Where the Locals Eat Rating
Best Hot Dogs
Top 100 Restaurant
"Most afternoons people line out the door of Doug Sohn's wildly successful emporium, willing to wait for the Crown Prince of Tube Steak's Polishes, brats, Thuringers, andouille, and Chicago-style dogs, dressed and cooked to customer preference--whether char-grilled, deep-fried, steamed, or fried then grilled. There are daily gourmet specials with silly names and a "game of the week" sausage--gator, boar, rattlesnake, rabbit, duck, kangaroo, or (used to be) duck sausage with foie gras (Sohn was the first Chicago restaurateur to be fined for violating the city's ban). Fridays and Saturdays fresh-cut fries are cooked in duck fat, and the only request Sohn will refuse is to smother them in cheese sauce. Sohn has duplicated the goofy decor of his previous place, the victim of a fire; the newer spot is chockablock with Elvibilia and hot-dog-related kitsch, and there's outdoor seating and plenty of street parking."
– Mike Sula, Chicago Reader
"With his buzz cut, black horn-rimmed glasses and on-target one-liners, Sohn, 44, looks and acts more like a 'Saturday Night Live' cast member than the successful entrepreneur of Hot Doug's, a one-of-a-kind hot dog stand. And Saturday's 500-plus customers who wait patiently in line braving the weather are almost as appreciative of Sohn's one-minute monologues as his crazy concoctions."
– Sandy Thorn Clark, Chicago-Sun Times, Nov. 1, 2006
"Doug Sohn, the owner of Hot Doug's, whose special, foie-gras-laced 'Joe Moore' sausage earned him the very first fine ($250) for violating the city's foie-gras ban, is happy the two-year-old ordinance was repealed [on May 14, 2008]. 'I thought the ban was absurd to begin with,' said Sohn. 'The one thing I'm hoping is that this issue finally gets put to bed, and the city can spend its time on real issues.'"
– Phil Vettel, Chicago Tribune
Other Features
– Serving lunch 10:30 am-4 pm Mon–Sat. Closed Sun.
– No alcohol available
– Cash only. No major credit cards accepted.
– Duck fat fries available Fri–Sat only
How Others Rate Hot Doug's
Zagat 2009
27 Food (Extraordinary to Perfection)
Chicago Reader
Three Rs (Top 10 percent of rated restaurants)
Best Lunch Deal, 2008 readers' poll