Hot Doug's

Hot Dogs, Hamburgers

Fans say you "won't find a better hot dog place" than Doug Sohn's "distinctive" Avondale joint, where the "unbelieveable" pups go well "beyond the standard" with "tons of options" including "exotic and innovative sausages" plus "sinful" Friday and Saturday–only duck fat fries; there's often a "long wait", and because the "simple" space is "small" you may have to "brave the lines" outside, but...

Don't tell the zealots who have made Hot Doug's famous that these are just hot dogs—these "encased meats" go beyond your standard hot dog. Expect gourmet options like chipotle chicken sausage, smoked crawfish and pork sausage with spicy remoulade, lamb sausage with raita, and even, sometimes, antelope sausage—there are about ten specials every day, in addition to the regular menu. Come on a...

The lure of Hot Doug's is encased meats, as in hot dogs and more hot dogs, bratwurst and exotic sausages, many of them as gourmet as all get-out. You’ll find everything from Polish to Italian sausage, but the weekly specials are really where it’s at. Ones to watch for include the Thai chicken sausage with peanut sauce and toasted coconut; a Swiss-cheese-stuffed corned beef sausage topped with...

Hot Doug's isn't the kind of hot dog stand you just swing by on a whim; you plan for Hot Doug's. Open only for lunch and closed on Sundays, there's almost always a line of 10 ironic moustaches and 20 leg warmers winding down the block. What's the big deal? For starters, the dogs are cheap: A Chicago-style will cost you a mere $1.75. Better yet, you have up to 18 different choices on any given...

When Hot Doug's first opened at its original location in Roscoe Village in 2001 (it moved to its current spot in 2004 after a fire), there were people who doubted its owner Doug Sohn's vision of a men...view moreu limited to hot dogs and sausages -- even Sohn's own family. "My brother told me, 'Don't you think you'll have to sell hamburgers?'" Sohn related in an interview, adding, "I have it on...