From the Trib's website . . .

at chicagotribune.com, Nick Kindlesperger wrote:Last November, I mourned the loss of one of Chicago’s last great hot dog stands in the Loop. U.B. Dogs had served great sausages and fresh-cut fries in the area for eight years, but owner Joe Plonka was exhausted and wanted to take a break.

“Obviously, the decision has nothing to do with our success, but my fiancee and I are tired of cooking,” said Plonka at the time. He planned to take some time off, travel, then maybe find a less demanding restaurant concept to put in the space.

Turns out, Plonka had a change of heart. In an Instagram post, he announced that U.B. Dogs will be reopening: “After doing both extensive research about various new concepts, as well as some soul searching, we’ve come to the conclusion that we just really want to keep serving the good people of Chicago good Chicago food.”

After closing, U.B. Dogs decides to reopen in the Loop

=R=

Opening on July 8th! Get ready, Chicago!

http://www.ubdogs.com/

I started working from home two years ago, and boy do I miss UB Dogs.

Don't get me wrong - 99.99% of working from home is an improvement. I sleep better, I spend less money, and I've lost over 20lbs - but sometimes, you just get a craving. And yes, I absolutely refuse to hear any attempts to link my weight loss and my increased savings on the lack of UB Dogs...

Walked by at around 3:40p on the way to the train today.

I think the old hours of operation had them closing at like 3-3:30p, and they were cleaning up/closing the last couple years at that time.

They certainly were missed, because at 3:40p today, they were still rocking, at least 10-15 people inside (not large space but pretty full) and another 10 milling about outdoors.

Good for you Joey!

The former P.O.S Walgreens with the sidewalk to break your ankles next door has finished to become the new CNA building adding a few 1,000 new possible customers to the mix. That area of the loop certainly has changed in 20 years.

I no longer work in the area but glad to hear they're doing well. Good peeps, good food, and it's always nice to hang onto local non-chain options in the loop.

Stopped in today for lunch, they were very busy, so I probably waited 10-15 minutes to order. They have made some changes and simplified the menu, but the core food is still just as good as it was. They also gave the interior a nice makeover. You now pay when you order at the start of the line counter. They changed the fries to a variety that are a little thinner. This makes them crispier, which I like better then the old fries. The dipping sauces are now free and on the counter next to the ketchup.

Joey was no longer confined to the register, and instead walking around and chatting with everyone.

Glad they are back!!

I was really excited to get a quality Italian beef back in the loop and after heading to UB Dogs today, I'm still hoping someone can provide that service! Overall it was approaching average at best. The meat quality/taste was pretty much spot on - there just isn't very much of it. Add in the mediocre bread, giardinara that was basically all peppers (I think I did see a small piece of cauliflower, no carrot/celery/olive at all), and a 'dipped' request completely ignored. Really wish it could have been even slighlty better and I'd give it another try, but I couldn't bear paying good money on that experiment.

Good news was the fries were well executed and the dogs seemed to be what they always were. I was just soooo hopeful for the beef.

stoutisgoodfood wrote:I was really excited to get a quality Italian beef back in the loop and after heading to UB Dogs today, I'm still hoping someone can provide that service! Overall it was approaching average at best. The meat quality/taste was pretty much spot on - there just isn't very much of it. Add in the mediocre bread, giardinara that was basically all peppers (I think I did see a small piece of cauliflower, no carrot/celery/olive at all), and a 'dipped' request completely ignored. Really wish it could have been even slighlty better and I'd give it another try, but I couldn't bear paying good money on that experiment.

Good news was the fries were well executed and the dogs seemed to be what they always were. I was just soooo hopeful for the beef.

It might be worth mentioning to Joey next time you are there. He takes a lot of pride in his food and has always taken any comments I have to heart. Hopefully this was a one time issue with the new staff still learning the ropes.