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Dempster (Purple, Evanston Express)
Mon-Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
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I had been meaning to try Wiener and Still Champion for months, but I don't often eat hot dogs or other fried goodies (as tempting as country fried bacon sounds). However, one afternoon I got annoyed with Blind Faith Café for trying to charge me $9 for a piece of quiche, so I marched up the street to give WASC a chance.
I'm so glad I did. For half the price of a piece of quiche down the street, I got a huge plate of food that I couldn't come close to finishing. Better yet, the quality was as good as the quantity. Hot, crispy fries with plenty of dipping sauce options (I selected the garlic aioli) and a traditional Chicago-style dog with everything, executed perfectly. I plan to try a corn dog on my next visit... not sure about the country fried bacon just yet.
The decor leaves a little to be desired, but overall WASC is a good spot for satisfying a fried food craving.
I LOVE corn dogs. As a kid, I grew up going to the drive thru at Wienershnitzel's weekly in California, so I was ecstatic to find out that only 2 blocks away from my apartment is this unique stand with an oh-so-classy name.
When you walk in, it's usually empty (except on National Corn Dog Day), or there's 2 strange men in sketchy attire sitting at opposite sides of the place. The next thing you notice is the TV, ghetto-fabulous style with the rabbit ears antenna, which may or may not work. When you approach the counter, you can take a gander at the menu, but you should really just order the dippin' dogs. The vienna beef hot dogs are hand dipped in their homemade batter and deep fried on the spot (none of that frozen nonsense). It may take awhile because it's just one guy cooking, but don't worry, it'll be worth it. Don't forget the dippin' sauce! I just recently tried the Argentine Garlic & Herb, but also love the Aioli something sauce.
Anyway, it ain't really that hard to make a corn dog, but theirs is good. Tasty corn batter, crispy outside shell, warm juicy hot dog inside, and my favorite part, the burnt batter at the bottom of the stick. Besides, Guy Fieri went there so it's gotta be good, right?
And to top it off, they sell SQUIRT.
Been here 3 or 4 times for lunch, and once for "Corn Dog Day".
I love the dippin dogs and the various sauces. The hamburgers are the best in the neighborhood, but overall just OK.
The country fried bacon is delicious, but it's also just... heavy. I don't think anyone can really eat this without feeling ashamed by the punishment you'll put your body through in service of bacon. Some would say that's a positive thing.
Calling all Yelpers! Attention! We have a Code Blue in Evanston!
In my limited experience, Yelp attracts a large number of daredevils willing to risk their health to ingest classic, junk food.
Since most of you don't ever venture north of Peterson Ave., let alone Howard St., I thought it was important to bring this place to your attention.
It's a heart attack waiting to happen...but what a way to go.
Okay, yes, it's a hot dog stand, but it's unique in the way Hot Doug's is. Not the same as Hot Doug's at all, but unique in it's own way.
How?
Vienna Beef, hand dipped, corn dogs which you can dip in
8-10 different types of homemade dipping sauce e.g.,
- Honey mustard
- Spicy mustard
- Chipotle ketchup
Country fried BACON. Incredible !!! An enormous plate for $5! Hand dipped and fried.
Hand cut , world class, french fries. Delicious !!!
Warnings:
#1 Cash ONLY
#2 EVERY order is done by hand. By ONE person with absolute TLC
#3 See #2 - it is VERY sssslllloooowwww.
#4 Unique characters abound - I think I saw the ghost of Ted Kaczynski
#5 Not a place to see or be seen. Baseball cap, dark glasses and a trench coat would not seem out of place. See #4
#6 Not a place that has ever been described as, shall we say, clean? (but clean enough...and the hot grease will kill the germs)
#7 Within walking distance of the CTA Purple Line
PM me if you head up here. We can monitor each other's blood pressures.
If you are one that can ignore the lack of cleanliness.
If you are one that could ignore a staff that may consider daily bathing, shaving and changing cloths an option.
If you are one that is such a slob that you can't even recognize the lack of cleanliness.
If you do recognize the lack of cleanliness and can overcome it.
If you don't have a problem eating at Chickie's, Duk's and Susie's.
If you don't mind inconsistent service.
This place is for you!
Yes, they have items that are at best marginally innovative, live dangerously and try this place at least once. Most of you will never return and will wonder after such a visit how you ever survived. Four stars are for the owners love of Chicago grease specials and trying to be innovative. Hard core grease connoisseurs have a home in Evanston!
Curry Ketchup! I can come here and have it everyday.
Easily the best hot dog joint in Evanston. I have fun trying all their different dipping sauces like the Curry Ketchup, Spicey Aioli and the Argentine Garlic & Herbs!!! Oh so good. They also have an awesome Falafel Burger.
I dont know why people love it so much ...It was a mediocre hot dog. They steam them, which I understand tradition, but I am a grilled hot dog fan! Sorry Chicago. The hotdog was fine, but nothing I would run back for.
The fries were aplenty, but please dont charge me extra for sauce! T-A-C-K-Y.
Diner's Drive-ins and Dives was here recently and I am sure it will be on soon. Try to catch it before then, before the mediocrity spreads to national television!
Dont come here if you are on any kind of diet since everything here's totally terrible for you (health-wise) but tastes great! Fried, fried fried is the name of the game, but if you are looking for a great meal at a great price (and willing to take a break from healthy eating) then this is your spot. Try the in-house made corn dogs, the best thing they have
National Corn Dog Day?? $1.25 corn dogs? I'm there!!!
While on http://going.com , I noticed this being promoted and got really excited. I was even more excited when I noticed they were called dippin dogs here and you get to choose from a variety of sauces to dip your corn dog in. On top of that fried pickles and country fried bacon??? Ohhh my! I love dippin and I love the word FRIED. This place was basically GREASE heaven.
The dippin dogs were pretty big and taste like the average corn dog.
The sauces were ok.
The fried pickles were a bit too salty for me.
The fries were DELICIOUS though, they reminded me of the fries from hot dougs.
I am astonished. That this unique an establishment could be so close to where I live is nothing less than a miracle. This place is the stuff of legends, stories of New York, mythic tales by ethnic authors in magazines that have stopped publishing.....
Ask what the options are regarding deep frying. The proprietor is a DEEP FRY MANIAC. He does stuff that taxes the imagination. He does so with a humbleness that suggests an artist is at work.
The TV set is terrible. It exhibits varieties of static banned late in the last century. The rabbit ears made it worse.
Great corn dog! It took a while but then I realized they were dipping it right then! I wasn't a huge fan of the sauce I picked...it was like Greek herb something...just too much...but the corn dog was tasty. Their fries are great and the fried pickles were super!!
It was pretty darn chilly in there and not exactly fancy but I'd definitely go back.
visit 1: hotdog with cheese and fries. and a hair was found in my fries.
visit 2: because i really wanted to like this place due to its proximity to my office, i tried once more. while waiting for my food, i witnessed the owner giving an underage girl a pack of cig's- code word 'ill take a number 5.' AND i found another hair in my fries.
there wont be a visit 3. its dirty, they are slow, and are unprofessional/
the hot dog is good. I am just worried that it doesn't look clean. The guy who works there, he look like he is angry. He doesn't smile at all. I have never seen the place clean. It is always dirty. I love the food but I can't stand the store cleanness.
Filthy restaurant? Seriously, this is barely a dive. Not every restaurant looks like Chipotle. Comparable to Hot Dougs in cleanliness.
I got the Falafel burger, dippin dogs (which comes with a TON of fries.. seriously, the combo is not required). The fries are awesome, the dog was good (though it really wasn't too much tastier than a Carnival corn dog), and the crowd.... was what you wouldn't expect in Evanston. Diverse, interesting characters. Great place to people watch.
It's -1 for the Falafel burger, which just wasn't that tasty.
I ended up in here with my boyfriend this past summer, after we took a pretty long walk from our home to Evanston. The long walk make me feel less shitty about what I was about to consume. I got two dippin dogs with curry ketchup and either a sweet or spicy mustard, and WOW. It took a minute for them to be ready, but when I got them, it was so worth it. The management was really, really nice to us (rare at the usual dawg shack). The batter was sweet and delicious. It was so hot and fresh, and the fresh cut fries with the skin? Wow. I was in DAWG HEAVEN.
I want to try their chicken-fried bacon next time I go in. I've dreamt of it for ages and I recently found out they have it, via someone's blog.
Amazing.
Tried the fish sandwich, crispy chicken sandwich, and dippin' dogs. The crispy sandwich tasted exactly the same as a Wendy's value menu chicken sand. I actually felt a bit queasy and lethargic from all that grease though.
However, I enjoyed the fries and the different dips. The aioli dip stood out.
Their cheeseburger kind of reminded me up an upgraded McD's. It had a fancier bun, but chopped onions, pickles, and ketchup/mustard with a patty. So it's not your gourmet burger, but who doesn't love the taste of McD's classic cheese/burgers.
I like their dippin dogs/corn dogs bc the batter just tastes like corn bread.. so it's a lot..cornier than most corn dogs I've tried.
I only had the garlic aioli dipping sauce but it was pretty good.
The french fries were definitely tasty and they give you a gaaaang. We also got an order of fried pickles.. they were good but you get the feeling you want to be drinking a gallon of water so that your body doesn't dehydrate from how salty the bag of them are.
A cheeseburger, drink, fries, fried pickles, and three dippin dogs for $14. Yay! I'm a fan.
Food: it's a hot dog stand that does what it does very well. I had two corn dogs (he makes them himself, they're not prebought) that have a good corny flavor to them and aren't too greasy. He calls them "dippin dogs" and serves an array of mayos and ketchups to dunk them in. I got chipotle ketchup and garlic aioli. Both were exquisite. I tried some of Boyfriend's burger (the undisputed: 1 pound of beef) and it seemed to have a good char taste. The fries were highly enjoyable, they went well w/the dippin sauces too, and actually had a potato taste to them still.
Price: pretty good prices, the undisputed is expensive but if you get a normal sized meal it's about the same as Burger King only a lot better.
Staff: The owner and his coworker seemed like pretty nice dudes. They cooked the meal to order so it took about 5ish minutes in total.
Atmosphere: it's a hot dog stand
This place is fantastic for what it does. Since, I am off of fries for 2008 (personal choice/challenge), I didn't hit the the old white (potato) horse, however I substituted a bag of fried pickles and paired them with the hand dipped corn dogs with mlld curry ketchup.
The corndogs were easily the best that I have ever had. There is something to doing something yourself and doing it well where a frozen corndog made in some Iowan plant just won't compare and it doesn't. The pickle fries were a perfect accompaniment. Just tart enough to break through the oil.
We're not talking Le Bernardin here, but a plate with 2 corndogs and the pickle chips would rank with one of the best Easter Sunday lunches in recent memory.
Okay, I was informed that the corn dogs are called "Dippin' Dogs" so I came back in here to give them a shot. They have a great-value combo meal for $6 which gives you two dogs and a huge pile of fries plus a 16-oz drink. Dipping sauces are extra for 50 cents each. I got curry ketchup and Argentian herb and garlic, and they were both very good. The fries are a good medium-cut, skin-on variety. The dogs were not that great, though. I found the batter a bit too sweet and kind of grainy, while the wieners inside were nothing special.
I'd consider returning for another dippin' dog and the honey mustard sauce, but otherwise I'll stick with regular dogs and/or burgers here.
One other note--when the guy was filling my drink, he kept filling, waiting for the carbonation to settle, filling, waiting, filling, etc, as the level approached the very top. Click, spurt. Click, spurt, click, spurt, click, click, click. Most places would shoot the soda down in there and slap the lid on. This guy actually wanted to give the customer his full money's worth, so kudos to him.
It's just a hot dog shack. Sure, it's the only one in the neighborhood, but still...I'm not sure… Read more »
Honestly, I want to give this place another star because the food is exactly what you would want it to be like at a hot dog stand. They have vienna beef, the fries are great, huge and inexpensive portions, and everything is made to order by a pleasant staff. The dipping dogs are a treat.
The problem is that the restaurant is filthy. Seriously dirty. The windows, tables, and floors all a mess. A dirty dining room makes me question what the fridge looks like. That's an unappetizing thought.
So overall - Good food and staff, but needs some elbow grease. Credit cards are not accepted.
Yum yum yum. Hey, it's Vienna Beef. So, they're off to a great start already, but lots of places have Vienna Beef. What's different? Well, this is a hot dog stand run by a guy who is a nerd about the food being perfect. The condiments are the freshest. The pickle slice on your dog is cut a bit thinner, and it always crispy, never soggy. The quality on all of it is excellent.
Can't forget the dipping dogs. These are what the owner calls his hand-battered corn dogs. They are really yummy, and you can get little cups of various sauces to dip them in. Not to be missed.
They also have battered, deep fried bacon. I'm afraid to try that. My arteries are hardening just thinking about it.
As far as qualifications go, I should warn that I am new to the world of Chicago style hot dogs. But these were darn good. I can say that I have been eating french fries for as long as I can remember and these hit the spot. Super good. The corn dogs were also mm mmm good. Maybe even a third mm. And the people are great. For a place where you order and pick up at the counter, they still noticed when my drink went dry and shouted for me to come get another. You can't ask for better attention to customer satisfaction.
Quick, well priced, interesting environment, charming, overall great.
The cartoon wiener over the door is sporting a pair of boxing gloves. Anyone who's been here will be sure to tell you that these franks are champs indeed.
Inside this simple storefront, patrons of all ages come to enjoy the Chicago-style dogs, along with fresh-cut fries that have been raved about since the place opened in 1975. Wiener also offers honest-to-goodness corndogs. It's amazing how something so simple can hit the spot so perfectly. And they're only a buck with any combo meal! Vegetarians aren't left out either, as they're offered a deep-fried falafel burger on a hand-formed sesame "knot roll." And if you're really hungry, try the double dog or triple cheeseburger combo.
We drive down here here every other Sat or Sun. It is one my most favorite hot dog stands.
I usually get the 1/3 lb burger combo (#5). Do not get the regular burger combo. The burger is a little too small IMO. You can order a double, triple, or however many high burger you want. The roll is is served on is excellent and it comes with more fries(fresh cut) than you can eat - and, of course, they have Merck's available on the side for that cheesy goodness but you have to ask for it by name as they have the cheap stuff as well.
My wife is a hot dog fan and she says that the grilled hot dog here is pretty good but not as good as Poochies.
The Dipping Dogs are tasty and the corn breading is nice and crunchy. I have only tried the Texas Ranch sauce. I have ordered the falafel burger but was not impressed - it didn't seem crispy enough.
The same person is always there on the weekends and the service is great. Apparently this place is being featured on a Food Network show. We will continue to go here and spread the word.
Corndogs! Homemade corndogs - I know, really, it's just a hotdog dipped in homemade batter but still just as good. If you get a combo meal, you can get a dipping dog for only $1 more, which is a real steal. And their fries - yum! They're double fried and amazingly good. I guess that I've been lucky every time I come here because I always get them perfectly fried and evenly salted to perfection. The husband also insists on getting a side of cheese - the gooey fake cheese that tastes delish with your fries.
Just a tip - cash only :) And get a corndog!
Love, love, LOVE this place. For the longest time, we have searched for a local hot dog stand that would rival Gene and Jude's in River Grove. We finally found Weiner and Still Champion and have been hooked ever since.
After a long bike ride, we treat ourselves by stopping here for a quick dog and fries. The Vienna hot dogs are pretty darn good, but the fries are the best part of the meal: perfectly fried with just the right amount of salt!
The place is definitely lacking in ambiance, but I think that's the case with all good hot dog stands. Don't let that scare you away.
Every once in a while, I want to just eat nasty greasy food made by anyone capable of gripping a spatula. So on a lunch break, I wandered there with some coworkers and ordered one of the specials: two hot dogs, fries, and a drink. Seriously fell in love with the place right then and there. The fries were perfectly salted, freshly cut from a bag of potatoes they had sitting next to the counter. The hotdogs were loaded with seemingly the entire produce section of a grocery store; each had a gigantic quarter pickle spear!
The burgers are hit and miss, but they're always at least tasty, and their new dipping-dogs---freshly dipped corn-dogs---are a just like you'd find at a carnival, and only a buck with any of their ridiculously cheap combos!
Why not 5-stars? The fries are hit and miss. Not sure why, but sometimes they're not well salted, at other times they're way more oily than usual. But when they're good, they're the best in the city. If you work in Evanston near Dempster or Davis, it's not too far way, and really good.
Recently introduced to this place and I'm glad I was! It's not a bad hot dog joint in E-town. It's everything you'd expect from a dive hot dog stand so that makes me happy. It is right off of the Purple Line CTA which is also positive.
I am a little disappointed at the price...a little high for a hot dog stand, but otherwise it's a slam dunk
p.s. sorry Cliff for not giving it 5 stars =)
The best hotdogs and burgers in the Chicago-land area. The dippin dogs are fantastic, and the fries a delicious - hot and perfectly cooked, but be sure to add your own salt.
I have not yet tried the country-fried Bacon, but it's on my list.
I hate fast food, but I make an exception here. This place isn't fast, but I'd definitely trade McDonald's speed and deep-fried cardboard for this made-on-the spot food with real flavor. And if you call ahead, you don't have to wait!
The fries and spicy aioli keep bringing me back! This would be 5 stars if the place got a scrub down once in a while.
Rating is for the Fries ONLY - I didn't try anything else.*
When Katsuyuki first told me (2 days ago) about the fries here, to be honest, I didn't believe him/her. So yesterday, when I went to pick up dry cleaning at (KEN'S - I'll have to post about/review Ken's a little later) I was on foot (car in repair shop - I'll let you know about experience with DOC ABLES as soon as they are done with us - er, the car, and I should "share" about ROLF's too while I'm thinking of it.
Anyway, on my way to Ken's I stopped at Wiener's just for the Fries - mindful that we'd later be having dinner at Candlelite where I would have to "sample" the Garlic Fries that Jennifer P. eats, sleeps. dreams and raves about..
The verdict? Wieners does DG fries - so does Candlelite. But the two variations on the spud have about as much in common as say our Tuxedo and our Siamese cats with each other beyond being, cats.
We had avoided this place when we first moved to Evanston after once going and finding the (former) owner had actually run out of hot dogs--all they had were samosas and Polishes, neither of which were memorable. When we realized they were under new ownership and were getting a reputation for their fries, we went back.
I'm definitely in it for the fries, which are very, very, very good, all hand-cut and crispy. I don't always think they char their dogs enough left to their own devices, but they're fine whenever I think to ask for them well-charred. Like their pickle too.
I do have a wish list: As long as they're carrying Vienna, I wish they'd add some firedogs to their repertoire. I'm sorry they stopped offering the wasabi dipping sauce before I had a chance to taste it. And I don't like that thin stuff they use for cheese fries (I think there's a Merkt's option though).
For those looking to half-kill themselves at lunch, they also have things like deep-fried bacon. I haven't tried it, or anything else beyond sausages and fries.
This restaurant scores an A plus with me. I was recommended the place by a friend, who said they had a great hamburger. What my friend didn't tell me is how amazing the rest of their menu is. I've never posted on Yelp before. But after this, I felt compelled. I went in the other day only to discover that Food Network was filming an episode of Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.
After seeing what they were filming, I ordered some of everything, so I could try it before the crowds found this place. I had their country fried bacon, their pickle chips, a cheddar burger (with merkts), and some of their fries. Wow. It was great. The best meal at a "hole in the wall." And since I got a combo meal with the cheddar burger, I added a dippin dog for only 1 dollar. This fed my boyfriend, myself and my sister. It was such a great meal. The hamburger was cooked to perfection, they have amazing buns, the dippin dog (their homemade version of a corn dog) makes me never want to eat hot dogs any other way. Their fries are twice fried and unbelievable. I didn't know fries were that good.
Let me get to the star of the meal. The pickle chips and fried bacon. Never in my life did I think food from a hot dog stand could be so good. It was incredible.
All of the food was complimented by their dippin sauces. I had the Argentine and hot sauce with the bacon, honey mustard with the dippin dog, Texas ranch with the fries and spicy aioli with the pickles. They complimented the food so nicely.
A great spot, I wish I went to Northwestern so I could enjoy this place frequently. Certainly a gem and no wonder that food network found them. I will be going back for years to come.
I had a burger, hot dog, fries and a corn dog here. The burger and hot dog is nothing special. The burger was good, and the hot dog was just okay. The only thing I remember about the fries where that they gave me a large amount. The best thing here are the corn dogs and the various dipping sauces. Best corn dog I have had in my whole life. If I did go back there, it would only be for the corn dogs and nothing else.
This place possibly has the best fries that I have had in the Midwest. They are obviously fresh-cut and fried in vegetable oil. Their famous corn dog is pretty good too. The price is very reasonable (3.95 for the dog combo). They don't have a lot of seating area, and the clientele is a bit unorthodox.
Handmade corndogs, falafel burgers, fresh-cut fries, homebrew sauces, and a charcoal-gas grill. By mixing the sauces with various food types, one can produce most ethnic foods of the world...instantly creating world peace. My favorite example is the curry ketchup on a Polish...which instantly combines food types of the Polish and the Indians...longstanding rivals and sworn enemies (most people are unaware of the great Polish siege of Delhi in the 500's)...into a delicious pacifying, mobile sandwich.
The new items on the "secret menu" - available only when Gus is in the house - are amazing. But you have to know to ask for the Country-fried Gyros, or the deep-fried chili. Yum.
Has anyone tried anything from the "secret menu" here? It sounds good.
I went here expecting a lot (maybe more than I should've) after reading the reviews. I ordered a hamburger combo meal with a corndog on the side. I forgot cash and only had a debit card -- they don't accept them, so I had to go around the block to LaSalle Bank and take out some money.
The food was alright, slightly above average for a hot dog stand but nothing out of this world in my eyes. Fries were pretty good, though they did have a slight "cornmeal" taste, perhaps the result of too many corndogs fried in the same oil. The corn dog was merely OK as well, good but not great. I confess that I may have been expecting some sort of godlike concoction, but this certainly wasn't it. I'm not a corndog aficionado, but it was average in my eyes.
The burger was the standout of the meal -- char-broiled and heavily topped with fresh veggies.
I wasn't overwhelmed, but then, I only paid $5.50 for a burger, a ton of fries, a corn dog, and a drink. Go here if you're in the mood for a decent, cheap, dive hot dog stand.
Evanston, IL
Category: Restaurants
Evanston, IL
Category: Hot Dogs
Evanston, IL
Category: Cajun/Creole
Evanston, IL
Category: Delis
Evanston, IL
Category: Pizza
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