"The Chicago hot dog - we don't have a Chicago hot dog. It's just done street style. But it is a Vienna hot dog. So Vienna beef hot dog. The difference is though; the main thing down here is the grilled onions. That's what people come down here for. The main thing down here is the Polish sausage and the pork chop sandwich." "Especially made for this place here. The polish sausage seasoning? It's my dad's. Some are perfected and whatever, but we own a patent on that. So, the polish itself is made specially for here, you can't find 'em anywhere else." I interviewed staff at both Express Grill and Jim's Original for my journalism assignment. Both are successful family businesses (2 stands of the 40-50 hot dog eateries that used to be on Maxwell Street pre-2001). After the questions, I decided to order the Polish hot dog for myself. The owner insisted it was on the house. Polish Hot dog: 5/5. Was great. Had a unique flavour; didn't taste like it was a normal sausage (i.e. Jim's Original). Onions were browned and not a soggy mess. Fries: 3/5. Served hot and were definitely fresh, but still tasted average (I did fail to use the salt packets provided). read more

I wish I could live somewhere in between the mountain of caramelized onions and rows of charred Polishes. Nestle my noggin on a bed of steamed hot dog buns. 24/7, 365 a year. I even went here for breakfast before a 6:30am flight outta Midway. THAT's how good it is. Drunk, sober, it matters not! Everything comes with fries and it's dirt cheap to begin with... what more do I need to say? NOTHING. Shane-O, OUT. read more

This is simply the best. I went to UIC for undergrad and my dorm was right by it. I remember I'd always be walking and smell the beautiful sweet fragrance of the polish sausages, tender and juicy pork chops, and grilled onions all the time! This always made me salivate and seems to be a way they brain wash us. I can't tell you that I prefer Express Grill over Jim's any time of the week! The quality of the meat isn't the issue but its the way Jim's cook it. I know I've had dried porkchops from jims and their polish just didn't have that mmm mmm goodness that I wanted. And their onions are just undercooked or just doesn't have that texture that I want. But Express Grill has all the right ingredients and the right chefs! Hands down the best polish sausages to the point where I can't eat it anywhere else. The pork chop is always tender and man the grill onions are done perfectly! Dripping in all its goodness, nice texture, and the taste is amazing. Oh and all this at a student bargain (under $5)! Use to be cheaper but still good for what you get. I tell you when you got a beautiful piece of meat and topped with grill onions! It's hard to reject this but somehow Jim's falls short. *Though Jim's Beef Polish and fries is much better than Express Grill. Plus on top of your sandwich you get free fries!!! And do not make the mistake that IF YOU ARE A UIC STUDENT FREE DRINK! SHOW ID! I found out the last day I graduated undergrad! And it only happened because my friend was wearing a UIC sweatshirt in which the cook said, "are you from UIC? You get a free drink." I was devastated as I already bought my stuff! Anyways could work for any student but letting you all know. But yes open 24/7 and make sure to eat em' hot peppers. You will enjoy it but the aftermath ain't too pretty but who thinks of that? read more

Awesome!!! Compared to Jim's next door, the fries are a MILLION times tastier and the Polish was actually a bit bigger than Jim's. Basically the same quality and menu as Jim's all around, but the fries at Jim's were definitely fishy like they had been cooked in the same oil as the fish sandwich. Express Grill will be my go to the next time I'm in the area. read more

The red-headed step-child of Maxwell St. stands. It is not terrible, but not all that great. Its existence is wholly unnecessary because of its proximity to the superior Jim's Original (they are neighbors). The sandwiches are much greasier at Express, and the fries are not crisp. I ate here once when my drunk friend insisted that Express, and not Jim's, was the better one (I didn't want to argue), which he conceded after his first bite. In hindsight I should have been more assertive, but at least it gave me a chance to be able to definitively say that Express was inferior to Jim's. All Express Grill has to do is move a few blocks away from Jim's, and I'd bump up the rating to A-OK. read more

Wow! Those hotdogs are so good :-) Polish sausages for the win! The sport peppers top it off :-) I want to go here every day... Get the Polish sausage or the pork chops in my opinion. Things to keep in mind: They accept cash OR card. APPLE PAY is coming soon, apparently. The location is also awesome, right off the highway. TL; DR get the polish sausage and save yourself the menu searching hassle. Gooooooooo Express Grill PS: free fries with everything and the grilled onions are incomparable ;) read more

Seriously, so unassumingly good. Perfect "street" food, but it is high quality food! Although it isn't the healthiest, there is a pretty great selection from regular dogs to pork or beef polishes to hamburgers to chicken, you name it. Oh, and they have these hot peppers. 5 x bigger than regular sport peppers and these guys pack a punch. I loveeee them! No seating, just order and head on your way, but who cares? Take it home. eat it in your car. eat it right then and there on the sidewalk, just give this place a try. I had a regular hotdog, and a beef polish. My brother is a Chicago dog connoisseur (pretty much the only food he eats), and he endorses their dogs. The polish blew me away. So much flavor, amazing texture, just the right amount of snap. Added those hot peppers, you got yourself a great meal. I believe it's better than their next store competitors. You will too!! And I hear they may be expanding their menu? Maybe some chicken fingers? That'd be cool!! Keep it up E.G.!!! read more

Always fast! Always fresh! Always amazing! The best Maxwell in town! It was always part of my nightly routine after a night on the town to finish with some Maxwell Street polish at 5am, and now that I've moved 1239.9 miles away, it is one of the foods that I miss most and have to have first whenever I come home. Bring cash, parallel park and eat in your car! read more

I usually get hot dogs from either here or Jims. This time I tried a polish for the first time in a while and I was disappointed. The polish sausage seemed to be the cheap, industrially produced sausage you see in the store for a $1.19 per pound. Chicago is known for the caliber of its polish sausage even in Poland. Couldn't this place make a deal with Bobaks or Genes and procure some decent sausage? They now offer relish on the hot dogs. The menus haven't changed here is years so this is a big deal. Plus the fries were pale and limp - they could have used a few more minutes in the frier. So now I know why this place is always less crowded than Jims. read more

This is the best place to stop by after a night of partying, fellowship, boredom, whatever! Whenever you feel hungry at 2am, but know that you shouldn't, but really don't care, you should stop by for a polish. Polishes/burgers/hotdogs and all that come with fries on the side. This last time I came by, I ordered a cheeseburger and a cup of cheese. I also covered my friend's polish as a way to express my gratitude for the ride. This all came out to $8. All very greasy and very good. would definitely recommend. But maybe during the earlier hours. read more

This place is an institution. It hasn't changed much over the years, food tastes the same and for some items, that's not a good thing. Not because their food isn't good anymore because it still is but because your taste tends (should) evolve over the years. The burgers sit on the grill for a while so they're extremely overcooked. The polish is still the way to go in my opinion. Plenty of onions and just the right amount of mustard. I can't eat spicy food anymore so I just pick the peppers off. The atmosphere can be trashy at times. Group of idiots parked in front of us decided to step out to piss on the street and then after they finished eating in their car (very common here) to throw their garbage into the street. This despite the fact that there are trash cans around. Every order comes with fries, the fries suck and I usually skip them. They're flavorless and soggy most of the time though they are hot. read more

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This is a diamond in the rough. Amongst so many impostors this Joynte still remains to be the epitome of classic, not to be confused with classy, Chicago dining. For around $5 you get a full meal. Sandwich, fries, drink. It's that simple! Maxwell street is as Chicago as the saint valentines day massacre! Get a Polish Sausage or a Pork Chop Sandwich and you wont be disappointed. read more

A greasy dive of a place where you get hassled by homeless people the food is cheap and you have to eat it quick or else the grease will congeal. I love Express and Jim's too. I'll get a polish from both and savor the wonder. read more

Seriously, this place serves up some AWESOME! Chicago-style street food. I was in Chicago, visiting a friend, and he suggested we go here after a long night. The hamburgers, hot dogs, polishes all great. I ordered the all beef Polish and my mouth is just watering thinking of it. Very nicely sized frank, with a great snap to it when bitten in to, and perfectly spiced. Fried onions are a great addition! I think they use yellow Spanish onions, but they add a really nice flavor and sweetness. Hot peppers are a must! Well, I am a huge fan of spicy foods, so do beware if you are sensitive to spiciness b/c these are SUPER spicy, but I am addicted! My brother is also a huge, huge Chicago-style hotdog fan (probably eats them twice a week), and their hotdogs pass his test! I'm telling you, that is saying something!! Prices are reasonable, the food is quick, tasty and perfect for a late-night or quick meal! Super friendly staff too! I think the guy who took my order was Tommy. Go Express Grill, Go!!! Give them a try, I know you want to! read more

The only thing I ever get is the polish. Don't go to Jim's Original if you want a polish. This is THE go to place!

I'm a bit a disappointed. Came here expecting to have my mind blown by an original maxwell polish. Don't get me wrong, my polish was good, but not mind blowing. Got a polish with everything. It had way too many grilled onions. It kept pushing off my peppers and overcrowded the taste of the Polish. Yes, I understand I could've just pulled some of the onions off. Also, my peppers still had the stems. Yes, anything thing I could've resolved myself but I don't like to work for my food. I'd prefer to pull it out the paper and be able to eat it. Additionally the fried had absolutely no salt. This was good but not great. read more

I don't care what anyone says. It's apparently a big debate on Express Grill or Jim's. I've had both for the pork chop sandwich and Jim's onions and pork chop was so bland. Their fries were crispy and up to my liking, but I like how with Express Grill, I can always had more salt and need to add ketchup. It's also cheap (less than $5 for anything with fries and tax included), and if you show your UIC I - card, you get a free can drink. Why not come here for lunch and a quick bite? You get your money's worth. It's also good to go with friends just because it's that cheap. People say the location makes it kind of dangerous but it's Chicago... get used to it. read more

there is a place next door.... this place has better fries. Any hot dog or polish comes with fries. Its so cheap, thats probably why its busy no matter what time it is you come by. read more

Best Polish dog ever. I guess this is the go to place for drunks in Chicago after a night out on the town. It is analogous to San Diego and 24 hour Mexican food. The Polish dog is the new carne asada fries (at least for me). This place is cheap and really hits the spot for late night snacking. If they had more of these on the West Coast, they would really put the local Costco food court out of business. I get excited just thinking about the smell and taste of the grilled onions. The fries were also deliciously good. Now I am sad I am no longer in Chicago. read more

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Best Polish dogs in Chicago so far.. I've had Toronto's street vendor hot dogs, Detroit's Coney Dogs, Chicago-style hot dogs, and then tried this. Maxwell St. Polish dogs from Express Grill. It is the sh!t. Polish dogs w/ hot peppers, cheese fries and a coke. Love it. The beggers can be annoying though asking for the change that you just got. read more

Pretty good food, although I prefer the fries from Jim's better. I had the cheeseburger with ketchup and grill onions from here, which were great. read more

Express Grill - Menu. - Hot Dogs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Best polish in the city...just about $4.25 will get you an amazing polish sausage, french fries, and a root beer or choice of pop to wash all of that down. Can't be beat. No one comes close to this polish. read more

Great late night after bar food . Really greasy and cheap . Lines only get long on the weekend

Often imitated but never duplicated. Been coming here for at least 15 yrs. nothing has changed but the prices and the location...and not by much. if you ever go to any joint and they advertise 'maxwell polish sausage' it's bush league. know that. yes, you stand outside in the winter and eat your polish (if you eat in the car, it will stink for the next 48 hrs). too bad you can't buy socks or porn as you eat. Damn you University Village!! read more

You haven't tried a real "Maxwell Street Polish" until you've been here. Anyone other place's Maxwell St. Polish is a waste of money. I chuckle at any restaurant around the country that has tried to emulate this (even better, make a "healthy" version). Back when it used to be on Maxwell St., many late nights were spent trekking there and wondering either if you might get mugged or bothered by a bum who's probably taking a leak on the curb. The excursions were always worth it though: how can you say no to a $3 polish + fries + drink? Now if you're reading this and never tried either Express Grill or Jim's Maxwell St. Polish, DO NOT expect anything NEAR healthy. My roommate and I were always amused that the Polish and fries were so greasy, they soaked through the layers of wax paper. The onions came out of a vat of grease, the Polishes from another vat of grease, and the fries that either fresh from the grease pit or probably under a heating lamp with grease. The menu is simple, the workers are rather brief and prompt, but you don't come here expecting top notch VIP service; i's a greaseball joint and boy is it spectacular. You also need to have the sport peppers that comes with to top off the experience (even though I'm usually not a fan of eating peppers by themselves, these are a must have thing). I normally only get a Polish, although the cheeseburger and pork chop sandwiches were OK and it's plenty filling for someone like me that tends to eat a lot. If you've had a crazy night of partying and/or drinking and you get the munchies, you've got to be here. It does seem a bit different since it moved (in that, I don't feel the burn later in the night or the morning after anymore), maybe it's because they changed their grease? Regardless, it's still oh-so-good. read more

Fast and cheap. These guys get your order and get it back to you at lightening speed. I tried the guys next door, Jim's Original, and it took twice as long for food that's the same price and same quality. This is the place to go for a greasy double-burger with everything and fries. The Polishes, hot dogs and fish sandwiches are great too. You can feed five people and more for around $20 bucks. This is hangover food, "I'm starving and have no time" food, comfort food, don't expect gourmet in anyway, but expect tasty, cheap, and fast. read more

Seems like everyone prefers either Jim's or Express. I like them both. Polish hotdogs are comparable at both. Fries might be slightly better at Jim's. But hands DOWN the fish sandwiches with extra tartar sauce are better at Express. I've given Jim's several tries on the fish/tarter, but it just makes me nauseous for some reason - and I'm a garbage disposal. A few tips for Express: Make sure you ask for a polish that's not too charred (it drys the meat). Ask for onions that aren't too dark or it can turn into a smushy mess. Use small initial bites into the peppers - sometimes they're mild, and sometimes they're kick @ss hot. If you like the fish, try it with onions on it, it's actually pretty good. The pork chop sandwiches don't taste too good in the morning, so make sure you finish those while you're drunk the night before. And thanks to law enforcement for not camping out on Halsted and giving sobriety tests on the weekends... read more

Best Polish in Chicago! I wish I lived in Chicago still because I'm craving one today with a grape soda:) read more

Simply the best Polish sausage in Chicago! Been coming here for well over 20 years, I like it spicy and their is nothing like one of their polish sausages with grilled onions, a little mustard and hot peppers- super hot peppers by the way! Nothing compares to this Chicago classic! read more

Love this place for their hotdogs and polishes and grilled onions. Everything is made fresh on the spot. Family owned joint that really knows how to make some good Chicago style food. read more

Amazing food!Good Polish and hot dogs!Great workers always nice to talk to.Also a good place after a late night out.

FAMOUS FOR (My rating in parens) Maxwell Street Polish (10/10) ALSO TRIED Pork Chop Sandwich (8/10) Cheeseburger (10/10) Hot Dog (5/10) Fish Sandwich (3/10) Chicken Sandwich (3/10) Oh, poor Maxwells! Nobody knows you by your real name, "Express Grill!" Back in my UIC days, the debate was always "Maxwells or Jim's?" That's why Express Grill only has 19 reviews, and Jim's has 129, which, ironically, also shows the sudden shift in clients! Express Grill or "Maxwells" and Jim's were always next to each other (why? I dunno). Jim's was always the desperate ones. No line and no customers. Their cooks were always leaning out the window calling out to you as you walked by to go to Maxwells. Us frequenters went to Maxwells because we believed the Polish tasted better here. Newbies went to Maxwells for fear that Jim's was unsanitary or something because their lines were empty. Lol @ Newbs! Each item comes with some thick, flimsy, tasteless fries (add salt and it's pretty good) and last I remember a Polish was just over $3 and the rest was under $3. Been a while though. POLISH You have not tasted a Maxwells Polish until you've tried it here. Do NOT even think about saying that you had a "The Original Maxwell St Polish" at [Insert Venue Here]. I don't care if it was Wrigley Field, Portillos, or some random hot dog stand. You have not experienced the real thing. It's funny too, back in the day, you had to literally risk your life to get Maxwells, now it's in such a nice area! It's a polish cooked on a greasy grill with greasy grilled onions on a bun slathered with mustard only, and really hot peppers (sometimes). The peppers aren't jalapenos, they're something else. My mouth is watering now just thinking about this! The polish is just perfect! It's smoky, salt, flavorful, but not overpowering! The bun is sitting in a steamy container, so it's thin, so you don't just taste bread. The mustard with the polish is just heaven! And finally, the onions. Oh yes the onions...I don't know how they make these, but I've been trying to recreate it myself and have failed on all accounts. Their onions are so perfect! They're "sauteed" so to speak, but are grilled on the same greasy grill with the same grease rained down upon them. They caramelize to just the absolute PERFECT point where they don't have the crunch and sharpness of raw onions (I hate raw onions) but they're not so mushy either. They have a softened texture of their own and they are OMG so freaking good and sweet! The entire collection just melts in your mouth as your eyes roll in the back of your head. Yeah it's that good! You want to know about Chicago? Have a Polish, it tastes like Chicago. Figuratively, literally, whatever, you cannot die before having one of these! The PORK CHOP SANDWICH It's a bone in pork chop, just so you know before you go breaking your teeth! It's got the same mustard, onions, and peppers as the polish. TIP: For a pork chop, you can't go when it's too busy - you have to wait a long time, and you run the danger of getting a not-so-cooked one. You can't go when there's nobody there, those pork chops have been sitting on the grill for a while, so they're dry. You have to go either at the tail end of a rush or after the rush. You'll get the perfect pork chop then. Trust me, I lived about 50 paces from Maxwells and skipped class to test this out (I did just about anything to skip class)! TIP 2: BITE CAREFULLY! When you get it right, this is pretty darn good! Pork chop doesn't have too much of a pork flavor, but when you get a good bite (bun, condiments, and pork) it makes a great combination! The texture is what does it for me! CHEESEBURGER I have never in my life had a cheeseburger that melted! The beef and cheese on a flimsy bun with the mustard and onions are so incredibly good and buttery! I don't even know if they use butter, but it feels as good as butter! And you bite it, and it literally wants to melt in your mouth! OMG! Drool! THE REST Not good. I'd rather have a Filet O Fish instead of their fish. Chicken sandwich is whatever. Don't waste your money. The hot dog is just a hot dog, bun, and the same mustard/onion condiments. Now, I hate hot dogs, but love a good Chicago Style Dog, and this is not a Chicago Style Dog, so no thanks! In fact, if you order a hot dog with the onions and mustard, you take a bite, and you think to yourself, "Now why in the hell did I not just give a few more cents and get a Polish?" The whole world tries to copy Maxwells...but nobody even comes close! Oh yeah...24/7/365! Gotta love it! read more

Every so often I get an nearly uncontrollable urge for a polish sausage from here or next door and leave the cozy north shore burbs for a trip to the big city for one of the best sandwiches Chicago has to offer. Yes the Maxwell Street Polish is as good as it get's. It's fried up on a flat top grill smothered in yellow mustard and those wonderful grilled onions with a couple of peppers thrown on top. Be careful because they are not the typical 'sport peppers' used throughout Chicago, these peps are hot! Defiantly a five star sandwich. The fries here are ok, Jim's are better next door. The pork chop is very inconsistent, sometimes very juicy and other times dry. I don't get them anymore. Stick with polish, it's truly a Chicago delight. For the record I love Jim's too. My last trip to the area I had a Polish at both joints. By the way this review applies to Jim's as well. Get sum a dat!! #chicagospeak read more

O-M-G! how is it possible that I, for ONE, be the FIRST to REVIEW a CHICAGO-an eatery? supposedly, this is THE BEST, THE BEST hot dogs in chicago, or mebe my friend was just overly hyping it up... who knows? came here for a late night snack, around 1am. HAHA. talk about having munchies in the middle of the night. ordered a $2 fat grilled onion hot dogs... i luv it how its 24 hrs, and oh, you get free fries with that!:) honestly, i like COSTCO's POLISH better. sry, P:) haha. (thank gawd, he doesn't YELP)... so they say, this is the Original Maxwell Polish hot dog, but it wasn't all THAT spectacular, but at least, i can say, i did try some chicagoan style hot dogs... oh, one tip: never put ketchup on chicago's hot dogs. HAHAHA, i already goofed on that. oh another tip: supposedly, this isn't the safest place to come at night, he made me stay in the car as he ordered the hot dogs... so ladies, be careful... go there early... and who gives if you're a guy? we ALL stand out by the way we walk and order, so he says. HAHA hee hee hee... oh, another thing, given that this was a midnight snack, talk about MAJOR SALT AND MSG UP THE ASS. i seriously was up the whole entire night, drinking water, tea, coke, alcohol, hoping it would wash itself away, but no, it was a no no!! read more

I think I would have starved to death during collage if it wasn't for the express grill. Back then it was a $1.60 for a burger and fries... What a bargain. While the burger here isn't the greatest in the world it was cheap and fast. The waldorf ketchup is kind of festive and was better used as a table decoration then on the burger but that was easily fixed but just buying our own ketchup. The bums begging while you order are a bit on the annoying side as well but they are part of the experience of coming to the express grill. Even if you give them the quarter you are still getting a great dal here. read more

It's the best hot dog of my life. I've probably eaten there 40 times, and I don't live in Chicago.

go. get the polish with grilled onions and a side of cheese for your fries (because everything comes with fries and their cheese is processed goodness) and don't be scared to try the pickled serrano peppers (or be very scared if you're not into spicy food cause they're FIRE!) it is the most satisfying and delicious meat in tube form you can order here. not a fan of the polish, don't worry cause the cheeseburger and the pork chop sandwich are just as good. drunk or sober, JUST GO! i'm only upset at myself for not discovering this place immediately when i moved to chicago read more

Mmmm. Definitely a favorite for late night or when I am bored and hungry. I have to travel from Lincoln Park to get here, so you know this place is definitely worth it. My favorites from here are the fish sandwich and the polish, topped with their delicious caramelized onions, which are so much more caramelized than Jim's, and their polish dogs are almost twice the size. The only thing from Jim's that I prefer are their french fries, besides that, I don't understand why people don't prefer to come here more often. FYI, they take card now, but they kind of give you attitude when you pay with card, so try and always pay with cash if you can, or maybe it's just me. Anyways, I love it here and come at least once a week. Definitely recommend if you are drunk and want food. It's delicious. read more

Got the sausage and fries. Fries were super soggy , sausage was good. What can I say, this place doesnt wow but its great for some quick food or if you have a late night out read more

It tis. What it tis my friends. Burgers, polish, hot dogs and fires. Greased up with some good fries. If you need anything late night. This is the place to go. read more