As a world-famous hot dog sculptor and reviewer, I have sampled dogs from every corner of the civilized world. Yet somehow, I had never tried a true Chicago-style hot dog. That changed when I arrived at Byron's Hot Dogs, an old-school Chicago stand near Wrigley Field that locals and visitors consistently praise for its classic dogs, friendly service, and affordable prices. The location was warm and welcoming, and the staff patiently explained the entire process. You order at the counter, then move down the line while they build the dog to your liking. They also serve burgers, Italian beef, Polish sausages, gyros, fries, and plenty of other options, but I had come for one reason: to experience the Chicago dog in its natural habitat. Then came the great ketchup controversy. I asked for ketchup and was informed that this was a serious violation of Chicago law. Apparently, ketchup does not belong on a Chicago hot dog, and requesting it is roughly equivalent to insulting the Cubs, deep-dish pizza, and the city flag all at once. Unwilling to abandon my artistic vision, I snuck across the street and purchased a bottle. When I returned, I applied a small amount to my hot dog. The moment the ketchup touched the bun, the lights flickered and a smoky figure appeared above the counter. He introduced himself as Ketchu-Potl, ancient deity of forbidden condiments. He cursed me to spend the rest of my life receiving mustard packets whenever I ask for ketchup. Worse, every hot dog I order now arrives with one single mysteriously warm tomato slice in my pocket. Despite the curse, the hot dog was excellent. The classic toppings were fresh and flavorful, and Byron's even offers its own variation with additional lettuce, cucumber, and green pepper--essentially turning the hot dog into a salad on a bun. Byron's is a casual, no-frills spot with a welcoming atmosphere, quick service, and plenty of outdoor seating. It's also a much better value than buying a hot dog inside Wrigley Field. As a lifelong hot dog enthusiast, I'm thrilled to have finally experienced the real Chicago version. Just remember: order it with the works, skip the ketchup, and never underestimate the wrath of Ketchu-Potl. read more

Byron's Hot Dog - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Stopped by for a char dog with all the toppings, and it was delicious--fresh, flavorful, and exactly what I was craving. Everything was prepared quickly, and the ingredients tasted fresh. The cheeseburger looked fantastic too; I was tempted to order one after seeing it come out of the grill. I'll definitely be back to try the burger next time! Highly recommended if you're looking for a great Chicago-style bite. President Barack Obama approved read more

Byron's is the Mecca. I will usually give a great hot dog joint 4 stars but Byron's polish sausage sets the standard. Great fries and a wide selection of drinks, many actually healthy! read more

A great Vienna beef hot dog with all the fixins you could possibly want... basically, can do a "salad dog" if you so desire. I haven't been in over 10 years since moving to the suburbs.... but parked here for a cubs game and had to get a dog. Happy to report that this is still an excellent place for hot dogs. There is a decent sized lot behind the place with a driveway immediately to the west. Connected, is a covered porch with a few picnic tables to eat at. The folks behind the counter were helpful and patient. read more

Awesome place for great food. Added bonus, their toppings / veggies are cut fresh EACH day.

Can't go wrong coming here. Recently moved away from living near a Lucky Dog / Portillos and I was bummed to miss it. A place with good prices / good eats. Then I found this place and it made me happy to be moving here within 10 minute walk. Already can't wait to come back. Even though the prices are a bit pricey... makes sense... I would still give it another try. We ordered wings and a gyro plate. Pretty good food and my wife is a tough critic and she enjoyed this place. Alright vibes, nothin crazy. Looking forward to coming back though, thank you Byron's for the quality & hospitality. Also good service / good food! Personal Review: 8.3/10 read more

See all

4.5 We were treated to Byron's Hotdog which was recommended so I tried it. It's a Chicago Dog with added lettuce, cucumber slices and green pepper. Honestly, it's a salad on top of a hotdog in a bun but I really liked it. It's more filling and I loved the freshness from the vegetables. When you go to Byron's, there is ample parking space in the back. Go inside the small building and order; did get pretty tight in there when a line formed and people were waiting for their food. Service was fast. There are 6 picnic tables in a covered space outside; few seats inside. No restrooms. We drove there but I saw Sheridan station nearby. Located near Wrigley Field. read more

See all

Hot dogs are fire. Cool old chicago spot. Definitely come here if you looking for the real deal. read more

See all

I heard a lot of good things about bout this place so I decided to check it out since I had a little extra free time. And to be honest the main reason I tried this place was because it had my name on, literally. So I decided to go in and it's small inside and I feel like if you stay in there too long you will start to smell like the smoke from the grill. The service was ok, I asked the guy if they had anything other than beef and he said no until someone else had to tell him that they had the chicken gyro. I decided to get it because why not and honestly it wasn't that worth it. Maybe their burgers are better, but I'd skip out on the rest. It's cool to see my name plastered on a restaurant like that, but I wish the food and quality was better. I'm giving it a 3 mainly because it has my name on it, but if it didn't I'd probably skip this place. read more

See all

I'm giving it a 5-star rating because this is like a Pink's in Los Angeles. An iconic joint dating back to 1975. I went to the Irving Park location. A small place that pumps out so many kinds of hotdogs, burgers, sandwiches, and more! The crew was friendly and raw at the same time. I got a the combo which came with fries and a soft drink. I'll switch it up and milkshake next time! The ambience... well it's been around for decades. Although it was nice to site outside, you're not going their for luxury seating. It's a hot dog joint! Get down and dirty with some good kick ass hot dogs. read more

Byron's Hot Dog - Hot dog with everything! Make it a combo! - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I absolutely love their cheeseburgers. So delicious. Everything they sell is very good.

The food is the star. The Chicago hot dog was loaded with onions, a big slice of pickle, several hot peppers and the fries! perfectly cooked and generously provided. The service is exactly what you expect-fast and efficient. They do not swear at you or try to humiliate you, but you get the impression that they sure could if they wanted to. It feels right, which means not a lot of ambiance or foofery, just clean surfaces and plenty of napkins. I have not yet tried the beef, despite intending to. As soon as I walk in, I have to have the hot dog. A favorite. and I'm not a Cubs fan, so the draw is the food. read more

Has become a true staple of my visit back to visit Chicago. Authentic, small cute place with nice staff.

When I die, bury me in in a Byron's gyro combo. Not only is it the best bang for your buck in the entire city of Chicago, the quality and size of the gyro was enough to make a grown man celebrating Hanukkah grateful to give them their hard earned currency. Will be a regular for me. read more

Food was good, it's just your typical hotdog burger joint. Chilli cheese dogs were yummy, you might have to get two if you're hungry though. Cheeseburger was decent. Overall it's a good place to grab a late night bite/drunk food. Service is good but they are pretty busy doing online orders. Ambiance is laidback and chill. read more

Byron's Hot Dog - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Yeah you should just go here. It's suuuuuch a good Chicago dog with the vienna beef sausage. They put celery salt to season the items on the dog too. Everyone was super nice and FAST when we went in our food was ready instantly. There's a few outdoor picnic tables too that are good for some outdoor eating. Would definitely go here for another dog read more

Byron's Hot Dog - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Bump to a 3 star because of convenient parking! Hot dog was good, not great. I would have liked it to be a bit snappier. Love the amount of toppings. Nice covered outdoor seating and some minimal seating inside. read more

Excellent Chicago dog #1 Vienna All Beef. I didn't try dogzilla. I had all the toppings with celery salt and the fries along with a strawberry shake. Amazing flavor in all and the fries were some of the best Ive had. The man working there has been there for 50 years he tells me and eats fries all day. I don't know how hes skinny haha. Great place. read more

Amazing service. Everyone is so kind. Cheap parking for a Cubs game. Food is what you expect. read more

Byron's Hot Dog - FIRE - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Visiting Chicago and truly these dogs are a bomb! Definitely recommend making the trip here to try them!

My favorite burgers and hot dogs in the city. I've been coming since I was little and it's never changed (in the best way) the service is always quick and everyone is kind. It's always nice to sit outside and enjoy your burger and cheese fries. read more

Byron's Hot Dog - Cheeseburger Cheese Fries - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here for lunch with some friends. It was lunch time so a bit busy. In the summer it's no big deal to wait outside for the line to work itself out, but be prepared in the winter. It's a family run business and everything is made to order. Fair prices, great tasting food, and a really nice spot to enjoy a diner-style lunch outside at the picnic tables. read more

Byron's Hot Dog - Outside - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I was really craving a beef and sausage sandwich. It was about 10 minutes to 9 so I raced over to that Lawrence location (I was the guy in the yellow safety vest)hoping they were still open and serving. I felt bad about coming in so close to close but the staff there was nothing but friendly and nice. One of the best beef and sausage sandwiches I've had in ages. Definitely will be back again! read more

Great milkshake, excellent fries, good prices, excellent service! We are definitely returning. Would recommend!

Cool place to stop and grab a Chicago dog with the Bryon's twist on it, tomatoes, cucumber, relish. Shame it wasn't a poppy seed bun. Not the easiest hot dog to eat. Nice dog thought nonetheless. Seating outside, covered and uncovered to eat at. read more

See all

Now that's a Good cheeseburger! I came to Byron's after a disappointing experience at a nearby restaurant (see previous review) and wow what a great choice. I ordered a double cheeseburger with fries. The burger was delicious- salty, just greasy enough, the toppings were all crisp, fresh and delicious. This is very much a take-away burger and hotdog stand with a small outdoor eating area (heated and tented in the winter). Great spot to fulfill your burger cravings. read more

My fav Chicago dog place . I love grabbing a Polish here the Chicago way . -( no catsup) Then walking west past the ol cemetery then south on Clark to catch a cubs game Been doing this since bleacher tix were $3 in the 70's and few went to the game . Different arguably better times but Byron's was always there Nowadays with inflation Even dirty deeds can't be done dirt cheap !! - AC/DC Has morphed into ACAB . Go Byron's Go cubs read more

The hamburger meat was horrible and the bun was stale. Last time I had an Italian beef and the beef was very tough. The guy running the place is very rude. I give a place 2 chances and I will never eat there again. read more

Byron's Hot Dog Haus has been hit or miss for the past year since I have been in the area. I think a lot of the times the food has been miss they have been rushing to make the food. They seem to even rush the food order even when the restaurant is empty and there isn't a Cubs game. Over the last five times I have visited the restaurant the food has been meh at best. Surprisingly Byron's Hot Dog Haus makes a delicious cheeseburger. It is one of my favorite things to get from the restaurant but the fries that come along with it are gross. Most of the time the fries seem soggy like they have been sitting for awhile. They are the shoelace type fries so those are even worse when they get soggy. Byron's Hot Dog Haus is definitely a you get what you pay for type of place. The inside of the restaurant is small, they offer counter-top sitting that accommodates three people but if it busy the people in line will be so close to you that it is too awkward to sit for too long. They offer sitting outside so as long as it is nice outside you can dine at the restaurant but watch out for the birds. They gotta eat and will come very close to you while you eat! read more

My favorite hot dog stand I have been to so far in Chicago. To start, I love putting a lot of toppings on my hot dog and Byron's had a large area of fresh condiments and vegetables to select from to put on the dog (onions, tomatoes, sport peppers, pickles, relish, mustard, just to name a few). I got the two hot dog and fry combo which I thought was a great deal (under 10 for all of it). I love the drink selection as well. The restaurant served Green River soda on tap (a Chicago classic, a light green colored drink which to me tastes like a more limey version of Sprite that is more refreshing). read more

Byron's Hot Dog - Combo #12. Two Hot Dogs - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So I look forward to coming back to Byron's but this place is odd, but not off putting. So I came in solely for a chocolate shake at around 9pm. Weird? Maybe. But it was effectively dinner. They have two sizes. A small which is effectively a large anywhere else, and a large which is the size of a small liquified child. Like seriously it's the size of a double gulp... if not bigger. Like it can feed a family of five on its own. AND it's only a buck more. Then the cashier was having a lovely convo with this guy and really caring for him. Clearly was a regular. I don't have a problem with that, but when I was up I barely got the time of day. I said my order, didn't know who heard me, got to the cashier, attempted to order, she already had me punched in, and my shake was ready literally one second after. I'm not complaining because my shake took no time and I was rung up quickly it was just weird. Shake was excellent and I will be returning. read more

My first Chicago hot dog. I did not think I would all the things that were on there but I did like it. The pepper was spicy for me. The hotdog has a snap, nothing special about them but all together, it was good. It can get little messy and hot dog can get lost in the topping. If you don't eat them fast, bread will get soggy. It is expensive if I compare to Costco hot dog, $5.20 with taxes. read more

Byron's Hot Dog - Chicago style hot dog - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

My girl and I, while on vacation from Miami, visited Byron's in Chicago and we both haven't had hotdogs in like a year and let me say it was amazing! The fries were good as well. The service was very comforting the second we walked in the door. The business itself is has a quaint aura and gives it that "home" feeling. read more

Byron's Hot Dog - Combo 1 Jumbo Hot Dog - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Byrons never disappoints! Its my go to place when I need a hotdog! Ive had a cheeseburger, hot dogs, Philly cheesesteak, fries, onion rings and probably more. They are quick and inviting. It is definitely a take out place but they do have tables to eat at outside. read more

Located in The Wrigleyville neighborhood of Chicago is Byron's Hot Dog's. This spot has been in service for decades. Good fast food. Good service. 5 out of 5 stars. read more

Chicago style 1/2 pound dog Visiting from Cali had to have a famous Chicago style hot dog. Primo deliciousness and wonderful friendly service with smiles! Thank you for the wonderful memory. ;) read more

Byron's Hot Dog - Chicago style 1/2 pound dog - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Exactly what I was hoping for in seeking out a hotdog for lunch while in Chicago. I loved the small shop and simple menu. The hotdog itself was great--I got it Chicago style even though I normally wouldn't add so many toppings. But, when in Chicago, etc. A small suggestion would be to use pickle spears instead of slices. read more

Byron's Hot Dog - Hot Dog Sandwich - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The dogs were good, but there are better in the city. Not overly expensive, but no poppy seeds on the bun, very roughly chopped onions, not put together with much care. I wouldn't warn anyone away, but I also wouldn't recommend. Perfectly fine if you're hungry and in the area. read more

Byron's Hot Dog - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered online it was ready quickly and a great lunch. The people there are helpful and know what they're doing.

Delicious fast food and nice people who work there! Got a cheese dog with fresh fries and it was all extremely yummy! They work fast and get your food out right away. They also have outdoor picnic tables for seating which is perfect for the summer weather. Really good food at a great price! read more

See all