Searching for any Non Vienna Hot Dog Stands

Ok folks -- I've been looking to help my cousin who does NOT like Vienna Hot Dogs.
He doesn't care for Superdog .... So now I'm searching.

I've met others too that say, It's a Vienna sigh....

Gone are old favorites from the past... That survived without Vienna.

Taste Haste on Milwaukee ave

Bowser Dog on Irving Park Rd

Nick's Hot dogs on Belmont Ave ( by Foreman High School)



So here's the question..... Where can I get a Good hot dog that's Not Vienna.

Thanks in advance to all who reply

Here's a place to start. Red Hot Chicago was founded by an ex-Vienna guy, hope that doesn't disqualify them.

Yeah, there are a ton of Red Hot Chicago places. I quite like Art's Drive-in at Elston/North (although I mostly go for the greek-ish items).

Superdawg.

I don't think Portillo's uses Vienna's, do they?

You can download their Vienna Beef Locator app which should tell you which places serve their dogs - and then avoid those.

Man, at one time, I bet everything you needed to know about hot dogs could be found by following the links* within this VI post ( ). Still some good stuff, including, I believe what the OP is searching, can be found in that primer. That is a Leon's sausage. The only Leon's/Tastee place left that I knew was Famous Bowser near Sabatino's. I thought it still existed. No?

I should add that a Red Hot Chicago Dog shares a relatively similar flavor profile to a Vienna dog. It would seem from my chair, that a stand goes to RHC when they do not want to deal with Vienna, not when they want to do something as different as a tastee style, Leon's dog.

*In fact one of the broken links was to a Chowhound post by Gwiv on alternatives to Vienna within Chicago hot dog stands.

From their website: http://www.redhotchicago.com/wall1.html Their list of stands that use their dogs.

I agree that the flavor profile of Red Hot Chicago isn't enough different from Vienna's that someone who dislikes Vienna would really like it better. I find the differences to be more textural.

Whereas Superdawg's proprietary dog has considerably different spicing.

Another different dog is Susie's, which uses Makowski products.

David Berg is now owned by Vienna but they still use its old recipes, I believe. Parky's was serving Berg, last I knew.

Franks 'n' Dawgs serves Boarshead.

Franks for the Memories has Buffalo-style white hots from Sahlens.

Parse's Red Hots
7049 West Higgins Avenue
Chicago, IL 60656-1976
(773) 763-9693

Can't vouch for the taste or quality ( I've only had burgers ), but I
believe that Bill's in Evanston serves Leon's brand hot dogs.

Bill's Drive In
120 Asbury Ave
(between Dobson St & Howard St)
Evanston, IL 60202
(847) 491-9844

Fluky's has there own dog, although most of their locations have closed, I think the only one left is inside the Wal-mart in Lincolnwood. I have never eaten at that location, but I grew up eating at the one on Western Ave. Ah, what memories, some say they were the originator of the Chicago Style Hot Dog.

thetrob wrote:Fluky's has there own dog, although most of their locations have closed, I think the only one left is inside the Wal-mart in Lincolnwood. I have never eaten at that location, but I grew up eating at the one on Western Ave. Ah, what memories, some say they were the originator of the Chicago Style Hot Dog.

I saw Fluky's hot dogs for sale at Sunset Foods last year. The packaging boldly advises the sausages are made in Milwaukee, which you think they would minimize.

Regards,

Great topc! Not big fan of Vienna either (though don't hate them....just hard to find anything else in Chicago)...

My suggestion is Bill's Drive Inn....120 Asbury in Evanston (but essentially on Western, just a block or less north of Howard)..

For most of us who grew up in Chicago, a "Chicago Hot Dog" was synonymous with a Vienna hot dog. At one point they probably controlled 85% of the local Chicago market. Their competitors before Red Hot Chicago came on the scene in the early 80's I belive were Kosher Zion and David Berg (which as noted above is now owned by Vienna).

Having sampled Hot Dogs all over the US, there is still nothing that compares to a well made, natural casing, all beef, Chicago Style Hot Dog. Pinks, Grey's Papaya, Nathan's, etc. all have their fans, and are all good in their own different ways. A person growing up in NY, looks at a Chicago Dog in a different way. People from elsewhere wonder what the whole "no ketchup" deal is, why the neon relisg, etc.

Above all else the Dog must be well made. Not overcooked, not mushy or rubbery, proper snap in the casing, correct proportions of condiments and a properly steamed bun.

Grill it, steam it, boil it......each one brings out a little different nuance of flavor.

What exactly is the dislike for a Vienna Dog and what flavor profile are you looking for, maybe that will help point you in the right direction.

I miss Best's Kosher dogs.

thetrob wrote:Having sampled Hot Dogs all over the US, there is still nothing that compares to a well made, natural casing, all beef, Chicago Style Hot Dog.

Here Here!!!

No hesitation: Hot Dougs at 3324 N. California. Or buy freshly made wieners at Paulina Market on N. Lincoln and eat them at home.

If you're way up north, Franks For The Memories in Mundelein features char-grilled Sahlen's hotdogs from Buffalo, NY. They're skinny, juicy, tasty and about as far from the Vienna Chicago dog as one can get. The Schultz family (originally from Buffalo) does a nice job. Great wings as well!

Franks For The Memories
645 E Hawley St
Mundelein, IL 60060-1916
(847) 949-9464

http://www.franksforthememories.com

alain40 wrote:No hesitation: Hot Dougs at 3324 N. California. Or buy freshly made wieners at Paulina Market on N. Lincoln and eat them at home.

Hot Doug's uses Vienna hot dogs, don't they/he?

abe_froeman wrote:I don't think Portillo's uses Vienna's, do they?

They use Vienna, though it is a custom blend for them.

How about the hot dogs Costco serves in its food area?

Blown Z wrote:How about the hot dogs Costco serves in its food area?

They used to use Hebrew National, but alas, no more.
Their current dog is a house-specified one, that I find has an overly spongy texture, and is too smoky.

JoelF wrote:

Blown Z wrote:How about the hot dogs Costco serves in its food area?

They used to use Hebrew National, but alas, no more.
Their current dog is a house-specified one, that I find has an overly spongy texture, and is too smoky.

I think the Costco on Clybourn serves Viennas. They get special dispensation because they are practically across the street from the factory. All the rest serve generic Kirkland dogs.

Leo's serves Koegel's coneys from MI. Good frank. Milder beef/pork blend, I believe, with a good natural casing snap. Dirt cheap beer makes up for somewhat expensive redhots.

http://leoschicago.com/

http://www.koegelmeats.com/products.cgi?Item=coneys

Octarine wrote:I miss Best's Kosher dogs.

Me, too.

That reminds me, though. Can't you get a hot dog to go at Romanian Kosher?

Thanks for all the great replys. Answering some of the questions .....

Yes- I'm looking more for the LEONS type hot dog...
my cousin does not like the SNAP.

Yes... Bowsers is GONE. Bowser and Taste Haste both served Leons
Nicks on Belmont served Slotkowski

Because of the snap .....Vienna and Red Hot Chicago is similar...
as is David Berg and Leos Coneys.
Supersawg didnt go over to big either.

He kinda liked Dairy Queen but .....

I'll check out Bills, Parse's and a few other suggestion.

If anyone else has suggestions - I'll be checking for your posts..

Thanks to all

jazzman wrote:my cousin does not like the SNAP.

If it's the snap that you object to, there are many, many (perhaps even most) hot dog stands in Chicago that serve skinless wieners (Vienna and otherwise). While they are not something I would ever seek out, the fill the needs of the snap averse.

LAZ wrote:Me, too.

That reminds me, though. Can't you get a hot dog to go at Romanian Kosher?

Yes you can - I too like Best Kosher dogs but the hot dogs (and the other deli offerings) at Romanians are in my opinion the best in Chicago - for a spicier hot dog try their Garlic Dogs - to die for

LAZ wrote:Franks for the Memories has Buffalo-style white hots from Sahlens.

The Sahlen family has been making sausages in Buffalo since 1869 but they don't make white hots. Those are a specialty of Rochester, most often Zweigle's brand, not traditionally eaten in Buffalo. Ted's Jumbo Red Hots, Buffalo's oldest (I think) and best-known hot dog stand serves Sahlen's hot dogs.





The standard Sahlen's hot dog (that's a charcoal-broiled foot-long from Ted's), made with pork and beef, is somewhat lighter in color than an all-beef Vienna wiener but nowhere near as pale as a Zweigle's white hot. Sahlen's also makes a (mostly) beef hot dog but I'm not very familiar with those.