Went there on a Sunday with my son. Their Sunday special is a jumbo grilled hot dog, fries and a…read moredrink for like $12. We both got the special. The hot dog was pretty good, fries (Crinkle cut) were also good. Place was pretty crowded. Overall, I'd eat there again, if I'm in the neighborhood, but you have a go with the special of the day, or it's expensive. The cons? Seating was very tight. We sat at a table of 4, and our backs were right on top of the person in back of us. Also, service was slow, considering it was just a hot dog, but like I said, it was busy. It's in a strip mall, so it's a little hard to find the first time.

I am no stranger to Dear Franks of Niles; I visited it several years ago for lunch during one of my…read moresummer jobs in-between college semesters. Since then, I have off-and-on ordered from nearby restaurants yet with an interest in revisiting Dear Franks at some point. It was not until I recently discovered its veggie and plant-based items on the menu when I made it a high priority to visit, being that I am now a vegetarian. After attending training at my job which sits no more than a mile from Dear Franks, I made my visit. Its location sits along W Touhy Ave amongst a mixture of restaurants and shopping stores that are relevant to the community of Niles. I was acknowledged shortly after I walked in and up to the counter to look at the menu which was plastered above the counter. It took me some time to look at the menu because the menu online differed from the menu onsite above the counter. I had a taste for a veggie hot dog, but I did not see it featured on the menu above the counter, figuring that it was no longer an option at the time. So, I ended up ordering their veggie burger, fries, and a drink which was completed within several minutes. While paying, I could not help but notice Turano products near the register. Turano baking company, a family-owned bakery that produces authentic and delicious breads. I drive by Turano's daily enroute to my primary job and it is hard not to notice its building exterior, which has a commanding presence. Being that I have had the interest in visiting Turano's for some time now, I ended up purchasing a Turano - chocolate chunk cookie to go along with my veggie burger, fries, and drink. Maybe now after purchasing the chocolate chunk cookie, it will urge me to visit its location in Berwyn. I chose to dine-in at Dear Franks since I had plenty of time in my day, plus I figured that I still had time to beat the traffic on Edens Expressway enroute back to Chicago. The inside of Dear Franks appeared clean, and the atmosphere gave off a sporty vibe with pictures of Chicago sports teams, and iconic sporting moments in history of those teams featured. And there are a number of tables with seats available inside of the dining area, plus a television plastered on the wall near the entrance for viewing pleasure as you eat. The crinkle-cut fries were the first item I started off with eating. Though not as good as Portillo's crinkle-cut fries, ketchup certainly complimented them well. From that point on, I could not resist eating them all after the addition of ketchup. I moaned in enjoyment after my first bite of the veggie burger; it was garnished with everything I requested such as ketchup, mustard, lettuce, and tomatoes! It was very satisfying indeed. Taking note of everything I experienced: service, ambiance, and food, I have to say that it was a good experience. And with that I would gladly re-visit Dear Franks of Niles again whenever in the Niles area. Service: 4 | Ambiance: 4 | Food: 5 ~Nourish your soul. ~ Thomas G

A Chicago institution…read more A Superdawg hot dog with fries and a chocolate malt is a perfect meal. The car hop service takes you back in time.

Flew into Chicago late, wanted a taste of Chicago but didn't want to head back into the city so…read moredecided to try Superdawg (on our list for a while). It was almost 11pm (they're open until 2am on Fridays.) and there were at least a dozen other vehicles in their drive-in stalls. Ordered their specialties, a Superdawg and Whoopskidawg with Superfries, Chocolate Super Malt and Black Kows. Service was fast and friendly at 11pm on a Friday. We were eating in our rental car in apx 10 min. It was cool to eat outside on a warm July night in a classic, 1950s style drive-in. The food was excellent, flavorful and fresh. I normally avoid krinkle cut fries because they are usually frozen and mushy or mealy. Not Superfries. These fresh cut fries were practically fried mashed potatoes. We loved them! The drinks were perfect. The Black Kows is basically a root beer float and served with an extra root beer "sidecar." Our only complaints were about errors with the garnishes. We specifically said we wanted all the garnishes on both dawgs and they only gave us the standard grilled onions on the Whoopskidawg and forgot the sport peppers on the Superdawg. Otherwise we loved everything. We might go back next week (before we fly home) because I really want to try their Whoopercheesie Burger and maybe a Supersundae. (Menu Descriptions/Prices) Superdawg Not a wiener - not a frankfurter - not a red hot - but our exclusive... Superdawg™. On a poppy seed bun, we tenderly place the loveliest, juiciest creation of pure beef hot dog (no pork, no veal, no cereal, no filler), formally dressed with all the trimmings, escorted by our often imitated, but never equaled, Superfries™. Served with all the trimmings - golden mustard, tangy piccalilli, kosher dill pickle, chopped Spanish onions and a memorable hot pepper. $9.30 Whoopskidawg Our char-broiled version of a Romanian, Hungarian, Polish sausage; basted in our special sauce, and served on a Whoopskiroll™, with grilled onion and a pickle. $12.05 Superfries For extra pleasure an extra measure of Superfries™. $4.35 or $6.95 - Try 'em with cheese! Supermalts and Supershakes A full pint of smooth creamy refreshment so thick we put straws in them only to prove that you can't draw them through. (We will gladly thin them down, if you prefer them that way.) Flavors: double rich chocolate, mellow vanilla, real-fruit strawberry or pineapple. $5.80 - Regular $7.10 - Large Black Kows A beverage--a dessert--a snack. Chunks of ice cream floating in a foamy sea of root beer. You can drink it. You can eat it. You can do both at once. $6.20

We have been here at least 20 times over the past 4 years since we moved closer to this location…read moreand each time has been great. The consistency in their food and service, will make this location stay open for awhile. It really doesn't matter what time of the day you come, the drive thru is always full. This time we came here before heading out to go swimming so we had a Hot Dog lunch. It was great and my company was even better. The decor is on point with other Portillo's so we're a fan! Don't sleep on their Kids Meals for your kids, it's a fair deal. There is plenty of parking but sometimes during lunch or 6pm ish, you may have to wait for a spot to open.

Portillos is such a Chicago staple. Everything on their menu is delicious. I especially love their…read morechopped salad and milkshakes. This time I got a burger and went for a double because a girl's gotta eat! It was the right choice. Great burger to bread ratio. The cheese was so melty and delicious. They have order kiosks at the entrance or you can order with a cashier at the front. I guess it depends how much you're avoiding people on which you prefer. It's clean and has spacious seating. The decor is typical of a Portillo's but I found the mannequin scene at the entrance quite interesting and I'm still trying to put the story line together.

So I had a huge craving for a char dog . I have passed this place for a while and decided to give…read moreit a try. I ordered online, my order was two char dogs with grilled onions and a side of fries. The dogs actually came with fries , but I figured it was nit enough and wanted a side. Well I was wrong about the fries , it was a huge amount that came with the dog. And the side fries and at least a half pound of fries. The hotdogs were chard nicely , not over done . It was really good , one dog with fries was enough for a lunch . I ate the second one the next day , it was still really good . The price for the dogs was actually a good deal . I would definitely try something else there. They have some seating along the windows, for a quick bite . Staff were very nice , my order was double wrapped in two bags and my food was hot and fresh . Definitely give them a go.

Great spot for a beef! when you order fries! They give you so much fries! lol beefs good I like it…read morewet! I sometimes bring crushed red peeled because I like a little kick to my beefs! Very tender beef slices with great flavor

I'm crazy disappointed this place is leaving classic. The food, the people, the simplicity of this…read moreplace is beyond amazing. I really hope they find a place soon to carry this business. It's funny I come near Woodstock, and I always make that joke "Boba burger?" anytime I'm in the area with my buddies The other day one of the owners kids was playing near the register and you know its moments like that where they're just happy and such great people with great hospitality to there customers. I've reviewed this place once before: Tokyo dog, Lechon burger, large fries, and triple berry smoothie is my go-to. I seriously don't exaggerate you need to come by before they close. I hope they find a place quickly because you know I sure will always come back.

We dropped in for a quick dinner. This place is super busy. They make your food to order which is…read moregreat. It's a serve yourself kinda place. They mainly do pick up business. It's inside a bowling Alley. The folks are really friendly and nice. The food is decent. The burger's are 5 oz. and made fresh. You get a nice brioche bun with fresh lettuce and tomatoes and cheese. The drink options aren't huge. It's not a place you linger or have a conversation. The onion rings are nice and crispy but for me I don't like the huge batter centric rings. I like a light batter with crunch so you can taste the onion. The fires are just okay. Most were a bit soggy for me.

I've tried the Roger Park location, but this is the sit down one. They did the best to change this…read moreLong John Silvers into a burger haven. They succeeded. I order the Buenos Dias burger with onion rings and a chocolate shake. They do have a combo for fries and soda, with an up charge for onion rings, but not for the shake. I had to order a la carte, which set me back. There is also a surcharge if you use debit/credit card. The Buenos Diaz burger has a sunny side egg, bacon, hash browns with a chipotle mayo. It was delicious and definitely a 20 napkin burger. The onion rings were crispy and the onion did pull out from the breading. It came with a dipping sauce which tasted like a very mild bbq sauce The chocolate shake was worth everything my lactose intolerant body shouldn't have. Creamy, blended perfectly with a cherry on top.

Went in for a lunchtime bite. My friend and I got the lunch specials, a cheeseburger and a grilled…read morecheese with fries and a drink for only $12.50 each. The burger was actually bigger than I expected! Really filling meal, solid burger. It isn't anything to go crazy about. Staff was friendly and quick. Place is clean with plenty of seating. Bathrooms were also clean.

Was excited to try out this place that I kept passing by in the past, not knowing what kind of…read morecuisine they served. I assumed that with their name, that they might serve barbecues? Than I read something on instagram that they serve the best gyros, I just had to swing by. I ordered their Gyros Dinner Plate and their Pork Chops Dnner Plate. I also got their Kefte Dinner Plate for my son Alex. Alex said his kefte plate was good. I, on the other hand, found my touted Gyros plate, kinda "meh". The meat was kinda bland, although those humongous greek potato wedges were awesome! I bought the pork chops for din-din with my wife later that night. Unfortunately, the chops were tough and chewy! I know it's tough to cook pork chops, but, they're a restaurant. You'd think they'd know how to cook pork chops the right way. So, in conclusion, it was a big letdown for me on this new find. I'd have to say that their servings are quite abundant, but It terribly lacks in taste and texture, and I don't think quantity equals quality here.

While stopping through the area for another errand, we decided to make a stop at Charcoal Flame…read moreGrill for lunch. It's a standalone building with it's own parking lot. We didn't notice until our way out but they also have a drive-thru, and signs that say they offer delivery/are on DoorDash, so with multiple options, Charcoal Flame is convenient. This building looks like it possibly used to be an old 90s/00s KFC or Pizza Hut or something, but it's cozy and clean and we love an easy access parking lot. The menus are expansive and you order at the counter when you walk in. There are plenty of tables for dining in, and a few were taken while we were there. There was a steady stream of phone orders coming in for pick up, and the restaurant was busy overall. We were helped right away and the staff at the counter were so friendly. I ordered a Maxwell street sausage as a meal ($5 additional for a drink and fries) and my partner ordered the American Gyro sandwich and also as a meal. We grabbed a table and our drinks from the fountain machine and only waited a few minutes for the number on our receipt to be called with our order. The food here is so fresh and delicious. This is one of the best Maxwell street sausages I've had around, the bread was perfect and soft inside and crispy on the outside with the sausage split and grilled and perfectly sweet caramelized onions. The fries looked like they came in frozen/pre-cut but were fried up perfect and a generous portion. The Gyro came stacked with meat, it wasn't dry, and had great flavor. Because the food was so delicious I decided to grab a piece of baklava to go, which I was assured was homemade and delicious - and they were right. So sweet, fresh, textured, rich, luxurious. Don't skip the baklava when you stop by! This is definitely a spot that will be added to our regular rotation of lunch/dinner spots around town. Thank you so much Charcoal Flame Grill for a wonderful experience with super friendly staff! Can't wait to see you soon and try more menu items!

Great Italian Beefs, great Dogs and the fries are excellent. The guys who work here are top-notch…read moretoo.

Every time I have had food there I have gotten sick on there food. Will not go back there ever.read more