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    Poochie's

    4.2 (350 reviews)
    InexpensiveHot Dogs, Burgers, Fast Food
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Order Poochie's Takeout or Delivery

    Poochie's Photos

    POOCHIE'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Poochie's

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    Reviews With Photos

    Stacey W.

    We ended up here after trying to go to a similar place that was cash only. The place was not busy on a weekend dinner time. We ordered a char mozzarella burger, monster burger (3 patties) and a char polish sausage and an order of fries. You can have all your sandwiches topped how you would like it. They are definitely char burgers as an individual in our party did not like the "burnt" parts. Decent sized burgers and decently priced as well. The service was quick and made to order. This is the only location of Poochie's around.

    Hotdog and fries combo $11
    Emeri Q.

    Great place to grab burgers,hotdogs and shakes. I use to come her a lot when I was pregnant and living in Evanston back in the day. Satisfied my In &Out cravings. The place is a nice spot for a quick lunch. They got plenty of seating and free parking.

    Char Salami Sandwich Special
    Lenore N.

    I hadn't been there for years. Not much has changed. The char on the sandwich is excellent and the fries are crisp. I was looking forward to the charred salami, which is an old favorite. I find the meat bland and pretty tasteless which was a great disappointment.

    Dining area
    Drake M.

    I ordered the 2 hot dog special that comes with fries and a drink. The hot dogs are Vienna Bee natural casing dogs with all of the Chicago style toppings. The toppings are super fresh with just the right amount of condiments to not overwhelm the dog. The fresh cut fries are fluffy and crisp. They are a piece of eatable art. This place is super clean and the staff is really chill. Love all the sports memorabilia on the walls.

    Hannah H.

    I've been going to Poochie's for years, and this hot dog eatery has been around since '69, serving up hot dogs, sausages, burgers, sandwiches, dinner plates (salami, chicken breast, brisket, and skirt steak), salads, soups, chili, and shakes/malts. I haven't been a fan of their char dogs and burgers lately, but when I get a craving for Cheddar Fries (that uses Merkt's), I come here. The waffle fries are generously topped with Merkt's cheddar sauce that is super thick, cheesy, and salty. Sometimes, they don't mix the cheese sauce well so it gets a little clumpy, or there is some separation issue. Service is always friendly, and I love the decor of the place with the Chicago memorabilia. Parking is available in the small lot. +Cheddar Fries! +small lot for parking

    Hot Dog Meal Deal
    Ira M.

    My cousin said Poochies was great. Good hotdog and delicious fresh cut fries. #iraeats #iraeats1

    Stu F.

    Stopped for lunch as I had this bookmarked to try. I ordered a cheddar burger and char Chicago style dog. The dog came as a combo with fry and drink. The dog was on the skinner side which I prefer. I liked the char on the dog which was new for me and overall had good meld of flavors. The cheddar burger was just fair. I've definitely had Better in the desplaines area and would not order it again here. The fries were top notch. My cherry coke didn't have much cherry flavor and could use some calibration.

    Jack G.

    Still amazing! I wish I could take a picture of food but I literally inhale it, lol. It is still my favorite spot in Skokie and still plan my trips to the old neighborhood around eating at Poochie's. Thanks Poochie's!

    A view of the kitchen
    Boyle W.

    It's more than a little hole-in-the-wall place... it's modern, but not too modern. Bigger than a stand, but not that big. It has TVs on the wall, but not exactly a sports bar. So it's kinda in the middle. Anyway... Poochie's is a nice local Skokie spot for hot dogs (or char dogs) and burgers. The place is clean, the food is great (if you like those earthy kind of fries, where they're skin-on and hot and a bit limp from the oil) and the staff seems like they like being there. Of course, I had the maxwell polish which was char'd up nicely. I should be back shortly to try some burgers!

    Black and Bleu Burger
    Angie W.

    5 stars for excellent customer service! It's a classic hot dog and burger place, with some interesting menu items, enough that I'll have to go back and try more of them. But what really struck our family was the friendly banter from the staff while they were adding the toppings, and the fact that they thanked us for coming. Little social niceties like that, that made us feel especially welcome. It's a relatively small place, but has a decent amount of seating. Casual, diner-style. You order your food at the register, but they wait till after it's cooked to ask what you want on it. Toppings are added right before they hand it to you. The toppings are generous and the food is tasty! We'll definitely be back!

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    11 months ago

    Stopped in for a Chicago dog. It was delicious! Staff was friendly and helpful. No frills locale, which was just what I was looking for.

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    3 years ago

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    7 months ago

    Had a wonderful experience with delicious food. Got the cheddar burger, which was to die for! Will be back soon!

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

    I don't think there's anything I can say that hasn't been said already. The hotdogs are good, and the hamburgers are good too!

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    11 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Love their CharCheddar burgers and love that their fries are fresh cut and usually fried upon ordering

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    3 years ago

    Burgers and cheese fries are spectacular. I don't usually like charburgers but this place makes them perfect!

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    Poochie's Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Poochie's

    Do they offer kosher hotdogs?

    Yes

    Was this the poochies from Palos back in the 80's? If so, why don't they make the special burgers anymore? My favorite was the banana cheeseburger and peanut butter shake!

    Sorry, I wouldn't know. I've only been in Skokie since early 2000's.

    Does this place sell corn dogs? Does any place near here sell corn dogs?

    They do not have corn dogs. Herms Palace and little Island have them.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    The Fry Fusion - broasted chicken

    The Fry Fusion

    (14 reviews)

    I ordered Nashville hot burger, chicken broast and there wings…read more Burger was awesome with juicy and textured chicken with full of flavor Wing was also good with different flavors There specialty is chicken broast every bite of chicken full of taste I must visit again

    I offered The Fry Fusion as one of three dinner options offered to my aunt for her annual bingo…read morebirthday outing and she chose it, probably due to the breasted chicken on the menu. My boyfriend and I ordered chicken to share as well as waffle fries. My daughter ordered a burger. My aunt ordered chicken as well. My uncle ordered a bowl of sorts with rice and meat. The person taking our order was friendly, patient, and told us to move tables around to accommodate our party of five plus all of the food. The staff also kept giving us free items to try as we were eating, like French fries and a banana pudding. The banana pudding was not large enough to share with everyone so I waited until I was back in the car to head to bingo and split it with my boyfriend. It tasted like banana Laffy Taffy so I am not sure how I feel about that. The breasted chicken was cooked to order, hot, crispy, and had a little kick to it. The rice was flavorful. The onion rings were okay. The waffle fries were definitely superior to the traditional ones. The hamburger was good! The restaurant space was clean, quiet, and spacious. I would make the drive for the broasted chicken again! I wish The Fry Fusion all the success!

    Portillo's Skokie

    Portillo's Skokie

    (587 reviews)

    $$

    Update: Portillos responded quickly through customer service…read moreportal, reimbursing my lost money, confirming through video that the cards were discarded and not pocketed. I am satisfied with their response and improve my rating from 1 to 4 stars This isn't a negative review of the food which was the standard chain quality (good but don't splurge on it much for health reasons). I was in the area for a play and picked up a local friend. I went here because an acquaintance (who since died) gave me multiple gift cards to Portillos which I needed to use. I had 4 cards, not sure how much was left on them. We got $27 worth of food and I started handing the cashier the cards. She told me to scan them on the read light reader. Only one had a scannable bar code. She was not sure how to read the others. My friend suggested she swipe it on keyboard, she didn't seem to know this already. Card 1 red light scanned ok. Card 2 swiped ok. Card 3 she swiped and it didn't register, unclear if it worked. Card 4 brought the total to 0$. She wasn't going to give the last 2 cards back and asked for the other two. My tried to clarify that card 4 might have value left, she confidently said no. I was suspicious since the total couldn't have exactly matched my bill. The next day I looked at the receipt and it clearly said there was money left on the card, over 8$. It's unclear whether card 3 had money or she just didn't scan it. I'm presuming this was poor training but it has an element of malicious intent since she was so confident I had nothing left on the card and requested keeping all the cards. If you have gift cards beware going here unless staff are trained. Receipt attached for proof. If the business is reading this, can I cat my money back? Card 3 was for $10 value but not clear if it was touched or not.

    Stopped for a late night Maxwell Street Polish and a Diet Coke. Ordered at 10:45 from an inside…read morekiosk. After almost 15 minutes, I asked about my sandwich and there it was, sitting on the shelf waiting. Unwrapped it to find the polish hot, but the grilled onions were luke warm and the sausage was missing my hot peppers. It was tasty, but not what it should have been. Try harder, guys!

    Culver's

    Culver's

    (131 reviews)

    $$

    I'm thinking I've fallen in love with Culver's fish…read more Stopped in for a quick bite my go-to order is a double Culver's Deluxe burger. But lately I've been getting the Atlantic cod dinner or the Walleye dinner. The nice lady behind the counter took my order for the 2 piece cod dinner and handed me a number. The place was packed and I found a table and waited. The dining area is large but felt small with so many people. I received my order and dug in. The fish was fresh and hot, tasted like it just was made. The fish was flaky and crispy. I love the tartar sauce that they give you. With a squeeze of lemon and malt vinegar the fish is so good that I wish I would have gotten the 3 piece dinner. The cole slaw was creamy with a good crunch. The French fries were really good. The roll wasn't as fluffy this time around and didn't get any butter. But, I'm lazy and didn't want to get up, so I dipped my roll in the tartar sauce, not bad. I left full and happy. I have to go back for the walleye before it disappears.

    I've been going to Culver's for years if not decades however this particular review is for the…read moreCulver's in Skokie. I came here several times and I don't know why I didn't do a review until now however, this most recent visit on a Friday during lent was absolutely fantastic. The lady working at the register behind the counter was so super friendly and helpful. She made me aware of so many different combinations and options of what you can do with a simple two-piece fish platter that comes with two side sides. For example, I didn't know you could even change out the sides, let alone app for the premium size or even forfeit some of the sides. I usually eat at Culver's on Fridays during lent and this is the first time anyone's ever told me all the possible options, which was mind-boggling While it might be a little overwhelming, I will say it was great to even realize that there were any options to begin with She had the most bubbly, friendly personality, absolute patience to even explain all of these things to us and then to take our order and get it right who knew? Anyhow, she is great whoever trained her was fantastic and whoever hired her definitely saw her ability to do well at this job. She clearly likes people she likes communicating and being helpful. I like Culver's overall not just for fish but also for the cheese curds and the sandwich sandwiches. This is a solid go to for fast food when I have to choose fast food.

    Herm's Palace - tamale and french fries to go

    Herm's Palace

    (293 reviews)

    $$

    This place is a five star because it has been a staple in my life since before I can…read moreremember...every basketball game, cheerleading practice, dance lesson--my family was here on a saturday for lunch. The staff is seriously incredible. They are so kind and have the most insane memory. The food is classic diner food, but never has any problems and always tastes phenominal. This is a true chicago spot. Hot dogs. burgers. cheese fries. They got it all.

    While in Skokie, I decided to give Herm's a try. I've tried Poochie's and loved it, but hey, a new…read moreplace. First thing, I was disappointed they had no hot dog special, you know, like 2 hot dogs, fries and a drink for x dollars. It was all a la cart. And one hot dog was $5.05, fries not included. I decided to get the Herm's special, which is supposed to be a 1/2 lb. Cheeseburger with fries and a drink. It was $18.55 so i figured it was going to be on par with Five Guys, which charges around $21 but you get a ton of fries and a really good burger. Ok, I'm waiting for my dinner. Here's where it goes off the rails... While I'm sitting, waiting for my food, the guy is making a hot dog for another customer. He's holding the bun in his left hand (no gloves), while applying the condiments. After he's done, he takes money from the customer with the same hand, and proceeds to make another hot dog, with the same unwashed hand. That's a major red flag. My burger arrived shortly after that. The burger? Good but undersized for the price. The fries were thin and average at best. Small portion for the price. I had to use the bathroom downstairs, and it was out of soap. Another red flag there. Look, Poochie's is better, cheaper, cleaner, and right down the road. Sorry, but I was disappointed with Herm's.

    Small Cheval- Wilmette - Small Cheval Signature Double Cheeseburger

    Small Cheval- Wilmette

    (49 reviews)

    I was visiting family and we wanted a lunch delivered. They said the chicken fingers at Small…read moreCheval (Wilmette) were very good. I took a quick look on Yelp to see the rating and was stunned to see less than 3 stars! I can't remember the last time I ate food at a restaurant with such a low rating. However, family insisted it was the best, so we ordered. The chicken came in a short while and the fingers were piping hot! I want to make a quick observation - these chicken 'fingers' were possibly the largest pieces of chicken I've had that were referred to as 'fingers'! They resembled small chicken breasts! I sliced two pieces of challah bread - put the largest 'chicken finger' on it and drizzled honey all over. I was quickly transported to 'chicken heaven' The chicken was delicious - thick, juicy white meat that was as tender as could be! The coating was crispy and perfectly fried! These 'fingers' were most definitely some of the best fried chicken I've ever had! We returned the following day for....ice cream!! I was asked if I wanted to go with the kids for ice cream. I said 'where to?' "Small Cheval" was the reply. Small Cheval?? Where we got the chicken fingers. I was told yes, they have great ice cream - it's a soft custard. I got the chocolate - it was thick, creamy and chocolaty!! It's as good as custard gets! After the chicken fingers, the ice cream is a must!

    Went for a burger, fries, and shake, as I used to love doing when I lived near the Wicker Park…read moreSmall Cheval. This location is Small Cheval in name only as far as I can tell. Burger patty seemed completely non-seasoned and absolutely none of the smoky flavor I've always associated with a Small Cheval burger. Kind of dry and overcooked, straight off a griddle. The fries were pretty good, best part of the meal. The chocolate shake was, somehow, kind of bland. Not sweet enough, typical fast food soft serve tasting. It's upsetting when you get a place in the suburbs and you have expectations based on what you had in the city. Then you go to the suburban location and you feel kind of taken advantage of. As though you somehow didn't know what to expect because you lived a few miles north. Like there maybe was a presumption you hadn't been to the real deal and the name would just be enough. The price is still the same, though. That part didn't change. Will not be back.

    Poochie's - hotdog - Updated May 2026

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