Hot Dog Heaven is a Fort Lauderdale institution. Founded in 1979 by Chicago natives Barry and…read morePamela Star, the tiny stand brought an authentic taste of the Windy City to South Florida. They served authentic Vienna Beef Chicago with mustard, relish, pickles, tomatoes, celery salt, and sport peppers on a poppy seed bun. In the 1980s, they purchased the modest 780-square-foot building that still houses the restaurant today. Back then, a Chicago dog cost just $1.45.
When the Stars finally retired, it looked like Hot Dog Heaven might disappear forever. Fortunately, Joe Barra stepped in to keep the legend alive. Rather than reinventing the place, he kept everything exactly the way people loved it. The menu remains a tribute to classic Chicago street food. You can still order a dog topped with mustard, grilled onions, and sauerkraut, or go for chili and chopped onions. If you want the full Illinois experience, there's the classic Chicago dog piled high with mustard, onions, neon relish, tomatoes, pickles, celery salt, and sport peppers. The menu also includes Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches, sausage and peppers heroes, burgers, and chicken sandwiches.
I ordered the Polish sausage with mustard, grilled onions, and hot peppers. The fries arrived hot, crispy, and perfectly crinkle-cut the way God intended. After I finished my sandwich, only one thought came to mind: Dang, that was good. The bun really makes it. This is old school comfort food done right.
Prices aren't what they were in 1979. My Polish sausage and fries came to about $13, but it was worth every penny. Inside is tight with stools at the counter along the window, but there are three tables out front where you can enjoy your meal while watching the parade of traffic roar down Sunrise Boulevard. For over 40 years Hot dog Heaven has been serving up exactly what the community is craving. When was the last time you visited this iconic stand?