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Categories: American (Traditional), Fast Food, Hot Dogs
Neighborhood: Lincoln ParkMon-Thu. 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 5:30 a.m.
Sun. 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 a.m.
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It was 3 AM when we stumbled upon this magnificent hovel, and it satisfied every conceivable craving at that hour.
Great burgers, although I'm pretty sure there was some obscure neon green relishy substance on it. I'd give it 5 stars except for the gritty cheese. Then again, at 3 in the morning who pretends to be picky? Fries were delectable.
For those of you complaining about the way the servers interact with you, get over it! It's their shtick, and who wouldn't prefer to talk to the inebriated, obnoxious, fresh from last-call at the bar clientele that way? The atmosphere is perfect.
Take it for what it is, ask for a chocolate shake, and DO NOT forget to tip!
People thought this was:
I went here with my roommate because we made a trip to Dave's Records and were very hungry. We figured we'd check this off our list and try it out. We didn't go at night, so we didn't get "the treatment". I have no plans of ever getting "the treatment", as I consider it an excuse for stupid, drunk and occasionally racist Lincoln Park yuppies to make complete fools of themselves. Ideally, I would love to work here and get paid (and tipped) to make fun of spiky-haired bros and their plastic bro-ettes whilst they mindlessly squander their trust funds on my appallingly bad food, but once the racial slurs start flying, count me out. The idea of the "chocolate milk shake" also offends me on numerous levels. Now, on to the food.
I have had many hot dogs in this fine city, some outstanding, some mediocre, but never have I lost the will to finish one halfway through. The char-dog tasted like it had lard added to it, so greasy and mealy was its texture. The tomato slices (note: not wedges) were flavorless and COVERED in salt (note: not celery salt), which formed an awkward, bad tasting outer barrier to the hot dog. The mustard, relish, onions, pickle spear and sport peppers are impossible to mess up, and those are the only high marks I will give this poor excuse for a hot dog. The cheese fries are among the more disgusting food items I've ever seen, let alone attempted to eat. Just looking at the cheese sauce will make your heart beg for mercy, and it tastes about as good as nachos from a dollar theater. It is a congealed blob of gritty orange paste they call "cheddar" on the menu. The prices are outrageous given the atrocious quality of the food. Two char-dogs, an order of cheese fries, and two drinks set us back around $15. I can get a heart attack at Jim's for less than $4, and it's delicious to boot.
I can count on one hand the number of shitty places I've eaten at in Chicago. This one gets my middle finger.
People thought this was:
Chocolate shake! Bitch, let us take your picture! Bitch, get me a hot dog!
It's not that I'm particularly offended by cursing, or fidget at the thought of malted milk with chocolate syrup, but there's lots about the Weiner Circle, which friends far and wide told me I absolutely had to visit on my last trip to Chicago, which just rubbed me the wrong way and will ensure I don't go back there anytime soon.
Had to go, they said. Just enjoy it, they implored. So, like a good soldier I didn't look at the over 300 reviews here before I went so as not to ruin the full effect of wandering into a place like that unprepared, though I will admit I did look up the meaning of chocolate shake on our way over there well passed two a.m. on a Saturday night. C'mon, I'm up for an adventure, but I'm not crazy.
I wasn't sure exactly what I was expecting, but what I can tell you is that what I wasn't expecting: a ramshackle hut with lines of white frat boys and girls*, spilling out onto picnic tables and the curb of an otherwise quiet Chicago neighborhood street, with no one else moving except for the guys buying liquor** at the 7-11 across the street. I could hear it from across the street when we first pulled up, both the crowds at the tables outside and the crush of drunk 20-somethings inside the small waiting area.
I took at look at the friends who had brough me and I could see them, almost immediately, begin to reconsider this side-trip and wish they had somewhere, anywhere else, to take me on a Saturday night. I don't know if they have Waffle House in Chicago, but at that point in time I think they would have preferred grits and a patty melt plate to the kind of place they had brought a nice boy from the South.***
The first person I met was Rachel -- I know this only because she was shouting it out at everyone who walked in. Well, in between her shouts to the ladies behind the counter of "Bitch, let us come back there and take your picture!" and the like. I get it, the Weiner Circle is the kind of place where you have a good-natured give and take with the staff, but you don't need to hit me over the head with it.
That said, none of what was going on was good-natured; there was a palpable animosity and what appeared to the belief that just because a place has a reputation, you can take it up 30 notches. Eff' that, eff you and bitch give me my food? Look, I know your mothers trained you better and even though Chicago's a hyper-segregated city, there really wasn't any reason for people to be acting like this. It wasn't fun and I didn't enjoy it.
Still, I was here and I figured I had to get a hot dog, which I asked for politely, paid my $5 and got the Chicago special (with pickles, tomatoes and a bunch of other stuff I'm not exactly clear on). Add in some mustard and you've got quite a tasty treat, which I didn't expect because I used to think the only thing you ever put on a hot dog was mustard, ketchup, cheese or chili.****
And though I didn't order a chocolate shake, someone else did and I was able to be let in on the spectacle, which I'd just describe as creepy, not funny or entertaining.
I've heard during the day this is a good place to stop by -- they have quite a menu, which I certainly wouldn't expect, with burgers, dogs and more and chances are during the day everyone's sort of in playful mood, so the interaction's much more enjoyable. But at night it's a scary insight into a side of people that didn't go away just because we voted for change.
* - Of which I am confused often for, since I dress in much of today's most stylish frat-type attire.
** - Liquor! Johnnie Red! At the 7-11!
*** - The South by way of Brooklyn, that is.
**** - Or more cheese.
People thought this was:
Food: 3 stars. Hot dogs are darn good, but not the best I've had. But don't let that discourage you, I still recommend it. Where people go wrong is the fries. There is always a big temptation to get cheese on the fries when you're drunk. Do not do this, the plasticy cheese taints an otherwise great heap of fries.
Atmosphere: 48 billion stars. Yeah, I said it. I like to swear, so when people swear at me, I feel right at home. As such, I feel like I could live in this place. I have brought friends from out of town here and some of them love it and others just don't get it. Those who don't get it? We're no longer friends.
Great juicy flamed grilled burger.
Fries hand cut and very crispy like I ordered them.
Had room for a Chicago style hot dog.
The Star of the show was the great burger !
Service was great the black lady was very sweet but I guess after midnight the bitch will curse you out like a mother ! LOL
I will definitely go back to this joint I love it !
People thought this was:
I'm no crème puff. I can throw a few verbal punches, slap a cheek red when I have to, and put a mean twist on an ear. Don't screw with me.
But aye carumba! I was so not ready for the tongue lashings the Wiene folks were serving up. I felt like I was back in boot camp. They were just a couple of adjectives away from calling us hot dog sucking losers.
Their dogs and polishes are good and all, and their fries are yummy on the tummy but hey if I want to be talked to like that, I'll eat at my mama's.
People thought this was:
This place is proof that plantation racism is alive and well in Chicago. I've long held that Chicago is not simply a segregated city but a city that harbours the kind of racism you would think had passed into the pages of history. The Wiener's Circle proves me right.
The premise, after a certain hour: Black women and white male and female patrons get to hurl racial epithets at each other. The reality: Racist white people (and, supposedly, looking at the reviews below, a few effed up POCs) get to use words they'd never dare to use in "regular" company and to express their real fear and loathing of black people. The place is owned by two white men, and the word is that the servers make a lot on tips - but we forget that that can only happen if they allow themselves to be demeaned and yelled at. Yes, they "yell back" and are rude, but that's with the understanding that they allow the customers to say the most vile and insulting things to them first. All of this hearkens to an earlier time when white people literally owned black people and compelled them to perform for them. Frankly, the place would be just as bad if owned by two black women/men.
I've been there before I knew what the place was about. I asked for my food the usual way (politely), and was given it the same way. No yelling or cursing, and the servers were actually sweet and charming. I went back again, during a late-night walk, and watched the whole nasty scene unravel. I still got polite treatment - since I wasn't yelling at them - and I don't think it's a stretch to say that the woman handing me the food looked relieved that she didn't have to keep up the b.s. facade. I can't begin to imagine the toll this kind of daily grind takes on a person.
If you want visual evidence and some interesting commentary on this place, watch the episode of "This American Life."
http://tinyurl.com/2hcp6g
If you need proof that Chicago has some seriously effed up politics around race, go to this place. Or just watch the video.
People thought this was:
I will paraphrase Barney Frank by asking all fans of the Wiener Circle "On what planet do you spend most of your time?"
The food is wretched and completely inedible even to the most blackout drunk individual. The dogs are burnt, not well cooked but burnt. The melted cheese on the fries is solidified and certainly will only lead you closer to the inevitable toilet bowl trip after your drunken shenanigans. I would mention other things but I might get salmonella if I even begin to think about them.
For those of you who don't know or remember, this place was shut down recently for NOT HAVING HOT WATER!! I'm no germaphobe, but that's not exactly a minor health code violation, developing countries I've traveled to have more sanitary conditions than this place. I can honestly say I felt more comfortable eating street food in Kyrgyzstan than downing a dog at this place.
And let us not forget the delightful queens of the service industry behind the counter and the prim gentlemen and lady patrons of this fine establishment. I get it, they are assholes, you can be a profane moron in a controlled setting, everybody wins and passes out til' morning. Fine, I just want no part of it. Its a sort of regrettable Chicago institution which I reluctantly take people visiting me to. At least they all agree this would get old after about 1 visit. Its a quirky, irreverant place on TV, but its an absolute drunken shitshow in person.
And don't even get me started on the amount of therapy I'll need to recover from the "Chocolate Shake".
Should I lighten up and just enjoy the show when friends are in town, maybe, but don't bring me near anything they are serving.
People thought this was:
I've lived a couple of blocks from the Wieners Circle for almost nine years now. The first year (when i was right out of college), the novelty of the chocolate shake and yelling back and forth with the workers was fun. The char dogs were good, but if you think about it, so are burritos, McDonalds, and all kinds of other crap when you are wasted at 3 AM. I came to my senses after awhile and realized just how overrated Wieners Circle is.
Try eating at this place sober (or after the age of 25) and you will realize that the hot dogs are mediocre (at best), the fries and cheese paste are awful, and the "chocolate shake" is not funny.
Cut and dry, this place is a tourist/suburbanite/college kid trap that sells hot dogs because of the experience patrons receive, not the quality of the food. I don't know many locals that eat here regularly.
For drunk cuisine in the area, I suggest going to Taco/Burrito Palace, which is right next to Kingston Mines (Halsted/Wrightwood area). The beef enchiladas are heaven for the intoxicated; however, i've eaten the beef enchiladas sober and they are a little closer to hell). Chicago's Pizza even tops Wieners Circle for late night spots. So does frozen pizza. Anything but this overrated dive hot dog stand.
People thought this was:
Little better than super dawg. Still, Not worth for the trip for a Schaumburg resident.
Huge amount of fries. (5 times bigger than McDonald) Didn't feel racism at all like below, but facility was bad.
The best late night "taste of Chicago" on the North side is at the WC. (Do people call it that? If not, I'm starting it.) It's open normal hours but I FIND i APPRECIATE IT WHEN i CAN WATCH THE STAFF YELL AT DRUNK FOOLS WHO CAN'T MAKE UP THEIR MIND AND ORDER. I love the hamburgers and am always a fan of the fries and hot dogs as well. I like mine with grilled onions and that cheese sauce they use.
WC FTW.
People thought this was:
Well it's a late Saturday evening, after seeing my oldest daughter at the Playground Theatre, where do we go for some eats. The suggestion is to take the eight of us over to Lincoln Park and get some hotdogs (with attitude) at Wiener's Circle.
The place is packed inside and out. The picnic tables were full. So we head up to the counter and place our order. The service was fine, we were expecting the "sassy" attitude but they were really nice. Later on there were some older guys who stopped to give the staff a hard time and then things picked up. The show (an adult version of a chocolate shake) was entertaining.
Well I ordered a Char-Burger and a Char-Dog. My wife ordered a regular hot dog and some fries. The kids all ordered hotdogs, fries and cheese fries. Everyone basically agreed, it was just a hot dog. The fries and cheese fries left something to be desired. I did think though that the Char-Burger was really good. I ordered it with the chedder cheese instead of the american cheese and it really hit the spot. A pretty good burger I thought.
So would we go back for more "sassy" dogs at Wiener's Circle? Maybe if we were really hungry and it was late. But I think the next time my family and I are up north in Chicago we will head to either Super Dawg or Hot Dougs and try their dogs instead.
People thought this was:
This is one of the first places I went when I moved here last year, and for that reason, will always leave me a little biased.
I haven't venture to too many hot dog places yet, but this has been the best place I've gone to for greasy fries and a Chicago-style hot dog with grilled onions.
People thought this was:
Here is the deal.
There is nothing like a Chicago dog- and this place has it down! It's a great little hot dog shack with some indoor and outdoor seating.
The place itself is nothing to fancy which makes the hot dogs stand out all the more. Charbroiled dog, fresh relish, huge crunchy pickles, sauteed onions and topped with slices of tomato and a dash of salt and pepper- damn!
I would give it five stars if the hot dogs were bigger. For all the toppings they are a little small. But hey, they still are tasty little mofos.
You've just been yelped in.
Chocolate Motha Fuckin Milkshakes Bitches.
1 Char Dog +1
3 Abusive females cussing at me +1
7 drunk college girls in tight ass dresses +1
1 very college girl telling me her boyfriend won't have sex with her, while touching her breasts +1
1 not so drunk girl getting yelled at for no apparent reason +1
1 cock block convincing 7 drunk college girls to not head to a buddies place for an after party -1
People thought this was:
I don't think I got proper treatment at Weiner Circle....they were very nice to me. The cheese for the fries (and later I found out this cheese goes on burgers too) was so viscous, it was close to a solid state. The burger had a wonderfully char-grilled flavor as did the char dog. Fries were delicious and on an add-your-own-salt basis.
Gave one of the employees props for representing w/ his Sox hat in that neighborhood. Eff the Cubs!! Frickin losers. Long live the Sox...and the Weiner Circle!!
People thought this was:
I thought the staff was cool with a bunch of jokers yelling insults at them. I would not serve someone talking down to me so I give the place credit. The food was good though. I like burnt food. Steve's and Old Fashion Hot Dogs in Cleveland on Lorain Rd are both better. Everyone knows that Chicago is just a lame version of Cleveland so I'm not mad at Weiner's Circle.
OMG --what is the chocolate milkshake?!? I feel so left out!
Well I went pre-lalla, sober and during the day so I don't think I got the full drunken harassment experience but the veggie burgers, polish dogs and cheese fries are still delicious when sober, I promise. (I mean this isn't 5 star dinning people so obviously I am grading on a scale) but talk about an amazing hangover meal! Things to be prepared for: fighting for a corner of a picnic table, no real line or ordering process, yelling your order across the crowd, major attitude from the workers and a serious insulin spike
Anyone for a side of bigotry with that hotdog?
Food is ok; nothing to write home about. The whole rude schtick novelty often crosses the line by about a mile or so.
If only the patrons could hear themselves, slinging racial slurs, the morning after when they've sobered up...
If you want an up close and personal look at humanity at its worst, go to the Wiener's Circle. If you just want a good hot do, go someplace else.
People thought this was:
A real Chicago treat! A place everyone has to visit at least once we really experience Chicago, especially great for out of towners ha! Make sure you have your inner "bad ass" out and ready to party especially if you want to cut the line. Yell, scream, swear and guess what you've cut the line. It's not the classiest places in the world and that is why the 4 stars is for the food not the facility it's self. The Chicago dogs and the fries are fantastic! But only go here after a late night out in the city b/c I am not sure if I'd want to be seen her midday. If you don't have a funny personality then skip it because it's kind of trashy but I've always had a blast.
Yes, I did it. I woke up 2:00 o clock in the morning just to go to "The Wiener's Circle" and get harassed by their crew. Along with an attitude, I got a great char-dog and fries. The entertainment value was also superb! I believe the one lady who works their might be the mother of all the girls. Anyways, I saw her trying to secretly smoke a joint behind the place. No lie. This plus the dozen or so drunk customers add to the adult-oriented fun of "The Wiener's Circle.".
I'm a sucker for an old school Chicago hot dog.
Their double char dog does not disappoint, but it doesn't really impress either. That said, I knock them a bit for the service. For something that by definition needs to be quick, I showed up with one other person, and by the time our food was done (mind you, charred for 30 seconds and slathered in all the traditional toppings, should take less than a minute I'd guess) there were 12 people waiting. Then it took the slightly stupid staff about 5 minutes to figure out which guests had paid and which merely got their food since three people were rotating from the grill to the register... For something so simple it just wasn't very well done. Dog was legit though, but not enough to overcome and win a positive review.
Just remembered the first time I was here the fries were soft, yeah... soft... That drops them to a deuce from me.
People thought this was:
Chocalate milkshake...nuf said.
Lollerskates
I get it. I get it. The "stichk" is that good ol' fashion hateful rudeness. I get it. I get it.
I guess I figure they can pick and chose their battles with the 'normal sober customers' who are just hungry on their way home. I was right about to give them a tip, because i'm a server who'd just gotten off work and heard their veggie burgers were good, when a standard worker decides to tear into me how I'm a dumb bitch who's a cunt and blah blah blah blah.
I get it. I get it. It's part of your "thing." I would kill to have a chance and act like that when I have to serve annoying drunk people all the time. I'm jealous. They are lucky they can talk to people how they do. But let's pick and chose the battles folks.
The food in all honesty is shit. Bland, burnt, inconsistent and not worth even the funny conversation you can get into.
But what does my review matter??? Nothing. I've met the owner and he is a genius to make people work those hours and act how they feel... as he rakes in the dough! More power to him. Get it gurl. Get it. Get it. Gurl.
People thought this was:
I know what the aesthetic of this place is supposed to be, but it's not even worth it for the food. Annoying service and bad food just reminds me that there are other places I can spend my money.
People thought this was:
This review is purely for the food !!! The four stars are because of my Hot fresh cut fries!!!! and the Best char dog I have ever had!!!
I came at a time where the servers were nice and didn't witness the spectacle that I have heard about over the years...My roommate said I needed to watch it on You Tube to see what really goes on after the club lets out. I sat and watched with my mouth agape. Appalled at how the people allow themselves to be demeaned for a tip and how the white frat drunk guys and gals think its OK to call someone a fat ni*&%$! UMMMMMM how about you probably would never say that if you were sober. I personally think this is a way for people to spew all the things that they are harboring inside of them and using the excuse that you were drunk is still NO EXCUSE!!! Everyone knows that alcohol is truth serum! Unfortunately this just confirms the HYPER segregation that surrounds this supposed melting pot of a city.
One funny note...while we were there one of the girls that works there came and said what is my schedule for the week. what day do I work? The girl at the cash register says..."you work one fucking day a week and you cant remember your schedule" " One day are you serious" It was hilarious ...LOL
On advice from friends and fellow Yelpers on the hot dog thread, I brought my NYC family to Wiener's Circle for their first taste of a true Chicago hot dog. I'm a New Yorker at heart, so I personally find the Chicago dog disgusting. I'll take my dog with ketchup and relish..f' you. My husband refers to Chicago style as "dragged through the garden." There is just too much crap on those things.
3 hot dogs, a charred polish, drinks, and 2 orders of fries (one with cheese) ran about $27.
If you're looking for ambiance, you won't find it here. Stupidly, I did not read the reviews beforehand. I was not at all prepared for the foul mouths. I am so glad that I did not get a show when I asked if they served shakes. If you have a thin skin..do not go here. The flinging of insults, constant cackling, etc will break you.
My NYC family thought that the dyed green relish was gross, the overflowing peppers and pickles a little too messy, and that the cheese whiz on the fries was disgusting. They never had a polish and thought that it tasted much better. They understood why I opted for that instead.
About 20 minutes after eating, while in my car..both my relatives fell dead asleep. I woke them to drop them off at Millennium Park, and while I was waiting for them to take their pictures of the Bean, I also fell asleep. There must have been tryptophan in those dogs.
People thought this was:
At 3 in the morning the schticky banter is palatable between the counter staff and the drunk patrons, even on a Sunday night. Something like this:
"stupidhornydrunkbitchserbianbigdickedalbsuremothe rfuckers - you want onions on that? - mypussyjuicepussyjuicefuckyoufuckyoutoo - drop that bitch's food on the floor"
It's all part of the "show. If you aren't there to fuck with them, they aren't there to fuck with you - I found the service quick and polite, helpful even (suggesting only one order of fries instead of two because of their huge size) As others engaged in the back and forth, I bypassed the line, ordered at the non-drunk express and great service window and spaced out and watched that grill - that beautiful beast is amazing - flames jump up and char the food with campfire awesomeness.
My polish was easily the best I've had in Chicago - blackened and perfectly charred, juicy in the middle - where the first bite and the last bite are equally delicious. My polish was so good that I suggested to my dining companion that we should go get another, but he was all like "Nah, I'm good" and then I had to lie and say I was good too, but I wasn't - I wanted to get a burger too. (the moral of that story is to only eat with other pigs if you are a pig)
Best exchange of the night:
Drunk blonde while actually swaying: "I'm so huuuuunnnngryyyyy. Can you hurry it uuuuuuuuup?
Counter chick: "Bitch, it's got to cook. Unless you want it raw like my pussy?"
I'm going to take that counter chick to Iowa and marry her someday. The grill, too.
People thought this was:
They make a pretty decent char anything, I like their fries and I really like their "cheese sauce",… Read more »
non-exaggerated transcription of events...
server: what do you want bitch?
me: a red hot.
server: come here. that's four dollars bitch.
*hands over a $20*
server to the cashier: give this bitch her change
cashier hands me $16 and then yanks $1 back: tip is mandatory, bitch.
*i think at this point i have a shocked look on my face*
Check youtube for videos. For a drunk person, this may be entertaining/funny... but I wasn't amused. Not only that, I got a burnt-to-the crisp dog that wasn't edible. (I asked for a regular, not a char-dog- I guess some people like that). $5 down the drain.
People thought this was:
Ugh. Not a fan. Came in here once right before the late night drunk rush to see what all the fuss was about. I knew the staff is famed for flinging insults at drunk LPers, but I guess I expected the jokes to be more funny than hostile. The people in front of me were insulting them right back, and hearing one racial slur after another made me wish I had gone somewhere else. After listening to that uncomfortable exchange, we ordered our food with no hassle.
I'm no germophobe, but the lady handling the money and working the register grabbed my hot dog and all its toppings with her bare hands. I've worked in enough restaurants to know this violates many health codes. I was hungry enough to not care (I regretted this later), so I ate my mediocre hot dog and cheese fries on one of the sticky picnic tables they have set up outside. This place is gross. Not entertaining, not tasty, just sticky and gross.
People thought this was:
At The Wiener's Circle, there are two nighttime experiences: 1) The drunken, rude "muthafucka/pussy juice" insults while your delicious char cheddardog and cheddar fries cook; and 2) the quiet "Are you ready to order?" while the your cheesy goodness sizzles on the grill.
Last night I chose Option #2. The outcome was wonderful.
As I waited for the cheddardog to prepare, I heard a lady clerk read a dumb drunk with an "S Curl" calling him an Al B. Sure wannabe with some random yet pointed curse words. It was kind of entertaining until I remembered how hungry I was, then it was time for eating.
Suddenly, it was time to devour a dog - and I did.
People thought this was:
Take this place or leave it.
Get yourself a char dog or a char burger, and maybe an order of fries with that bizarre "cheese" on top.
The place is perfect for douche watching, especially around 2 am on a Saturday.
You go during the day and you can get yourself probably one of the best hot dogs in the area, served by NICE waitstaff!
No this is not Hot Doug's....stop fucking comparing it to Hot Doug's. They are completely different things. And Hot Doug's is not like Jim's. And Jim's is not like Super Dawg. Fuck.
Theres plenty of room in this town for hot dog places and Wiener's Circle does their thing and they do it well!
People thought this was:
Square sign, square building, square picnic benches, square people on both sides of the counter, what is so circle about this place? Is it hip to be circle?
Oh, I get it, a hub of sorts. Well, it sure is for the grease connoisseurs who may be college students, Chicago wannabees and the politically incorrect.
Why does it have to be such a pit in an upscale area? Why? Are the taxes so high that they can't spend a little moola to make it fit better into the trendless neighborhood? I'm not talking so much about the outside, mostly behind the counter. Geez, you would think that the inspectors in the area would have a higher standard, makes you wonder.
This was my last stop on the way out to Chicago.. I thought it was fitting, I had been here more than any other restaurant (sans two taquieras next to my apartments).
More hilarity in the daytime here, of course, but without the surliness that accompanies the evenings. One trixie was getting her boss a dog. She tried to use credit card. (I found this hilarious).
Another guy (who also tried to use a credit card) said he needed to use the "washroom". The counter guy just said "there's a drain out back". He told this to him twice (I chuckled semiloudly), but eventually let him in the back to the back.
Once the door shut, the counter guy yelled: "Looks like we got another cook!"
Pure Chicago.
People thought this was:
DC has jumbo slice pizza, Paris has crepes, Morgantown WV has the hot-dog man, and SF has mission… Read more »
Someone told me that the Wiener's Circle shut down and I almost wigged. I don't even live in Chicago but I couldn't fathom the idea of never going there again.
So I was totally relieved when I went to Chicago this past weekend, and around 4 am someone suggested the Wiener's Circle (because that is how it works, I can't imagine going there in the daytime). I said, "It's closed!" and all the Chicagoans looked at me like I was batshit nuts. Usually I don't like being wrong and if I am you better not tell me. But this time I was glad.
And when I was eating a charred hot dog and the woman behind the counter yelled "Shut the fuck up, Harry Potter!" at some dude with glasses in line, it was like slipping into a warm, stinky bath. I love you, Wiener's Circle. I am only taking one star off because sometimes I am afraid of being shot.
People thought this was:
Okay, you know what you are getting into when you go here late at night. Drunk people insulting the wiener workers and the wiener workers insulting them back. What one does not expect is the n word. What is worse than a drunk Cub fan (full disclosure: I am a Cub fan)? A racist drunk Cub fan. I suppose it is not the restaurant's fault that the customers are such idiots, but they do encourage it and are laughing all the way to the bank. This is supposed to be one of those Chicago restaurants that represent the city. How embarassing.
People thought this was:
I don't care what anyone says, this food is great sober too! And when you go sober they don't expect you to be rude. Which is nice because I don't much like being rude to the people preparing my food (what if they spit in it?!)
They have great hot dogs. But the thing that makes me come in sober is their famous cheddar burger. They literally dump melted cheddar cheese on the burger. It's not a slice of cheese which they melt... it's melted cheese dribbled on top of the thing. You almost have to eat it with a knife and fork- or at least tuck your napkin into your shirt cuz it gets messy. But it's also amazing!
Just don't ask for a chocolate milkshake....
People thought this was:
The meat part of the dog itself was tasty, but I really don't like Chicago dogs--too much crap. Maybe if they used something heavier-duty for the bun it would tick me off less, but it's just dag-nasty when the juices from the pickles and the alien spew relish dissolve the bun.
Of course, hot dogs are one of those things that can incite great passion about proper toppings. One time, an old guy sitting next to me at the snack counter in a Las Vegas casino chided me for putting ketchup on a hot dog.
Main reason for dinging what would've otherwise been a 3-star experience is that the place looked like it was last cleaned a couple years ago. Ew. Probably if I'd been here late at night I would've enjoyed the show and given a star back, but I'm not going to pump up my rating on hypotheticals.
People thought this was:
Ok, so I had the luxury of staying about 2 blocks from Weiner Circle in Lincoln Park for roughly a week. I visited twice, both late night. The food is ok, especially after a few cocktails (anything tastes better when your slightly inebriated). Here's my 2 issues with Wiener's Circle. 1) They raised their prices after being featured on the Travel Channel - I could justify the raise in price if they were offering a better product [Food+entertainment (issue 2 which we will get to after this)] I mean i don't really blame them to try and make more money but i feel as if im being taken advantage of [world smallest violin playing...]. Issue #2: the interaction between the staff and customers is funny, obviously, if you have a thick skin. However, the whole "being an a$$hole" to customers is so over the top that its almost too ridiculous. From what I experienced, you just have to stand there to be insulted. If i could give the staff of WC a tip (aside from the one they DEMANDED lol), pick on customers who stumble with their order, or aren't ready to order. But who cares really? Its a great "experiance" if you are in the Lincoln Park area. Food is OK, Entertainment is better.
PS: Chocolate Shake
People thought this was:
Went here only because it was open late. Never heard of it or its "hype". I had no idea part of their schtick is being rude. We walked out and the bf and I looked at each other and said, "Wow....they were kind of rude, weren't they?" Ha....ok, I get it now. Whatever...in retrospect, they weren't even that foul if they were TRYING to be! lol
In any case, show or not.....cheeseburger was DISGUSTING, even at 3am. Blechhhhh. Are you supposed to stick to the dogs? Never going back unless I've got out of town guests that specifically request to go here.
Specials
Neighborhood: West Loop
$5 Martini Mondays
Neighborhood: North Center
Neighborhood: Norwood Park
Category: Hot Dogs
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Burgers
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Hot Dogs
Neighborhood: Wrigleyville
Category: Hot Dogs
Neighborhood: Humboldt Park
Category: Hot Dogs
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