Chicago (American) - Hot Doug's

Hot Doug’s
3324 N. California Ave., Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-279-9550
Date of Review: May, 2009

Was waiting in line for 1 hour before I got to the counter to put in my order on a beautiful Spring Saturday worth it? That is an impossible question to answer as there are many variables. Had I dined at Hot Doug's before? Did I know what I was getting into? How hungry was I? What else did I have to do with my time?

The answer to the 1st question is yes but all I ordered were hot dogs and while Hot Doug’s has excellent hot dogs, people are not waiting in line for 1 hour for hot dogs. Sausage is king here. The answer to question 2 is definitely yes. I live in the area and have driven by enough times to see the long lines. The question to answer # 3 is pretty hungry, but a bit less than famished. By the time I took my 1st bite, it was noon and I hadn't eaten a thing. The answer to question # 4 is that I am 35, engaged to be married in a few weeks, have no children and my fiancé was at some work out seminar in Grant Park. This day was free as it gets at least for a few hours.

Despite arriving 10 minutes prior to opening time at 10:20 AM, I was still faced with 40+ people in front of me. I brought a newspaper to read and finished it while standing in line and didn't submit my order until approximately 11:15 AM. Hot Doug’s is not very big inside but I commend them on efficiently managing the flow of people into the restaurant as you would expect a mad house inside with a place this popular. However, once you arrive inside there are ample seats to sit and feast on a specialty sausage and some duck fat rendered french fries (only available on Friday and Saturdays).

My last visit was over 3 years ago and I had 2 hot dogs and duck fat fries the day before I ran the 2005 Chicago Marathon. The hot dogs were very good but not worth the wait. Years later, I can say that getting premium sausages is worth the wait. And the duck fat fries, well, will get to those.

I had the Salma Hayek which is a hot andouille sausage with everything which includes caramelized onions, pickle, celery salt, mustard, relish, tomatoes and celery salt. I got the sausage char grilled and it was moderately spicy with a nice grilled flavor. It was good size and the condiments (especially the caramelized onions) were perfect on top of a nice soft bun. As good as this was, the real winner was the celebrity sausage of the day which was a Ribeye Steak Sausage with Chimichurri and Formaggi Podda. This was outstanding with steak stuffed in a casing topped with garlicky chimichurri sauce (olive oil, garlic and parsley sauce typically served in Argentine steak houses) and slices of parmesan like cheese. The duck fat fries (a huge portion enough for 3-4 for 3.50) are as good (actually much better) than I remember. They are outstanding, right there with Smoque for best fries in Chicago. Hot Doug’s actually has many specialty sausages like the Ribeye steak sausage making it very hard to pick 1 or 2 to feast on.

It is almost hard to admit it but Hot Doug's is a destination restaurant but it definitely is and the proprietor is making a fortune off of this place. This is a place that you will see on the news (if you haven't already) or on a food network special. Dining here is an event and is something worth putting in the effort to do at least once if you don't live in Chicago and at least once a year if you do. It isn't cheap (my tab was $16.50 for 2 sausages, ducks fat fries and a small fountain soda) but it is good. If you are going to go through all the effort to dine here though, don't waste your time with a hot dog. Focus on the sausage as this is what makes Hot Doug’s worth the wait.