Stumbled on this hole in the wall when looking for an Italian beef sandwich. To say quaint is…read morepressing it. There's a counter to order at and 5-6 2 top tables, then one 4 top. Next door with a shared entry is Dear Franks ice cream with similar seating. Food was cooked to order with options to make it your own. Food was good (beef was dry and not served with a dip), and came out hot. Come try this hole in the wall with parking in the back.

I have been coming to Deer Franks since a kid, hands down the best place in Deerfield. Their…read moreconsistent, great tasting food is the reason when I drive home from college I stop there before getting home.

We made the trip to the original Superdawg location for one final Chicago meal before heading to…read morethe airport, and we were glad we did. It is a little off the beaten path for visitors staying downtown, but the food and classic atmosphere made it worthwhile. My partner ordered the Superdawg and really liked it, especially the bun. The toppings made the bun wet and a little difficult to eat, but that did not stop him from enjoying it. I ordered the Supercheesie burger, and it was very good. The fries were also good.

Superdawg is a Chicago area institution as an old school drive-in business with carhop service…read more It's probably been over 20 years since I last visited this place. There were two dozen stalls in which you could pull in your vehicle and use an intercom box with the menu printed on the side to transmit your order. A worker would then bring the food/drink to your parking space and use a handheld device to swipe your credit card. Alternatively, you could do what I did which was park and then walk up to a service window and order from there. Adjacent to the service window was a door that led to a room with countertop seating which served as a dine-in area. There were also a few canopied tables on the sidewalk at the edge of the parking lot. Their Chicago-style hot dogs were the featured products, however most of the menu was made up of other fare like fish/shrimp sandwiches, burgers, grilled cheese, chicken tenders, french fries, shakes, malts, sundaes, cones, etc. The price for the namesake Superdawg was now a whopping $9.30! I ordered one of those that consisted of a cardboard box packed with a poppy seed bun containing a pure beef hot dog dressed with all the trimmings. Those ingredients were golden mustard, tangy piccalilli, a kosher dill pickle, chopped Spanish onions and a hot pepper. Included in the box was Superfries which were extra crispy crinkle cut french fries. I also purchased a regular size Mellow Vanilla Supershake. I took a seat at a countertop inside the dine-in area which had only customer when I walked in. As I opened my box, it was packed so tightly that you couldn't even tell there was a hot dog inside (see my photo). The Superfries lined the top while the pickle and sport peppers also surrounded the poppy seed bun. I finished the fries first that I felt were overdone. The hot dog was normal size with a good snap to the frank. The neon green relish was unique as the bright color stood out. For a hot dog and a measly amount of fries, the cost felt high in my opinion. That being said, I didn't try a similar combo at any other spots around town for comparison. The vanilla milkshake was thick and creamy and the best part of my order. I gave a three star rating for my dining experience at Superdawg.

As you walk up, you'd think that it was just an everyday 50's restaurant. But, it's far from…read morethalove going to Rand Red Hots. This place is a classic 50's style Chicago restaurant. I always order a chardog with the fries on the side. A chocolate cone as a treat, and sometimes a shake. They are always super nice and fast! The food is fresh and made to order. There's lots of seating inside and outside. And, it's always sparkling clean! CharDog-This hotdog is absolutely perfect! I savor every last bite of it. It's a Vienna Beef hotdog. So, it's the real deal. It's not the traditional Chicago dog. So, don't expect that. This hotdog is juicy, smokey, and charred with a bold beef flavor. Loaded with mustard, sports peppers, relish, and onions. On a nice plush bun. I personally get it without onions. And, it's heavenly! Chocolate Cone-If you're in the mood for a creamy, dreamy, and delicious cone. Then, make sure to get this! The chocolate is nutty and bold. I love this tasty treat. It brings me so much joy! I every now and then will treat myself to this family sized cone. And, I happily finish every last lick of this. So, next time you see Rand Red Hots. Make sure to stop here! You won't regret it!

A hankering for a Maxwell Street Polish brought me here. My cousin lives close by so the eatery was…read morea usual sight for me during my visit to Chicago. Let's get the positives out of the way. The prices here are very reasonable. I didn't experience sticker shock when I glanced at the menu. The restaurant pays tribute to the soda shops of 70 years ago. Oldies even pop through the sound system. I even heard "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" by Louis Prima. I did order a Maxwell Street Polish. I was amazed to discover that it was bursting with fresh cut fries just like another establishment called Gene & Jude's. The onions and the sweet peppers that came separately gave the Polish, which I believed was charred, a tangy touch. Regarding the fries, there was so much that I was done with the Polish first. I'm kicking myself because I thought I took a picture of the meal, but failed to do so. Apologies for that. Sadly, I must move on to the negative that prompted me to rate the place three stars. I didn't appreciate the attitude of the woman who took my order. On top of that, she apparently had a poor grasp of the English language. But still, if you have to have a nicely cooked tube steak, bring yourselves to Rand. I could envision myself returning so as long as the same woman isn't at the counter.

I've never been so confused at an eating establishment…read more There are dogs. I like dogs...I have a dog...but do they never accidentally pee or poop inside? Menu is really big, a bit too many options so I had to stare at it for quite a while. Food is decent. I had a Chicago style dog and chili cheese fries. My son had a cheeseburger and fries. We had two fountain drinks. The total was $40. Inflation or are these particular prices unreasonable? I don't know, but $40 for a burger, a Chicago style hot dog, two fries (to be fair, one was chili cheese fries), and two fountain drinks seems excessive. Service was pleasant. I could see how the concept works for dog people who are dog crazy. Again, food is decent, prices high, service pleasant, decor and concept a bit confusing.

I had been here a few years ago and I had liked the food. I recently got a new puppy and we're…read moretrying to socialize him so we decided to give them another try. I got a philly cheese steak. It doesn't look like a philly but it tastes really good. My kids enjoyed their food and we got a plate of food for my dog and he scarfed it down. So I'm assuming he liked it. Location was clean. I like the concept. I'll go back

Great Chicago style hot dogs I hit this place a few times a…read moreyear always good. I started coming 10 years ago

I've been back many times since my last review and I must re-evaluate Little Louies…read more I have come to the conclusion they are a top notch Chicago-Style Hot Dog shop!! The dogs are perfect and the buns are very fresh! All the goodies from the garden are fresh and perfectly assembled above the noble dog! If you want a classic Chicago-Style Hot Dog, dragged through the garden, this is the place to go to!

We have ordered out numerous times including a few weeks ago. The food is always prepared well and…read morethe staff are very friendly and helpful. Our order was ready on time and was delicious. It's definitely family friendly. Kids of all ages are welcome and treated nicely. A local treasure!

This place was pretty good. My hubs and I are in the area with our pup so we just wanted to try…read morethis place out since it's always caught our eye but we never went in. We ended getting two hamburger specials that came with fries and a drink. The price is pretty average considering the area that we are in. Other than that, the decor of the place is your typical burger joint; wide, bright and you can smell the cooking goodness nearby. Also, the customer service was pleasant. Always served with a smile and willing to help. Anywho--back to the food. We received our order in no time and decided to dine in. You get your own fountain drink and our hamburgers were filled with the works as requested; ketchup, mustard, pickles, grille onions, lettuce and tomatoes. The burger itself was really good. The meat that is utilized for the burger comes from the butcher shop next door which is Hofherr Meat Co. and they are DELCIOUS in their own right. The burger was perfectly cooked and juicy, the condiments were good and the grilled onions were so yummy and succulent, really adding a nice flavor to the burger. Overall, I really enjoyed being here and eating the food. I definitely want to come back but maybe next time, I will try eating the hot dogs instead of the burgers. If you are in the area, definitely give this place a try but it's not something that I would really go out of my way for. Still delicious though and definitely hits those hot dog and burger hankerings if you have 'em. Yum, yum for sure!

We went to Johnnie's Beef for a $7 Italian beef sandwich…read more The gentleman at the register took my money, but failed to give me a receipt with an order number. I thought nothing of it... Until 5 minutes later. "Beeg mija!" a middle-aged lady yelled from behind the counter. Her eyes darted angrily around the diner, looking for a landing strip for her palpable annoyance, "Beeg! Mija!" The gentleman behind the counter glanced nonchalantly in my direction. "BEEG MIJA!!!!" she screamed. I stared at her from across the restaurant, confused. Our eyes locked like a heat-seeking missile from a 1980s action flick, finding its target. She thrust a stubby index finger in my direction, "Ju! Beeg mija!" I walked to the counter, "Italian beef?" "Jes, da-meet! BEEG MIJA!" she hollered, incensed, and threw the bag in my direction. I intuited she must have been attempting to say, "Big meat. Hot." Mind you, that STILL made no sense. "How the &$@ would I have gotten that from that?!" I hollered. "EETS'A BEEEEEG MI-JA!" "Ok, lady."

Great Italian beef, keeps it simple and to the point…read more Food is ready to go so it's easy to get in and out. Add the Italian ice, fresh pressed in house.

First time at Portillo's and this Chicago hot dog institution earned the hype. My coworkers here…read moresaid if I liked this, they've had better, but Portillo's set the bar high enough that I doubt it. Something about being in Chicago and taking hot dogs this seriously just hits different. I went three times to work through the menu properly. The jumbo hot dog might be the best hot dog I've ever had. Everything came together: the sport peppers, the snap of the dog itself, and a poppy seed bun I'd never had on a hot dog before. It just worked. The chili dog was a letdown by comparison. The hot dog itself tasted flat and boring under the chili, which is a shame after how good the jumbo was. The cheeseburger is underrated. Good char, really tasty, and the Comeback sauce pulled it all together. I got the fries too, which were pretty good dipped in the Comeback sauce, though nothing to really write home about. Shakes were a mixed bag. The chocolate shake was excellent. I actually meant to order a regular Dr Pepper shake, but ended up with the Dr Pepper cake shake by mistake. Too many flavors and textures fighting each other in one cup, not for me. Heads up if you order shakes here: the large size is genuinely large. Still, this is my go-to spot in Chicago now. If you're visiting, you can't go wrong.

Portillo's in Northbrook is a classic example of an authentic American success story. Walking in,…read moreyou cannot help but appreciate the history on the walls. The photos from the 1960s, showing the owners then and now, give the place a deep sense of tradition and pride in building something from the ground up. The memorabilia throughout the restaurant is fantastic, and there is plenty of space if you are coming in with a large group. The food lives up to the reputation. The Chicago dog is fantastic and fully authentic, loaded with the right peppers, onion, and pickle. The only minor bump was that we ordered to dine in, but the order came out in to-go packaging. Wrapped up like that, the steam got to the bun and softened it a bit more than if it had been served open on a tray, which took a little away from the texture. Even with that, it was still a very good dog. For the side, ordering the fries well-done on the self-service kiosk is a huge plus. They came out crisp and tasty, though in the fast-casual fry hierarchy, Culver's still holds the crown. Overall, it is a great spot with rich local heritage, generous seating, and solid staple items. I will definitely be back.

Wow, apparently it's been 6 years since my last visit to Superdawg! I was enticed to return because…read morethe restaurant partnered with my local library for a fundraiser that I wanted to support. I'm glad I did, because the food was better than I had remembered. I had the Superfish sandwich which was served with fries, tartar sauce, a green tomato and pickle. The sandwich was large and tasted great. I am particular about fries, and I even liked theirs. Our food took several minutes to be prepared, but we weren't in a rush. We snagged the last table, but the countertop seating was completely unoccupied. I was tempted to try one of the many desserts on the menu, but my meal was plenty filling. I'll have to return for sweets another day.

5 stars! Superdawg was incredible!…read more Got some coffee, Super Shrimp and Super Fish all were amazing! I saw they had some cool looking deserts and their own beer too. Gotta try all those next time for sure! Also loved the 1950's drive in style of the parking lot and the over all vibe way too nostalgic cool! 200% coming back!