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America's Dog
Category: Restaurants Hot Dogs Hot Dogs [Edit]
21 E Adams St(between Dearborn St & State St)
Chicago, IL 60603
Neighborhood: The Loop
(312) 786-0100
- Nearest Transit:
-
Adams/wabash (Brown Line, Green Line, Orange Line, Pink Line, Purple Line)
Monroe-red (Red Line)
Jackson-red (Red Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 10 am - 8 pm
Sat-Sun 10 am - 6 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
40 reviews for America's Dog
Review Highlights
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"Fast and tasty, and they are using delicious Vienna beef." In 5 reviews -
"...service, clean atmosphere and most excellent curly fries." In 5 reviews -
"...Dog, which has chili, shredded cheddar cheese and chopped..." In 3 reviews
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40 reviews in English
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Review from Peter M.
2/24/2012 6 Check-ins Here
I've had the hot dogs here and they're good but they're kind of expensive for what you get. I'd recommend the other sandwiches instead. I've had the Buffalo chicken and the grilled chicken sandwiches and the Korean BBQ pork sandwich and those are all good. Had the italian beef this week and it was bigger than most and was pretty good.
This location never gets very busy and has a lot of seats so it's a good place to get lunch downtown or to get something to eat on the way to Grant or Millennium parks. -
Review from Alex T.
Chicago, IL
3/19/2012
Bottom line, there are much better hot dog places in the city with better value, better dogs, and friendlier and faster service. I am not sure if this location is just alone in this, but I usually end up waiting 20 mins for a hot dog. I am not sure why it takes so long, but this seems to always happen. Also, the staff here tends to be on the rude side.
The food is just not really good either. Why does the Cincinnati dog not come with cheese? Shredded mild cheddar is a staple of a Cincinnati Cheese Coney, yet America's Dog doesn't come with it.
Not sure what people are raving about the curly fries for. They are not any good people. Arby's has better curlies.
Again, don't go here if you want a hot dog. There are plenty other local joints doing ti better. -
Review from Zach S.
Chicago, IL
1/4/2012
I went to Americas Dog today to try out some of their dogs for the first time. I had the Baltimore and Chicago dog with popcorn chicken. I left extremely impressed by the quality of the food and with how little I spent for it all.
I would definitley recommend this to other people. -
Review from C K.
Chicago, IL
4/19/2012
We ordered the Buffalo Dog (buffalo sauce and blue cheese), curly fries, and cheddar fries.
Fries: Fantastic, similar to Arby's curly fries and were crispy-melty with the cheese sauce.
Buffalo Dog: The flavors spoiled each other. I usually love blue cheese with buffalo sauce, but something about this particular combination of especially pungent salty cheese with the vinegary sauce on top of that processed hot dog flavor was kind of unpleasant. The hot dog and toppings seemed small and unimpressive compared to what I expected from the photos and price. It was okay, but I'd never get it again.
Service: Bad.
Before I ordered the cheddar fries I asked if I could get sauce on only half (sharing with a friend who didn't like cheese), and the cashier said yes, but it would cost the same. That was fine. We noticed a woman preparing the cheese fries a few minutes later and tried to stop her as she smothered all the fries in cheese. We told her we asked for cheese on half and she rolled her eyes in disgust and said "you didn't say cheese on half." The man who took the order watched but didn't say a word. She then angrily grabbed the fries, dumped out half, threw a new scoop in and shoved the box out at us, with her head turned to the side, eyes staring at the ceiling like we were the most idiotic jerks in the world. We repeatedly thanked her and she wouldn't acknowledge us.
When I noticed my Buffalo Dog didn't have the jalapenos I ordered, I didn't dare go back and ask for some. -
Review from Mark D.
Chicago, IL
2/8/2012
I've gone back to this place several times because I'm (clearly) an idiot. Today was my last visit (I swear). The place seemed dirty, one of the tables was covered in crap that no one bothered to clean up, they take WAY too long to prepare the food, and it is overpriced. I ordered a chicken wrap (which had no flavor) and the mozzarella sticks, they were ok, it cost me almost $13 but tasted like it cost $2. The last time I was here my experience was almost exactly the same except it took them 17 minutes to prepare the food instead of the 10 minutes it took today.
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Review from Mira D.
Long Beach, CA
4/8/2012
Two stars because the curly fries were decent. I got a chicken dog, slathered with marinara sauce and didn't even finish a quarter of it. My bf and his buddy tried the Dallas dog and Huston dog and were only slightly less disappointed than me.
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Review from Cat T.
San Francisco, CA
8/15/2011 1 photo
America's vs. Max's Chicago-Style Dog
hotter sport peppers
sweet bread and butter pickle
poppy seed bun
lots of seating, clean and a little more expensive...I'd rather be across the street at Max's. Just feels like more care was put into each hot dog that they put together. Feel free to make your own comparison. It's not like it takes that much effort to just cross the street.... =P -
Review from Sonia P.
6/3/2011
I came here yesterday because I bought a Groupon Now voucher. The interior was cute and filled with good old Americana memorabilia. The service was mediocre. The cashier hurried me through my order, even though I was the only one in line, and wasn't very friendly.
Then, it took me about 12 minutes to get my order, a San Fransisco hot dog and sweet potato french fries. The hot dog was delicious, the perfect size and toppings. The sweet potato fries were okay, not spectacular. They were a little bland, and not very sweet potato-y.
All in all, an okay experience all around, but I am now very curious to try more of their fun hot dogs. Maybe I will eat in the next time I go, and have a better experience! -
Review from James M.
Atlanta, GA
12/29/2011
Ordered San Francisco Hot Dog, Fries and Drink... Nothing special... Usual hot dog with sandwich pickle inside.
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Review from Miguel C.
Fairfax, VA
11/30/2011
The Chicago Dog was not the greatest ever, it was overpriced and the guy putting together my order was more interested in how his hair looked than my order. Then the fry guy starts cleaning one of the friers while frying my fries. I'm sure some of the cleaning solution got in my fries. This is not the most famous dog in Chicago by far, I think I even got a better one from a street corner cart. Let's be reasonable people.
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Review from Tom M.
Chicago, IL
12/20/2010 1 photo
Fast and tasty, and they are using delicious Vienna beef!
I only get here once or twice a year, but I really do enjoy the variety of dogs they offer. -
Review from Sarah E.
10/13/2010
Dear Lord,
I pray today to thank you for not allowing me to starve in a land where hot dogs are devoured with everything but the kitchen sink exploding out of their stale buns. We have had this discussion/prayer before. I tried, Lord, I tried to enjoy Chicago-style hotdogs like you asked. But Lord, they are disgusting. So I thank you for guiding me down Adams where a glowing light emitted from this heavenly restaurant: America's Dog.
Thank you, God, for allowing me to live in a time and land where a gal can have a choice in her hotdogs. I know this like I know Jesus loves me, because the Bible told me so, just like the menu of America's Dog told me I could have a Dallas dog with the fixings you intended to top a perfect hotdog: chili, onion and shredded cheddar. (Mustard at the self-serve counter) That's the way you meant for hotdogs to be enjoyed, and so it shall be! When my hunger is more than I can bare, you provided me with the Atlanta dog: with coleslaw, chili, onion, mustard and ketchup.
Thank you, Lord. It's true you really do look out for us Southerners in times of dire need, like looking for a respectable hotdog above the Mason-Dixon Line.
Amen.Listed in: Swoop! There it is!, Panic-Inducing Decision-Making
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Review from JP J.
Houston, TX
4/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice interior for a hot dog joint. Service was friendly and quick.
The Dallas Dog was good. I wish they had used real cheddar. -
Review from Jeffrey C.
Houston, TX
10/1/2010 1 Check-in Here
Swung by here for a quick snack while waiting for the line outside the Art Institute to die down (http://www.yelp.com/bi...).
It's a decent hot dog joint with counter service and well-decorated walls. They advertise themselves as Hot Dogs Across America, two brothers that took a cross-country road trip to find the best hot dogs from across our great nation.
Problem is, unlike say, Pink's in LA, which doesn't have a traditional "hot dog," these guys decided to settle in Chicago to open up their business. Naturally, a tourist like me is looking strictly for a Chicago-style hot dog. If you're in Chicago, do you really want a "Houston" dog (which FYI, is just chili)? The answer is no.
As for the Chicago dog, the toppings were solid, and the peppers were on the spicy side. For the portion size, the prices are a little too steep: $3.09 for a regular, +$0.79 for all-natural (whatever that means), +$0.40 for jumbo. They also offer a veggie dog substitute, but unfortunately no chicken/turkey dog for the non-red meat eaters.
If I lived in Anywhere, USA, this place might garner a fourth star, but in Chicago, land of the hot dog, expectations are a little bit higher.Listed in: Chicago: Looking for Abe…
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Review from Kate M.
8/24/2010
I stumbled on America's Dog after some lunch time shopping one day. I'm glad I did. They have a ton of different hot dog choices, all city themed. I've tried both the Vienna beef hot dogs and the veggie dog, both were good.
The service is pretty good. I'm not entirely sure why it takes so long to get your hot dog, but it's just as fast as a Corner Bakery, Cosi, or other loop lunch spot. Plenty of seating for the lunch hour, and it's very clean.Listed in: Lunch in the Loop
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Review from Team J.
Oak Park, IL
11/15/2011
Hope you have some time because this place is sllloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooo
*breathes*
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooo
*breathes*
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000w.
Less chit chat behind the counter. More making food.
My order was messed up, but it took so long to get it, I couldn't wait for another.
This place was pretty great when it first opened. Not sure what happened.
Probably won't return. -
Review from Don M.
Alexandria, VA
4/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Probably best described as Subway but with hot dogs--the feel of the place, the seating, etc. Good variety, but not the place to go if you just want a Chicago dog.
This particular location was fairly dirty the day I ate there, which I would maybe ignore but not for a chain place like this. -
Review from Aaron S.
11/30/2008
I have a Friday night ritual nowadays, involving a walk from my office in the Sears Tower all the way across the Loop to the Adams/Wabash stop after picking up dinner at Panda Express - but that's an entirely different review. The fact is that on my last trip, I was in no rush, so I decided to take a chance and try out this place I pass by every week. And since they initially enticed me to try them out with their monthly special "flight of dogs", I figured it'd be the best way to sample the restaurant, sample the food, and provide me with enough mental fodder to write out a review.
I was not disappointed. With the level of mental fodder, that is. The restaurant and food were rather disappointing, though.
I need to emphasize that this review does not reflect the ENTIRE menu at this place, nor the chain as a whole. It's likely that I got a trainee at a very slow point in the evening who wasn't paying attention or caring about his job performance.
I was glad that upon approaching the register area, I was not hounded to quickly order - which is a turn-off for me in most establishments. However, I was standing there, ready to order and it took him about 10 seconds of looking at me to add 2 and 2 and ask me:
Register Guy: "Oh, what can I get for you?"
Me: "I'll do the special flight of mini-dogs."
Register Guy: "The what?"
Me: "The monthly special, on the poster? $5 for the three mini chili dogs?"
Register Guy: "Huh. Okay..." *pushes buttons on the register for 30 seconds obviously trying to find a way to ring that up* "So all 3 of them?"
Me: "Yes. The 'flight' of the 3 mini dogs."
If it's your monthly special and it's past the middle of the month, your employees should be more familiar with it. Unless NOBODY orders it EVER. Which may be why two of the three dogs are not on the regular menu.
My "mini-dogs" celebrating "National Chili Month":
The Charleston (can be ordered off the menu): Coleslaw, chili, onion & mustard.
The Santa Fe (not on the regular menu): Chili and salsa, topped with fire roasted black beans & corn.
The Berkeley (not on the regular menu): Vegetarian 7 bean chili & green onions.
HERE IS THE REASON WHY I GAVE THIS PLACE TWO STARS.
I don't know if you've ever eaten a hot dog before, but the "toppings" traditionally go BETWEEN the hot dog and the bun. I realize the word insinuates it goes ON TOP, but that's only if there are SO MANY toppings by number or volume that the only place left with room is on the actual top.
Apparently my cook did not understand this traditional concept of the "topping" because EACH of my three "mini dogs" were as follows:
- One tiny hot dog about 1/3 as long as a normal hot dog (this is almost acceptable, being "mini", though HALF would have been more proper) placed inside
- One bun, a few inches longer than the dog on each side and THICKER on EACH HALF of the bun than the HOT DOG, completely devoid of toppings aside from
- A pile of toppings placed on TOP of the BUN (nowhere near the hot dog) where it had nowhere to go upon taking a bite other than
- Some napkins (I picked up upon seeing how my "toppings" were being arranged).
So I basically had to eat the toppings off the bun safely, then consume the copious amounts of leftover bun and find the tiny hot dog hidden inside. I can only HOPE that the reason for these shenanigans would be that the box they came in was so small that they would have trouble opening the bun so they could place the toppings in the proper spot, which just goes to say that getting mini-dogs from here is likely a bad idea.
As for the taste of the hot dogs, I've had much better chili elsewhere. I liked the vegetarian chili better than the regular chili (which means they REALLY screwed up the regular chili because it's hard to make something taste worse than the vegetarian option), but it could also be due to the fact that I did not like their coleslaw (though I'm not a fan of any slaw in general) on the Charleston and the black beans and corn were a detriment on the Santa Fe.
I give them credit on an interesting setup with the layout of the place. It's clean, bright, colorful, and you get to watch everything being made thanks to low counters and an open kitchen. That's what prevented this place from a 1-star review. Of course, if I ever get dragged here again (the only reason why I'd set foot inside once more), I'll be sure to give a sound tongue-lashing to anyone who tries putting my toppings anywhere but their proper place inside the bun.
That was just disgraceful.Listed in: You'd Have To Drag Me...
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Review from Delia C.
Chicago, IL
7/11/2011 2 Check-ins Here
2 stars for getting my entire order wrong because the undergrad at the register was too busy flirting with the bun boy.
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Review from Alicya M.
Chicago, IL
8/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Love that they have options besides the standard: turkey burgers, all-natural dogs, chicken sausage. But you'll wait for a special order. Call ahead, especially during rush.
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Review from Keith C.
Chicago, IL
4/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fantastic hot dogs! Don't like how there is no bathroom for the customers. However, the service is extremely fast and the hot dogs are delicious.
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Review from Brenda H.
Chicago, IL
1/6/2010
I wouldn't say I looove hot dogs, I just like them. I can appreciate a good dog every once in a while. So when I had family in town from Mexico, I made them eat the most American foods I could think of (per their request). Though I had never been here, I thought 'well.. I COULD take them to a place I really love but it would just be a Chicago dog---this place promises MORE!'
And so.. we came here. They made the dogs unusually fast. I had a Chicago dog and another with cheese. On a future day, I had an Italian sausage with cheese. I don't love the cheese but it does make it taste slightly better. Anyway, the hot dog itself was better than Oscar Meyer but didn't taste anything like Vienna Beef (my fav). The condiments on the Chicago dog were ehhh.. tomato was pretty bad, pickle was okay. I need 'wow!' to make it worth it.... and the family from Mexico wasn't so happy either. :*(
I haven't gone back after those two initial visits, we gave them a fair chance.. but every once in a while, I think to myself "that italian sausage with cheese was pretty good.." and then I think "was it?! was it really?!" and then I wonder why I am debating myself. But, that's neither here nor there.. -
Review from Theo S.
Chicago, IL
8/12/2009
So I would start by saying that i am rather new to the Downtown Chicago area. But in my short time I have had some "damn" good hot dogs. I was going to America's Dog to see how they size up on the competition.
Well... The service was great! The people behind the counter were very friendly and quite humorous.
And... They have this philly dog that you can custom to your liking. I would have to say that is an awesome idea. However, even after throwing all the chili, mustard, onions, and peppers i wanted it still didn't compare to that guy walking down Chicago with a Vienna Beef Cart.
Overall... Good, filling, and generally ok. -
Review from Jason M.
Chicago, IL
10/7/2010
I've been here many times. As a Chicagoan I can say the Chicago Dog tastes like the real thing. Today I got the "Milwaukee Dog", which is actually a bratwurst with brown mustard and sauerkraut. It's very good, and I'm pleasantly surprised to find a take-out place that sells brats, which is strangely rare.
The food is consistently good, though it's not exactly healthy so I limit myself to a couple visits per month. I always upgrade to the jumbo dog, which is enough to feel satisfied without overdoing it.
I highly recommend the Dallas Dog, which has chili, shredded cheddar cheese and chopped onion. Just make sure you have a breath mint for when you're done!
The curly fries are nicely seasoned, not too greasy, and few of them are those petrified ones you end up throwing away.
I have had their wraps a couple times. They are quite tasty but a bit light for $6. I usually find myself reasoning that I could go to Chipotle instead and get a football-sized burrito for the same price. Still, it's a nice healthier option.
They have a pulled pork sandwich which is very good. There are days when I want a meatier lunch but don't want a burger or dog, and this is a great option. The meat is very tender, tasty, and has just enough BBQ sauce.
The place itself is always clean, the staff is courteous and service is usually pretty fast. Today I had my food in hand within five minutes of walking in the door. A meal with a dog, fries and soda is about $7. Not bad by downtown standards.
Nothing here will have you raving and dragging in friends, but it's consistently good and convenient. -
Review from Brian K.
Itasca, IL
4/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wanted a burger but the salt and pepper shrimp wrap sounded to appealing to pass up. Now I know what you are thinking...why are you ordering a shrimp wrap at a hot dog place. I thought the same thing to myself and after I ordered I knew I should have got something else.
So, I order
Wait Wait Wait...Talking Heads, Crosseyed & Painless starts to circulate in my head.
so about 10 orders go by and the cook says "whats your #"
I respond with a smile and "it is11"
Cook responds with a kindly "ok".
So like another 10 orders go by.
The cook then says "what did you have"
Again with a kind but sort of annoyed look I say "I had a shrimp wrap".
So the cook never got the ticket or something, I don't know.
At this time you would think that it wasn't too busy and the cashier and other line cook had seen me standing there for 10 minutes, that they might have tried to help the cook or interject with some sort of apology.
Nada, nothing, zip, zilch.
Finally the cook has my meal prepared and apologizes at least 7 times and tells me that I can take a free drink out of the cooler.
Score!!, I didn't get a drink because I was going right back to the office.
Thanks for redeeming yourself, Mr. cook man, it is greatly appreciated.
I peruse the cooler and take a bottled soda. I turn around again and thank the cook and he gives me the head nod. As I approach the door the leave, the lady at the register starts yelling at me saying I didn't pay for the drink i took. At this point I just wanted to get back to the office and eat so I didn't even look back. As I approached the door, the cook started yelling at her in Spanish and I just kept walking.
The food was actually really good. The shrimp wrap was tasty and I like that the default fries they give you are curly fries.
I'm not sure if this bad experience will keep me from returning or not.
I will update if I do go back. -
Review from Edward P.
Chicago, IL
5/22/2010
Writing this, as a native, just is not fair. There are so many dog joints in this town that reflect the "true" dog place. BUT...this place has variety. And Vienna Beef. And a honest-to-goodness polish. Lots of seating. Clean (almost too clean). Fast...friendly....
What kills me? 2 dogs and a pop...almost $10. This is steep. Steep but manageable, because I have gone more than enough. There is a lot I can whine about, but not the dogs. And not the Maxwell Polish. -
Review from Nathan W.
Luray, VA
6/27/2008
One of many locations in Chicago, I've never heard of it until I had it for lunch this week. Their angle is hot dogs of regional style. The selection looked quite good - generally named by city - such as Chicago (obviously), Buffalo, Houston, New York, Philly... I opted for the Dallas Dog. I know not everyone is as crazy as I am, but poppyseed buns drive me nuts, so I wasn't excited about that mess. The food was just fine - also had curly fries - not the best or the worst hot dog I've ever had.
I'm going right down the middle on this review because while the facility of this location is gorgeous (for a hot dog joint) The food itself while novel wasn't very exciting and like most things in the loop, prices are a little high. -
Review from Shirl C.
Moorpark, CA
5/29/2011
When I first walked by this place, I honestly didn't think it would be anything special because of how new and nice it looked. But like that saying, don't judge a book by its cover, the Chicago dog and fries were pretty yummy! I'll definitely be going back when I return to Chitown
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Review from Alex C.
Chicago, IL
9/22/2010
A great joint indeed. Heard about it from friend regarding its variety of dogs. And their "dogs across the country' club is quite cool, you can try out every different dogs everytime and get membership to the club!
I had the Italian Combo. Order this if you are really hungry, it's a lot of meat and a nice Italian sausage. Make sure you get the sweet peppers.
Sweet potatoes fries and popcorn chicken are good sides.
Will try out other dogs next time. (Baltimore Dog sounds quite awesome) -
Review from Jess S.
Chicago, IL
1/14/2010
I love the idea of this place. It's fun and creative while being mildly interesting too. How do people all over the country like their hot dogs? You can find out here, although I wouldn't vouch for their accuracy. (I mean, who really knows? I never heard of a Dallas dog when lived there.) And the food isn't half bad either.
Unfortunately, they are never open. Not really never, of course, but at least three times when I worked next door I'd stop by at a time when they were supposed to be open according to their door and they weren't. Not sure what's up with that, but they lose at least one star for it.
Prices are reasonable. I mean, it's hot dogs and fries. How bad can it really be?
Speaking of the fries, the cheddar fries are all gooey and wonderful. Highly recommended. Use a fork.
Well, I don't work next door anymore so I figured they've lost their chance to gain back that star and it was time to review the place. Overall, I'd call it an interesting idea with average or even below average execution. Give it a try though, if they're open anyway. -
Review from Allison P.
Bucktown, Chicago, IL
7/20/2009
This is a great alternative to McDonald's, Chipotle, Potbelly or any other fast-food chain restaurant downtown.
I ordered the San Francisco Dog, which has chili, mustard, ketchup, relish, onion, pickle, tomato, shredded cheddar cheese and celery salt. Mostly, it was all that I would want on such a crowded hot dog. I suppose the bun was a little wimpy, but, really, what bun could stand against so many toppings?
Overall, this restaurant has a great concept (Representing different American cities with their way of making a hot dog.), friendly service, clean atmosphere and most excellent curly fries. Go here if you're craving something delicious in the fast and greasy kind of way. -
Review from jon c.
Chicago, IL
9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
i went to Americas Dog downtown on Adams for a burger. what i found in the bag when i got back to work was cold and raw. i wasted $10 and all of my lunchbreak on this
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Review from Julie H.
Milwaukee, WI
8/7/2010 1 Check-in Here
Getting off the red line on my way to Union Station, I decided to use Yelp for the first time, to try and find a quick place to get something vegetarian. As I usually end up sub shop type places, I was looking for something different. I decided to try America's Dog, as I had just come from a Cubs game and had been wishing they had veggie dogs; I was pleasantly surprised with my experience. Their veggie dogs are actually longer than the buns, something I've never seen. The dog was grilled with just a bit of blackening to make it a little crispy (I used my "don't ask, don't tell" policy about a separate spot for grilling vegetarian food). I would definitely go again.
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Review from Janet E.
1/29/2010
I am not a hot dog person, but this place has some really good tasting hot dogs! I'm sure the toppings had something to do with it. I had a hot dog that was a new creation on the menu. I forget the name but it had chorizo, japalenos, nacho cheese, and tortilla chips on it! REALLY YUMMIE. We also ordered the Dallas dog and the Chicago dog. No complaints there either! They have a lot of different hot dog creations that looked good. We also tried the onion rings. Freshly fried, nicely battered, and very crunchy! Prices are reasonable.
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Review from Jeff F.
Chicago, IL
9/30/2010
Just terrible. Expensive and a waste of time, you will likely leave, like I did, wondering why you even bothered.
Here's the deal - the dogs aren't good. The service is slow. The food is expensive.
I got the baltimore dog, which was supposed to be deep fried and covered in "cheddar cheese". It wasn't covered in cheese, it was covered in cheap, plasticy cheese sauce. Not the same thing. The interior of the restaurant was hotter than it was outside (and it was in the 80's when I went).
It took over 10 minutes to get my baltimore dog and fries after ordering, and they were dead. If you think this place is any good, you've probably either been sucked in by the hype or haven't ever had a decent chicago dog.
I won't be returning - I can go across the street and pay less for 2 delicious chicago dogs for less money and not have to wait 10 minutes to get it.
Plus, my food made me sick - explosively so. It is painfully obvious that America's Dog is owned by people who *think* they know how to properly run restaurants. They say on their corporate website that the owners are a father who has been in the biz for decades, another son who claims to be a chef (no chef worth his salt would substitute cheese sauce for cheddar cheese) and another son with years of experience in running the front of house (again - he must have missed the whole idea behind speed of service).
These guys lie on their site about how much they care. They don't. They just want to make money. In the restaurant business, you can want to make money - but you absolutely must care.
Fail. Avoid, unless you are trying to lose weight by emptying your bowels. -
Review from Chiara F.
Chicago, IL
5/19/2009
This is a great place for tourists who want to try a Chicago hotdog (and hotdogs from many other places too), but $5 for an overcooked regular-sized veggie dog? Gimme a break.
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Review from Patrick F.
Chicago, IL
8/3/2011
Great hot dogs. I have yet to find one that rivals the Chicago dog here. I have not tried any of other varieties that they offer, but the Chicago dog is excellent. From several sources close to me, the veggie dog is also the best in town. The fries are tasty too!
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Review from Robert W.
Chicago, IL
10/30/2010
The service was friendly, but the food was eh. I had the Chicago dog. If you've had one, you've had them all. The decor was too kitschy for my liking, telling some story about how "two brave and noble brothers set forth on this land to find the greatest hot dogs ever!" Oh spare me with the BS.
The one upside was being surprised by their CURLY FRIES. I hadn't had those in ages!
Fine if you're hungry, but I've had better. -
Review from Daniel G.
Homer Glen, IL
5/26/2009
Stopped in the other day for a quickie. Really was excited to stop in and grab a dog, of course I had to try the Chicago Style. It wasn't bad it was not the best I have ever had. The two gentlemen working were not very enthused about working here, kinda brought the mood down. Over all if was not a bad place to eat at, just not sure that I'll be back anytime soon.
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Review from sue k.
Boston, MA
11/8/2009 3 photos
hot dogs generally creep me out, but i was in chicago and i really wanted to try a chicago dog. i'm sure there are hole in the wall mom and pop joints that serve better but i enjoyed my all natural chicago dog from (as well as the sweet potato fries.) i have no idea how my hot dog was all natural but it only cost a little more than the regular dog and it made me feel a bit better about eating one. i liked the road trip theme of the restaurant and thought the various city dogs had creative toppings. i was very impressed with the employees and service at this location. all the employees were so friendly and helpful. you order at the register and then slide down to the other end of the counter to pick up when your order is called. my fries took a couple minutes longer than my hot dog so an employee delivered them to my table. after i was done eating, another employee picked up my tray as he was walking by even though i'm sure that's not his job.
Listed in: road trip!
