Hot Doug's in Chicago

Check out our meal at the iconic Chicago hot dog joint before it permanently closed in 2014.

Hot Doug's - The Sausage Superstore in Chicago — Hot Doug’s – The Sausage Superstore

Important Update: Hot Doug’s has permanently closed.

Hot Doug’s is closing!

The news spread like a venerable torpedo across the bow of the tube meat world. The Chicago institution, which made its name by elevating the pedestrian hot dog, would be shutting its doors for good on October 4th in 2014.

In a marvelous coincidence, we had an opportunity to be in Chicago in early June of that year. In light of the news, a visit to Chef Doug Sohn’s hot dog temple became mandatory.

Discover great hot dogs around the world.

How We Got to Hot Doug’s

Line for a Late Lunch at Hot Doug's in Chicago. Food fans wait over an hour for a last meal at Doug Sohn's temple of dogdom. — Line for a Late Lunch at Hot Doug’s in Chicago. Food fans wait over an hour for a last meal at Doug Sohn’s temple of dogdom.

To get to Hot Doug’s, we hopped on the CTA blue line and rode past Wicker Park to the Belmont station on the edge of Logan Square. After a short bus ride, we then walked four long blocks to brave the line of food fans for a chance to sample Sohn’s eclectic, even somewhat eccentric, sausage creations.

As we stepped off the bus to begin the walking leg of our trip, there they were – a group of twelve young foodies directly ahead, striding casually in the same direction.

“Hurry up!” exclaimed Daryl, taking no chances that the group was headed elsewhere.

On cue, Mindi switched on the accelerator in her feet, and the 2foodtrippers jammed on the gas, performing a turbo-powered pass around the group of fledgling foodies. It reminded us of the kind of crowd dodging we did on the streets of Hong Kong when we made a mad dash for dim sum.

Passing the fanboys was a good thing too. The line was epic, and we beat them to “The Sausage Superstore” with minutes to spare.

Colorful Menus at Hot Doug's in Chicago — Colorful Menus at Hot Doug’s

Once we finally entered Hot Doug’s, we were welcomed by a colorful array of choices displayed on different menu boards.

The first board displayed a relatively standard menu with Chicago style hot dog and their many variations. The second board featured gourmet style dogs. The third board listed the special ‘Game of the Week” – a one-time-only sausage special.

We were intrigued by the many delicious options and our excitement built as we approached the front of the line.

The End of the Line at Hot Doug's in Chicago — The End of the Line at Hot Doug’s

After the 75 minute (we did mention that it was epic?) wait, Sohn greeted us to take our order and carefully guided us through the menu. Sohn’s presence at the counter made the visit extra special, especially since he was in no rush as he helped us make our menu choices.

Despite the seemingly never-ending line, he displayed an amazing sense of hospitality, courtesy and enthusiasm. We could sense that Sohn truly cared about his guests and his conviviality transformed the wait into a distant memory.

What We Ate at Hot Doug’s

Daryl made no bones about his choice of dog – Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Fleur de Sel. What could have been a clumsy upscale mashup of ‘street food meets fine dining’ proved to be a magnificent combination of juicy, dessert wine-injected duck sausage topped with generous slices of creamy, decadent foie gras. The delicious dog’s $10 dollar price was a bargain in our book.

Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Fleur de Sel at Hot Doug's — Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Fleur de Sel at Hot Doug’s

Capsaicin-crazed Mindi opted for a Spicy Cheese-Stuffed Pork Sausage with Sweet Devil’s Mustard and Cheese-Stuffed Hot Peppers. This gourmet dog did not disappoint, as each bite delivered a scorchingly spicy burst of flavor. Normally $8 for a hot dog would be expensive, but not for this complex, savory sandwich.

Atomic Bomb at Hot Doug's in Chicago — Spicy Cheese-Stuffed Pork Sausage at Hot Doug’s

We also ordered a small order of fries ($2) and a charred chi dog ($2.50) to share and round out our Hot Doug’s experience, plus some soda to wash it all down.

Hot Doug's Chi Dog in Chicago — Hot Doug’s Chi Dog

Was ordering three monstrous dogs gluttonous? Not really.

Many people sitting near us were eating two or three dogs each. Some were clearly tourists, but most appeared to be regulars satisfying their Hot Doug’s fix and the opportunity to eat as much as possible before the end of the Hot Doug’s era.

The 2foodtrippers Lunch at Hot Doug's — The 2foodtrippers Lunch at Hot Doug’s

Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch at Hot Doug’s. It was so good that we now have a new barometer for judging hot dogs and sausage sandwiches. In the future, we will likely say “yeah, but is it as good as Hot Doug’s?” after we bite into a frank that we like.

Daryl Bites into a Chi Dog at Hot Doug's in Chicago — Daryl Bites into a Chi Dog at Hot Doug’s

Final Thoughts on Hot Doug’s

When we left Hot Doug’s at almost 4:00 (a/k/a closing time), there was still a long line of people waiting their turn at the ultimate hot dog. Our leaving was bittersweet, as it wasn’t likely that we’d be back in Chicago before October 4th.

During the 2.7 mile walk to Wicker Park, we chose to focus on the positive – it’s better to have eaten the best hot dogs once than to have never eaten them at all.

Hot Doug’s was located at 3324 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60618, United States. The iconic hot dog restaurant is now permanently closed.

Hungry for More in Chicago?

Check out the city’s best Italian Beef Sandwiches and learn about the different Chicago pizza styles.

About the Authors

Daryl & Mindi Hirsch

Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website and YouTube. The married Food and Travel content creators live in Lisbon, Portugal.

Disclosures

Article Updates
We update our articles regularly. Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.

Funding
We self-funded our meal at Hot Doug’s.

Original Publication Date: June 19, 2014

Lance

Saturday 5th of July 2014

I'm going there in a few weeks. Can't wait!

Daryl and Mindi Hirsch