As far as food goes, Chicago is known for two things - deep dish pizza, and hot dogs piled high with unusual condiments. Good pizza is easy to get in any city, but no city in the world can match Chicago for it's hot dog eateries, either in terms of sheer numbers (there are more independant hot dog joints in the city than McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger Kings combined) or in terms of quality. In Chicago, hot dogs, maligned elsewhere as the lowest rung of the fast food chain, can become a true gourmet experience - usually for under three dollars.

All across the country, restaurants and food stands exist that purport to sell "Chicago-style" hot dogs, but most of these are far from authentic - most just assume that it becomes a Chicago style dog simply by piling a bunch of crap on top of any given hot dog. Unfortunately, this concept has even spread around Chicago itself.

So, what makes a proper Chicago hot dog? First of all, the dog itself should be a bright red color, should snap when you bite into it, and should have a bit of spice to it - the kind of dogs that are sometimes called "red hots." The dogs should, traditionally, be steamed, not boiled or grilled, and served on a doughy poppyseed bun, with the following condiments:

- mustard
- chopped onions
- tomato wedges
- "sport peppers" (to be either eaten or thrown at cars - your choice)
- bright green relish (the proper kind should look almost neon)
- a whole pickle spear
- celery salt

Some places add might add cucumber slices, green pepper or lettuce, but any place that adds ketchup when you ask for "everything" is not serving up a Chicago hot dog - period. The best places make you add ketchup to the dog yourself, and some of the truly hardcore places don't have ketchup on the premises at all - and will laugh at those who request it.

Places that serve hot dogs meeting ALL of these criteria will receive the seal of approval:

Of the hot dog joints themselves, the atmosphere runs the gamut from sterile, fast-food joints to tourist traps to bohemian-type dives to retro drive-ins. The best places (my favorites, anywhere) are urban equivalents of small town diners where one can go for both conversation and decent food at any time of the day.

I started this page not only to promote the "proper, orthodox" style of Chicago hot dog, but as a guide both to locals and out-of-towners who want to try a true bite of Chicago culture - the kind they don't serve at Taste of Chicago. Please poke around, leave a comment about your own experience, and don't hesitate to suggest other places to go. The supply of places is never-ending, and, while I've eaten at far more places than the list would suggest, I haven't been to some in such a long time that I'll need another trip before I can write a proper review (hence the fact that the list is currently heavy on places within walking distance of my apartment).

Enjoy!

FAQ

Don't you know what they put in hot dogs?
While some hot dogs are certainly known for being made of "whatever's left," a proper Chicago hot dog uses a 100% beef frank, usually provided by the local Vienna Beef company (though Red Hot Chicago and David Berg both have their defenders, and Hebrew National comes up a lot in the city).

What's wrong with ketchup?
Nothing is wrong with ketchup in and of itself, but it doesn't belong on a "proper" Chicago hot dog unless the eater is under 10. Some might say that the tomatoes are a form of ketchup. Organic, perhaps?

Who are you, anyway
Adam Selzer. I write kids books by day, play music occasionally, and work as a tour guide on Weird Chicago Tours. I happen to think Chicago is the greatest city in the world (INCLUDING the weather!) and one of the things that makes it great is the proper Chicago hot dog.

What's "drag it through the garden" (besides the url of the site)?
According to many articles, "drag it through the garden" is what you're supposed to say when you want your hot dog to come with the works. But I've almost never actually heard it.

Cubs or Sox?
Cubs. But I'll root for the Sox as long as they aren't playing the Cubs (imagine...an all Chicago World Series....)

You jerk! You didn't review ___________!
I can't afford to eat at every place in the city - and even I can't eat a hot dog for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And, after all, the page is new, and I try not to write reviews for places to which I haven't been recently. It'll grow. You can speed the process up by hitting the "buy me a hot dog" button - I can't promise to take requests, but I'll try to go anyplace that's easy to get to without a car. Or, you could just post your own review!

So, tell me again - what goes on a Chicago hot dog?
Mustard, onions, tomato slices, bright green relish, sport peppers, a pickle spear and celery salt on a poppyseed bun. The celery salt on poppyseed bun are, by far, the most common ommissions - and probably the easiest to overlook. The pepper, traditionally, is thrown at cars or passers-by.

What about Chicago-style pizza?
That's a whole other topic! I will say this - people tend to think that "deep dish" mean "thick crust," a la Pizza Hut, but that isn't quite true. Actual deep-dish pizza really uses a crispy crust just thick enough to hold an inch or two of toppings - which, traditionally, are put on backwards in a Chicago style pizza (sauce spread on top), though this is something you encounter less and less often these days.

What are some other Chicago specialties?
A few include:
- Italian beef (imagine a French dip in which you've dropped the whole sandwich into the au jus)
- Chicken vesuvio (chicken in a garlic white wine sauce with potato wedges - to die for)
- pizza puffs
- tamales (not a Chicago dish, per se, but sold at most hot dog joints)

I live by a place in L.A. that sells Chicago hot dogs. Think they're authentic?
Probably not. I've tried several places outside Chicago that purport to sell "Chicago-style" dogs, and few of them really get it right - the only way to do it properly is to import everything straight from Chicago. Must be something in that Lake Michigan water! A good rule of thumb is to look for the Vienna Beef logo - a sure sign that they're bringing in the real stuff. Outside of the "authentic" places, my favorite place outside of Chicago to get a hot dog is a place called Willie's Wee-nee Wagon in Brunswick, GA (and I actually saw a guy walking down Madison Street wearing a Willie's shirt one time!), though the saurkraut-topped NYC dogs are mighty tasty, too!