Normally
when I'm down in the vicinity of UIC (and the great hospital district of Rush, Cook County, and you-know-who), I automatically make a beeline for
Al's on Taylor or
Ricobene's on 26th Street for some Italian beef, or to
Jim's Original or Express Grill (official web site, anyone?) on Union by O'Brien Street (just south of Roosevelt and the highway -- that is, 90/94) when I'm in the mood for some Polish, as I was last weekend.
Today, however, I was inspired by
this Hot Dougs thread, which went off on a tangent regarding the minimalist style of
Polk & Western (with pics), which is located at -- you guessed it -- Polk & Western. Stopping by for a late lunch and parking in the 30-minute zone out front, I popped in and asked for a "spicy juicy Polish" for $2.75 and a 21 oz. soda for $1.65 -- so, a $4.40 total which became $4.81 after tax. There's also a combo for certain sausages where you get the dog, some fries, and a small drink for a bit over four dollars, but I was happy to go with the medium-sized drink as I was both hungry and thirsty by two o'clock or so.
No grilled onions were available, so I went onion-less (there were raw onions for you onion lovers out there) and stuck with the mustard, relish, and yellow peppers, a sporting match to the radiantly colored mustard. I was also pleased by the presence of Nehi sodas alongside the RC in the fountain dispenser (behind the counter), though my favored exotic grape and strawberry flavors were apparently in absence due to the choice of root beer and some other thing I didn't like (and can't remember right now). Nehi Orange was just my style, though.
A counter by the window was available for dining, but after a second's thought, decided to retire to my car and commence my consumption there. Didn't ask for ketchup with my fries, but they were decent enough to eat after downing the Polish and the peppers for the most part. The Polish itself wasn't as hot (temperature-wise) or as enormous as
the one I had at Jim's Original -- where they've upped the price from $2.60 to $2.85 including tax along with Express Grill! -- but it was surprisingly filling for what was offered. I was tempted to go back in and order the hot dog (with fries) for a little over two dollars ($2.10 or so, I think it was) if I wanted the full under-$5 experience (at least, just counting the food alone), but I thought the better of it and saved any remaining stomach space for dinner. Maybe I'll have to try a couple dogs next week.
Still satisfied,
Dan