Hot Dogs Archives - Burger, Dogs, Pizza Oh My!

Boomer Baseball Hot Dogs Review

July 17, 2021 BurgerDogBoy

Boomer Baseball Hot Dogs Review

I love minor league ball. In the Chicago area, we have six teams, crazy huh? It’s mostly kids (at least to me) playing their hearts out for the love of the game, most realizing they have little change for the big leagues. The best park I’ve been to is in Louisville. The Louisville Bats. Triple A for the Cincinnati Reds.

But I support two teams around here, one being the Schaumburg Boomers. They have a nice stadium, prices are reasonable, and plenty of free parking adjacent.

Every year I go to a Boomers game with the hope/expectation that there’s been an upgrade on the hot dogs. Nope. If you’ve ever purchased a “gray water dog” on a street corner in New York City, these pups will look very familiar to you. They’ve been too long in the soup, so to speak, maybe even left from the day before. They’re a bit mushy, even for skinless dogs.

And this year, there’s an absence of “loose” condiments (chopped onions, etc) because of the ‘vid. I get that.

But the peanuts? Exceptional. Baseball, a loss. But weekly fireworks? A bonus.

I’ll keep going. Gonna have to move on from the dogs, tho.

You can buy your Boomers tickets online. A fun night out for the entire family.

But I support two teams around here, one being the Schaumburg Boomers. They have a nice stadium, prices are reasonable, and plenty of free parking adjacent.

Boomer Baseball Hot Dogs Review

Big Ange’s Eatery Review – Arlington Heights, IL

April 19, 2021 BurgerDogBoy

Big Ange’s Eatery Review

Big Ange’s Eatery Review. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve driven by Big Ange’s. Really wasn’t aware of what they offered, even tho it’s announced in big letters on a number of outdoor signs.

But it came up in a search for “burgers” in that part of the city, and boy, and I glad it did. Quality.Care.Quality.Care. That’s the deal. I had the “Petite Burger” which is a single patty with thick pickle chips, a house-made mayo/mustard spread, and diced red onion. Many optional add-ons are available of course, bacon, cheese, fried egg and so on.

It’s a flavorful patty that stands up well on it’s own. Perched on a bakery soft, butter kissed roll, substantial enough to not give way to the toppings. Fresh cut crispy fries are one available side, hot from the fryer and lightly salted.

Wash it down with shakes made from in-house made ice cream. Wow.

Doing a respectable job of respecting the ‘Vid. Sat outside on the small patio and the (owner/manager?) stopped by to see if everything was to our satisfaction and inquiring if there was anything else we needed.

Parking can be a challenge, but you should definitely hit this place.

P.S. I have no clue how to pronounce the name and didn’t ask. An-gie? Anggg? An-gee?

Menu below and online. Click to enlarge.

Big Ange’s Eatery Review
Big Ange’s Eatery Review

Parking can be a challenge, but you should definitely hit this place.

P.S. I have no clue how to pronounce the name and didn’t ask. An-gie? Anggg? An-gee?

Category: Barbecue, Hot Dogs, Hot off the Grill Tags: Chicago BBQ, Chicago Burger, Chicago Hot Dogs #catfish

Freddys Steakburgers Review – Nationwide Chain

November 5, 2019 BurgerDogBoy

Freddys Steakburgers Review – Nationwide Chain

Started in Wichita in 2002, Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers has quickly grown across the country, now with over 300 locations in 30 states. The eatery focuses on smash patty burgers, Vienna Beef brand hot dogs, and frozen custard deserts.

I visited the one in Lake Zurich, IL, which opened fairly recently. It’s on a busy stretch of US Highway 12, and anybody in the area has dozens of dining choices on this highway.

My stop as lunchtime on a Monday. It wasn’t very busy. Maybe eight diners inside, no cars backed up at the drive-thru.

The restaurant was immaculate, including the restrooms, and one or two employees were in constant motion wiping down tables, counters, and so on.

I ordered the “Original Double” combo (with cheese). Two beef patties, two slices of cheese, small fries, small drink. $8.50 with tax.

Burgers standard dressing includes mustard, pickles, and onion, which is great for me, that’s how I order my burgers everywhere, and how I dress them at home.

The fresh burger patties are smashed thin on a flat top grill, cooked until the edges are crispy. (Also a personal preference). The beef has terrific flavor all on its own. It may have a slight sprinkle of seasoning. The pickles are mild dill, sliced thin, lengthwise. The bun is soft and fresh, but not nearly substantial enough to hold moist weight. It did crumble on me. Not a deal killer. They did forget the onion on mind.

Fries are ultra crispy, and also thin. Thinner than traditional shoestrings. But great flavor and seasoned well. The restaurant’s small condiment stand includes a dispenser for two different varieties of “fry sauce.” I don’t see the point. Not sure what it is anyway, like a thousand island/mayo mixture. Variety two contains Sriracha.

Pepsi products are the fountain option.

In addition to burgers, they offer Vienna Beef brand hot dogs, a couple of chicken sandwich options, tenders, cheese curds, and chili. In lieu of fries with the combos, you can opt for Baked Lays or Apple Sauce.

I’d go again. BTW, personnel were friendly enough, and although they weren’t busy, they didn’t set a speed record for product prep. 10 minutes to get my order. I dined in.

Full menu. Locations.

Food portion of menu. Click to enlarge

Freddys Steakburgers Review

Category: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Hot off the Grill, Uncategorized Tags: Chicago, Hamburger, Steakburger

Dog Haus Review – Nationwide Chain (Rockford, IL location)

January 28, 2019 BurgerDogBoy

The growing Dog Haus chain from the Los Angeles area says their fame and success is due to their signature dogs, sausages, and burgers. They’re served on grilled King’s Hawaiian Rolls, and a variety of craft beers are offered as well. First one opened in 2010.

My take: interesting concept, terrible execution. I visited the outlet in Rockford, IL, which is on the far eastern border of the city, off a frontage road. Open for lunch and dinner, I hit it a few minutes before noon on a weekday and was the only customer. You order at the counter (bar) and are giving a table topper number.

The menu has quite a few “specialty combinations” of toppings for their dogs and burgers. One example is the “Pineapple Express” a hot dog with bacon wrapped dog, bouillonnaise, sweet ginger glaze, pineapple, scallions, pickled jalapeños, crispy onions. There are some that are far more “complex” in their toppings. Of course you may order with your own preferences as well, but I personally think this “specialty” ones are far too sophisticated for the fast food/fast casual hot dog or burger eater.

As I was more or less “sampling” I went with a burger slider (angus beef, mayo, white american cheese, caramelized onions, but I skipped the onions) and a corn dog slider (all beef mini dog dipped in our haus made root beer batter ). A corn dog is something I’d never order anywhere, but I thought “root beer batter” sounded interesting. Turns out, only the kitchen knows it’s “root beer batter,” it’s not distinquishable as a unique taste. The corn batter is very corn ‘mealy.’

I don’t like King’s Hawaiian, either, offer an alternative. King’s are “sweet” and you’re putting that was savory innards on the sandwiches.

The burger was ordinary as well.

Final food “beef” – fries are extruded, also not a personal preference, but I know many people enjoy that style.

Despite being the only customer when I ordered, it took 20+ minutes to get the food.

Looking at the location, some are in secondary markets (like Rockford) so I assume they are franchisees, and undoubtedly some will not last.

They also have a fried chicken breast sandwich, and the line of “Impossible Foods” non meat burgers and sausage. (If you haven’t tried these, and you’re a bonafide ‘meat-a-vore’ – don’t bother, they are dreadful).

Cross section slider corn dog and burger

Dog Haus Review

Category: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Hot off the Grill Tags: @DogHaus, fast food, Sliders

Hot Dog-aghetti Recipe

April 28, 2018 BurgerDogBoy

Hot Dog-aghetti Recipe

Today’s recipe from the “New Hotdog Cookbook” (McFadden Publishing, 1968) (Recipe their property) is “Hot Dog-aghetti!”

8 small onions – about 1 inch diameter
1 1/2 c water
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
2 cups tomatoes
1 cup macaroni noodles
1 package garlic flavored salad dressing mix
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
8 hot dogs cut in thirds

Cut onions in quarters, boil in water. drain. reserve water. Place onion water in sauce pan with tomato sauce and tomatoes, bring to boil. Reduce heat, add pasta, simmer for 24 minutes. Add dressing mix, relish, onions and hot dog pieces, simmer for another ten minutes. Serves 6.
place onion water in sauce ba n with tamoto sauce and tomatoes. bring to bil, add spachetti.

Pic not representative of recipe

Hot Dog-aghetti Recipe

Category: Home Cooking, Hot Dogs, Hot off the Grill Tags: home cooking, Kids recipes

Bread Soup with Hot Dogs Recipe

April 27, 2018 BurgerDogBoy

My favorite niece found this old cookbook, the “New Hotdog Cookbook,” McFadden Press, 1968. Thought I’d put up some of their recipes, a lot of them are pretty funky!

Bread Soup with Hotdogs

Ingredients

6 C hot beef stock
6 slices enriched white bread, lightly toasted
6 eggs, poached until just firm
6 hot dogs, cut in 1/4″ slices

Place a slice of toast at the bottom of each soup bowl. Place a poached egg on top and distribute the hot dog slices around the toast. Pour in 1 cup of the boiling hot stock over the toast, egg, and hot dogs. Serve at once.

Random internet pic of soup, not representative of recipe

(Recipe remains copyright of publisher)

Bread Soup with Hot Dogs Recipe

Category: Home Cooking, Hot Dogs, Hot off the Grill Tags: Hot Dogs, Recipe, soup

Paradise Pup Review, Des Plaines, IL

December 23, 2017 BurgerDogBoy

A Chicago legend for decades, this suburban hot doggery shines when it comes to the basic Chicago fare of dogs, burgers, sausages, crinkle cut fries, shakes and the like. Cash only, order from the counterman (who’s extremely patient, even with newbies) and wait for your delish food to be cooked to order. There are a couple of tables outside, or you can grab yours to go. Limited parking, too, so squeeze in tight.

It’s not far from O’Hare if you have time to kill, and also close to the massive Des Plaines casino. Also nearby you’ll find (for a limiited time, they are tearing it down), a replica of the very first McDonalds built under the Kroc empire. Pup’s menu.

The food is exceptional, hot, cooked to order, quality ingredients throughout.

Burger and Cheese fries

Paradise Pup Review

Category: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Hot off the Grill

Fatsos Last Stand Review – Chicago, IL

April 16, 2017 BurgerDogBoy

Fatsos Last Stand, in Chicago west of the Loop, is retro and haute cuisine at the same time. Conceived as a neighborhood hot dog stand, the original owner committed to delivering the best of class food possible.

And he achieved it, with damned tasty burgers, Chicago style hot dogs, and fried shrimp (another Chicago staple).

I went with the “single Fatso with cheese” and my friend had a Chicago style dog; both were cooked on a grill that imparted a nice char flavor and texture, which will improve any food.

Fresh cut fries were the order of the day, only because I didn’t notice that they had cheese tots on the menu. DAMMIT. (Scroll down for menu).

A lot of people compare this burger to In N Out, but I personally feel Fatso’s is a much better burger. Shakes are also on offer.

Exceptional food all around, fun experience. Take the kids.

Fatso’s is in an area of town called “Ukrainian Village,” so there is a plethora of Russia restaurants, groceries and cathedrals. It makes for an interesting urban adventure, walking around, checking out the shops until your appetite (or the charcoal grill aroma) pulls you in to Fatsos. (Easily accessible by mass transit, Damen or Division stops on the CTA Blue Line).

Single Fatso, Chicago Dog, Fries

Chicagoans eschew ketchup, so it’s a rarity to see

Fatsos Menu

Fatsos Last Stand Review

Category: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Hot off the Grill Tags: Chicago Hamburger, chicago hot dog

Sheboygan Sausage Natural Casing Wiener Review

March 10, 2017 BurgerDogBoy

From their site: Since 1933, Sheboygan Sausage Company has been crafting a wide array of sausages with all the Old World goodness our customers expect. Our products include natural casing wieners, bratwurst, Italian sausage, summer sausage, little smokies, and braunschweiger.

They make quality products, using old world recipes and is now part of American Foods Group, out of Kansas City.

I stumbled upon the ‘coarse grind’ natural casing wieners, and I’m glad I did. I am a weenie snob, and always delighted to find a quality dog in a casing. Not too many stores stock natural casing hot dogs, as they represent less than 5% of the dogs sold in the U.S.

And the ingredient list for these is a dream: Pork, water, beef, salt, spices. No filler. No corn syrup solids. No vegetable protein. A dog eater’s dream.

If you can find these, buy them. They’ll cost you. Whereas you can find some brands of “hot dogs” (usually with a lot of chicken or turkey as an ingredient) for a buck a pack or so, a package of good natural casing wieners will cost you about a buck per dog. For my money, well worth it.

Sheboygan Sausage Natural Casing Wiener Review

Category: Hot Dogs, Hot off the Grill, Sausage Tags: Natural casing frankfurters, Wisconsin sausage

PJs Moon Doggies Review Glenview IL

January 17, 2017 BurgerDogBoy

I don’t think anybody knows exactly how many hot dog stands there are in Chicago. It’s a well known fact that there are more than the total McDonalds, Wendys and Burger Kings combined.

Estimates vary between 1500 -2000.

In Chicago, a “hot dog stand” can take many forms, from street cart to brick and mortar carryout only, to full service restaurants, with most having remarkably similar menus, hot dogs, burgers, sausage, Italian beef sandwiches, and gyros, and a majority of those items coming from just a few local suppliers: hot dogs and beef from Vienna Beef, gyros from Kronos. Buns from Turano or S Rosens.

OK, so all these places have virtually the same menu and many use the same suppliers – what sets one apart from another? Well, geography is obvious, but also (to me) cleanliness, method and care of preparation, and attention paid to other contributing factors, like condiment suppliers.

Like I was at one the other day who offered “char-broiled” burgers. Nothing could be farther/further/more distant from the truth. The burger seemed like had been simmered in grease. Truly awful. Two bites.

But today I’m writing about one of the more distinctive ones, PJ Moon Doggies in Glenview, IL. In addition to the aforementioned menu items, Moon Doggies also has ribs and chicken. Decor is 50s diner with a fully-loaded replica Wurlitzer jukebox. Counter service and daily specials.

I had their burger and fries and it was excellent. This one was actually char-broiled, was a very flavorful meat patty, great bun and fabulous pickle (an important thing for me). Hot, crispy fries. Here’s their full menu.

I find myself in that part of the city about twice a year for one thing or another. I’d stop again, for sure. You should think about it too.

PJs Moon Doggies Review

Category: Hot Dogs, Hot off the Grill, Sausage Tags: Chicago Hot Dogs

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