Authentic hot dog in River West/East Village? Where?!!!!

I have been searching for a local hot dog stand that does the "Chicago hot dog" without cutting ANY corners (ala Portillo's). Does anyone know of a place?

It's always one thing or another: For example, Duk's on Ashland doesn't offer tomatoes. Most places don't use the poppy seed buns or they're not steamed. Others don't have the right pickle spears or sport peppers. Arrrggghhhhhh!!!!! Such a simple thing, but yet so elusive in this area.

Help? and thanks.

As a matter of reference, I believe the boundaries we're talking about are:

Chicago River on the East, Damen Avenue on the West; Grand Avenue on the South, Division Street on the North.

RiverWester wrote:It's always one thing or another: For example, Duk's on Ashland doesn't offer tomatoes.

There are some who would argue that a tomato has no place on a Chicago hot dog.

In any event, Give Fast Trackon Lake a try. They turn out a pretty good dog (and even include tomato). Also, probably just a bit West of your boundaries is Jimmy's Red Hots, one of the best hot dog stands in the entire Chicagoland area (no tomato or pickle here).

Fast Track
629 W. Lake St. (SE corner of Lake & Des Plaines)
Chicago, Illinois
(312) 993-9300

Jimmy’s Red Hots
4000 W Grand Av
Chicago, IL
773-384-9513

A couple shots in the dark:

Finkel's World Famous Deli
926 N North Branch St
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 829-1699
Website: http://www.finkelsdelichicago.com/

Hecky’s
1234 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 377-7427

I've eaten at Finkel's before, but it's been a long time since (but I think they serve hot dogs).

stevez wrote:

RiverWester wrote:It's always one thing or another: For example, Duk's on Ashland doesn't offer tomatoes.

There are some who would argue that a tomato has no place on a Chicago hot dog.

In any event, Give Fast Trackon Lake a try. They turn out a pretty good dog (and even include tomato). Also, probably just a bit West of your boundaries is Jimmy's Red Hots, one of the best hot dog stands in the entire Chicagoland area (no tomato or pickle here).

Fast Track
629 W. Lake St. (SE corner of Lake & Des Plaines)
Chicago, Illinois
(312) 993-9300

Thanks for the link to the old thread!!

Yes here it is, a simple but perfect looking Chicago dog!!!! But Fast Track closes at 7 p.m.



Jimmy's is pretty far west of this area. There is a place on Damen (west side of street), north of Nroth Ave. that's new, and it says $3.99 for 2 dogs and fries. haven't been in there yet, anyone know it?

PS I went into Byron's on Halsted btw Division and Chicago, and I cannot remember what, but some one thing or another they don't do right.

When I lived in that neighborhood, I liked Chicago Carry-outs at Chicago Ave and Wood. I believe it still exists, but I haven't been there in 14 years, so I can't vouch for the hotdogs (or anything else).

RiverWester wrote:Yes here it is, a simple but perfect looking Chicago dog!!!! But Fast Track closes at 7 p.m.

You didn't say it had to be open late. In that event, you're probably out of luck unless you travel outside of your area a bit. What about Polk Western Hot Dogs? I think they are open late (maybe as late as midnight). You may not be able to get your tomato here, though.

Polk & Western Hot Dogs
749 South Western Avenue
Chicago, IL
312-829-0300

Possibly
George's Hot Dogs
1876 N. Damen Ave., Chicago

RiverWester wrote:PS I went into Byron's on Halsted btw Division and Chicago, and I cannot remember what, but some one thing or another they don't do right.

The Byron's you are referring to I believe was between Chicago and Grand (Halsted just north of Erie). It has since been replaced with a hole in the ground.

RiverWester wrote:without cutting ANY corners (ala Portillo's)

what does portillo's do to cut corners?

Personally, i've been converted to prefer the dogs that Gene and Jude's or Jimmy's serves. Is there a name for this type of dog?

Mustard, onion, relish, sport peppers with a nice fresh cut french fry topping - thats a good dog.

djenks wrote:Personally, i've been converted to prefer the dogs that Gene and Jude's or Jimmy's serves. Is there a name for this type of dog?

I call it a classic chicago hot dog. Some further define it as the minimalist school.

djenks wrote:

RiverWester wrote:without cutting ANY corners (ala Portillo's)

what does portillo's do to cut corners?

Personally, i've been converted to prefer the dogs that Gene and Jude's or Jimmy's serves. Is there a name for this type of dog?

Mustard, onion, relish, sport peppers with a nice fresh cut french fry topping - thats a good dog.

sorry for the bad grammar. Portillo's is perhaps the only place (Ontario/Clark) that I know of that doesn't cut corners, but I'm trying out Fast Track, and wish it was open later than 7 p.m.

Does Portillo's use a natural casing hotdog?

Portillo's on Clark/Ontario is actually pretty easy to get to after rush hours, since the Ohio/Ontario ramp can be used to and from River West via Milwaukee & Augusta ramps. Next problem is that I like to eat in, not take out, and Portillo's has no parking.

Anyone been to Choppers on 1622 N. Ashland near North Ave.? Their choppak dbl cheeseburger is outstanding......but again they don't do the hot dog 100% correct, unfortunately.

djenks wrote:

RiverWester wrote:without cutting ANY corners (ala Portillo's)

what does portillo's do to cut corners?

Personally, i've been converted to prefer the dogs that Gene and Jude's or Jimmy's serves. Is there a name for this type of dog?

Mustard, onion, relish, sport peppers with a nice fresh cut french fry topping - thats a good dog.

I have a name for other type that has tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, etc. on it. Hot dog salads. I prefer the G&J or Jimmy's treatment too.

gp60004 wrote:Does Portillo's use a natural casing hotdog?

Portillo's does have a natural casing dog but it is a bigger size than the long thin red hots served at Gene and Jude's or Jimmy's. I'm pretty sure G&J's and Jimmy's are 10(dogs)/1(lb), whereas, Porty's would be closer to 7/1 or maybe even 6/1. I think both styles are good and match the ingredients with which they are served. When the strong flavor of pickles and tomatoes are added, a meatier dog is required to match the intensity. I still prefer the "classic" dog, as stevez put it, because I think the dog to topping ratio better showcases the meat. Also, I hate when the snap of the pickle interferes with the snap of the dog.

djenks wrote:Personally, i've been converted to prefer the dogs that Gene and Jude's or Jimmy's serves. Is there a name for this type of dog?

Mustard, onion, relish, sport peppers with a nice fresh cut french fry topping - thats a good dog.

Djenks,

I refer to this (mustard, onion, sport pepper) as a minimalist style dog.

Enjoy,
Gary

RiverWester, have you tried Odge's on Damen? It's been several years since I've been, but from what I remember they're pretty good.

Odge's
730 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 666-7335

G Wiv and sazerac have some pretty cool pictures of Odge's in the "Guess the Restaurant" section of LTH.

G Wiv : Guess the Restaurant Entry: #114
sazerac : Guess the Restaurant # 134

Though I'm sure many will disagree, I thought Underdogs on Damen made a pretty good Chicago Style... However they're not boiled dogs, they're "char dogs"... You know I'm really not sure if a true Chicago Style aficionado would except a char dog as a Chicago Style... Either way, it's a pretty good dog accompanied by some good-n-greasy fries.

Underdogs
1570 1/2 N. Damen
Chicago, IL 60610
(773) 384-4030

~GS

Portillo's does have a natural casing dog but it is a bigger size than the long thin red hots served at Gene and Jude's or Jimmy's. I'm pretty sure G&J's and Jimmy's are 10(dogs)/1(lb), whereas, Porty's would be closer to 7/1 or maybe even 6/1.

Portillo's has switched to a longer, thinner dog. I went to the Ontario Porty's Saturday night and was surprised to find a dog about the same thickness as Gene and Jude's but a little longer. Thinking it may have been an aberration, I tried the new Willowbrook location yesterday and found the same size frankfurter. I called their corporate this morning and was told that they changed the shape and size of their dog but kept the same recipe.

Big Willi wrote:I called their corporate this morning and was told that they changed the shape and size of their dog but kept the same recipe.

Is the new Portillo's hot dog natural casing?

G Wiv wrote:Is the new Portillo's hot dog natural casing?

Yes it is still a "snapper." I have always been a fan of their dogs but now with the new style, it jumps near the top of my favorites list. I've had trouble finding this style hot dog (a long, thin dog with natural casing) dressed with all 7 ingredients on the "Chicago-style" list. I cheated, though, and ate the pickle seperately. I enjoy their pickles but think they are cut too thickly to put on a hot dog without dominating the other flavors and snap of the dog

RiverWester wrote:Portillo's on Clark/Ontario is actually pretty easy to get to after rush hours, since the Ohio/Ontario ramp can be used to and from River West via Milwaukee & Augusta ramps. Next problem is that I like to eat in, not take out, and Portillo's has no parking.

While it may be easy to get to, it doesn't mean it is easy to get food. Every now and then my wife gets the craving for the Vegetarian Croissant and cheese fries from Portillo's for dinner, which means I get the craving for a cheeseburger and fries. Portillo's is on the way home from NMH where she works, so I hold off on dinner till 8:45pm when she'd normally get home. Well, the darned drive-up line has been around the block each and every time she has tried to pick it up for the last 2 months. Hard to go from Portillo's cheeseburger and fries to Ramen as it is too late to deal with making anything else...

RiverWester wrote:Anyone been to Choppers on 1622 N. Ashland near North Ave.? Their choppak dbl cheeseburger is outstanding......but again they don't do the hot dog 100% correct, unfortunately.

See, I found that burger to be absolutely disgusting. There is something that is just "off" about it, and I find the oval shape of the patty to be indicative of something very processed. Kind of a shame though cause I think the coleslaw and fries were very good, though it has been a few years since I tried it last.

Jamie

Since when has this Portillo's change occurred? My hot dog cravings have been taken care of by other establishments for awhile now - but the Portillos change is certainly interesting.

As far as I know, it was very recently. I did not think to ask but I had a hot dog at the Bolingbrook location about a month ago and it was the thicker version.

so, that means that i'm easily at portillo's one of these nights this week.

Big Willi wrote:

Portillo's does have a natural casing dog but it is a bigger size than the long thin red hots served at Gene and Jude's or Jimmy's. I'm pretty sure G&J's and Jimmy's are 10(dogs)/1(lb), whereas, Porty's would be closer to 7/1 or maybe even 6/1.

Portillo's has switched to a longer, thinner dog. I went to the Ontario Porty's Saturday night and was surprised to find a dog about the same thickness as Gene and Jude's but a little longer. Thinking it may have been an aberration, I tried the new Willowbrook location yesterday and found the same size frankfurter. I called their corporate this morning and was told that they changed the shape and size of their dog but kept the same recipe.

Yes they did change again. I recently visited the one in Tinley Park and did not like them at all. They almost tasted like some kind of generic food service/institutional kind of hot dog.




Back in April I posted a bit of info on Portillo's hot dogs and polish.

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=12782&highlight

Phil wrote:

chicagostyledog wrote:This isn't the first incident Portillo's had with their Polish. A few years ago, they dropped Vienna Beef and sold Bobak's Polish for a while, before switching back to Vienna Beef.

A neighbor of mine worked at one in the south suburbs a couple years ago and said they also changed the hot dogs from Vienna to Bobak's. A few months after he left they changed again and now use something that's not very good at all. Any ideas what brand they are using now?

aschie30 wrote:

RiverWester wrote:I went to Gary's hot dog stand on Damen (west side of street btw North and Armitage).

Gary's? Do you mean George's? (Old Greek guy?)

EDIT: I went to George's hot dog stand on 1876 N. Damen Ave. Not bad.

Only thing missing was the poppy seed bun. Otherwise it would have counted. 2 hot dogs & fries for $3.99. Fries good, but skimpy portion.

Another one that doesn't do it just right. It's not that tough!

PS I tried Fast Track and thought it was great, but had the lingering suspicion that the dog was not 1/8 lb.?

RiverWester wrote:I went to Gary's hot dog stand on Damen (west side of street btw North and Armitage).

Gary's? Do you mean George's? (Old Greek guy?)

RiverWester wrote:PS I tried Fast Track and thought it was great, but had the lingering suspicion that the dog was not 1/8 lb.?

What's your point? Were they misrepresenting something? Most people who prefer a natural casing also prefer the 10 to a pound size because the thicker hotdogs don't have the same snap. Considering how obsessed you appear to be about finding the "perfect" hotdog, I thought you would have known this.

I would vote for Ogge's on Damen & Chicago. It's been there for years, and I like that they offer "free fries with a dog" and all that. Definitely old-school.