A Skokie native, this was my first ever visit. As good a dog you'll eat anywhere, but hand cut fries are brilliant. Excellent staff and clean restaurant will insure I return. read more

Friendly neighboorhood staff and ownership create a 'you're at home' atmosphere with a smile and a "I know you" look in the eye. Killer charburgers and shakes. Reknown throughout Chicagoland by Hot Dog pros; it is always satisfying. Suggestion: Char-Cheddar Burger with Sweet Potato Fries and an Oreo Shake. Then, a long nap. read more

Here's another place I've gone to since I was a kid...all I can say is AWESOME!! char-dogs a great way to have a Chicago style hot dog!!

This was the first time I have been here. Read about them in the Tribune and had to try. I had the cheddar bacon burger. It was excellent tasting but a little on the over done side. The bun was fresh and light so that it complimented the burger. The fluorescent relish was not overpowering and added a little spark to the flavor. Probably should have had the grilled onions as the raw didn't stand up amongst the other flavors. The fries were good but not memorable. I did not like the ketchup in the plastic serving bottle, could of been old or they needed washing, switched to the packets and life was good again. Planning to go back for the grilled salami, its famous according to the menu board. read more

Put this place in the Hall of Fame for Cheddar Burgers. Yes i'm a skokie native but i will put this cheddar burger and cheddar fries up against anything in Chicago! or nationwide. and dont get me started on their grilled salami. Hit this place up - and order right - hot dog with everything, cheddar burger or salami. everything is a waste of time! read more

Working near by poochies I do go there often. My favorite thing to order is their char chicken sandwich and cheddar cheese fries. The staff is always polite,fast and the food is always great. read more

Just love this place. The fries are always cooked fresh at that moment.

The mouthwatering burger was delicious! I have to say that I was really pleased with their effort to go the extra mile. My friend and I had bigger dinner plans but both had skipped lunch and it was 330pm. So we wanted to get a quick meal to split and a burger and fries between the two of us was just right. They not only cut the burger in half but even offered to customize the toppings for each half the way each of us like our burger. The fries were fried just right. The side of merktz cheddar was on point. My favorite part of the whole meal was the burger bun. The bread was perfect. Lastly I'll mention that my friend said that all the girls that work there are pretty cute. That's always a nice perk. I'll def be coming back and spreading the good word. read more

Pretty good hotdogs. Really good grilled salami sandwich. The fries were ok (I wish they were more crunchy). The staff is really nice. The inside is pretty clean with several tables (but clearly not enough because a lot of people ended up waiting to sit). read more

This establishment has been around since I was a child living in Skokie in 1990. The food is exactly like I remember every time I visit from Iowa. They have a new building, but that doesn't bother me. This and wasabi are the only two places I will head to every visit. The double char cheddar dog with cheese fries makes me feel 4 again :) read more

French fries are fresh and amazing! Great place to watch a game and enjoy American fast food from a clean, friendly place

If you want strangers fingering your sandwich without any gloves on, Poochie's is the place for you.

Poochie's is one of the best Chicago hot dog places. They have mastered the trifecta, Vienna beef hot dogs, Italian beef and Italian sausage. The restaurant has a good seating area if you want to eat at Poochie's. I don't live close by but it is worth the drive and I strongly recommend if you are in the neighborhood! read more

One of the best places in the area for true Chicago-style hot dogs. Cheddar fries are incredible. A must stop for anyone visiting the area that wants to try some of the best affordable food around. read more

I read an article on the MSN website one day about one of the top hot dog places in the US, which was Poochies in Skokie. I drove by it all of the time on Dempster but did not think it was anything special. When we went, I tried the charbroiled jumbo dogs which was great. The fries were fresh and hot, and I also tried the charbroiled burgers which was good. I talked to the staff for a few minutes to let them know I saw the article and they got a lot of new business since then. For a good hot dog in the Chicagoland area, try Poochies. read more

We had Poochie's cater a graduation party for us yesterday and it was MAGNIFICENT! Chris (the owner) was a pleasure to deal with throughout the planning and he carried through with everthing that he said he would do. His crew was incredible as well; they were hard working and friendly and they went above and beyond to help make this party such a success! We can't thank you enough for all that you did and we hope that you know how much we appreciated it! Everyone should consider having Poochie's cater their next event! The Ferruzzi Family read more

Great burgers. Nice people. Relaxed atmosphere with Bulls paraphanelia on the walls (my son loves that).

Of course lacks the grime of the original but still has a fair share. Tables and floors not spotless. Hot dog still top Chi quality. This is insured as the register operator makes the dogs ..didn't see him using gloves. I was OK but probably requires re-examination. Who knows what made Portillo and keeps Poochie old world but still a part of growing up and growing older. read more

We had Poochie's cater our wedding at Loft 21 and we could not have made a better choice! To this day, our guests comment on how amazing the food was and how refreshing it was to not have "traditional" (aka boring!) wedding food! From the set up with the cute menus, to the variety of options for our guests, and the abundance of food, we couldn't have been happier with Poochie's. Chris himself was amazing to work with, he was incredibly professional, responsive, met all of our needs, helped us stay within our budget, and communicated with us consistently throughout the planning process. If you're looking for something new and fresh for wedding food, we highly recommend going with Poochie's! read more

Love it here! My mom went as a kid and now she takes me! They have awesome hotdogs:) There fries used to be really good but they haven't been as good for about a year (they're still really yummy though) read more

My first time to Chicago and of course had to eat a Chicago style dog! Driving down dempster I ran inside a hookah bar and asked where can I get a good Chicago Style Hotdog! They pointed directly to Poochie's! Boy oh boy what an experience not only was the hotdog fabulous the place had cool photos of past famous customers! loved it! read more

Fantastic food, Char burgers, char dogs, and char chicken sandwiches are my staples there, all with cheddar. And the FRIES! Oh lord, the fries are good. P.S. whoever called their cheddar cheese wizz is nuts! I've seen what they use and it is top of the line! read more

If you want to count calories look somewhere else but if you love yummy burgers and fries then Poochies is the place.

An excellent Bacon Cheddar Char Burger. Merkt's cheddar, good quality beef, nice bun, quick service, clean restaurant, if you like the burger at Paradise Pup you'll like this one too, plus, no long wait in line. Highly recommended read more

Super good food. I usually get a hot dog and cheese fries whenever I come in. The people working there are super nice as well, which is a plus! The restaurant itself is also a really nice size and decorated nicely. I have never had any issues whenever I have been in. Definitely recommend. read more

#1 hot dogs for many many years just was in for lunch last week been coming in for 10+ years and for that time.they've consistently delivered a great merkt cheddar char dog Chardogs, cheddar burger, teriyaki chick. all are great now theyve moved down the street even better cleaner location same great food.. owner even helped me to cater my kids birthday great people and service thanks a lot Chris read more

They have an amazing char dog and grilled salami. I prefer getting two regular char dogs instead of one jumbo. Better casing to meat content. But both are amazing. Good service. Clean. Nice televisions. read more

I eat all up and down this strip on Dempster in Skokie alot from 94 to McCormick you will find a lot of good restaurants...But this one is for hot dog lovers, but the fries needs help...but overall good eats. read more

F I N A L L Y......,.... REAL hot dogs with a "snap" along French fries that were fresh and yummy. AND, they were both HOT--temperature wise--the way they are supposed to be served!!!! Yippee!!!!! read more

Great local place - quality food. Best hot dog/burger place in Skokie without s doubt

Found the person that took our order to be very unfriendly. Cheese fries were burnt and cheese sauce was broken, did not bother to complain as we were treated so poorly when we ordered. read more

My wife and I have been visiting Poochies since we were kids. We regularly drive 10 miles to and from our home to eat at Poochies with our children. We enjoy Poochies so much that we had them cater our coed shower years ago. We continue to refer business to them as well. Fresh food, great prices and excellent customer service. We are clients for life! Our best to Chris the owner and his wonderful staff. read more

Best straight up burger and cheese fries place. No special stuff, just the best Chicago burgers, dogs, and fries.

Cheddar char burger with a side of cheddar fries! So unhealthy yet so unbelievably delicious! Not that watery nacho cheese that you'll find in so many other places. This is thick, yummy Merkt's cheese. If you love it in a tub spread on crackers, you'll love it even more on a burger. The owner is really talkative and friendly as well as really hands on. He's usually the one worker the grill with one or two helpers. Often will double check as your food is being prepped to make sure you truly want everything, peppers, etc. Have also tried the sweet potato fries here but really, if you want classic greasy Chicago style food, no reason to try to be remotely healthy. Go all out and enjoy! read more

This place is good at best, nothing special at all. If your looking for some burgers or Vienna and your nearby it's a good spot. The cheddar they use for the "cheese fries" was horrible! It was very clumpy and oily and thats the only cheese they have. The pizza puff was good, it had meat inside and that was probably the best thing I had there. I tried a little bit of the burger here and I wasn't a fan at all. There's many other places I would go to feed my craving for some Vienna hot dogs and pizza puffs. read more

I've been eating at Poochie's for at least 40 years, so this review is probably biased. I love it. Was fearful when they moved locations a couple years ago that the magic would be lost, but the new spot retains all of the ambience of the old. Burgers and hot dogs still the best, (especially a burger with Merkt's cheese), but I've discovered a new favorite: the turkey sausage. It's the best I've tasted anywhere. Fries are as good as you'll find anywhere. Can get a bit pricey, but worth it. read more

I stopped in here just the other day. I've been here before, but it's been years. Got a grilled jumbo char dog. Really good! Cheese fries were excellent. Service was nice and polite. Why 4 stars? I want to go back again to see if they are consistent. Ill get a different meal. Then it will be 5 stars. read more

As a self-proclaimed hot dog stand afficionado, I can attest to the fact that poochies stays true to the necessities of the hot dog stand. Simple, old school decor on the walls still celebrating the Jordan-esque days of old Chicago sports (soon to be hopefully replaced with Kane/Toews news clippings), red and white walls, and the simplicity of being located in a small strip mall in Skokie. Poochies does it right, if you want your polish deep fried, just ask, you want all the trimmings on your dog, they do it perfectly. The dogs have snap whether grilled or steamed, but in my opinion, Poochies really kicks it up a notch with the Cheddar burger. Cooked to a perfect medium, this burger melts in your mouth and at 1/3 lb leaves you full. Add on hand cut fries and you have yourself a heart clogging Chicago style char grilled meal. They serve Green River which is also a plus and a dying trend among hot dog stands. With the competition around the Chicago land area, Poochies holds its own, Herms down the street, fRedhots in Glenview, Weiner Circle, stupid long lined Hot Dougs, among others pose a threat, but Poochies has withstood the test of time and with their friendliness, cleanliness, and awesome food, I have no doubt it will continue to be the source of greasy food for future Skokiegans to come. read more

These guys know what they are doing. An authentic Chicago-style dog, with REAL cheddar on their char polish and fresh-cut fries. They even have a decent veggie burger for my husband, woot woot! Very nice people at the counter. They give their food appropriate reverence and never skimp. Made my list of top three favorite Vienna stands (the other two being Murphy's and Wiener Circle, good company), and the easy place to go for folks on the far north side. read more

We love 'em! Tasty, huge burgers (haven't yet had the hot dogs) and fabulous fries for a fair price. Staff are always cheerful (and open to friendly banter), the place is clean and neat, and did I mention their awesome fries? Awesome. This is one of our go-to places for a quick, burgery bite. I mean, why go to one of those gross national chains when this place is right around the corner? read more