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I had, I'm almost embarrassed to admit, my first Hot Doug's experience today, and it was a true revelation. Keeping it simple to start, my companion and I ordered polish sausage sandwiches and split a large fries. The polish was a work of art; simultaneously juicy, spicy and chewy, with perfectly charred grill stripes. And the fries, oh those fries, were perfectly crisp outside, almost creamy inside. Most amazingly, with drinks, our bill was only about $8.50. It would have been nearly twice that at many other, lesser dog joints. Now I can look forward to working my way through the rest of the menu, as I'm currently doing at TAC, Pie-Eyed Pizza, Ristorante Agostino, etc., etc.

To be fair, that would have only cost you $5.80 at Jim's Original.. the fries wouldn't have been nearly as good, but the polish would stack up quite favorably.

Edit: On rereading this makes it sound like I'm not a hot doug's fan -- I am. I just go there for stuff I can't find cheaper (and better) elsewhere, like his specials, the thuringer, the fire dog, and the duck fries. I've spent far too much money at hot doug's over the years on the game of the week and other specials.

Actually, the latest game of the week (spicy ostrich with dijonnaise, bleu cheese, and sun dried tomatoes) was a disappointment. The wild boar the week before (spicy, with dijonnaise and goat cheese, do you sense a trend?) was far better.

My favorite thing doug does is almost always refuse to sell you a large soda if you're eating in, since the refills are free. It's pretty amusing, since each time he does it he's losing 50 or some cents of pure profit. Of course, it reinforces his image as eccentric friend of sausage lovers, and no doubt makes people feel more kindly towards him.

-ed

I also think its a tremendous value and the ambience is great as well even if you dont care for Elvis much....Doug is really funny as well...I cant wait to place my order and chat with him albeit briefly....

Blasphemer!!

We had our first opportunity for Duck Fries on Friday - they were delicious! So crisp and rich!

We also got the two special sausages - the duck w/ mandarin oranges which i loved. Great duck flavor coming through. And the ostrich - I thought it was good - plenty of bleu cheese, but i was not enamored with the sun dried tomatoes and don't think they added much to the dish. Perhaps oil packed or if they were incorporated into the sausage I might have enjoyed them more.

And because I am an addict - we tried teh cheese fries - to sample the regular fries and the cheese - or should I say cheez - because that is definitely what it was. Even if it says "real cheddar" on the can they dump into the nacho machine, it was most definitely only slightly relate to a cow based product. Give me Muskie's Cheddar fries any day. That said, the fries themselves were tasty, and I would definitely order them again.

I've had it a couple times since they reopened. I had the venison sausage which was only so-so, and a different one the first time (something with a blue cheese and dijon sauce--dangit!) that was great. I had a bite of the ostrich yesterday and quite liked it--very different tasting, for lack of a better word. Cheese fries and tater tots are both delicious, and the service is great Glad they're cleaning up in their new location.

I always ask Doug what sausage I NEED to have that day. He's usually right, certainly a higher batting average than when I just pick on my own...

Hi,

Mike - I will borrow your idea about asking Doug to select your choice of the day. I always ask him to dress my selection exactly as he would do it himself, which always gets a twinkle of the eye response.

I have yet to have those duck fries. I have the impression the wait for those duck fries has improved over the old location.

As has the quality. Doug seems to be better equipped to properly fry the duck fat fries in the new location. They were very crisp when I tried them. At the old location, they often were a little on the limp/underdone side; a quality I didn't care for very much.

The duck fries are much, much faster now. They're also, to my eye, smaller. More like little potato shards than fries.

Still very good.

In fact, as I pointed out in a different thread just a moment ago, had almost
this same order yesterday (ie 2 polish, 2 fries, but no drink)... and it cost
be 2 dollars flat (as noted in the other thread, Black History Month
Celebration - thus 3-5, Mon-Thurs, all sandwiches are a buck each).



Ive been to the old Hot Dougs, not the newone - and only a couple of times.
And I didnt try his "special" stuff, just the normal polish/dogs etc. For at
least those, I wasnt *that* impressed - there are a few spots in the
Skokie/Evanston area which are at least as good, I thought. And the prices
in those spots are comparable too (while the prices at Jim's, as you
pointed out above, are at a different lower level).

Maybe my expectations were too high, but I was most disappointed with
the fries - having heard much about how they were the best in the city
etc. They probably are to some people (and he didnt have the duck fries
the couple times I went IIRC)... but personally I like my fries thick-cut,
no skin, very hot and crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.
His were skin-on IIRC, and thin, and in general it was the opposite to
*my* taste at least. My own style of fries are much much better
produced at Top-Notch on the Southside.

From reading this thread, however< i wondered - has Hot Doug's changed,
or are the duck-fries different? Ie, are they actually thck-cut and without
skin? Thats the impressino I got from a couple of posts - can anyone
confirm? If so I'll definitely try and make the trek up to HD's again
sometime soon.

c8w

doug's fries have skin on the ends, medium cut--thicker than McDonald's but thinner than your ore-ida's or steak fries by a long shot. similar thickness to Wiener's Circle.

the duck fries are thin shards, skin on, you wouldn't like the form factor.

the normal fries are probably 1/2"x1/2", skin on, creamy on the inside, crunchy on the outside goodness. give them another shot -- they're better at the new location than they were at the old.

-ed

The popularity of Doug's is gathering steam like a runaway train. Another article in the Trib.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertain ... 8731.story

Thanks, I probably will. Though I think Iam unlikely to ever be a huge fan, since
Ive never really been much of a "skin-on" guy anyway.

I suppose that might be my general take on HD's, overall. Not a bad place,
the normal dog was quite decent, and the fries not really "my" type. If I
lived near there I'd probably drop in often enough (and maybe that explains
the regular praise in newspapers etc too). And Iam sure the "non-typical"
offerings are pretty good - thats probably what I'll try when I eventually
make it there. I dont mean to imply its overrated, or in any way less than
good - my few experiences there have been quite satisfactory (and they
didnt involve a wait, when I went, either).

But, really, its not worth a long trek, for me. In the sense that, if I want
good soul food- I'll make a trek (maybe up to MacArthur's, which might
well be the decent "close" place which isnt really close). If I want good
BBQ, the trek is very long - all the way down to the South Side, and Ive
actually done it special a couple times (in re a different thread at the
moment regarding Honey One... Ive been to Honey One a few times, and
its a whole lot closer. But while Honey One's links are decent, they arent
IMHO a patch on Barbara Ann's, nobody in the city is. So a special
BBQ trek isnt the much-more-convenient Honey One to me, but rather
all the way down to BA's - Ive done BA's much more than Honey One
despite the distance). If I want a good hot-juicy-combo - there are a
few decent imitations nearby, but really the trek for a good one has to
be made often enough to Arlington Heights for Johnnies.

OTOH, for a good dog or a good polish... if youre in the North Burbs, near
the Evanston/Skokie or even Glenview area... you have Herm's. You have
Poochie's. You have The Island. You have "The Works" out in Glenview.
Heck, you even have Fluky's in Lincolnwood and Mustard's Last Stand
in Evanston. I wonder if, on the simple "dog" or "polish" front, any of
them compare particularly unfavourably to Hot Doug's? Which is why,
I suppose, I dont end up at HD's anywhere near as often as the newspaper
reviews etc would encourage me to I dont know if the gap between HD's
and the other options is particulary vast, as it is for Johnnie's, BA's,
Mac's (or H&As) etc. At least IMHO - I wonder what others think?


c8w

Well, you don't go to Hot Doug's for the "regular" dog or Polish, although I have to admit they are pretty good. You go because it's the only place you can get Thuringer, wild boar, and pheasant sausages in the city. And the duck fries are like nothing else, except, perhaps, for the truly exceptional batch I had at an In 'N Out Burger in San Diego.

Still, the fact is, Hot Doug's has no direct competitors. ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.

Honestly, I doubt hot doug's puts out a hot dog significantly, or at all, better than many other places. Same with the polish, and the italian sausage. The beauty of hot doug's is in the other offerings: the thuringer, andouille, the specials, the duck fries, and, of course, the atmosphere and ever-engaging doug. Perhaps if every hot dog stand in the city started offering the same menu doug has, his business would dry up.

I've only eaten a regular hot dog at doug's once, and I've never tried his polish. But I've had a dozen other sausages, and they've been, on the whole, worth the money and time.

so my advice is don't treat it like any other hot dog stand, since it's not. it's an "encased meat emporium"

-ed

Also closer for you,c8w,U Dawg U.Locations in Glenview and Niles.

Hmm. Ive seen U Dawg U in Niles, right by the mall IIRC (on Touhy, is it?) Never
been, though. Where is the one in Glenview, do you know? And is it as
good as the rest?

(BTW, there is another place too - cant remember hte name, on Golf right
by Woodfield Mall. Tried it a week or so ago and it wasnt bad - they
advertised a "half price dog after 4", but it turned out that was only
for the normal dog, not the char-dog i wanted at the time, which was
still full-price. But it wasnt bad ... oh wait, is it called Bumpkins?)

c8w

P.S. The Island has "buy 2 dogs, get 1 free" after 4pm nowadays.

IIRC Bumpkins is on Golf near Old Orchard.There is a Portillos near Woodfield.As to U Dawg U I have been to the Touhy location.My Dad has been to the Glenview one and liked it.

U Dawg U
2841 Pfingsten Rd,Glenview
847-438-1717

Oops. The first time I went to Hot Doug's, I had a dog and a Polish.

I just don't like gamey flavors (more than anything else, the reason I originally held back from the raccoon at Moto was the assumption it would taste very gamey). Although I like andouille -- had some from Paulina Market for dinner last night -- I can't say I've ever been in the mood for it. De gustibus and all that.

Try the Thuringer. You'll like it.

Anywhere in country?

What about Hallo Berlin:

http://www.hollyeats.com/HalloBerlin.htm

You know I'm still itching to do my burgers of my youthathon, visiting Little Louie's in Northbrook (and also Boobies which just came up in the $10 and under thread), but back in the day, Louie's offered, well no game sausage, but there was spicy Hungarian sausage and thuringer and Schmeiser's brats, and Rumanian foot long things and Polish, and who tons more. It was all plastered on various signs all over the place.

Sigh, too bad the "real" Louie's, in its shack, died many years before Chowhound/LTH. It would have been a huge place with the crowd around here. It was not just the vast menu, the fresh cut fries served in the paper bag with each sammy, the BEST double cheeseburgers, the cherry cokes (with the cherry syrup squeezed out of an old Parkay container), the bedlam each lunch hour where they operated rather like the Merc, the louder and pushier got served first [ed. are you loud and pushy because of always eating lunch there or did you like eating lunch there 'cause you're loud and pushy?], but mostly like Hot Doug, Little Louie's had personalities. Eddie and Louie, fat and skinny, who ran the place with a rather iron fist (no extra pop for you), but they were great friends to a generation of kidz in Northbrook. Double Sigh.

OK, back to Hot Dougs....

Rob

Like Aaron said, give the thuringer a try.

Also, the specials are often normal meats but done up in different ways, like chorizo, hot links, and whatnot. Although I don't think I'd ever try a hot link at doug's, just because I know damn well he doesn't have a smoker.

In short, if you're concerned about gameyness, avoid the game of the week (unless it's something like alligator, duck, etc, which would probably not be as gamey as, say, venison or kangaroo).

-ed

By the "Real Little Louie's", I assume you mean the one that was on California just north of Lincoln. That was back when Northbrook was but a farming burgh NW of Chicago.

i don't think hallo is a direct competitor, or even all that similar, to hot doug's. it's a sausage stand that has some non-traditional sausages, but hallo berlin focuses more on depth in a specific type of sausage - german/hungarian - while doug's goes for breadth.

if hallo berlin had alligator sausage with a remoulade sauce, they might be a competitor.. but just having alpenwurst doesn't really make them so.

oh, as a side note, i noticed a couple weeks ago that the parky's on roosevelt near nicky's/kings and queens has closed and reopened as another generic fast food joint. I doubt they'll last with k&q next door, although if they've kept the parky's recipe for french fries I might very well swing by some time.

-ed

Oh, I've had that since -- and I've been getting Paulina's Thuringer for a long time, too. I'll occasionally tweak myself because I know my tastes aren't as adventurous as most here, but I'll give myself credit once in a while too. I'm happy to support Doug by buying his generic Vienna Beef stuff instead of getting it somewhere closer and more convenient, and he's equally happy to sell it to me, so we all come out ahead.

The Little Louie's on California had no connection to the one in Northbrook. And in my limited experience (and dim, dim memories) was not as good. Also, since my Aunt worked there, we were Wolfie's kidz (and when she worked there, Red Hot Ranch.)

Another vote for the thuringer, probably the best thing on the regular menu. If you're worried about the gaminess of the Game of the Week, just ask Doug. He'll give you a straight answer. As Mike G reported, when he asked if the rattlesnake sausage tasted like chicken, Doug replied, "Actually, it tastes like anaconda."

Hot Doug's always reminded me a bit of Schultzy's Sausage in Seattle, now nearly 20 years old. Don Schulze is similarly obsessed with tube steaks and makes all his own, in great variety. A nice selection of local brews is offered, perfect accompaniment to the sausages. I haven't been to Schultzy's for ages; hope it's as good as I remember. Don't misunderstand, I'm a big fan of Hot Doug's too.

Well, it would be redundant to add yet another vote for the Thuringer, since I've recommended it many times myself, but I will say that in my last couple of visits before The Great Hiatus, I had a couple of pork sausages which were dressed with some variant of hot/sweet mustard, blue cheese, etc. and which were the best specials I had had there in some time.

Generally the things that don't work don't sound like they'd work. I had a lamb sausage with basically a caprese salad on it once, the ingredients didn't remotely mesh. A friend once ordered a bear-boar-elk-antelope-gazelle sausage, or something like that, and not surprisingly it turned out to be a Turduckhen-type stunt on the part of the sausage company, with too many meat flavors to have any coherent flavor. It happens; but one thing I liked about having Doug's in my 'hood was that it was one place where I could count on novelty, as opposed to the others whose menus I've long since eaten from top to bottom.

And I gotta say, I wouldn't underestimate the ordinary dogs. Part of what got him into this biz-- a lot of the clippings Doug used to have quoted him to this effect-- was simply doing dogs and fries right, and how often you go into a hot dog stand and even those simple things aren't executed at all well. On days when nothing on the special board did much for me, I'll have one char dog and one Thuringer, and be a happy fella.