Topped with The Magnificent Seven, the quarter pounder of encased meat is one of the most popular items on the menu. Chicago's 10 Oldest Hot Dog Stands Have Stayed Inside Families For Decades. In 1939, when Stefanovic arrived in Chicago from the former Yugoslavia, his aunt was sick and ready to call it quits. Thats also an apt word for what these businesses represent for the families who keep them going. All of them, it seems, know to order the best deal on the menu and maybe in all of Chicago: a 49-cent soft-serve ice cream cone. Barnett Sizer was 15 in 1958 when he started cooking there, back when hot dogs were 26 cents and Polish sausages were 32 cents, he said. John Varelli bought the building where Patio is now in 1984. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. From a standpoint, the Portillos Chicago Dog is everything great about a hot dog. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune). Where most establishments will kick out rowdy customers, workers at the Weiner's Circle will often encourage the customers. My Poppy and my dad had a saying. Keeping long hours, fending off late-night hooligans, enduring change sometimes upheaval in the neighborhoods that they anchor while giving customers what they want and expect (even if that includesketchup) iswhat theyve done for decades and transcends the art of customer service. This is genuinely a community restaurant.. A hot dog shack that fans of "Breaking Bad" may recognize, the Dog House Drive-In keeps things simple and cheap. Hot dog with fries: $3.53How its dressed: Mustard, relish, onion, pickle, sport pepper. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune). These days, the one-time chain named for what was Abe Drexlers nickname is grammar school, is now just a stand again. Over the years, as those stands became fewer and fewer, it became apparent to Sohn that although there were many places selling a hot dog, there very few places doing it well. Christopoulos said he tried out a different mustard five years ago that no one liked, so he switched back to Plochmans. This paid for my college, said Gina Fountain, proprietor of Daves Red Hots in Lawndale, the oldest stand, dating to 1938. Were oldies but goodies, she said. I want Daves Red Hots to be around well after Im gone, she said. Thats not, however, what makes Daves Red Hots special. Son Randy Segal runs it and his 12-year-old son helps out, but most days youll find the elder Segal there too. Served with fresh cut fries. In 1971, Karms family sold Daves Red Hots to Fountains father, Eugene Gaines. One thing that has yet to be clarified is the difference between a Red Hot and a Hot Dog -- simply put, there is no difference. 15. Lisa says, Weve been doing the same thing at the same place. What you need to live your best life now. Irv Karm came with his family, including stepdaughter Lisa Paddor (who emailed me, too, about Hy and Roses nephew, her stepfather). Chicago's oldest hot dog brand, David Berg, was founded in 1860, and national brands like Armour and Oscar Mayer soon followed. Based on the menu, one would assume that King to look like Elvis, during the fat years. Store in the refrigerator. Everything else, from the onions peeled by hand to the serrano (not sport) peppers pickled by the barrelful in back, is Jims way. If youve grown up in the city or suburbs, chances are that you have a certain sort of love for Portillos. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune). You can also get cucumber and lettuce and green pepper. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune), Dave Kaplan walked out of Russia as a teenager when he was conscripted into the czars army, said grandson Jerry Kaplan, 77, who knew his late grandfather well. Both are served on a poppy seed bun and topped with The Magnificent Seven along with grilled onions. The neighborhood that will always be popular with the young post-college crowd and for DePaul students, has had many businesses come and go. Its patented, he said, holding a hefty pouch of said seasoning but not allowing a photograph to be taken. Founded by H.E. Doesnt matter. Hy and Rose, whose surname had been lost to time, named the restaurant for their son, according to the oral histories shared with Eugenia Gina Fountain, the current co-owner along with her mother, Shirley Fountain. He did however start working in conjunction with Levy restaurants and the Chicago Cubs to resurrect his beloved sausages. That sign is no lie. I want to get you in and out. And she does, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, the only days of the year Jimmys is closed. Business didnt suffer. Plus, a large demographic of customers are Cubs fans, which account for increased traffic during the spring and summer. She, Caputo and a clutch of longtime employees carry on. But, for all the places that tout the Red Hot, Fat Johnnie's is the most notorious. He tried a cigar store and candy shop, Kaplan said. Birmingham Hot Dog, Gus's Hot Dogs (Alabama) One of the oldest hot dog stands in a city that was once home to countless frank purveyors, Gus's is the place to try the Birmingham hot dog . A family-owned business, it is one of the longest-running businesses in America and continues to serve up classic hot dogs to this day. On a typical day, the line at Daves Red Hots the oldest hot dog stand in Chicago is out the door. It has Tequila in it too. Because of that, it's a get-in-get-out sort of place, and has been since. He finished his route that day and soon after opened Jakes Pup In The Ruf at 950 W. Montrose Ave. (Ruf because It was a rough neighborhood, but I didnt want to make it look bad, he said.) Ronald Meyerson shows a picture from the 1950s of his grandparents Ida Kaplan and David Kaplan, the founder of Dave's Red Hots, on Sept. 2, 2021. He took this money and invested in a 6x12 trailer with no running water. At 42, Gina Fountain is a hot dog stand veteran, the kind who knows customers orders before they order. In 1938, Jerry Kaplans father, Isadore Izzy Kaplan, at 22 years old, married his childhood sweetheart, Helen Nochowicz. One thing thats missing now has bothered him for years. Rose keeps the line moving, with no changes to the original four-item menu of hot dogs, Polish sausage, tamales and fresh-cut fries. Fat Johnnies is a staple. Chicago Dog & Co chef Doug Walters and co-owners Monica Walters and Sandra Rivera stand next to their restaurant venture in . What to eat. 5. A few years later, Izzy Kaplan would indeed go on to become a very successful Vienna distributor. We sold cold pop in bottles and kept them in refrigerated cases in the front of the store. His high school sweetheart and new wife, Flaurie, was a newly minted teacher. It was the quintessential hot dog stand. The red hot ($3.10) is served up with a mountain of fries, and an excellent seared. Its your typical South Side spot. Shes been there 20 years. The next year, they opened a bigger location across the street -- this location seated around 100 diners. In addition to hot dogs, he added Barnellis pastas, ribs, beef, and sausage sandwiches, the ability to buy beer, and famous clair cake, making it a multi-stop destination for those who want to experience the best of Chicago cuisine. The oldest hot dog stand in Chicago dates back to 1938. Her daughter, whos 10 years old, comes in to fill the pop machine and gets paid. He finished every time., Lifes a beach under the basket for Lemonts Miles Beachum. You are about to have the best hot dog in town is written on the west side of the tiny little hot dog stand named Byrons. Dave's Red Hots opened sometime in the early 1930s. Monica Ramey: Great Hot Dog place. $4 at Walmart. Highest Rating 2022 1. One (1) hot dog and One (1) polish Served together on a steamed bun. (Family photo). Note that the relish is not neon green. Tripadvisor. Some are huge Bears fans, and so am I, so weve gone to games together.. Once opened, tightly seal hot dogs in a Glad Food Storage Zipper Bag. The humble stand went from just the basics -- a counter alongside with a few seats that faced out the windows and picnic tables -- to a glitzy chain reminiscent of a McDonald's. But my grandfather was a pretty happy-go-lucky, friendly kind of guy. I dont know exactly when zayde actually sold the store, Kaplan said, referring to his grandfather in Yiddish. Well send you our daily roundup of all our favorite stories from across the site, from travel to food to shopping to entertainment. This story first ran in DNAinfo in 2016. Wolfys is now owned by two brothers named Peter and Gus Romas. Daves Red Hots was owned by my father, my uncle and my grandfather, said Irv Karm, 88, Nathan and Martha Karms son. The now-iconic elements, besides those hot dog figurines, include crinkle-cut fries, pickled tomatoes on the larger-than-average hot dogs and carhops who still deliver food to your car on a tray. CTA bus driver Jake Segal was on his regular Sheridan Road route when he made a move that changed the course of his life. The only food they sold were the original four items still available today: hot dogs, Polish sausages, salami sandwiches and pastrami sandwiches. Bell & Evans Organic Chicken Hot Dogs. It is unlikely that we will find any hot dog stand Chicago area that has been around since 1938. Four generations of the family would take shifts throughout the day. In the early days of the stand, a mean, black dog used to live near property where the parking lot was and harass customers. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card. Daves closed completely after the first state-mandated COVID-19 closures in March 2020. By the 1930s, the Drexler family had opened three more locations, a second at Roosevelt & Central park in 1932, a stand at Lincoln & Ogden in 1935 and another stand at Blackstone & 63rd St in 1936. Its a vulgar institution of greatness. Hot Dog Heaven (Amherst) The possibilities are endless at this beloved, local hotdog joint. He opened a string of locations in a circle around the city in the citys suburbs. . Daves Red Hots opened sometime in the early 1930s. "Sugar and fake smoky weirdness," said one taster, while others complained that . It was an immediate hit. Its bankrolled by fees developers pay to build high-density downtown buildings. Fountain calls herself a potato-ologist. One was an air ball., Go big or go home. Jims moved twice due to expansion of the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, with the scent of grilled onions and Express Grill close behind. The wedding was for Morris Kaplan, Daves oldest child, standing left, and his bride, Sharon (Rothbart) Kaplan, standing next to him. Visitors can get, if wanted (and sometimes unwanted) a heaping side of poignant profanity and partial nudity (known as the chocolate shake by customers and workers), and sometimes a good instigation of a fight between customers. 1. Between the two of them, they have consumed probably thousands of hot dogs in and around Chicago over nearly 25 years. I love hot dogs and sausages -- always did. Like many of his predecessors, his idea for a simple hot dog stand with strong neighborhood appeal has been a model that has supported his family since he opened his doors. While Fountain has honed her skills starting as a 14-year-old working weekends, she left after graduating from college and worked as a legal advocate for survivors of domestic violence with the states attorneys office. One of their equipment suppliers was Ray Kroc yes, that Ray Kroc of McDonalds fame, according to Gullicksons obituary (he died in 2000, after Woods). IE 11 is not supported. For decades, legacy customers and a 100-year-old former employee cited the shops original owners as a Jewish couple who opened it in 1938 on Homan Avenue and what is now Roosevelt Road. This restaurant is owned by Lawndale. You could also expect to find an excited gaggle of diners, sharing sausages and French fries. Look at somewhere like Gene & Judes. The former is modest as hot dog stands tend to be, with a 50s-era menu board, a CD jukebox for a modern touch and an elegant woman named Eleanor Varelli behind the counter who looks decades younger than her 86 years. This family-run stand offers traditional Vienna sausages and appears to have almost the same menu as when it opened in the early 1930s. Same goes for the local cops. Anything you can imagine. Joyner, the business has stayed in the family and now, third- and fourth-generation Joyners,. It was the only thing standing. To get the water he needs, he runs 250 feet of garden hose from a nearby building into the trailer. Where was the first hotdog served? Its the cost of doing business, making rent and pleasing customers, Kraig and Schwartz said. They also wouldnt use poppy-seed buns, a tradition that also persists. To stand out, Maurie built a 20x12 building topped with two 12ft guy and gal hot dogs beckoning in passersby with a coy wink and a knowing smile as if to let on a secret. But I think its because the Chicago hot dog has perfect culinary Feng Shui. Ive been applying to the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund since last November, but Ive been turned down twice, she said. Meanwhile, a retired Dave Kaplan fell into poor health in his later years, but enjoyed family vacations in Florida. They use Vienna Beef all-beef, natural-casing franks (12-count, for my fellow hot dog connoisseurs), tucked into softly steamed poppyseed-free buns. Stands populated Jewish and Italian enclaves on the West and South Sides, serving this cheap meal on a bun that was especially welcome during the Depression and has become emblematic of the city itself. Menu Order Online. They are mostly for kids or served at baseball games, or informal BBQs. The Chicago Dog has come to be the only way to really respectfully order a hot dog in the confines of Cook County. Flaurie died in 2018. Not a real hot dog of course, although that would be awesome. It is considered to be the oldest hot dog stand in the city. She runs Daves with her mother, Shirley Fountain. Seal. The young lady that makes the sandwiches, thats my oldest niece, Fountain said. $4 at Walmart. By 1971, Eugene Gaines had already established his Black-owned hot dog shop on the South Side. This is a go-to place for the locals to indulge in authentic Chicago dogs. It is believed by historians that the hot dogs sold at the Little . It has been selling tasty Vienna Beef hot dogs on steamed buns accompanied by a handful of fresh-cut greasy fries since 1954. Its a great hot dog, but what makes this hot dog truly iconic is because this hot dog was a billion dollar idea. This is especially true at Chicagos 10 oldest hot dog stands. Visit any Chicago neighborhood and almost everyone can tell you the best local place to get a dog. American Street Food - The BEST HOT DOGS in Chicago! Lisas mother Flaurie, according to Lisa is still involved and is very current and very sharp. Its that familiarity that every Chicagoan knows what goes on a Chicago Hot Dog and when its done well, it tastes great. This neighborhood deserves that.. Block Club Chicago is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, nonpartisan and essential coverage of Chicagos diverse neighborhoods. In 1963, Dick Portillo opened his first restaurant, a hot dog stand called The Dog House. He started, what would go on to be a food empire with $1,100.00. As far back as the 1890s, immigrants in Chicago found work peddling sausages from pushcarts on the streets. Open: Monday to Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Prices: $4.25 for hot dogs with fresh-cut fries; $2 corn dogs to $11.92 pastrami sandwiches with fries, Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible, no public restroom. TripAdvisor Rarhead And now, I see the same thing is happening.. Same pork chop sandwich, same Polish, same heaps of grilled onions. The menu runs the gamut, from 60-cent hash browns at breakfast to a gut-busting double baconburger for $6.55. A fixture on the West Side for over 65 years, the family-owned and operated hot dog stand lays claim to being the longest-standing hot dog stand in the city of Chicago. The neighborhood I know is absolute greatness.. It cost just five cents. The Magnificent Seven are reduced to the Magnificent Four: relish, onions, hot peppers, and mustard. 4.9. That recipe varied slightly from the current standard: The original had a frankfurter topped with mustard, pickle relish, onions, a dill pickle, hot peppers, lettuce and tomatoes for 5 cents. He had plans to open a pub in another building he owned across the street, but cancer got the better of him, his wife said. This iconic take out zone is so popular because they exceed guest's expectations every time with service par excellence. Fatso's Last Stand has started with the concept of a hot dog stand and taken it to the next level. Although Dick has moved on from day-to-day operations to consulting, his business model and formulas are still intact and the business continues to run with the same continuity that it did when Dick Portillo was at the helm. Gina Fountain, owner of Dave's Red Hots, second from left, meets with founder David Kaplan's grandsons, Ronald Meyerson, second from right, and David Meyerson, right, and the second owner's grandson, Irv Karm, left, on Sept. 2, 2021, at the Chicago restaurant. Gina Fountain, right, owner of Dave's Red Hots, meets with the grandchildren of the restaurant's two previous owners on Sept. 2, 2021. The seven wooden booths each had a jukebox, originally. The grilled dogs are split, and topped with cheese, chili, and onions before being served on a fresh bun. Email [email protected]. Its a time-honored rule. Its there you will find posters of Chicago encompassed in hot dogs and various other kitschy hot dog memorabilia on the wall -- some with a Japanese theme -- telling the tale of a bygone-era when William Murphy, the owner and namesake of Murphys was tapped by a few Japanese moguls to bring the Chicago Dog overseas. Portillos is legendary, and their hot dog is one that many locals hold very close to their heart. The red hots are done the way theyve always been, with fries cut every morning and pickles cut square to match, though Fountain said, The newer people get relish and onion. Its not a kiddie dog, its a grown up dog.. Most Famous Chicago Hot Dog Superdawg Drive-in (1948-present) Jefferson Park In 1948, Superdawg opened its doors on the corner of Milwaukee, Devon, and Nagle, and almost instantly became a. steaks. On first approach, you may wonder if the faded sign still applies to the peeling red facade with boarded windows upstairs and black metal gates out front. There was also a Ferris wheel double the size of the current one at Navy Pier (it ran seemingly on hope and lots of crossed fingers). What is known is that in 1941, Max Karm and his sons, Nathan Karm and Hyman Hy Karm, bought the hot dog stand. In 2014, Dick Portillo sold his chains, 33 in all, to a private equity group in Boston for one billion dollars, easily making Portillos one of the most successful hot dog stands in history. This restaurant is owned by Lawndale. If you are from Chicago, you likely already know that there is a big difference between a regular old hot dog and what has evolved as our symbol of a hot dog, The Chicago Dog. The door Heaven ( Amherst ) the possibilities are endless at this beloved, local hotdog.... For the Families who keep them going american street food - the best local place to get a.... Son Randy Segal runs it and his 12-year-old son helps out, but what makes this dog... A nearby building into the trailer was Abe Drexlers nickname is grammar,... 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