Fatso’s Last Stand

I've been hearing so much about Chicago hot dogs and decided since I was in town why not try one so…read moreI checked out Portilo's & Barnelli's Chicago that so many people told me to try. It is a pretty neat place when went in I saw that they have a lot of memorabilia all around the place. Also famous people have also been there with their autographs on their pictures. This place was quite busy which tells me that it must be good. It was very organized you can order your meal on a kiosk or at the counter. We decided to order it at the counter I ordered a famous Chicago hot dog which is an all beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun topped with chop onions, sweet pickle relish, tomato slices, dill pickle and a small spicy pepper with no ketchup but does have yellow mustard the price you could not bet it was very reasonable my guest ordered an Italian sandwich. After ordering the cashier gives you a receipt with your number on it and you step to the side. Then you wait until your number is called and that's how you get your order. Yes it was crowded but we waited for our two items for at least a half an hour which to me was unacceptable but besides that the place is really neat to try and the hot dog as well as the Italian sandwich was delicious definitely will be back again fingers crossed that we don't have to wait so long but the wait was worth it. They also have lots of seating around the restaurant. There is a second story as well you could sit up there.

i tried the italian beef sandwich with extra gravy and spicy peppers. there was generous portions…read moreof beef and the peppers were actually hot! the bun does get quite soggy if you order extra gravy but think of it as a french dip sandwich. i came here on a saturday and the wait was about 30 minutes to get our food. the staff are very organized and have a good system down to handle the big crowds. the ambiance of the restaurant is pure chicago with the sports banners and decor.

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Devil Dawgs-Gold Coast

4.4(312 reviews)

2.2 mi•Near North Side

Locally owned & operated

Outdoor seating

Was my first time trying Devil Dawgs and was humbly impressed at what they had to offer. To start,…read moretheir service was was incredibly fast. They had a variety of thing to choose from on their menu and the hot dog that I had tasted phenomenal. I sat down outside in their outdoor seating and i found the view to be quite iconic as i ate my hot dog and would see cars come by every so often.

Small entry way but you don't need much to order food. They have seating outside as well if you're…read moreinterested. You have the option of placing an order at the kiosk or with an employee. Being a newbie I wasn't sure where to start as the menu is a lot to take in. I settled on: Double backyard burger no cheese or tomato - 7/10 - I like my doubles a little thinner, not a slight to them just what I was expecting. I could've definitely did one burger and been satisfied. Burger was seasoned decent and the pickles were really good. Icelandic dog (no honey mustard, added relish). -10/10 - I loved everything about this dog. The bite, the spice, the toppings.

2.1 mi•River North, Near North Side

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Al's Beef

4.3(492 reviews)

First time in Chicago and have been wanting to try an Italian dipped beef sandwich. To my surprise,…read moreI consider this one of the best meals I've had thus far on my trip. Went on a rainy Saturday afternoon with the queue out the door but was moving at a good pace. Staff was friendly and food came out very quickly, a key trait of a well ran establishment. I got the regular beef sandwich with sweet and spicy peppers, and a side of fries. I love that the sandwich was soggy but held itself together, and the flavor was amazing in itself as well. Definitely coming back here when I find myself back in Chicago!

Came to Al's because it's Chicago and I've never tried a beef steak. I the restaurant has counter…read moreservice and you get your food quickly. The cashier was friendly and helpful. Here's what I had: got it traditional beef steak, wet with peppers and onions with no cheese. Overall it was good, kind of like a French dip sandwich, but with no Ajou sauce only dipped and given to you so it's wet. It was kind of messy and a cool experience.

3.6 mi•University Village

March 5, 2024

Keto style double with bacon

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Italian Big Beef

Jim's Original

4.2(799 reviews)

A LOCAL CLASSIC! I…read moreloved this spot so much I ended up coming back twice. It has that classic late night comfort food vibe and feels like one of those staple spots you have to try at least once. First night I ordered a polish hot dog with everything on it and a fish sandwich w/ extra grilled onions. Super cool that your order comes with fries and I added a cheese cup both times. In my opinion the fries were mid the first go around, but second time they were better. Definitely tasted better dipped in cheese. They were kinda airy in texture, if that makes sense. Polish hot dog was around a 6.5-7/10 for me. It did taste better warmed up the next day. What I was most obsessed with was the double cheeseburger and fish sandwich! both were easily a 10/10. Super good prices and worth the money. Also, the chile peppers were sooo bomb and hotter than I expected ! I wanted to eat them all, but they were packing some serious heat! The lemon Italian ice is where it's at, make sure to order one! You can also mix it with strawberry, but both times people recommended the lemon and now I see why. The line gets super active and busy past 10-11pm, but during the daytime it's way less crowded. Even when it gets packed the line moves pretty quick. They stay open late and close at 1am which is nice.

The smell of caramelized onions hits pretty much immediately as you approach the window. No line…read moremidday. We were served quickly and got the polish sausage that comes with fries. Both were nice and hot. Fries were crispy and that first snap into the juicy sausage was worth the trip. No seating, so be prepared to eat in your car and get a bit messy. Also be warned the peppers are legitimately spicy, those serranos had my partner sweating. Glad I tried it, but not something I'd eat all the time, great late night drinking kind of food.

Short line today

Before.... Polish Sausage Sandwich

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Sign from around the corner.

Superdawg Drive-In

4.0(2.1k reviews)

8.6 mi•Norwood Park

Oh, Superdawg...according to Yelp, I've checked in here 17 (!!!!) times, but I'm pretty sure I've…read morebeen here at least 20 times! We live just a mile away from Superdawg and just went here with our 4-year-old son, who calls it "hot dogs on the roof." Whenever I'm hungry for a Chicago dog and delicious fries, I immediately head to Superdawg to satisfy my craving. There is no other place like it, and it's a true Chicago establishment. I like that there are options for where you can eat. You can eat in your car and have the car hop bring you food. You can eat outside at the picnic tables. Or you can order inside and eat in their dining area. I also just found out that they provide catering! Superdawg will always hold a special place in my heart, and I hope that it remains open for generations to come.

Superdawg is a Chicago area institution as an old school drive-in business with carhop service…read more It's probably been over 20 years since I last visited this place. There were two dozen stalls in which you could pull in your vehicle and use an intercom box with the menu printed on the side to transmit your order. A worker would then bring the food/drink to your parking space and use a handheld device to swipe your credit card. Alternatively, you could do what I did which was park and then walk up to a service window and order from there. Adjacent to the service window was a door that led to a room with countertop seating which served as a dine-in area. There were also a few canopied tables on the sidewalk at the edge of the parking lot. Their Chicago-style hot dogs were the featured products, however most of the menu was made up of other fare like fish/shrimp sandwiches, burgers, grilled cheese, chicken tenders, french fries, shakes, malts, sundaes, cones, etc. The price for the namesake Superdawg was now a whopping $9.30! I ordered one of those that consisted of a cardboard box packed with a poppy seed bun containing a pure beef hot dog dressed with all the trimmings. Those ingredients were golden mustard, tangy piccalilli, a kosher dill pickle, chopped Spanish onions and a hot pepper. Included in the box was Superfries which were extra crispy crinkle cut french fries. I also purchased a regular size Mellow Vanilla Supershake. I took a seat at a countertop inside the dine-in area which had only customer when I walked in. As I opened my box, it was packed so tightly that you couldn't even tell there was a hot dog inside (see my photo). The Superfries lined the top while the pickle and sport peppers also surrounded the poppy seed bun. I finished the fries first that I felt were overdone. The hot dog was normal size with a good snap to the frank. The neon green relish was unique as the bright color stood out. For a hot dog and a measly amount of fries, the cost felt high in my opinion. That being said, I didn't try a similar combo at any other spots around town for comparison. The vanilla milkshake was thick and creamy and the best part of my order. I gave a three star rating for my dining experience at Superdawg.

Maurie and Flaurie

Cheese burger

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SuperDawg. (keepsmilingphoto.com)

Gene’s & Jude's

4.2(2.7k reviews)

9.7 mi

Looking at fries piled directly on top of a hot dog, my back immediately warned me, "That is a…read moredangerous game to play!" But I had to see what the hype around Gene & Jude's was all about. I caught them at a great time with a short line. Their menu is delightfully simple and typical classic Chicago style with minimalist topping choices (mustard, relish, onion, sport peppers) so ordering was a breeze. A single dog with fries and a medium drink came out to about $9. While waiting, I loved watching their team work like a well-oiled machine behind the counter. Fresh hand-cut potatoes were dropping into the fryer, and the assembly crew was constantly building dogs and piling massive heaps of steaming fries on top. High output, fantastic energy! I even asked one of the prep guys if I could snap a picture, and he was super cool about it. The meal itself was awesome. The fries were piping hot, perfectly salted, and very generous in portion. Once I dug down to the dog, that first bite took me by complete surprise, the snap of the natural casing and the flavor were incredible. Before I knew it, I was clearing the paper wrapper and completely understanding why people order double dogs or multiple single dogs. Be warned it will have your back talking to you too. Lol! Highly recommended legend!

Good Eats! Legendary…read moreHotdogs. A short 15 min or so from Ohare Airport. The fries are good, no ketchup in the building

The inside of the restaurant

Single Hot dog/with Fries

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Nov 2025.

The Wieners Circle

3.6(1.2k reviews)

1.2 mi•Lincoln Park

Awesome super cool experience was great food. I was confused at first but I understand nowread more

Must stop in Chicago…read more It is a little sketchy at night. Don't come for the service, come for the experience. Prepare to tip. Get the Chicago Dog, Fries with a cheese cup and shake. Have fun,

The Wieners Circle - Late Night Stop @ The Wiener's Circle.2622 N Clark St, Chicago, IL Chicago Institution.Hot Dogs Char Burgers Char Polish.Great Fries.Cool!

Late Night Stop @ The Wiener's Circle.2622 N Clark St, Chicago, IL Chicago Institution.Hot Dogs Char Burgers Char Polish.Great Fries.Cool!

Char Turkey Burger w/Cheese & Grill Onions @ The Wiener's Circle.Chicago, IL Hot Dogs Char Burgers Char Polish.Great Fries.Cool!

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Char dog and fries.

Devil Dawgs - South State

4.0(1.1k reviews)

3.5 mi•South Loop

Locally owned & operated

Vegan friendly

We went to Devil Dawgs after doing the architecture tour because we needed something to put in our…read morestomachs. My husband suggested it, so we went. At first, I was like, "Hey, get me a sandwich." But when we got there, it looked divey, so I said, you know what, let's see! We grabbed a high-top table, but listen: seating is limited, okay? Don't come in there thinking you finna have a whole big, huge party! It is a small space, but we were able to secure our seats, watch the cooks do their thing, and order our food. Everything came out relatively quickly. The whole place has a fun vibe. Pictures on the ceiling, bright colors. Of course, the name Devil Dawgs made me think about the Marine Corps. If you know, you know! I had the Dragonfruit Shake, and oh my goodness. My husband had the Maxwell Street Polish, which I absolutely loved seeing because I grew up eating them. I used to get mine off 95th & Dan Ryan.. so that brought back some memories. And Hubs tore that thing down! Now, my hot dog? Listen, the picture is diabolical, okay? But it was EV-ER-Y-THING! I need to sound it out phonetically because it was literally everything, okay?! It was loaded, messy, and doing exactly what it needed to do. And listen, I am perfectly fine with a messy dog as long as it is good, and it absolutely was! The food came out quick, fast, and in a hurry. You won't be sitting around waiting forever. If you need to catch a plane, train, automobile, or whatever else, you are going to get where you need to go because that food is coming out, okay? If we ever come back to the area, we are definitely hitting up Devil Dawgs again. For sure!

You order at a kiosk which it's the way of the world right? Got through it though. Had the Chicago…read moredog, tots and a shake. Pretty good food! Tasted fresh. You can sit and eat there, it's cool decor, hipster style and vibes. The reason I gave it a 3 is because there's no bathroom:( that was insane to us ladies who had to go. Really a bummer:(

2.0 mi•Ukrainian Village, West Town

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Fatso's Last Stand

4.1(992 reviews)

I had read about how Fatso's does the char dog. I made this my last meal in Chicago…read more I went with a char dog, depression style, an order of fries, and a side of the Merkts cheddar. How was it? Fries- Delicious! Fresh cut fries, made right in front of you. They were great! Huge portion, too! Merkts Cheddar Sauce- Hell yeah! Give me a gallon of this, and I will chug it! Such a tasty cheese sauce. Loved dipping my fries in it. Great combo! Char Dog- This dog was delicious! Great char, great toppings. My only beef would be the bun. It definitely could have been more soft/steamed and fresh. It held up pretty well, but there were a couple bites where it broke and flaked apart. Hate when that happens. Still...didn't ruin the overall experience. Had a great last meal in Chicago before I headed to the airport.

Fatso's Last Stand delivers exactly what its name promises: unapologetically indulgent, old-school…read morecomfort food done right. The burgers are the shining stars -- juicy, generously sized, and cooked to perfection with toppings that strike the perfect balance of classic and creative. Whether you go for a stacked cheeseburger, bacon-loaded option, or a specialty creation, the patties are flavorful and satisfyingly beefy, with a great char and use of quality ingredients that keeps diners coming back. Beyond burgers, the menu also features hearty eats like crispy fries, loaded sandwiches, and thick milkshakes, all served with a no-frills attitude that lets the food speak for itself. Service at Fatso's Last Stand matches the laid-back but attentive vibe of the restaurant -- staff are friendly, efficient, and know regulars by name, creating a welcoming, neighborhood-favorite energy. While the pace can get lively during peak hours, especially on weekends, the team handles the rush with good humor and keeps orders moving. The ambiance is casual and retro in all the right ways, with diner-style seating and a comfortable, unpretentious environment that makes it perfect for relaxed lunches, casual dinners with friends, or late-night burger runs. It's not fancy, but when your focus is on big, delicious burgers and familiar comfort food, Fatso's delivers exactly what you're craving.

0.7 mi•Lincoln Park, DePaul

Merkts Cheddar.

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Double Fatso with Cheese + Fries

Chicago's Dog House

4.2(639 reviews)

Yummy i get the deal hot dog ,soda and fries pretty good for a quick lunch…read moreI like the art on the walls , and remember chicago dog no ketchep !!! See you soon again

My husband and I came here for our first food stop in Chicago. This place is VERY small but we came…read morearound 8pm so we were the only ones there. I ordered the 'Chicago Hot Dog' and the 'Wagyu Jalapeno and Cheddar Banger' which was a wagyu beef sausage infused with jalapeños and cheddar cheese, topped with tangy Dijon mustard, sweet caramelized onions, and spicy hot giardiniera peppers. This was SPICY! I am usually good with spice but I had to stop half way thru. It definitely had flavor for sure. My husband got the 'Obama Dog' which had pineapple on it, unfortunately I don't see any description on the website. He also got the 'Snoop Dogg' hot dog which was basically just a chili dog. Regardless, he absolutely loved them. Service was quick and friendly. The decor was bright and fun. I would recommend and would be back if I was in the area.