at the ends. I was also surprised by your comment about unsalted fries. In my experience, those guys don't mess around when wielding the salt canisters.

Rene G wrote:

David Hammond wrote:I was also surprised by your comment about unsalted fries. In my experience, those guys don't mess around when wielding the salt canisters.

I love salt. I use way too much. It's not unlikely that maybe my threshold for appropriate saltiness is askew. I didn't see any salt on the fries, I didn't taste any and there wasn't any on the counters to shake on my fries.

Rene G wrote:Here are a few shots of the umbilicus.

And a few more.

Jimmy's, 9/9/05



Jimmy's 6/26/08



While over time I've experienced some variation in consistency, in the last year I've been to Jimmy's a dozen times and they have been rock solid, always natural casing and fries cut in house. If pressed, I would say Jimmy's is my favorite Hot Dog Stand.

Enjoy,
Gary

As Gene and Jude's and Jimmy's have been compared in the thread I thought I'd post a side by side.

Jimmy's



Gene and Jude's



Enjoy,
Gary

Rene G wrote:

David Hammond wrote:The dogs we had sure seemed skinless to me.

Is it possible that like the take-away sacks, Jimmy's uses whatever wieners they can get?

I think Jimmy's can be highly variable. Sometimes, even when the owner is working, they serve hot dogs that have been simmering too long. In my many visits to Jimmy's I've had some less than satisfactory experiences but I'm pretty sure I've never been served a skinless hot dog. Even if the snap isn't there it's easy to tell by looking at the ends. I was also surprised by your comment about unsalted fries. In my experience, those guys don't mess around when wielding the salt canisters.

I was struck by the skinless, snap-less dog, unsalted fries bug on my visit to Jimmy's last week after drinks at Weegee's (which was fantastic). Poor steamed, stale bun and textureless dog didn't even match the $4 offering at Wrigley that I used to cleanse the taste of an ill-advised pulled pork sandwich the Friday prior (rule 14: beef after pork makes your teef work. Or something.). Fries were skin-on and perfectly crisply cooked, just had no salt, revealing a very tired oil flavor. My previous visits were not bad, just underwhelming, so I'd definitely say this place is inconsistent lately. I'm sticking to G & J for a while (where there is at least a McD's next door for ketchup for the fries).

Santander wrote:I was struck by the skinless, snap-less dog, unsalted fries bug on my visit to Jimmy's last week after drinks at Weegee's (which was fantastic). Poor steamed, stale bun and textureless dog . . .

Ditto, ditto and ditto. My first visit to Jimmy's yielded the same underwhelming experience. Flaccid, skinless dog & mushy bun. I appreciate that they decline to "run through the garden" and minimize the toppings, but I suppose that can be remedied anywhere by just customizing your dog upon ordering. The fries were *almost* its saving grace - yet they were woefully unsalted, and in bad need of ketchup. Based upon this one visit, I have a hard time seeing how Jimmy's stands out from other corner hot dog stands.

aschie30 wrote:Ditto, ditto and ditto. My first visit to Jimmy's yielded the same underwhelming experience. Flaccid, skinless dog & mushy bun. I appreciate that they decline to "run through the garden" and minimize the toppings, but I suppose that can be remedied anywhere by just customizing your dog upon ordering. The fries were *almost* its saving grace - yet they were woefully unsalted, and in bad need of ketchup. Based upon this one visit, I have a hard time seeing how Jimmy's stands out from other corner hot dog stands.

After a trip to Jimmy's today to confirm what I already knew, I can only conclude that you must have gone to the wrong place. Jimmy's serves a natural casing hot dog at all times. The manager confirmed that there has never been a time that Jimmy's has served a skinless wiener. Also, the fries at Jimmy's are always nicely salted. If anything, they can be over salted, but never unsalted (Unless by special request). Are you sure you were at the correct Jimmy's?

Note: I'll admit that if you are a lover of ketchup, you are best served by going elsewhere.