Little Island may have the most slept-on beef in all of Chicagoland, and easily one of my favorites. This coming from a guy who eats beefs just about every week. My usual spots are Roma's and Jay's, and I'll take Little Island's beef all day over those two. It's roasted in-house (like any proper beef should be) and less dry than you'll find at a bunch of the more well-known joints. Good bread and giardiniera as well. If the Evanston location raises an eyebrow, know that this is an old-school beef, burger and dog joint that would fit in in any Chicago neighborhood. The charburgers are standard charburgers--totally fine, but I make the journey for the outstanding beef. You'll also always find the same friendly guy manning the grill and register (owner, I think), and not much else (if any) staff. I like a place that's completely consistent in familiarity, customer experience, quality. It also may be the most inexpensive restaurant in Evanston. While beef prices have skyrocketed in recent years (an equal-sized Roma's beef is about $4 more), you get one of the best and tastiest beefs in Chicagoland here for under $8 (as of this writing). Their giardiniera cheese fries (with Merkt's--i.e., the creme de la creme of cheese-fry cheese) were also featured in Chicago mag as one of the "Nine Best Ways to Experience Giardiniera"--although I have yet to try those... read more

This place was awesome! I came in here with my 75 year old dad when we were in the area visiting family- he remembers coming here in the 50s as kid growing up in the area, and we came in for a quick lunch and nostalgia. Did not disappoint! The hot dogs and shake we ordered were perfectly made and delicious, and the old timey hole in the wall greasy spoon diner ambience is perfect. The prices are also stuck in some pre Covid affordability time warp, you could feed a whole family lunch with $20. I have not seen a $5 burger in years! All around great, big recommend! read more

I absolutely adore this place. My brother and I spontaneously decided to stop by because we were curious and we're so so happy we did. The burger and hotdog we ordered were delicious. We got a copious amount of fries. The prices are fair/cheap for what you're getting. You wouldn't get the same amount of food at Superdawg for that price. There's about 12 seating spots available inside and about 15 outside. There aren't a lot of parking spots around the building, but there's probably street parking you can utilize nearby. Theres also no restroom so make sure you have hand sanitizer with you. Looking through other's reviews and pictures, I'm confident that the man who took my order is the same man everyone else is taking about and he is absolutely so sweet alongside the woman who was there too. I wish them continued business success at this quaint little joint. read more

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Great place for a hot dog, burger and Italian bell. The fries and onion rings are amazing. The owner is so hard working. Highly recommend for a fast food hot dog/burger joint. read more

Update on my last review from Oct 2023. I do not hand-out accolades lightly. These are the best French fries in Cook County. They don't travel as well as I'd like, but when eaten AT the joint, they are without peer. And I should mention that I have now included their Polish in my list of 'last meal wants'. I prefer all of my hot dogs and Polish sausages sans anything 'red' - no tomatoes, none of that red gooey stuff. I can live without the celery salt and kraut, too, but I can deal with those. Can't abide red stuff, though. That dates me, I think, as a Chicago Dog Devotee dating from the 50s and 60s, when 'everything' meant mustard, onion, BROWN relish (not the neon-green stuff), sport peppers, and a pickle wedge. The hot dog, a 'seven', I recon, is reminiscent of Lerner's from the 60s. ('Seven' is not a rating - it refers to the 'number per pound'. A 'four' is a quarter-pounder, a 'six' is a one-sixth of a pound. Lots of places open their doors with fives or sixes and as they try to squeeze more profit out of the biz, they move to eights and nines.) If you're looking for a very good dog or Polish and OUTSTANDING fries, this is the place. read more

First things first. I returned here after an absence of about 45 years. My friends and I used to come here almost daily, typically after baseball practice and games at Gillson Park in Wilmette, and ate like the voracious slobs we were and likely still are. The place was then known as "Hot Dog Island" and, had I the misfortune of being, say, Richard Speck or John Wayne Gacy, fulfillment of my request for a last meal would emanate from herein. Thankfully my metabolism back then equalled that of the hummingbird that my hyperactive Labrador attempted to capture on a daily basis, so I could eat to my heart's content with apparent impunity. Back in the day there was an individual, behind the counter, who resembled Harry Reems (above the waist, that is, and that's all I really want to know) who was quite the character. I seem to remember that his name was "Al" but I may be mistaken. Anyway, upon entering the shop, he'd rather acerbically greet the patron with a terse "what do you need?" salutation. One day a rather erudite appearing gentleman took "Al" to task and stated that "I don't NEED anything but would like....." Al was quite taken aback by that for unknown reasons (maybe he needed one of Harry's girlfriends, who knows) and this just added, in my mind, to the mystique that forever will be Hot Dog Island. Driving by Little Island these days is for me a bittersweet step back in time. Growing up in Wilmette, IL, half a century ago with nary a care in the world, with, to paraphrase the Eagles, Mommy and Daddy by my side, among my best friends in the world, some of whom are long gone from the area if not life itself, who could have known the gifts, blessings, trials and tribulations life had in store? Shortly after high school, while in college at the University of Pittsburgh, I met the love of my life, the lovely daughter of a slum landlord, who quickly tired of me and migrated, with a midget with priapism, to Tarzana, CA. As my beloved grandmother used to say, "man plans and God laughs". I surrendipitously found Little Island while on my way to a client's office, but, rather than laugh, I immediately played "Old Days" from the band "Chicago" from my Spotify playlist. This place is awesome and of course highly recommended. read more

Little Island has the best fries in the state of IL. The hotdogs and cheeseburgers are excellent. And the chocolate shakes are fab. I say "Go to Little Island" you wont be sorry! Joan read more

I love this place I'm not from around here but I've been working in the area for a few months now and I tried a few things of the menu and I was not disappointed at all . One day a had the two hot dog special and the hotdogs were very delicious and are a true Chicago hotdog and on a different day I tried the gyro and that was also delicious and then I tried the Italian beef and that was also delicious and service was also good this place is a hidden gem and i almost forgot the price were unbelievable very affordable You must try this place if you haven't done so and I usually post pictures of the food but I was so excited I forgot lol read more

THE BEST! My own north shore secret spot. Fries can't be beat. Order a rare burger and u will be back. Chili cheese fries , of course feature Merkt's cheddar. Prices border on criminally low . If ur a fan of Chicago food done right help keep this operation going strong. Boo to the chains! read more

Its a hole in the wall good Got dinner late an hour before they closed they seem to do a lot of take away. It is a one-man show. I had a jumbo char chili, dog good I would get again onion rings, were tasteless. Shame I would be interested in trying their hamburgers. I saw them being grilled. They looked thick and flavorful. read more

This place is fire. Kind of a one-man-show too. Everything here is good. Parking is awful but worth it. Menu is extensive and everything is good. Get the gyro Sandwich with a large cheese fry on the side. Easily 2-3 meals and it's so good. Love this place read more

10/10 charr dogs. The daily dog special is $11 and you 2 hot dogs and medium fry and a drink. No better deal out there.

this place is awesome. so cool in the middle of the intercections. the food is cheaper than most places and its very tasty.

I've driven past this place so many times and I finally decided to try it out; Only carry-out and delivery right now with the pandemic. I ordered 2 Big Island Classic burgers, 1 smokehouse burger, and another basic burger with one small cheese fry. It took 25-30min for preparation. This seems to be a 2 man operation (dad and maybe his daughter) and it was at prime lunchtime. I didn't realize the description online said the island and smokehouse burgers were on french bread so that was a surprise but not bad. Personally, we weren't the biggest fans of how the burgers were cooked, charred and well-done, but the toppings were great and my sister said the ketchup to mayo ratio on hers was perfect! The cheddar fries are Merkt's cheddar which I now know isn't my favorite but for those that like Merkt's, there is lots of it and covers all the fries. Thanks for lunch, Little Island :-) read more

Little Island - Menu prices - Hot Dogs Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Great burgers and hot dogs. Recommend the onion rings. Very easy to place orders online and are always ready to pick up on schedule

Hot dog island! Always the best. This is a childhood staple of mine and I've always supported the one man army that is little island. Highly recommend you check this out and go support my man. read more

I've been coming here the past 10 years every week in the summer because of how incredibly good and CONSISTENT this guy is. mind you it is a single dude who takes the orders, makes the food and everything and yet he still only closes it once a week. genuinely the best fries and fish sandwich i've ever had, no place comes even close. he's a beast and can make some of the best burgers and sandwiches in the area no doubt!!! read more

Little Island - a sandwich and french fries on a table - Hot Dogs Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

This place has the ABSOLUTE BEST BURGERS IN THE CHICAGOLAND AREA HANDS DOWN! And the prices are unbelievably low. MUST TRY THE 1/2 lb. steak burger. This is not your grandmother's burger. Trust me! You won't be disappointed read more

Best hamburger I've ever had at the Island In Wilmette, Grosse Pointe, and Central Avenue read more

Little Island - Best hamburger I've ever had - Hot Dogs Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Been there for years. Great value. Hamburgers and fries really good. Service good ambience (not much)

Quaint but enjoyable restaurant to enjoy for great hot dogs and enjoyable service. A place that is enjoyable every time that I am there.

I used to go here as a child with my parents when it was called "Hotdog Island"...and then hadn't been in over 30 years! Today was the 1st time since I've been an adult, not sure why; yet I'm glad I came. I don't do "traditional" fast food, but I love a good burger or a Chicago-style hotdog (Vienna, all beef), and Little Island has both! And I love supporting small businesses! For such a tiny space (only two booths and a counter at the window with stools) they have an extensive menu, fries to die for, and my personal favorite, the steak sandwich, is AMAZING! It's a huge steak, cooked to order, with your choice of toppings on french bread. And today, mine was delicious! And very filling! I couldn't even finish it. I was happy with the iced tea I got too. I don't recall the brand, but it's in a canister on the counter next to the pop machine and it was delicious. I love a good tea. My family enjoyed the meals I picked up for them and asked me where I went! The only downside is the tricky parking lot which can be challenging to get in & out of (it wraps around the building), yet it's so worth it! So if you're a fan of fresh made to order instead of mass produced fast food, or if you're mostly a healthy eater but need a good cheat meal, or if you just quality fast food at great prices, then I highly recommend Little Island! read more

Little Island - Hot Dogs Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Four words, I love you, Kevin. (Kevin's the owner for those in the know, that's me, I am in the "know" but I don't KNOW know him, I'm not like one of those people who meet the owner once and am like, BUT I KNOW THE OWNER, but yeah, he's a cool guy, and he makes the best char food this side of the 'ssippi) read more

I've been going here for 15 years - best beef for your buck in the area. The owner takes great pride in his food.

This is a modest hot dog stand (as most are). What's not modest is the food. Among the winners I've had are Burgers, Chicago Dogs, Maxwell Style Polish Sandwich, Italian Sausage Sub, Onion Rings, Fries and Milk Shakes. Prices are extremely low. If you like this kind of food at great prices, you've gotta go there! read more

I would not review Little Island except I met James there and this is more a review of James, an employee at Little Island, than the island itself. I was sitting at a table with two friends when one of them said "hi" to the man sweeping near our table. This led to the four of us having such a wonderful connection and conversation, and to James assuring us that he saw Little Island as "a healing place" where we can recover from the pandemic. "It all starts here." Thank you, James, for sharing your optimism and kindness with us. We definitely got a lift from meeting you. read more

Really good place for a double cheese burger you will not be disappointed at all your gonna wanna come back that's how good they are come in and check them out read more

Little Island - a hamburger with a pickle on the side - Hot Dogs Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I just ordered food from this place. The delivery driver sat in the car for 5 minutes before he called to say he had an order for me. He took the food out of his insulated hot bag, and it also contained my two MELTED milk shakes. The food isn't even closed up, the ketchup ramekin was open and got all over me, my sandwich was not only wrong, it isn't even put together as a sandwich (See photos). We called the restaurant. The person on the phone did nothing but argue with us. He asked if the food was cold because the shakes were in with it. No...the shakes were liquid. He offered only argument and no solution. TERRIBLE customer service. This was unacceptable. Then the man on the phone HUNG UP ON US. read more

Little Island - Chicken sandwich. It came like this. Opened and scrambled. - Hot Dogs Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

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Amazing food. Best dogs ever. Don't let the building fool you. Great quality, fast service for such great food and nice people.

Little Island Evanston. Is this place for real ? In the land of the bland a little oasis of entrepreneurialship. This is the Americana that's fast disappearing from our landscape. Good burgers at fair prices. With all of the full upscale burger joints around this is going back to the basics. Family -friendly old-school awesomeness. Not a chain but one guy giving you a burger he loves. Beautiful. "Standing in the middle of nowhere wondering how to begin. Caught between tomorrow and yesterday. Between now and then." - The Kinks This place is LITERALLY in the middle of the road. Careful ! read more

Little Island - "Standing in the middle of nowhere wondering how to begin caught between tomorrow and yesterday between now and then.." The Kink - Hot Dogs Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Total dive! I mean there's no bathroom for the public. Plus it's a total pain the ass to park in their lot. Good is ok... it's weird that everything is below ground. read more

I drove by a couple of times a finally decided to give it a try. The place is very small with limited sitting. I recommend ordering your food to go. They have many items to pick from. The food was made fresh to order which is always a plus. The food lacks much flavor it just taste fried. Please add seasoning. read more

No one was in the restaurant, it was late afternoon, ordered 2 chardogs, fries, root beer floats. The bun was cold, the fries were limp and greasy and the ice cream in the root beer floats was icy, not creamy. I won't be going back. There are too many other places in the vicinity to order well prepared and tasty food. read more

As long as I can remember - like so many others- I have been stopping in here from time to time- In the spirit of tradition- they should rename this back to Hot Dog Island- I am sure there is a reason that the name was changed, but have no idea on that. Change it back! It's a great char dog- that's what I get- prices are reasonable service was fine. read more

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Best Cheese Fires In The Country Hands Down Without a Doubt! Order their Seasoned Cheese Fries and you will get a hot basket of large seasoned waffle fries with Wisconsin's very own Merkt's cheddar cheese slathered throughout. Tried it once with chili too and it was also very tasty. They make hand crafted patties and grill them to perfection. A quality burger that you cant find anywhere else. I even played their bay watch pinball game and it was a blast. This place is classic and I like supporting the local business. read more

I've been dying to try this place, and the food was great -- what you would expect for a place like this. But I was really disappointed by the lack of COVID precautions. The person preparing the food and taking orders was not wearing a mask or gloves, and the person ringing up the orders had a mask on, but it was pulled down to her chin. It took everything in me not to walk straight out, but my son REALLY wanted a corn dog. He loved it, and wanted seconds, but there is no way we're going back until this pandemic is under control. read more

This place is the real deal! Like all generic hot dog places stick the dogs and the burgers. But this place has char dogs and Merkts cheddar burgers. The fries are excellent too. read more

Probably THEE best french fries ever!!! They come in a brown paper bag with skin on fries that are fresh and piping hot, golden brown on the outside, hot, steamy, almost baked potato quality on the inside, with the right proportion of salt and greasy goodness!! Try them and see for yourself! read more

This place had been there like my entire childhood and I always just noticed that it was in kind of an awkward place but decades went by and I never tried it. I finally decided to try it a couple weeks ago and was not disappointed! It's a good value because the burgers come with free toppings. Definitely very yummy and also reasonably priced in an expensive neighborhood. read more

What a dive.Old school old building .Putting out great food.Parking is awkward but not a biggie.As the food served here by chef Kevin is right on the money.This is a to put on the list of places to check out.See the pics with my review.Lots for the money no skimping here.I had the gyro huge pieces none of This thinly sliced stuff nice hunks.Awesome job.I will definitely be stop back here when I'm in the area .Thanks Kevin great job great service. read more

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