Hot Doug's

Solid choice for your standard burgers and dogs, with fresh cut french fries that are a notch above the rest. See photos. I'll be back!

great food, and truly unique variety. Super expansive menu and lots and lots of combos. And of course, Doug is happy to lend a helping hand if you are confused about the choices you wanna make. Would recommend you stay away from the fries. Not that they are bad or anything, just keep more room for the dogs :)

I finally made it to the infamous Hot Doug's before it shuts its doors for good very soon... next month actually. Many people have raved about this place and stood in line for lengthy amounts of time to indulge in Hot Doug's creative and unique hot dogs. Thankfully my friend and are were off work one Monday and decided to check it out around opening time. We got there a bit before they opened and a small line had started to form already. We were probably among the first 10-15 people in line. Thank goodness! We each ordered 2 different dogs and shared.I, of course, had to go spicy. I can't remember exactly what I got but that menu changes so often anyways so it really doesn't matter. Unfortunately no duck fat fries served during the week. I was curious but guess I'll never know. Anyways, you better head over there soon before it's too late.

So sad to know that this place will be closing in a couple of months time (Oct 2014). Hot Doug's is virtually a Chicago institution, serving up authentic hot dogs and gourmet ones that are made fresh daily. The taste speaks for itself, really fresh, yummy hot dogs. They are not afraid to experiment with new recipes and it shows in their daily specials. The best days to visit hot dougs are Friday and Saturday, the only days when they serve up duck fat fries. To me, this steals the show. Crispy, tasty but will not leave you feeling greasy and oily in an unhealthy way. It's also lightly salted so you can keep eating and eating. These are near perfect fries in my opinion. The only things to really take note of are: i) bring cash! ii) go early! The queues have been insanely long, expect to wait about an hour so go with a friend, a group of friends or make sure your phone/tablet is fully charged to keep you entertained.

Hot Doug's is awesome. It basically takes the idea of a hot dog shop to the level of gourmet, with an always-changing selection of encased meats. There are so many good choices that it's fun to go with a friend or two, order a few things and try them all. The restaurant has limited hours, though (no Sundays, and they like to close for holidays and other random things). There is high demand when they are open, so be willing to either wait in a long line or get there early to eat sausages at 10:30 in the morning. Waiting isn't bad, though, as it's always fun once you're inside, and the owner likes to chat people up at the counter.

Every time we go there...rain or shine there is a long wait!! But it is always well worth it!! I have tried so many different things there from elk to alligator...its always great!! Would recommend the experience to anyone and as always I will return. Only excepts cash tho so go prepared