Who makes Chicago’s best hot dog? Food critic tries 21 to find out.
Let’s say you wanted to construct the absolute best Chicago-style hot dog at home. You already know about the poppy seed-crusted bun. The toppings are easy. Just skip the ketchup in favor of the approved standard seven toppings: chopped onion, mustard, relish, tomatoes, sport peppers, dill pickles and celery salt.
Now all you need is the beefiest, juiciest and most satisfying frankfurter in Chicago. So where do you get that?
You get it in Chicago, for one. For this list, I only looked at sausages produced locally. Thanks to the Union Stock Yards and immigration from sausage-loving countries like Germany, Chicago developed a robust sausage industry early in its history. While some companies have closed or left, there are still a number of places carrying on the fine tradition, from small butcher shops to major sausage manufacturers.
I was able to pick 21 different, Chicago-made hot dogs to try. I’m sure there are more, but tracking down this many sausages was more complicated than I imagined.
Not every sausage company has a retail operation, so their products are nearly impossible to purchase unless you’re a restaurant. Even when you can purchase sausages, sometimes you’re forced to spring for a 5-pound box.
I also spent untold hours figuring out whether certain brands still existed. One brand that didn’t make it was the beloved Best’s Kosher, which opened in Chicago in 1925, after getting its start in Cincinnati all the way back in 1886. Sara Lee Corp. purchased the company in 1993 before closing it in 2009.
Finally, I spiraled down the hole of what actually qualified as a hot dog. According to Bruce Kraig’s “Hot Dog: A Global History,” the American hot dog was inspired by a few European sausages, including frankfurters and wieners, “though the Thuringer might also be a model.”
I picked up some wieners from Stiglmeier Sausage Co., an excellent German-style sausage producer in suburban Wheeling. But while the sausage was one of my favorites, it didn’t taste like an American hot dog. The wiener wasn’t all-beef, like most Chicago hot dogs. Instead, it was made with a mixture of pork, beef and veal. It wants to sit on a plate with potato salad, not fight for room in a bun.
To test the hot dogs, I tasted them boiled, without condiments or buns at first. Then I took my favorites and tried them on a bun, to make sure they’d hold up to Chicago’s preferred hot dog-eating method.
After devouring more hot dogs in the past month than anyone should, I have some hard-earned opinions.
First, I believe in the superiority of hot dogs with natural casings. Until the mid-1920s, essentially all hot dogs used natural casings, which come from the inner lining of animal intestines. But in 1925, a Chicagoan named Erwin O. Freund invented an artificial casing that was cheap and could be removed after the hot dog was cooked. It proved immensely popular.
Though the meat mixture could stay the same, these “skinless” hot dogs have a much softer texture, lacking the audible pop that comes from biting into a natural casing. Skinless hot dogs can still be great, and I’ve included one below. But especially when the hot dog is placed in a bun and covered in condiments, the extra texture of the natural casing adds an enticing element to the experience.
Secondly, bigger isn’t always better. My preferred hot dog size is referred to in sausage speech as an 8:1, which is eight hot dogs to a pound, or 2 ounces apiece. At this size, you get the ideal mix of textural pop and satisfying juiciness. You can add toppings without needing to unhinge your jaw to take a bite. While 4:1 hot dogs can be great, I’ve never enjoyed anything larger. It doesn’t help that most big hot dogs are skinless, leading to an overly soft, almost bologna-like texture.
Let’s get to the exciting part. Here are my top four hot dogs made in Chicago, in alphabetical order:
Duck Inn Dogs
Looking for the juiciest hot dog in Chicago? That title belongs to the sausage designed by Kevin Hickey, the chef at The Duck Inn. My appreciation for this one also flies in the face of many of my stated hot dog preferences. Each one weighs 4 ounces, twice as big as I’d prefer. Plus, instead of an all-beef mixture, it contains pork, beef and, perhaps inevitably for The Duck Inn, duck fat.
But how do you argue with a hot dog where even the smallest nibble tastes meatier than it has any right to be? It also has a natural casing, so you get an incredible snap before a torrent of savoriness erupts, requiring you to frantically look for the closest napkin. The enormous size means it’s hard to eat if you add a bunch of toppings. But if any hot dog deserves to be served simply with some good mustard and chopped onion, this is the one.
The sausage is produced by Makowski’s Real Sausage Co. in Bridgeport, which, spoiler alert, you’ll see again on this list.
Where to purchase: Mariano’s (various locations, marianos.com), Standard Market (333 E. Ogden Ave., Westmont; standardmarket.com), Fresh Market Place (2134 N. Western Ave., freshmarketplaceweb.rsaamerica.com), Whittingham Meats (4134 W. 127th St., Alsip; whittinghammeats.com)
Makowski’s Real Sausage Co.
Speaking of Makowski’s, this Bridgeport operation has been family-owned since 1920. But it feels like it’s only been in the past five years that its name has become well-known to Chicago’s hot dog-loving community. If you’ve ever sampled the excellent offering at Fixin’ Franks, found inside select locations of Home Depot, you already know it’s one of the best in town.
The 8:1 all-beef hot dogs deliver a punch of beefiness, while a slight smokiness hangs in the background. My only criticism is that it’s a skinless hot dog. Slap a natural casing on this and it would be unstoppable.
Where to purchase: Makowski’s Real Sausage Co. (2710 S. Poplar Ave., realsausage.com). Ring the doorbell and someone will happily help you. Unfortunately, the smallest size available is a 5-pound box. This is a lot of hot dogs, but it’s worth it.
Paulina Market
Bad hot dogs are dry, crumbly and rubbery. Great hot dogs, like the kind served at Paulina Meat Market, are so succulent, they give steak a run for its money.
Paulina’s inclusion here isn’t much of a surprise. This venerable butcher shop has been refining its craft since 1949, and its textbook natural casing all-beef hot dog has everything you could want: a snappy natural casing, an extra beefy profile, a hint of garlic and a delicate smoke aroma at the end. While I’d prefer a slightly smaller size, I would never turn down one of these fantastic sausages.
Where to purchase: Paulina Market (3501 N. Lincoln Ave., paulinamarket.com)
Vienna Beef
Vienna Beef is Chicago’s preferred hot dog for a reason. It’s an incredibly well-made sausage, especially if you pick up the 8:1 size with natural casings. Sure, the skinless version found in most Chicago-area grocery stores is totally acceptable, but get the natural casing ones if you can. The company has started to package its natural-casing hot dogs, but your best bet is to visit the company’s store in Bridgeport.
Bite through the extra-snappy casing, and you’ll experience an instant rush of beefiness, along with a remarkably luscious texture. An underlying profile of smoke hides in the background, along with a hint of warm spices and sweetness.
Of course, considering how Vienna Beef is the preferred hot dog of most stands, and I’ve eaten a few hundred of these over the years, this sausage also tastes like home.
Where to purchase: Vienna Beef Factory Store (3847 S. Morgan St., viennabeef.com)
nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com
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