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Hot Doug’s [Chicago, IL]

By Brian On April 11, 2012 · 2 Comments · In Fast Food, Hot Dog, USA

I’m a big fan of Anthony Bourdain and his TV show No Reservations. More than often, there are things on his show that look so tasty, they look like a must try! I recently watched a segment of his featuring Chicago, IL.

Watch this video for context (starts at the 2:15 mark):

Foie gras hot dogs? French fries deep fried in PURE duck fat? What’s not to like?? Normally I never eat hot dogs, but when in Rome… you know how the rest goes. Hot dogs are just so popular in the United States, so I went to Chicago to check this place out.

After driving around for a bit, found it!

It wasn’t particularly easy to find this place. It’s far away from the downtown core and not that close to the airport. If you’re an out-of-towner, you pretty much need to have a rental car to be able to get out there.

Holy smokes, this is the line up?!

At first, I was totally shocked by the lineup. Man, this many people are going to lineup and wait for a hot dog? Is the hot dog that fantastic or is there something in the hot dogs that simply hypnotizes anyone who eats one?

Parking your truck during the hours of operation.. smart!

This is what I had to start with. Darn. This better be worth it!

With the lineup you see in the above photo, it took about 1hr to get in and order. I was getting rather hungry during this time, hoping the food would be right around the corner.

So close yet so far.. this dude's so excited he's fist-pumping!

Sample of the menu. $2.50 for a lot of the hot dogs.

I noticed immediately upon entry that wow, the pricing for this place was really reasonable! With the popularity of the place the owner, Doug, presumably could have easily jacked up the prices.

The interior of the restaurant where everyone enjoys their meal. The whole place is buzzing with the enthusiasm and hype that people have for the hot dogs they're about to eat.

Doug, the man himself. Class act! The sign says: "You are welcome to dine in the lovely outdoors in Hot Doug's "Garden". We'll even bring your food out to you, we're a class act after all." I concur.

And the man himself, Doug. This guy is classy. I was listening carefully at the people ahead of me. The way he treats every SINGLE customer is genuine and sincere. I was super impressed by his manners and professionalism. He really knows how to take care of his customers.

The Food:

From left to right: Fries fried from Duck Fat, Classic Dog, and the Foie Gras Dog

I got the Classic Dog (only $2?) and loaded it. Also got the Foie Gras Duck Hot Dog. There are no words to describe the flavor and experience of eating these hot dogs… simply AMAZING! The Foie gras was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and the classic hot dog was just AWESOME. It’s hot dog perfect, I loved it, and I’m not even a huge hot dog eater back home.

A Closer Look:

The Classic Dog, Fully Loaded. The celery salt and the mustard and relish amounts were just right. It all just worked together.

Ah, le pièce de résistance, the Foie Gras Dog. I'd never had foie gras before, and it was truly a treat. Rich and creamy.

And the fries… the fries….

The fries.. fried in duck fat.

The fries in pure duck fat are only available on Fridays and Saturdays. Luckily that day was a Saturday, so I got to try its goodness. They are spectacular. Back in Vancouver, I’m not even a big fries fan, I tend to stay away from fried foods all together. But for this, I could make an exception. And what an exceptional exception!

The guy in the Hot Dog hat.

Other happy customers. Just look at the guy wearing a hot dog hat.

I love Chicago. I'll be back.

Overall:

If you are ever in Chicago, it is TOTALLY worth checking out this place. And the lineup is full of locals, I was pretty much the only guy with a camera. It's a little hard to get out to unless you have a rental car, but hey, that keeps the tourists away unless they are really hardcore and want to make an effort to get out to this place.

Food: 5
Ambiance: 4
Service: 5 (Doug is the man and knows how to run a business)
*Our scoring system is out of 5. With 5 being the highest score.