The Best Chicago-Style Hot Dogs In The US

The Windy City is known for its many unique foods and fortunately, Chicago-style hot dogs are popular all around the U.S. You can find them from coast to coast and everywhere in between. Many of the best Chicago-style hot dogs are found at restaurants that specialize in hot dogs, including plenty of regional styles, or those that bring a whole menu of Chicago favorites to other cities.

A traditional Chicago-style hot dog is made with a beef frank on a steamed poppyseed bun, then topped with chopped onions, tomato, a dill pickle spear, whole sport peppers, celery salt, and Piccalilli relish, also known as neon relish thanks to its bright green color. Chicago dogs have mustard but never ketchup, although a few restaurants begrudgingly offer it on the side if you ask for it. The next time you're craving a Chicago-style hot dog, stop by one of these famous restaurants, humble but great food stands, or up-and-coming stars.

This drive-in serves a 100% pure beef frank on a poppyseed bun and tops it with everything that makes a true Chicago-style hot dog. They call it the Superdawg, calling out the frankfurter as one-of-a-kind thanks to being made with only beef instead of a blend of meats. The Superdawg is topped with mustard, bright green Piccalilli relish, a dill pickle spear, chopped onions, and a whole hot pepper that the menu describes as "memorable." It comes with fries stuffed to the max in a themed box.

There are two locations, one in Chicago and the other in Wheeling, a suburb of Chicago. They've been in their original Chicago location since they opened in 1948 and have been serving diners at the drive-in the same way ever since. The original Superdawg is still on the menu and remains one of the most popular items.

superdawg.com

Multiple locations in Illinois

Open until the early hours of the morning, The Wieners Circle is perfect for late-night hot dog cravings when you feel like getting a hot dog at the end of a fun night out in Chicago. The char dog comes with a meaty frank, diced onions, a pickle spear, large slices of tomato, peppers, Piccalilli relish, and mustard on a poppyseed bun. The same dog is available as a Polish sausage, as a double dog, or with a Vienna red dog.

The staff promises to give you a good helping of verbal abuse alongside your char dog. The sassy attitude that you'll get from servers is part of their charm and makes for a unique dining experience. The restaurant is a casual hot dog spot with red picnic tables and a newly added bar serving beer and a variety of mixed drinks. The Wieners Circle also has a private event space and podcast recording equipment that you can rent.

wienerscirclechicago.com

(773) 477-7444

2622 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60614

This small hot dog stand is the oldest in Chicago, started over 90 years ago by a Russian immigrant, and still serves up many of the same authentic Chicago-style dishes that put them on the map when the stand first started. Its menu is simple, and includes Chicago-style dogs, which come with mustard, onions, sliced dill pickles, Piccalilli relish, sport peppers, and tomatoes. The restaurant was inducted into the Vienna Beef Hall of Fame in 2010 thanks to its authentic and delicious Chicago-style hot dogs.

A locally owned family business, Dave's Red Hots has been in the same location on Roosevelt in the Lawndale area of Chicago for around 40 years. The building's facade and simple menu is also part of its charm. They serve great hot dogs with authentic Chicago-style toppings without a lot of fuss.

facebook.com/daveredhot

(773) 722-9935

3422 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60624

It's easy to spot Wolfy's thanks to their giant red hot dog on a fork in the parking lot. Try their version of a Chicago-style dog, which includes a Vienna beef hot dog on a poppyseed bun, is topped with mustard, relish, onion, pickle, tomato, peppers, and celery salt. You can get your beef dog steamed or charred depending on your preference. You can also upgrade your dog with crispy fries and a drink. If you're extra hungry order the two dog meal deal or the jumbo dog, which you can get will all the same toppings.

Wolfy's has been around since 1967. The inside of the restaurant is decked out with red and white checkered tiles and booth seating that will make you just as nostalgic as your delicious dog. The neon sign out front lets you know that you've made it to Wolfy's. They even had a short cameo in the movie "While You Were Sleeping."

wolfyshotdogs.com

(773) 743-0207

2734 W Peterson Ave, Chicago, IL 60659

In addition to their long lineup of specialty hot dogs, you can get a Chi-town dog from Good Dog Houston in Texas. It comes with mustard, tomatoes, relish, pickles, peppers, and celery salt on a poppyseed bun with your choice of sides. The condiments are all made from scratch, a philosophy that the owners apply to all of the food at Good Dog Houston. Everything from the hot dogs to the buns to the artwork in the restaurant is made locally. The Blakeslee relish on the Chi-town dog is based on the chef's grandmother's recipe and features on other hot dogs on the menu as well.

Good Dog Houston started as a food truck and got so popular that they expanded to include a restaurant. You can still book the food truck for catering and events or visit the storefront on Studewood Street.

gooddoghouston.com

(832) 800-3647

903 Studewood St, Houston, TX 77008

There are a ton of Chicago favorites on the menu and they're all served on poppyseed buns with Vienna beef hot dogs. Get a Chicago hot dog with mustard, onions, tomato, relish, pickle, peppers, and celery salt or upgrade it to a hot version, which includes ghost pepper chili sauce. You can also get the same dog with cheddar cheese, chili and onions, or sauerkraut and mustard. There are plenty of delicious dishes on the menu, including an entire section of Chicago-style favorites, Greek dishes, and American favorites.

This fun restaurant appeared on Guy Fieri's "Diners, Dive Ins, and Drives," Season 29, Episode 7, From Sandwiches to Stroganoff. Fieri tried the Italian beef sandwich, another Chicago staple. He praised the restaurant's Chicago-style cuisine, which is largely due to the chef's more than 40 years of experience in Chicago before ending up at Wrigleyville Grill in San Antonio.

wrigleyvillegrill.com

(210) 369-9833

602 Northwest Loop 410 Suite 146, San Antonio, TX 78216

All of the hot dogs at Chicago Hamburger in Phoenix use Vienna beef franks or Polish sausage for true Chicago flavor and texture. They even import their poppyseed buns and many of the toppings from Illinois to create the most authentic version possible. Their Vienna hot dog comes with traditional Chicago-style toppings, such as mustard, onions, tomatoes, relish, and a pickle spear. If you ask for it Chicago-style, they'll add sport peppers and celery salt.

Chicago Hamburger has been a staple in the Phoenix area since 1975, so they have a long history of bringing food from the Windy City to the American West. In addition to hot dogs and sausages, they have Chicago-style beef sandwiches, burgers, and sliders. You can also get a kid-sized hot dog meal that comes with fries, a drink, and a Tootsie Pop.

chicagohamburger.com

(602) 955-4137

3749 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85018

Chicago Fire Grill has a ton of Chicago options on the menu, including hot dogs, burgers, and brats. At this beloved restaurant in San Diego, the Chicago dog made with a Vienna beef frank comes with mustard slathered on the frank, sliced tomatoes, chopped onion, a pickle, sport peppers, and celery salt. It's served on a poppyseed bun and comes with a large portion of fries, also sprinkled with poppyseeds.

If you want to try a different kind of Chicago hot dog, consider the Maxwell dog, which is based on the popular version served in Chicago at hot dog stands on Maxwell Street. It's also made with a Vienna beef frank but comes with onion, sauerkraut, and mustard. Meanwhile, the Packer Brat replaces the Vienna beef frank with a Chicago-style bratwurst. The fries at Chicago Fire Grill are hand-cut and come in generous portions to complete your meal.

chicagofiregrill.com

(858) 622-024

8935 Towne Centre Drive, San Diego, CA 92122

Third Coast Pizza in Kansas is a great mixture of Chicago-style dishes, including pizza and hot dogs. It uses authentic Vienna beef for its hot dogs and locally-sourced ingredients when possible. Try the Chicago dog for an authentic Windy City hot dog in the Midwest, made with Vienna hot dogs on a poppyseed bun and topped with mustard, onion, tomato, pickle, relish, sport peppers, and celery salt.

The owner, Sean, remembered growing up as a young child in Chicago loving local food like deep dish pizza, Italian beef, and Chicago dogs, which inspired their menu. As an adult in Kansas, he decided to bring this type of food to the Kansas City area after missing it so much. The restaurant's menu focuses on Chicago-style food and includes many of Sean's favorites, including dogs and deep dish pizza.

thirdcoastlenexa.com

(913) 232-9313

7820 Quivira Rd., Lenexa, KS 66216

Steve's Hot Dogs in St. Louis began when Steve Ewing, a musician for the band The Urge, started a hot dog cart. The creative streak is still strong now that Steve's has a brick and mortar restaurant and there are plenty of limited release dishes along with tried-and-true favorites. Try a Chicago dog from Steve's, which includes yellow mustard, relish, onion, a pickle, sport peppers, celery salt, and sliced tomatoes. You can also get it spicy in a Chicago fire dog. If you want to add ketchup or other condiments, it is an option with the build-your-own dog on the menu. Order a basket of fries with your dog or upgrade to Steve's famous chili cheese fries.

You can also get Chicago-style hot dogs for a party, as well as plenty of other food and drink options, from Steve's catering. They can customize an order, including options for vegan and gluten-free diners. You can get the Chicago-style hot dog in their sack lunch, which includes the dog along with chips, a cookie, and a drink.

steveshotdogsstl.com

(314) 932-5953

3145 S Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63118

There is no shortage of hot dog options since The Original Hot Dog Factory in Voorhees specializes in delicious dogs from all over the United States, including many of their own creations. The Chicago-style option comes with the standard ingredients but also includes the authentic neon green Piccalilli relish, one of the ingredients that make Chicago dogs so distinct. Like other Chicago-style dogs, it's made with a beef frank and served on a poppyseed bun. If you love the flavors of a Chicago-style hot dog but want something a bit different, you can get the same toppings served with a beef patty on a burger.

There are numerous franchise locations in a variety of states, including Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. They also offer catering services and have mobile food trucks to bring their delicious hot dogs to special events.

theoriginalhotdogfactory.com

Multiple locations in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas

You can get a true Chicago-style hot dog, complete with Vienna beef frankfurters, at Dog Day Afternoon in Brooklyn. Dog Day Afternoon uses buns made at a neighborhood bakery for the freshest taste as well as other locally sourced ingredients when they can, other than the authentic Vienna beef franks. These dogs come topped with mustard, onions, tomato slices, authentic neon relish, a pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt. You can also get the Chicago-style toppings on a vegan dog.

The restaurant is owned by two friends with a lot of experience in the food industry in Brooklyn, which is why it's not surprising that it maintains such strong ties to the community and other food establishments. Dog Day Afternoon was even featured on "Late Night with Seth Myers," where the host and guest Jeremy Allen White, lead actor of the TV show "The Bear," sampled their hot Italian beef sandwich.

dogdaybrooklyn.com

(718) 264-1835

266 L, Prospect Park W, Brooklyn, NY 11215

At Skips Chicago Dogs in Atlanta, this humble hot dog stays true to its roots as an affordable yet filling type of sandwich. You can get a Chicago-style pure beef hot dog made with a Vienna beef frank with all the standard toppings. Not only is it delicious but it costs less than $5.00. You can add a side of fries for just a few dollars more or upgrade to a chargrilled jumbo hot dog.

Original owner Leo Shababy and his son Skip moved from Chicago to Atlanta in 1977 and established their hot dog stand just two years later. Chicago-style hot dogs were on the original menu, along with another Windy City staple, Italian beef sandwiches. As they grew, they expanded both the restaurant's size and their food offerings. Today, Skips also offers delivery and catering options.

skipschicagodogs.com

(404) 292-6703

48 N Avondale Rd, Avondale Estates, GA 30002

Founded by a Chicago native, Mel's Hot Dogs in Tampa has been serving up authentic and delicious Chicago-style dogs since 1973. Mel's also serves up plenty of nostalgia thanks to their fun decor and setup. Some standout items on their menu includes the Chicago style hot dog, which comes with mustard, onions, relish, pickle, tomatoes, celery salt, and hot sport peppers. What makes Mel's unique is that the tomatoes are diced in large pieces over the top, a different take on traditional sliced tomatoes that accompany a Chicago-style dog. 

The Mel's special dog has many similar ingredients, including the neon green Piccalilli relish, as well as sauerkraut. You can also get a Chicago Mighty Mel, which has Chicago-style toppings with an even larger frank. The Bagel Dog is similar but with a Polish sausage inside bagel dough and sprinkled with poppyseeds.

melshotdogs.com

(813) 985-8000

4136 E Busch Blvd, Tampa, FL 33617

With a name like I Dream of Weenie, it's hard to resist a stop at this casual hot dog eatery in Nashville. Order the Windy City weenie for a slightly different variation on a traditional Chicago-style dog. It comes with relish, Tennessee hot chow chow relish, onions, a dill pickle spear, cracked black pepper, celery salt, brown mustard, and ketchup. You can order it without the ketchup if you're a Chicago dog purist or an extra pickle as a side or turn it into a meal with fries, chips, or their popular mac and cheese. There are plenty of limited release options on the menu that tie into seasonal themes like Thanksgiving feasts or bright summer salsa.

The Weenies were originally sold out of a repurposed yellow VW van, which still features in their logo, merch, and decor. When they established a brick-and-mortar restaurant, the iconic yellow van had to be a staple so there is a replica play bus in the outside eating area alongside picnic tables. While you're there, you can also pick up weenie–themed merch, including T-shirts, accessories, and even a dog costume.

facebook.com/IDreamofWeenie

(615) 226-2622

120 S 11th St, Nashville, TN 37206