We were excited about Big Norms. We moved to Waukegan and like hot dog joints. Here's our experience: 1) Adequate hamburger. Nothing special. 2) Gamey italian sausage with "lumpy" texture. Ordered sweet and hot. The sweet peppers were microscopic. Bun-no texture--supermarket quality. This is a signature thing in Chicago but not here--mushy. 3) Wanted onion straws per their website. Not available. 4) Cashier was miserable--no small, nor personality. Over charged me! Told me it's automatic! I have no problem tipping when a waitress comes to my table. I'm obviously handicapped and I had to walk up to the counter, place the order, and then when the order is ready, I had to somehow out, juggle it to bring it back to my table. NO TRAYS! 35 bucks for two sandwiches some onion rings and a couple of soft drinks. Never again. There's better in town. I see no reason to return. read more

Hot dog was good I think it was deep fried like other places the bun was good. The Italian beef had a strange flavor I'm thinking it was Tajin but maybe wrong definitely different from others. I would get the deep fried hotdog again. read more

I think this establishment is under new management. Service was not a good this visit. Server was not as engaged. Food is still good and fresh and hot. Make to order. Adequate space if you choose to dine in, read more

Just a great place to eat. I am visiting chicago for the FIRST time ever from Virginia, and the first thing I had to try was a chicago dog. Upon walking in, the first thing I saw was that the walls were absolutely plastered in Chicago sport team posters and flags. I don't care for a single one of these teams, but this place definitely reflects the local identity. I ordered a 2 dog combo with fries and a drink, and upon being served, I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY and in disbelieve that this place had only 3 stars. It's no fine dining, but it was a lot of food. The hot dog was juicy and flavorful, with fresh toppings and wonderful plating in a little basket. The fries were crinkle cut, which isn't my favorite but for crinkle fries they exceeded my expectations. Whoever left a review saying the fries were "flimsy" clearly has an issue with Big Norm unrelated to the establishment because they were fresh out of the fryer and THOROUGHLY crispy. The decor in the bathroom, pictured below, was also wonderful. This place just got better and better the longer I stayed. 10/10 and disregard anyone who says otherwise. read more

Big Norm's - Magnificent restroom decor - Hot Dogs Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

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I went to big norms for a Togo order for lunch. I ordered my favorite, maxwell style polish meal. It comes with fries and a drink. I don't know why their fries are so good!!! I barely had any left to take any picture of. The polish is perfectly made, the ends are my favorite because it's crispy. They have daily specials. The service is pretty quick, I think it took them maybe 5-7mins. I will say if you eat at big norms I would bring cash. They have a 5% fee any time they swipe a credit card, however, that still doesn't deter me away from the restaurant. I have never dined in, but the physicality looks clean. The colors inside the restaurant gives Ma and pa vibes. I would definitely recommend this spot, it's a hidden gem. read more

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I've been going to big norms for probably 2025 years and here recently. I've noticed a big decrease the quality of the food. I don't know if the pliers. I haven't seen him around much lately. I'm sure he's taking more time off. he worked a lot of hours over the years, but things have definitely changed here in the last few months. I like to go in and get a chocolate shake now and then I know the workers never them and now they keep the always norm is aware of this or I don't know, but also the burgers aren't near as good as they used to be the fries. Sometimes they're like burnt sometimes they're not even done and Norm was very particular in the past about his food maybe with him spending less time there this is a reason for it, but I sure hope it goes back to the way it used to be much better food. read more

My fries were super flimsy. The service was lacking and it took a long time for the order to be done when I was off from work. I had a short break, and it shouldn't have taken as long as it did. The service could have been better imo. The vibes ok here. I've ate here a few times with no problems. I'll update on the next experience. read more

I've been going here for over 12 years, so glad they stuck around. It's like a small memory of my comfort food. I appreciate your business so much! read more

Food is really good, just not worth the price you pay. If they r gonna give u a small drink with the meals, they should atleast offer free refills, but instead theu charge u for the refills read more

I printed off a $5 certificate from restaurants,com. Drove 13 miles to Big Norms (twice). 1st time arrived after 7:00 pm, they were closed. 2nd time today, ready to order, the man informed me the owner isn't taking these certificates anymore. I explained, I came to this establishment (twice) to try it and use the certificate. He said sorry, the owner said no and the owner just left. I then asked, if he can simply throw in an order of fries, he laughed and said no he can't do that either. We left without ordering anything. We will never go back! He lost not only me as a customer but also the friends and family that would go there living in Gurnee. Don't know how the good the food is and will never know! I don't care! Foolish way of doing business. If you don't want to accept certificates from restaurant.com, don't be part of the service! read more

Food is really good. But, the service is ass. No face expressions, no thank you's. Definitely missing good mannerism.

Great place. We've been going here for a while, and they have only gotten better with age. Great service too! The fries and onion straws are great, which seems to be harder and harder to find, nowadays. Lots of cool Chicago memorabilia to check out while waiting for your food too. :) read more

First time here ,ordered a burger with fries and a drink. Burger was ok ,fries were too salty and overcooked. $2 for refill on drink. Prices are ... I mean it's 2022. Let's go Brandon. read more

Big Norm's - Deals menu 2022 - Hot Dogs Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

Good dogs here and really good fries. Has a real neighborhood feel to it. Will go here again.

Tuesday I went to Big Norm's on Grand in Gurnee. We had both regular fries and sweet potato fries. They were very good. The hot dogs were good too. The gravy for the beef had great flavor and I would order again in a heartbeat. I also had their Italian Sausage. The only sausage sandwich I think I e ever had that was about as good as Big Norm's was at Johnnie's in Elmwood Park. It's definitely worth the trip. read more

Big Norm's - Hot Dogs Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

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Norm's is the greatest! We stumbled upon this gem one day and life has never been the same. I love the gyro cheeseburger! one of the best creations EVER! I haven't had one bad thing - I am still working my way through the menu, but have loved everything. Norm is also one of the most awesome guys, I love stopping in to see him! Thank you Norm and crew! read more

I love Big Norm's! A neighborhood favorite in the Gurnee/Waukegan area. My favorite items here are the burgers and fries! I order the bacon cheeseburger because it's LOADED with juicy flavor. I love the toasty & delicious brioche bun, with lots of cheese and you can customize it to your liking. I order the Bacon Cheeseburger, with mustard, grilled (sweet) onions & pickles; then finish with fries and a drink. They use krinkle-cut fries so you'll love them Try their hot dogs too! I hear they're amazing. read more

food is always warm and fresh. staff is great and always nice. I think they just need more and better bathrooms. also they should expand and make another restaurant. read more

The place is nice, quite not a lot of people so it's a nice spot! The service is really nice even if there was barely a discussion the food came out fast! The food over all was well even though I only had a hotdog and a burger it was still super delicious! read more

Great burgers, amazing shakes, delicious hotdogs I always have a wonderful experience here. If you haven't tried their steak burger you're definitely missing out. read more

I can only comment on one item, Egg & Pepper Sandwich. My gym, X-sport Fitness, orders them for special catered events. I have always thought of Egg & Pepper Sandwiches as a weird combination, outdated and only eaten at Lent. Given a free tasting I discovered it is tasty goodness. I cant compare it to any others, but personally I am hooked to theirs and I crave it. I love when my gyms has specials events. read more

Big Norm's - Addictive Egg and Pepper Sandwich - Hot Dogs Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

I went there to pick up a gyro. When I got it, it was chunks of meat, it was super salty and it was not good. Maybe this is not the place to order it, but why have it on the menu if you are going to serve something that is not good quality. People have recommended Big Norm's to me. I can't see how this meat was ever on a rotisserie. I was told by other is was. Since it is closed to the public and you have to get your order outside because of COVID19 I could not see in there. I feel like this was misrepresented. We all know what a traditional gyro is. read more

best food ever! also it was awesome ambiance and the service was great!!! By the way the owner is the best person

I've been going to Big Norm's for years but this was my first visit since the start of Covid. I understand that small businesses like this have been devastated so I support them. I have no problem with them raising prices (which they have done) but making a gyros smaller at a higher price is a problem. Went to get a drink refill and was told that it would cost me $2.00! Doing all of this plus a little attitude will put you out of business! read more

First time and last time visit. Way over priced food for what you get. The staff are unfriendly and did thank me for my visit. I received an overmicrowaved tamale instead of a steamed/boiled tamale. They deep fried the Italian sausage rather cook on the grill. Don't waste your time or $ here. read more

Norm's is right on par for the traditional Chicago style hot dog joint. You've got your choice of hot dogs, burgers, Italian beefs, tamales, etc etc. The difference is that it's in the far northern burbs of Waukegan. The hot dogs come with all the trimmings (sport peppers are the must accompaniment), the gyros are cooked right with great tzaziki sauce and the refills are endless and refreshing. The giardiniera is sweet and very mild. Norm (I think it's him) is usually at the register taking orders and telling his cooks what to do. The meals are cooked right as you order and are pretty quick. Norm is a nice guy and so are the cooks. I usually get the hot dog meal or gyros. Prices are a little higher than some other local spots, but the food is better so I don't really mind paying a little extra. The fries are cooked just right. That also sets them apart, most places in the area always have undercooked fries. Gross! read more

this rating is for the gyro - heard and read good things about Norm's gyro. they trim the meat off the standard rotisserie, then toss it on the grill. The meat is nothing special - not home made, in fact, probably 60% of the gyro meat in the chicagoland area comes from the same provider - so hard to separate one gyro from another. It comes down to the pita, quantity of meat, the tzatziki and toppings - and i did not feel anything special about the gyro that Big Norm's serves - but that is okay...you get a gyro that serves its purpose...no frills. The cost breakdown is: Gyro ($5.50), fry ($2), and extra pita ($2). There is enough meat for two sandwiches. Asked for crispy fries...and they were NOT...not sure Norm was listening to my order. read more

Worst place dude didn't want to give me a hotdog that i never got and was waiting for for about 15 min. Also the food was terrible and the owner takes ur order and kept adding things on that i didnt order trying to scam people out of a few dollars. Never go!!! read more

What can I say but the best food is in the hood. I ordered the Italian beef which was fucking delicious, a Chicago dog which wasn't bad and a tamale that was a little different for my taste but edible (only because I'm used the typical Tijuana style.) I'm from the West Coast (Southern Cali) and I'm glad I got the referral from Chicago resident. Italian Beef is definitely have to try and my favorite thing I ate in Chi-Town..... read more

Being new to the area and have a 7 yr old w me we stopped for a bite. looking at the place it reminded me of an old greasy hot dog stand found in Chicago. I ordered a gyro w no tomatoes, got the gyro plain! do i returned to the counter for some sauce, After taking a bite i saw i had no onions either but did not want to get up. was a long day! lol then i tried to help my little one cut up her chicken tenders, there was still raw meat in the middle and i mean RAW CHICKEN MEAT!!! one of the cooks took the basket from me as i complained and pulled the chicken apart to show him. he cooked the chicken longer but offered us nothing for the staffs huge error, free desert, free food to go, free coupon .... offered nothing to make us want to retyrn. so i will not be returning. read more

I went there with my friend the other day and because a friend of mine from High School told me that oh you got to go to Big Norm's and support him and because he is a small business and I did and the jester that I did was nice. But when I got the meal deal a double hamburger, small fries and a medium drink and he charged me $12.89 and that is a rip. Because that is price gouging and I have been going there for 12 years and 5 months and ever since he opened up and I was a big time customer that goes there. That is a way to price yourself out of business. So I am going to take my business somewhere else. read more

Terrible service. Lights were on we thought they closed at 9p. According to google and yelp their hours showed 9p. When you park in front from a distance sign shows 9p. We walked up to door and it was closed (820p). The guy inside walked towards the sign and pointed at the hours and walked away. Up close you can see someone changed 9p to 8p with a sharpie. He was rude- he could have opened the door and nicely explained they were closed. Would have gone back the next day... but the way he treated us (family of 7) was rude, ignorant, and disrespectful. Won't be going there again. read more

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After living on the East coast for 20 years and then relocating to Chicago-land, I've spent 10 years wandering in Chicago's "Italian Beef" wasteland. After too many dead-ends and false-starts, Big Norm's has become my Philly Cheese Steak oasis. Piles of very good properly shaved beef (Rib Eye, perhaps) cooked on the grill with pre-sautéed onions and green (bell) peppers. All piled on a good quality Italian roll. Usually comes with cheez-whiz sauce (al a Pat's and Geno's in Philly), but (lacking provolone) I go with Mozzarella (with a tip of the hat to John's Roast Pork and Leo's Steak Shop). The sandwich with a pile of very good French fries, and all-you-drink fountain Coke, is a modest $10.03. There is also a Thursday Special with a reduced price--you'll find me there about 5:30 on Thursdays. Maybe one of these days I'll try something else on Big Norm's extensive menu, but it may take years to undo the trauma of wandering in the desert for some many years. The place is clean. The owner is often in the place and engaged with his business. The employees are mostly non-teenagers who appear to have worked there for years. Stable, friendly, and accommodating. There is outside seating with comfortable tables and chairs. read more

It's a decent joint. The hot dogs are pretty good. They have a great deal on two dogs, fries and a soda that I would usually get. Once we got home after ordering some food to go, we found that my significant others dog was ice cold. While mine was warm. I enjoyed my dog but she couldn't eat hers without warning it up in the microwave. They okay Italian beefs. I find that the au jus isn't anything special. Not as flavorful as I've had in other places. The hot peppers that they throw on are really hot, which I like. Overall, I'd go back to Norm's for a quick bite but if I can I'll try and find something else. read more

OMG, I am a big fan of Italian beef and they have the BEST!! They dunk the sandwich which makes it crazy messy but to die for delic!!!! Go there regularly. I haven't had anything there I don't like, and they feature daily specials that are good deals. read more

Avoid this place at all cost!! Employees talking about shaving their pubic hairs and also talking about put a burger in it! Nasty and gross we decided to dine in but lied and decided to take our food to go then throw it away. I can't believe the in professionalism at this place. Repeat do not waste your money at this location just horrible and disrespectful . Employees here talk in Spanish thinking you don't know what they are saying but they are low lives and dirty people. If you want snotty and pubic hairs in your food, then this is your place? read more

If you're looking for a gyro, this is the best place in town in my humble opinion. Haven't tried anything else there because their gyros are so good. People I've gone with have tried their hotdogs and have found them good, but not great. Everything's made fresh to order... I went with two other people and we all ordered our food with fries, and the cook took the time to make each fry order separately. It was great having the crispy piping hot fries fresh out of the oil! Greasy and delicious. My go-to guilty pleasure. The staff is also very friendly. read more

Decent enough, but nothing special. The 2-dog special was $8 - an OK price but I've had much better for much less. Was surprised that a hot dog joint wouldn't have a hot dog on the kids menu - just toasted cheese, chicken fingers, and a burger. Sorry, just nothing I'd go out of my way for. read more

Horrible! Unfresh! Ordered a gyro and instead of them cutting fresh off the spit they took an open bucket of cold old meat out of their cooler and heated it on the griddle next to grilled onions and a burger, nasty!!! Took one bite of thegyro and the meat was charred crisp on the outside and so thick and old it was cold in the center! Nasty, i didnt even eat any more of it i was so disgusted! Also witnessed the owner take my money then without washing his hands start helping the cook prep other orders...just a severe display of lack of pride in ones business! Sad! Save your hard earned money and go to another gyro, hotdog restaurant! read more

I still can not find a better gyro than the ones i get from Big Norms, they are better than the other places that claim to have the best gyro in lake county. read more