Outstanding hot dogs and Italian beef with peppers and cheese French fries and pickles come with your order read more

They charge $1 more than what is on the board, $15 for 2 hot dogs, fries and drink. No sir. No sir. read more

carls red hots at 1957 e 83rd street is not closed their open from 11am 8 pm monday thru saturday and their food is always fresh with a variety of items to choose from 12/27/2025 read more

Not Al's Beef but to be clear the Italian Sausage/Beef combo sandwich is OUTSTANDING! This is a great neighborhood hotdog joint.

You never know when they are open. They open whenever they feel like it. Poor customer service!

I decided to give this place a second try in case my horrible experience was out of the ordinary. It wasn't. This time was even more disgusting. I got a chili cheese dog and large fries. The fries were under cooked and the chili was absolutely awful. Tasted like burnt soup scraped off the bottom of a pan. $18 for this?!?!?! Worst hotdog spot in Chicago. read more

February 3rd , 2022 this Place almost sent me to the emergency room... I order a Italian beef got home and it's such a horrific smell coming from the meat,,, I ignored it... Thinking to myself... I know people are not out here doing this type of stuff... I tasted meats... And the smell was horrific,, the meats i was olds,,, So I took it back up there... They laughed about it... In my face... It' took everything in me ,, To keep me from putting hands on that Mexican,,, they know what they be doing up there... And it's funny to them ... If you don't wanna get food poisoning or worse end up in the emergency room... I would not eat out of this place if they serving old food... Who's to say what else they not putting in our food read more

Hello I do not recommend this restaurant to Anyone that wants to live a long life . After a long day of being a Teachers Assistant. I thought I might grab some food for my family. Well I dropped off my mothers food and she informs me that her Italian Beef is spoiled and had a terrible taste with an awful smell. I'm so upset I smell my own food and yes the same smell. I take the food back up to the establishment and the cashier doesn't even apologize and says to me well it's not her fault mind you she's laughing as she's saying this to me as if it's Funny now if my mom would of gotten sick then what ? But you're serving this old food to customers. This place needs to be SHUT DOWN!!!! read more

Feels so good to get a good authentic overstuffed gyro at a great price. Atlanta SUX at it. And it's in my neighborhood where my mom(R.I.P.) introduced me to an authentic Chicago style hot dog...back then, Carl's was in a shack across the street. I think these are different owners. But the food is consistently good and always hot. read more

My first time trying this location was today. I've seen this place for years in passing but never attempted to stop by. Today I tried the taco (chicken) special that comes with Fries and a pop. That came out to $6.98 which isn't too bad!!! The service was quick and the customer service was pretty average. I wasn't expecting too much out of this place, however I wouldn't come again. The fries where extremely dry with salt at least, the chicken tacos were pretty okay however there was too much tortilla shell & not enough meat. After, about a few hours my stomach didn't agree well with the food. To be fair, I haven't tried anything else on the menu so i wouldn't knock it! Give it a try! read more

This place has been here for a while. Well not at its current location (as it used to be across the street) but it's been around over 50 years. No matter the quality of the food, that's still a worthwhile accomplishment. The food is what you get at your usual greasy spot: fried chicken, fish, hot dogs and so on for the quick. The menu has been updated a few times recently as they've started offering bacon cheeseburgers and nachos. The taste of the food itself is mixed. While their actual footlong sandwiches are good with the various amounts of meats they offer, the chicken tastes too greasy. The Super Sharks across the street offers better tasting chicken with better deals now that this place has raised their price. The healthier options such as the salads aren't much better. It's weird to recommend the sandwiches of a greasy spot but it's the best thing they have. Kudos to this place for lasting so long. In a business with so much turnover, that's something admirable. read more

So, I had to leave a review for this place as it is right around the corner from where I live. I didn't use to frequent this place as I am not a big hot dog and polish kind of person. While those items as well the gyro are very good here, some of the best items are the Mexican food. Literally, that super taco is life changing. They prepare whatever meat you like and put it on a toasted pita and you can add cilantro to it as well. Likewise, the burrito is official. Forget Chipotle. This burrito packs a punch, is incredibly filling and their green sauce is light and perfectly compliments the other flavors. The combo is only $7 and you also get fries and a drink. Great deal! read more

Quick review for a quick bite. I needed a quick bite before a church event, so I stopped by Carl's Red Hots. My first mind told me to get a polish and fries, but I got the fries and tamales instead. Big mistake. The tamales were not made by Carl's and were not even close to good tamales...please stop selling this! The fries were good, hot and yummy. I give Carl's one extra star for great customer service even when there were loud kids around, the place was clean for a food joint, and it was warm inside the lobby for their customers. Prices were good overall. Maybe one day I can re-visit and get a Red Hot or a polish. read more

They must have new owners becasue the food do not even taste the same. Very DISAPPOINTED

Worst tasteless wings Ever.. mozzarellas ticks horrible & lemonade taste like the machine wasn't clean... I would give no stars if I could

This place is nothing like it used to be. They have the worst Italian beef in the world. Its Italian beef served on sesame seed bread with barely any meat and the meat is thick and dry. The quality of their food has went to the dumps. It was utterly disgusting. I threw it away. read more

Carl's Red Hots - Fast Food Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Got a ribeye steak sandwich, taco, and a Chicago style Vienna beef dog with fries. Only complaint was the fries needed salt as there was none on them. Beyond that, the sandwich and dog were awesome, and the taco was really good too. read more

Great food for when you're in a rush to get lunch. Super specials, as well as quick service. I really like coming here because it has a variety of different food (I'm a fan of the hot dogs!) and it even has a drive through! I'll be seeing a lot of Carl's this school year! read more

I was a regular at Carl's 50 years ago, but now its across the street and the old ladies with hair nets are long gone. It was a nice blast from the past and you can't ruin a Vienna Polish with mustard and onions. Food was good but its a different vibe. read more

Not the friendliest workers there, but that's okay. I have been here a couple of times in the drive through. The shakes are really good! The fries are good but definitely need salt and then they are great. The polishes are great and I tend to always want to order one. The hot dogs are just okay. I have given them a try more than once but they just don't compare to other Chicago hot dog places. The cheeseburgers are a little better than okay. This place is good if you just want a quick bite but they aren't as fast as other fast food places. Next time I go, I will only get a polish and fries and maybe a shake! read more

Reasonable prices, quick service, good food and not a whole lot of attitude from the employees!!! I definitely recommend this place; especially after a night of drinking! LOL! read more

I remember when Carl's Red Hot dogs were across the street it had the best hot dogs and fries ever. Their fries in the brown bags delicious

If I want a quick turkey burger or a sub, then Carl's is the spot! My kids love the chicken wings with mild sauce......not the healthiest meal, but they swear by it! Subs, hot dogs, Super tacos...all with a smile and pretty quick service. Not bad for a fast food joynt! read more

Great restaurant with great prices. I never had anything on the menu that I didn't enjoy and I've been a customer for 10+ years (also because of the close proximity to my home) read more

I had a terrible experience. I called and placed an order with specific details. I simply asked for a grilled chicken on pita with no mayo but add gyro sauce instead. I arrived to pay for my food and asked the female worker again- please make sure the grilled chicken on pita does not have mayo. The female worker said it didn't. Of course I took her word as being honest. However, when I arrived home; I realized they gave me a totally different sandwich. I received a grilled chicken sandwich with of course mayo. I called Carl's to explain I received the wrong sandwich and it had mayo. The female told me- my sandwich did not have mayo and I had to bring back my sandwich in order to get my correct sandwich. Carl's has poor customer service and could careless about its patrons. I will no longer be a customer due to their lack of respecting the community in which they serve. read more

Here it is short and sweet. The food is good. The menu is vast. The prices are quite reasonable. Go there and you will come back. That is it. read more

I grew up with Carl's Red Hots since the 60's. I remember the wonderful greasy bags of fries and the wonderful dogs and the orange Nehi. I was of course only like 10 years old but my memories are wonderful. I do miss their old shack across the street of the current location. Something about eating in a little shack read more

I am 75 year old. Carl's Red Hots Stand was my first job in 1955. I loved working for Carl and Mr. Siegel. (he was so sweet) He would have this saying...."If you know what I mean." I remember him always looking over his eyeglasses. Smile.. One time, I a friend stopped by the stand to see me...I gave him a free hot dog. One of the customers saw this and told on me. Carl was so kind and told me how he made this his living and I should not give it away. I cried but he forgave me. I had a greater sense of respect for working hard and be honest. He taught me how to forgive and forget. He never brought it up again. We sold nothing but Red Hots with fries for .25 cents, cold drinks and hot tamales. At that time, I made 75 cents an hour...and I saved enough to buy my Senior Prom Dress...$50. Which was a lot of money back then. Carl would never let me ride the bus home when I worked closing...he made sure I got home safe. He drove me to my home. Always a very kind and caring man who worked very hard. I am so glad to hear Carl's Red Hots is still around. I now live in Phoenix, AZ. One day I will stop by and have a Red Hot for ole time sake ..hope I get to meet Carl's son. God Blessings on you. June Hyman Esposito read more

apparently you not only need a sandwich with beef on it but you also need italian sausage. then you need to have this said artery clogger dipped to go along with a bag full of greasy french fries. and then you need to wash it down with a coke. i was unaware of these things that i needed until we made a quick stop at carl's to grab some food...and it was a very good idea. the sandwich was awesome but this is not for the waistline watching crowd. you just have to suck it up that you've gained 1lb just by looking at the menu and 5lbs when finishing this delicious meal. and the prices are well within reason so at least your wallet doesn't take a hit! read more

A great place for a char dog or polish as are many, but surprisingly fresh and fulfilling salads. i never would have expected the Chicken Ceasar Salad to be so good. The ingredients are real, fresh and abundant. Carl's is up there with Chicago's great other hot dog stands, but the salads set it apart. read more

I ate at the old Carl's, regularly, fifty years ago. Amazing food, even though I doubt it was good for me. The fries were thin and greasy, but man, they tasted so good, way back then. My friend Pam would always say, "Oh, I think I'm gonna throw up!" each and every time we ate at Carl's on our lunch break from high school, because you just couldn't keep yourself from stuffing your face with the great food. I always got a hot dog with extra peppers, mustard, onions and relish, fries and a Nedlog Orange drink. Sometimes, I think I got a paper-wrapped tamale there, too, but I'm not sure if they actually had them there. The place was a tiny shack, then, across the street from the current location, but the railings were positioned to enable them to pack people in and keep the line going: in one door, move along the rails, order and pay, pick up, out the other door. Great system. I miss the place, I miss my younger days. read more