It was one of those rare afternoons where the air finally felt alive again after months of brutal winter winds and endless gray skies. The sun stretched across the pavement like it had personally returned to remind everyone what happiness felt like. The air was crisp, cinematic almost. I had just finished demolishing a bowl at Chipotle when, in the distance, glowing like a beacon of hope to hungry travelers, I spotted the legendary Scooby's sign. Curiosity took over immediately. I wandered into the establishment in search of Scooby snacks. The atmosphere was charming, nostalgic, and wonderfully chaotic in the best way possible. I asked for a paper menu and a few recommendations for the next time I stopped by. Little did I know destiny would return me there in less than 24 hours. The previous night had been a reckless adventure through the city. Loud music, shots, questionable decisions, the usual. The next morning I awoke slightly dehydrated but not hungover because, quite frankly, I am built different. Starving and operating purely on instinct, I prayed Scooby's would be open. Miraculously, it was. As I approached the restaurant, I could hear the passionate echo of a woman enthusiastically yelling into a microphone at what appeared to be a nearby high school graduation ceremony. I stepped inside and was greeted by a smile that honestly made it difficult to remember I came there for food. I asked for a recommendation and was directed toward the gyro meal with jalapeños on the side. What arrived before me was not merely a gyro. It was a colossal, magnificent monument to human achievement. The thing was enormous. Overflowing with flavor, perfectly seasoned meat, fresh toppings, warm pita, and enough character to deserve its own Netflix special. I have eaten gyros from many places, including spots run by Greeks themselves, and somehow this glorious beast stood above them all. The interior of the restaurant felt oddly familiar, almost like a real-life Krusty Krab tucked away in the suburbs. Naturally, I felt spiritually obligated to order what could only be described as a Krabby Patty equivalent. The hamburger arrived beautifully grilled, juicy, smoky, and crafted with the kind of precision reserved for aircraft engineering. Scooby's is not just a restaurant. It is an experience. A beautiful fever dream fueled by hunger, nostalgia, jalapeños, and exceptional customer service. read more

Scooby's Hot Dogs - Hot Dogs Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

A buddy and I stopped in here a little while back when in the area. We were at Microcenter getting a new part installed on his PC and an employee recommended Scoobys. It's a smaller joint as far as standalone restaurants go, but it had everything you'd expect and want from the local dog house. A wide variety of menu choices and green river on tap? Sign me up! The cheese sticks were good, and got devoured pretty quickly, though that's about as much as I can say there. The fries slapped for sure. They have that fresh cut flavor and styling, and were a beautiful sight to behold. The dog was certainly on the skinny side, but I still enjoyed it for what it was. My buddy liked his polish, and had great compliments for the breaded mushrooms. Our milkshakes were phenomenal also. Honestly a solid lunch outing overall. Will definitely be looking to come back the next time we are around. I don't know if this place is associated with the places called Scoobys, but those are on my list too! read more

Scooby's Hot Dogs - Vanilla Milkshake - Hot Dogs Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

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Great food and fast service. Always a great spot to walk to with the kids to get some food.

service was great, fries were great, beef was boring zero flavor like boiled beef. prices are insane and the building is not very clean for a restaurant. read more

Great local burger, hot dog stand. Food is always very good and reasonably priced. Service is always quick and well done. Drinks are all you can drink and serve yourself. This a great place to have a meal with friends and family. Definitely swing by if you are in Downers Grove. read more

Great service and very cool diner ambiance. Thoroughly enjoyed my patty melt and hot dog.

If you're gonna go here, don't waste your money on the food. Just get the fries their Italian beef has no flavor

Good hotdog with fresh cut fries and the the bun was fresh and soft great fries hit and fresh read more

Scooby's Hot Dogs - Hotdog with fresh cut fries very good fresh bun - Hot Dogs Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

Scooby's is a traditional American hot dog and burger joint. Additionally, they have Gyros, polish, grilled chicken breast, and Italian Beef, to name a few. The decor is mid-century diner with a black and white checkerboard floor and red trim. We got the Gyros Burger and a Gyros sandwich. The burger has Gyros meat on top of the burger patty, with iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo. Tzatziki sauce would have been a welcomed addition as well a differentcheese ten the standardAmerican cheese. The Gyros sandwich was a typical gyros with tomato onion and tzatziki sauce. We also had a bowl of the chicken noodle soup. The soup was an excellent starter to our meal. The outdoor seating to the west of the building will be wonderful in summertime. read more

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Kid friendly, nice menu selection and welcoming environment. Food is good, and the workers are very friendly.

Nice hot dogs, my perfect texture. Fries were ok, doesn't stand out much but the price is good. I'd get it again if I lived closer.

Food is a typical Chicago diner... Amazing fresh cut fries, pizza puff, cheeseburger & Italian beef! We no longer live in Illinois & these are must haves every time we come back & visit. We will be back read more

Solid cheeseburgers, thick patty and prepared on a grated grill instead of a flat grill, chili cheese dogs (better than Portillo's), hand cut fries and especially great onion rings. Had the Italian beef, good but under seasoned. Bread and hot giardiniera is great, beef is sliced thin as preferred. read more

The Chicken on a pita is the by far the best sandwich on the street. Never disappointed with it.

Great Chicago style hot dog and fries. Services was great and enjoyed the atmosphere of the place

I came to Downers Grove on business, had gone to Portillo's a couple of times, liked it. I like Chicago dogs when I can once in a while, wanted to "get my fix." Then I found THIS place. Wish I'd found it sooner. It has the feel of a classic mom-and-pop Red Hot joint, from the signage down to the seating. No frills, focus is on FOOD with a Chicago feel. That was the experience I was going for, and Scooby's delivers the real deal. The employees were pleasant and efficient. Service was quick and it was what you'd expect from a proper Red Hot joint. The food was all super fresh, genuine Vienna Beef Brand products. I ordered the #1 combo of 2 dogs ("drag it through the garden"), a side of rings, and a styrofoam cup for my self serve beverage. While waiting I walked around and looked at the decor. Fun stuff - Vienna Beef promotes the experience well, and it's fun to partake. I saw the drink "green river" and got that, as it's something we don't get everywhere else, and it was green - tasted a bit fruity and citrus like, sweet - would pair well with the savory food items. A couple minutes later, the food was up, and I took it to my table. Hot, fresh, nothing had sat under a heat lamp, onion rings were fried in fresh oil and were great. Buns were proper poppy seed buns, mustard was bright yellow, veggies were fresh, no "hard core" tomatoes, tomatoes were ripe but not overly ripe and were sliced thin and evenly, relish was proper unnaturally bright green like Chicago dogs are known for, kosher spear was fresh and snappy, and the long skinny dog made proper room for the rest of the goodies. Naturally, the sport peppers topped it off, and the celery salt tied it all together. First bite was exactly what I came for, and every bite was just as fresh as the previous, with everything mostly holding together and not slipping and flopping all over. Next time I come to Downers Grove, THIS will be my dog joint! I will have to try the Gyros, the Italian Beef, and the hamburger, since this place seemed plenty capable of delivering EXACTLY what the Chicago dog was all about. I never thought I'd say it, but now I actually look forward to coming back to the Chicago area! read more

Gyro fried and drink W tax $18.00. Definitely not good gyro or fries. Will never go back read more

Delicious, best onion rings in town. Food was ready very quick and was able to enjoy outside on their patio. read more

Scooby's Hot Dogs - Hot Dog Onion Rings - Hot Dogs Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

$10 for a charred glizzy, small fry and small soda? Not to mention it was a shoe string sized hot dog? This wasn't even mid, absolutely shameful pricing and quality of food. What are we even doing here? I've had a more fulfilling $1.50 Costco glizzy. I basically paid $10 for fresh cut fries. Which come with a hot dog for free at vastly superior hot dog joints like Nanas, Gene n Jude's, Superdawg ... where the cost of a vastly superior dawg is at least justified read more

Still selling Vienna products for over 35 yrs. Still hand cut fries. Great burgers Great beef. Place does it all. Long time customer. Happy every visit read more

I stopped in for the fresh cut fries which were very expensive at $6.99 for a large. They were much more expensive than other fresh cut fries I've had such as Rand Red Hots for $3.99, Gene & Jude's, Frannie's, etc. While I understand partial frying the potatoes ahead of time, these were dropped for a minute along with left overs sitting in the fry pan being added back to the "new fries" in the fryer. They were dry and tasted more like old oil than potatoes. Maybe their other menu items are wonderful (I've had pizza Puffs at a different location which were good) but for fresh cut fries, this is not worth the stop. read more

Scooby's Hot Dogs - Oiled potatoes refried Ann's oddly cold and hot. - Hot Dogs Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

I personally enjoy this place. I've never had a bad experience here. Combo is always been a go to. But I will say. It's not what it really used to be which is "Hey Buds".... read more

I hadn't been to Scooby's in many years. I used to love it. This time, not so much. The prices are so high it's almost laughable. The floor had garbage all over it, dirty napkins, straw papers, etc. Instead of sweeping, the two girls behind the counter stood there chatting. The place wasn't busy. The floor in front of the pop machine was sticky and the tables needed a wiping. The hot dogs were good, but the fries were not as good as they used to be. Won't be back. read more

Horrible!! I heard so many good things about this place but I was extremely let down! The polish and hot dog looked the same!! They both lacked flavor and tasted nothing like a polish or fry... all we tasted was grease!! Onion rings.. and fries terrible as well. The pop machine needed to be changed as well sadly. After experiencing flatness from 2 different pops I just opted for the unsweetened tea smh. Definitely won't be going back and overpriced for the lackluster food. read more

Scooby's Hot Dogs - Onions rings and fries money totally wasted - Hot Dogs Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

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Been here 5-10 times, first review. The food is always tasty. I particularly enjoy there burgers and the fresh cut fries are always a treat. However today I saw bratwurst on the menu. I like bratwurst. Not many people sell bratwurst. So i said, "Hey, I'll give it a try". Boy, what a great choice! The brat was charred and delicious. If you like brats give it a try. They offer it with grilled onions and mustard out however you want it. I opted for relish and diced onions. So good I had to get a second one. read more

Scooby's Hot Dogs - a hot dog wrapped in foil - Hot Dogs Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

Inducted into the Hall of Fame for their hot dogs?? I find this so hard to believe. But that award made us try the place a few weeks ago. My husband liked his burgers hence the 3 stars. However - my hot dogs were the size / width of my little pinkie finger. They were so small / thin. I can honestly say I've never had a hot dog that thin before. And that's what amazes me that their hot dog got inducted. I wanted to actually taste the dog but really with it that small and all the other condiments - it was hard to tell. Needless to say, I won't be back. read more

We've called in orders on a couple occasions. I have given them plenty of time to get our orders together. It seems like they don't time it for our arrival, but start the order after I placed it. The hot dogs are not very warm and the fries and onion rings need warming too. This last visit they shorted us a fry, even though we double checked the 5 orders when we went in to get them. There was also an extra $1.25 on the receipt they couldn't explain. They didn't offer a refund on the credit card, but made a note that they owe us a fry. Not sure if we'll order again, there are plenty of other places that will be sure items are not missing. read more

Scooby's Hot Dogs - Hot Dogs Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

Sadly the Scooby's has gone severely downhill! The local hotdog stand, single owner, used to have its drinks n fresh, homemade stuff. Now the place is so pathetic that the complacent GenZ employees don't even make tea. I say, "c these bins? That's where the tea is supposed to be brewed." The girl at the counter started to argue with me why not... Until she realized how right I was. At one point her eyes got extra round, she briefly paused, and was like "oh ". The 10 people that walked in after me I felt really bad for it lol read more

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First Chicago dogs for us. Excellent flavor. Best hot dog ever! Beat fries! Nice retro building. read more

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Way way way overpriced for what it is and what you get. They have ball park food prices that are such a joke won't return.

I understand that Scooby's is iconic in Downers Grove and that makes me sad. This place is overpriced and not good. Ordered the chili dog with cheese meal for $12 was in awed. It looked like slop, didn't smell good, and it was honestly, the smallest and thinnest hotdog I've ever did see. I didn't even know they made hotdogs that thin! It was literally the size of my pinky. Only good thing was that it's the only place you can get a green river drink and unlimited refills. Would not go back again. read more

First time coming here. I never knew there was a Scoobys in Downers Grove. This location is way better than the one over by (the former) Cascade Theater. The associates were nice, food was decently priced. I definitely enjoyed their Chicago hot dogs, definitely phenomenal. Another thing that I could say too besides their great variety of menu items is that they sell Green River and you can either buy a glass before hand or get a plastic cup and fill it up as many times as you want. The restaurant is big and spacious, very clean and made me feel as if I was in a retro movie. Wish this place had more neon inside in my opinion. Ample amount of parking spaces. Great employees too. Definitely would love to come back here. read more

Scooby's Hot Dogs - Hot Dogs Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

if there were 10 stats scoobys wid get it!! how is it that this small unassuming box sitting in downers grove not be the only restaurant!! for fast food forget buena forget maxwells forget portillo forget the dog house forget dawg house dont you dare go to mcdonald burger king wendys!! or nicks !! i was eating too fast i thought it would runaway!! like this cant be this good!! ever go to a fast foddie and the photos of menu look mouth watering!!! well scooby's does it exactly like there menu photos.. omg!! i got the double cheeseburger everything in it !! i never do that.. but at scooby's do it !! then i got beef and sausage come spirt peppers with mozzarella!!?!! a friend of mine said!! ive i waisted my money on the wrong fast foodie!! for now on im wasting my money on scoovy's !! i thought that was funny yummy yummy yummy read more

I have had to spend a lot of time at good Samaritan Hospital in the past month and the highlight of the afternoon is definitely being able to go to Scooby's red hots in Downers Grove. The best part is when you order a hotdog with cheese they even offer you a side cup of cheese for your french fries there is no need to go to Gene and Jude's when you have Scooby's red hots right here in town Fries hotdog and everything on the menu are absolutely delicious. Musthave you're in. downers grove!!!! 5 stars all the way around. Great food great customer service too!!!! read more

Just got insulted by a young girl at the counter that was talking about me and my wife to other employees in spanish. She assumed I didn't speak Spanish and when I confronted her about her remarks towards us she took off and hid in the back. I asked for the owners number to address the situation and I was told that the girl is the owners daughter. I guess I won't be patronizing the establishment now since they find it amusing to insult there customers. read more

Excellent Chicago (2) dog combo. Perfect and tasty. All ingredients are included when "dragged through the garden" Perfect. The fresh cut fries were awesome. Perfect and double fried Only issue was that the combo was pricey. read more

I wish I could give this dive zero stars. I heard the food was good and thought so by the expensive prices but I couldn't be more wrong. The people working there appear to be filthy dirty and are very ignorant to the customers that they are over charging. The hot dogs are pathetically small and not tasty at all. The Italian sausage is horrible. Run from this over priced and over rated dive. Jimmys, Novis, Portillos etc blow this dump away. Won't be going back. read more

It left something to be desired. The Maxwell street polish was to have grilled onions but they were just bearly cooked. The bun was so hard I could knock on the table, I asked for a new one and it was not much better. This is the 2nd time there and still the same no more for me. read more

Solid hotdog stand. They have fresh cut fries as well. The dogs are thin and long and good quality. It's nothing earth shaking but a solid option. Went back again and was pleasantly surprised by the gyro sandwich. Good and meaty. I was missing feta cheese though. read more

Gyro and fries hit the spot! Generous serving, clean and inviting establishment and friendly staff. I'll be back!