The 25 best hot dog stands in Chicago

Despite a renovation in 1999, this hot dog drive-in is still as old-fashioned as ever, with uniformed servers bringing your order directly to your car window. Apparently scared of copycats, the owners have trademarked almost every dish, the main draw being the namesake “Superdawg,” an all-beef frank so plump it’s hard to remove it from its cartoon-covered box. After a meal of hot dogs, fries, burgers (try the delicious, double-decker “Whoopercheesie”) and “Supershakes” (actually not very super), expect to literally roll yourself home.

Don’t ask for ketchup when you order one of the legendary dogs that come topped with a fistful of fries at this standing-room-only institution, which has been serving ’em up since 1946. The surly types behind the counter don’t go for weak stuff like that. Claim your place at the end of the perpetually long line and entertain yourself by watching potatoes being cut and fried into perfect greasy strips while you wait. Once it’s your turn, order your dog with everything, then count your blessings for the wax paper–wrapped bliss that lies before you.

A little walk-up shack on the UIC Campus with no seating, Jim's Original doesn't look like much. But a solid rendition of a Vienna beef Chicago-style dog with fries sets you back just a little over $6, and the grilled onions are a nice touch. Open until 1am, Jim's Original is just as good for lunch as late night munchies. A second location is now open in Bucktown.

The folks behind the counter at this classic roadside shack have had enough of drunk yuppies' crap. So much so that they’ve developed their own brand of smack-talking that’s now synonymous with a late-night dog run here. Get your Chicago red hot with the traditional fixings—mustard, onion, neon-green relish, pickle spear, tomato, celery salt and sport peppers—an order of thick-cut fries, a big, fat lemonade and some verbal abuse. And don't forget the chocolate shake.

The M.O. at Redhot Ranch is minimal selection and flawless execution. Juicy depression dogs (a stripped down version of the Chicago-style dog gussied up with mustard, onions, relish and sport peppers) are topped with a handful of fresh-cut fries that are crisp on the outside and pillowy inside. Dining with a group? Toss in a pound of fried shrimp for the table. It’s all served until midnight every day.

Like Gene & Jude’s, Jimmy’s is a purist’s hot dog stand. No seating, no char-anything, and for crissakes, no ketchup. You’ll find nothing but tasty Vienna Beef hot dogs and Polishes served on steamed buns with loads of greasy, hand-cut fries. As a consolation for the much-maligned ketchup lover, Jimmy’s offers a decent house-made habanero hot sauce. This spot is open late, which is the best time to catch sketchy parking lot antics.

Any contractor or DIYer who’s been to a Home Depot in the city has probably seen a hot dog stand located near the exits. What you may not know is that the stands aren’t run by the hardware giant. They’re a part of a mini-chain, dubbed Fixin’ Franks, found only in select stores around Chicago and the suburbs. The quality will surprise some, but it shouldn’t—the dogs are made with products sourced from Makowski’s Real Sausage in Bridgeport. There are also additional goodies like Polish sausages topped with J.P. Graziano giardiniera.

This Lincoln Park shop serves a by-the-books Chicago dog with all the standard toppings, but we're always eyeing the cheeky specialty sausages. The Tijuana Street Dog is topped with melted chihuahua cheese, bacon, onions, jalapenos and hot sauce, while the Midway Monster Dog comes loaded with colby cheese, giardiniera, bacon and barbecue sauce. And then there's the Snoop Dog—a beef chili dog topped with chorizo, cheddar cheese and onions.

In business since 1938, it feels like nothing has changed at Dave's Red Hots in decades, with flyers tacked to the wall and yellowing menus. The lineup stars Vienna Beef links (they've been inducted into the Vienna Beef Hall of Fame) slicked with mustard and decorated with a thinly sliced pickle and peppers, with relish and onions only by request (as several signs remind you). The fries are hand cut and have a crisp edge, and the steamed bun is soft and pillowy. To eat, squeeze into the tiny wooden booths or hop on one of the stools by the counter.

Kevin Hickey’s neighborhood gastro-tavern offers a host of Midwestern comfort fare, from fried cheese curds to an irresistible Duck Inn Dog. The sausage is a blend of all-natural beef and duck fat, and it’s garnished with Chicago-style toppings such as house-made relish, beer mustard, tomatoes, onions, pickled serrano peppers, a dill pickle and a dash of celery salt. There are also chicken and vegan variants of the dogs. If you feel like really indulging, add shaved black truffles for an extra $35. Duck Inn Dogs are available to purchase at local grocery stores and online, too.

This grab-and-go spot in Lakeview and Ravenswood dishes out Vienna Beef hot dogs, Polishes and bratwursts with killer French fries—crispy, salty and packed with grease to help wash down whatever it is you ordered. Be prepared to pick your toppings, or if you're just not sure, get everything. You won't regret it.

Devil Dawgs is here to tempt you with a laundry list of loaded hot dogs. They've got Chicago dogs, Coney dogs, New York dogs and even Icelandic dogs, which are topped with dijon mustard, ketchup, house-made remoulade, shallots and onions. Pick your poison and toss in a fresh strawberry shake while you're at it.

This hole-in-the-wall shack has been around since the ‘70s and proudly proclaims its dogs are “fit for a king.” You don’t have to be royalty, though, to tell that these dogs are some of the finest around. And they’re available every which way, from the traditional red hot to double dogs smothered in chili. For something truly unique, order the Mighty Dog—a glorious combo of hot dog plus tamale on a bun finished with cheese, chili and other fixins’.

In the pantheon of Chicago hot dog stands, Wolfy’s deserves a seat on the dais. The room is sparkling clean and the staff is sweet—think of it as the anti-Wieners Circle. Though it offers a lot more, take a cue from the iconic signage (an impaled hot dog on a sparkling fork) and stick to the sausages. The Vienna beef char-grilled Polish is near perfect, but it’s Wolfy’s hot dog, one of the best in the city, that will make even the most jaded hot dog fan smile.

From the outside, this looks like your standard Chicago red hots joint. The menu will make you feel like it too (keep it simple, a Chicago-style dog with fries and a soda will do you right), but the inside feels like there's just a tad more care, with a neon sign over the food prep line and yellow accents throughout the dining room. Locals know this joint well, with their regular lunch orders—you'll feel like you may have just stepped back in time.

There’s no denying that this über-efficient local chain serves a damn good wiener. With city locations in River North, the South Loop and Avondale, Portillo’s pays homage to the Midwest with classic Chicago-style hot dogs as well as chili-cheese dogs and a char-grilled Maxwell Street Polish sausage.

Hiding in the basement of a Lakeview building, the hot dog stand with the phallic rhyme-time name means business when it comes to ketchup prohibition. If you have the gall to ask for your dog with red stuff, the clerk will take your mugshot and stick it on the Wall of Shame. What you do want in your bun is a Chubby, a plump, quarter-pound Vienna Beef with the Chicago-style works. As you eat, check out the children’s doodles of anthropomorphic hot dogs that paper the walls. Our fave: Hot Dog Elvis who's really worried about spilling condiments all over his blue suede shoes.

Located at the crossroads of Clark and Halsted, Clark Street Dog’s flashing, sausage-shaped sign beckons Cubs fans, concertgoers and hungry patrons, usually in various states of intoxication. The location serves up a familiar menu, replete with Chicago-style hot dogs (even of the meatless variety), Italian beef sandwiches and crispy fried shrimp.

Although it’s not nearly as contentious as the rivalry between the Blackhawks and Red Wings or deep dish and Detroit-style pan pizza, hot dogs are also a point of debate with our neighbors across the lake. But despite where you stand on the matter, this Humboldt Park stand is here to please. We recommend going with the Chicago meets Detroit dog, a Detroit-style Coney but with a charred Vienna sausage. For Chicago-style loyalists, the charred Vienna Beef jumbo dog doesn’t disappoint, either.

True to its name, Fatso’s isn’t for the faint of heart. The menu is rife with stoner-friendly fare like smash burgers, milkshakes, mac ‘n’ cheese and a loaded Italian beef. The hot dogs here are charred instead of steamed, evoking memories of backyard barbecues and summertime pool parties. They’ve also got a deep-fried veggie dog on the menu—because even vegetarians should pig out every once in a while.

It may seem obvious, but heading straight to the source of a product can yield delicious returns. In this case, that would be the Vienna Beef Factory Store. The company, famous for supplying the franks used in hot dogs all over the city, operates a restaurant and shop in Bridgeport. And as you’d expect, the Chicago-style dogs are a standard-bearer.

Whether you're looking for a sandwich, a grinder, a burger, a hot dog or an ice cream sandwich, you'll find some great options at this family-owned Irving Park spot. The menu at JT's Genuine Sandwich Shop is vast, but there aren't really any duds among the offerings. The Scooby Dog is topped with Frito crumbs and pimento cheese with a sweet and sour drizzle while classic Coney and Chicago-styles are still available for the purists. See if you can save enough room for a generous serving of chili cheese fries, a corn dog to-go or a even scoop of ice cream.

At this bar by the owners of Bar DeVille, “bangers” stand for sausage (we dig the Chicago-style Vienna Beef over the fancier brat sandwiches), and “lace” for “Brussels lace,” i.e., beer foam on the edge of a glass. Opt-in for a veggie dog or give the classic corn dog a try just to switch it up.

Korean-style corn dogs took Chicago by storm in 2021 and became a viral sensation on social media. Leading the way was this local chain, which now has several locations in the city and surrounding suburbs. The concept is simple: a wiener (or mozzarella stick) is battered, deep fried and then coated in an eclectic variety of ingredients and sauces. Channel your inner child by decorating your dog-on-a-stick with fried potato, cereal, ramen crumbles, Hot Cheetos and more.