1. They DO have ketchup. For your fries or on demand for your dog. 2. They don't do a standard "chicago style", it's onion, relish, mustard, and peppers on demand. 3. Fresh cut fries are amazing and come with the dog, for under 3$ CASH. If you don't have enough, check your couch or walk around with the cash you have in a tin cup and shake it around. 4. They have a CHAR dog! Something you can't get at Gene and Jude's ( along with the ketchup that's not there). 5. They have SHAKES and Sundaes!!! Oh so good! Everything they do is done RIGHT! Thus I must give them 5. And they have a drive-thru if you don't want to get out of the car. read more

I've been waiting for a Hot Dog joint in Des Plaines and finally got my wish! Was it a good wish to get? You bet! Don't expect that this is going to be your typical hot dog/burger/gyros place... no, it's dogs, polishes, tamales, soda, ice cream and shakes... KEEP IT SIMPLE AND GET IT RIGHT! And right they did! We tried the char-dog and the steamed and both were fabulous! All the bunned items come with fries, natural cut fries, and they are good too. No complaints here! Remember to leave your card at home, bring your cash and don't worry, the prices cannot be beat! Three dogs (with fries) and two large sodas only cost us $14.06! Same would have cost us much more at other, chain hot dog spots. They got themselves some regulars! (and from the looks of the other reviews, we ain't the only ones!) read more

This place is good for three items: hot dogs, Polish sausage, and fries. Hot dogs and Polish sausage are tasty and have a good clean snap when you bite into each. Put whatever you want, but NO KETCHUP!!! In fact, these guys won't put ketchup on them, unless if you want it on your fries. Ketchup on your hot dogs is an abomination! Otherwise, fountain drinks and shakes are good. And that's the depth of what I had here at Rand. There's two booths inside the joint, but more seats outside. Plenty of parking at and next to the site. And you can order drive-thru too. I'd say its closely on par with places like Superdawg's, Gene & Jude's, but this place closes earlier than these well known establishments. Oh yeah, its cash only here - get the cash beforehand or go to the ATM inside. read more

Went to this place ages ago and should have written the review then but I put the experience out of my mind. 3 important things: No tomatoes?? No pickles???? Owner was more than rude to his workers. read more

Let me start by saying that I was born & bred in Chicago. But I still put ketchup on my hot dog. I'm not sorry. When I went into this place, I was excited about discovering a new spot for a good hot dog. When I ordered, I said, "Can I get a hot dog with tomato, pickle, and ketchup?" The guy behind the counter just said, "No." When I looked at him, he said that the hot dogs come with mustard, onions and relish. Okay, I get that it's your signature dog, but , really? You don't even HAVE any pickles? Or tomatoes? Are you kidding me?? I can see serving your hot dogs with your signature toppings, but I can't believe they don't even have other options! I was so disappointed! So, my only option was to get a plain hot dog. I took it home and put on my own pickles and ketchup. On a positive note, the fries were fantastic! But I will never come here for a hot dog again. read more

A hot dog stand at it's best. I had the char dog with fries. The char dog was good, though I usually associate char dogs as jumbo, this was not. It was still very good. The fries were the fresh cut type and good. It was clean inside. Very limited seating, but you could stand at counters around the windows. They also have ample outdoor seating. The people were friendly. They price was a good value. I will be returning. read more

Very limited menu. But what they do they do well. Brats and hot dogs. Great fries. Plenty of parking.

I always said I loved Gene & judes.. but only when they cook their fries properly. Half the time, they're a half cooked, soggy, disgusting mess.. And then I stumble across rand red hots. Excellent vienna beef dogs..GREAT prices! Less than 3$ for a dog AND fries! & the fries...mmmm!! Perfectly cooked, fresh cut fries. All the guys behind the counter, from the owner to the cooks..were all really cool. only con is.. Not really much sitting space. only 2 tables. The rest is counter space for you to enjoy your food on. I will be coming here a lot more from now on. Glad to have them here in DesPlaines!!! read more

Good hot dogs and fries. Reasonable prices. My favorite is the maxwell polish. Fries are great too.

Minimal menu. Awesome shakes, char dogs are good (get a double to equal size of one average hot dog). Great prices- fresh cut fried. I will return. read more

I lived in the area and never knew this place existed. I used to drive all the way to Gene and Jude to get my hot dog fix. Well no more long drives for me :) pretty good and almost comparable to Gene and Jude's. They won me over when I went through the drive through with my puppy and they gave her a doggy biscuit, that's an awesome place in my book! read more

I respect the old look but not the best hot-dog. They ran out of everything i wanted one the dog. No even sure if it's really 100% Vienna beef. Maybe they ran out and give me crap. Anyways cool fun place and sometimes car shows there. Kinda cool read more

Best hot dogs and fries ever!! Love this place , it's clean and great service and reasonably priced. read more

This place gets 4 stars not because its a great restaurant, but because it's a great hot dog stand. The building and inside look like a 50's style hot dog stand and is very clean. The menu is simple with hot dogs, fries, polish sausage, tamales and some ice cream stuff. The service was very friendly and the food was hot. I had a hot dog and fries. The fries were fresh cut and hot dog was pretty standard. The fries were wrapped up with the dog. My only complaint is that they use small dogs, so it was a lot of bun. It was about 4.50 for dog, fries and a drink, so it's a good value. The place has very limited seating, so it's really a take out place. Updated review to 5 stars, I've been here many times now and am impressed with the consistency of the food. I have also come to love the fresh cut fries, in the past I was always in search of the ultimate crunch in my fries. The the fresh cut have a much creamier texture on the inside, a opposed to the almost hollow crispy variety. read more

I went there today for a late lunch. Two booths and a few stand up counters so plan on eating outside if they get busy. The decor was nicely done - diner style. I am a little suspicious of the current high rating as some of these reviewers have barely commented on other establishments. It's hot dogs, polish and tamales, so if you're looking for variety, this isn't the place. The dog was good (had mine boiled, not char - nice that they offer two options), but it was really overwhelmed by the condiments and bun. Ordering a "double dog" would remedy this if you're hungry enough. Fries were OK - definitely fresh cut, more of the moist variety than crispy. Not overly greasy either. I also ordered a chocolate malt - a decent value at $3 with good taste. Personally, I wish they offered a two hot dog / one fry option. Or a hot dog priced w/o the fries. Maybe that will come as the place grows up. Servicewise, they were kind of slow, especially for the time of day and number of people floating through the place. It wasn't critical to me as I wasn't in a hurry, but hopefully they speed it up a notch or two during any rush they may have. The owner has done a great job with sprucing up what was an ugly lot on Rand. I do hope he/she succeeds. There's a place for a drive-up, but it was blocked off. That would be nice if the biz gets going. I might return if I'm in the area - personally, I think Portillo's dogs are a bit better, but I do like to see a small businessman get a good start with a venture like this. read more

Yummy and quick! I would recommend the hot dog and fries with a chocolate shake. They also have cool car shows sometimes in the parking lot.

This is an awesome little spot to pick up a chi-town redhot. I was in Rosemont on business and hit up my Yelp app looking for a good hotdog in the area. I'm so glad I did, 15 minutes later I was enjoying a delicious double redhot with salty crispy French fries. Fine job, keep up the good works... read more

Rand Red Hots - Great lunch spot - Hot Dogs Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

Funny story...I live in Des Plaines and I stoped to Rand Red Hots to have lunch because I saw they had more then 20 cars in the parking lot, that Means they are, that Means they have good food, that Means I gotta go inside to see the place. They have a small menu, but was a hard for me to choose something..the guys helped me and I choose the Char dog. But ..guess what..time to pay..cash only..)))..I could not believe my eyes..thinking that a night before I was with my husband to have dinner in a place were they have complimentary parking..That guy was staying outside..in cold ..to park my car and I didn t have modey to tip him..I am like WTF??? How I can be such a dum*****s..since that day I have at least 20 $ in my purse..because I can t blame them that I have 20 cards..but when is time to use it I can t..some people are old fashion..so we got to accept that. But anyway..Amazing fries!!! I love them! So what if is just cash only? I am from a country were the credit cards are used just by bussines people. We are just use everything to be 10 times easier. The guys were friendly and the place is clean and the meal is maybe the cheapest since I moved in Chicago. Love you guys!! Ooo... and by the way...I had ket and must on my hot dog..just like in my country.. read more

This is probably what dining out in the boppin' 50s must have felt like. We ate here over the summer on a number of occasions. This place is sparkling clean, both inside and outside if you're at one of the outdoor tables under the covered canopy. I love the char dogs and the large Polish sausages they have here. Fresh-cut fries are plentiful and included with the hot dog orders. In case you're not quite full, get a strawberry shake and you'll be totally satiated for the rest of the afternoon at least. The place is a popular destination for locals. I met Maine Township highway commissioner Robert Provenzano, who was in line with me and we ate lunch outside on a beautiful sunny day. You know it's good if the local politicians go here for a hot dog. read more

Love coming here for hotdogs! Their hot dogs with fries are amazing. Fries arent too greasy, and the price is great. One of my go to hot dog places. read more

Best hot dog and fries in the entire north west side and you can't beat their price , "sorry superdog," read more

Rand Red Hots - Hot Dogs Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

I went through the drive thru here for a quick bite. Of course, I ordered a hot dog and fries. It was good, but nothing extraordinary. I would much rather go to Gene and Judes! read more

It's important to mention that I'm not from the Midwest thus my version of a good hot dog is certainly not the Chicago style. So, if your from the Midwest and absolutely love Chicago style dogs, (which I absolutely respect ones preference in dogs) then this review is not for you. If your from New York or other surrounding states, then please do read on. The shop itself is clean, and does give the general impression that it will serve up good food. The wait staff is friendly and the service is fast. The menu is extremely limited, but if your a dog hound, it covers what your looking for. The seating is very limited, but they do have some counter space, which is reminiscent of the old style hot dog stands found in NYC or on Jersey shore. I'll admit, when I read on the menu, "char" dog, and noticed they indeed have a grated grill in the kitchen area I got excited and thought, "finally" a place where the dog is char grilled and not steamed or boiled. However, my hopes started deflating quickly when I saw the cook pull a dog from the hot water, place it on the grill, then proceeded to roll it around for no more than 15 seconds before pulling it off the grate and tossing it into the bun. Bummer! I ordered the dog with mustard and onions, which I did get, but it was just a trace of mustard and a speckle of onions. So my dog experience here was a total let down! The french fries were okay, but nothing out of the ordinary. Oh how I miss a good natural skin hot dog, charred really well over a coal/wood flame, then smothered in onions, mustard and on occasions, a red-hot sauce or with sauerkraut. If you ever make it to Buffalo, ya gotta stop in at a Teds! read more

I love to support local family owned business! This place it very retro looking both inside and out! The food is super affordable! I think I got the hotdog special with fries for $2.99 a bargain! The location is not the best being off of Rand Road but it's worth going there for the food! read more

Great hot dogs and polish. Can't beat the heaping portions of fresh cut fries! Great prices, always fast, helpful service. This is place to go! Shakes, Malts and cones besides. read more

So after hearing this place is better than Gene and Jude's I had to try it. The hot dog skin was leathery tough and tore apart from the rest of the hot dog. The fries tasted of stale oil. I definitely did not like it. read more

This rates as my favorite hot dog place. It is clean an friendly and fast. Needless to say I love their hot dogs. They offer a small menu with charred dogs with grilled onions. I don't go out for dogs but if u mention Rand Red hots, I am in. Fries are awesome. I like them well done read more

delicious! Hot dog and fries & tamale. Eat here twice a week now. Affordable and tasty.

my husband and I have not gone out to eat since January 2020 and we decided to celebrate vaccinations by going to Rand Red Hots. If I could give them more than 5 stars I would. I love their food...always have, always will. The dogs (chared) are superb as are the fresh hand cut fries. Service was fast and safe and staff members were efficient and friendly in their masks and gloves. We can't wait to go back again to the best hot dog joint in the Chicago area. read more

So now I've been here about half a dozen times since my first review and STILL love it!! I think the service is quick and like how clean the place is!!!! The food is very consistent! I still prefer the simplicity of the menu over those places with 2000 choices!! As a traditionalist - I don't think you need more than mustard, onion and relish (ok peppers too) on your dog - all the rest impairs the hot dog taste. You can't beat the price! read more

I found this place a little over a year ago. I was out snow plowing and shoveling and was starving. Saw a sign on the side of the road for $2.89 hot dogs. I normally get 2 dogs and I like to go hungry. The dogs have the snap you are looking for and fries (extra crispy) that are natural cut are fantastic. I've been there twice in 4 days.... They also took out their booths and put in more counter space and some stools. Great job! read more

Very pleased to have a place like this nearby. Food is good; excellent fries and malts. Quick service. read more

Rand Red Hots - Front area - Hot Dogs Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

This is my favorite "dinner to go" hot spot. They offer a traditional Chicago style hotdog and home cut fries for $2.89. It's super convienent with a drive thru or you can stay and eat in their cute 60's dinner setting. A hidden treasure in Des Plaines! read more

Rand Red Hots - Yum! Fresh cut fries! - Hot Dogs Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

My favorite fast food is a Chicago style hot dog so I am being as objective as possible. This is obviously a Gene & Jude's wanna be but they do it pretty well. The dogs are good and as always love the fresh cut fries that come with it. If G&J is a 5 star then Rand RH would be 2 1/2 if that was an option. Here are the reasons for the lesser score: Service was a little slow. Nobody else in line at all and order took a little longer than it should have but with no rush they may have decided to go a little slower. Cash only! Really, in this day and time you won't take credit or debit. Of course they offer the use of the ATM. I think they are in bed with the Bank Mafia on that. No free refills on soda. Huh? I know times are hard but it literally costs pennies to make a soda. If you count the syrup, water and cup you got about $.19 in expenses there. They sell it at about 3 trillion times profit margin. Free refills wouldn't break ya. Here is the final kicker, I truly believe $2.89 for a hot dog and fries is too much. Compare to any other hot dog place and you'll get a better deral. Many places have 2 dogs, fries and a soda for $5-$6. Family of 4-8 total hotdogs cost over $25. Not really a good deal. To summarize-decent food, high price. Not a destination place but still better than places like Photo's and Portillos. read more

Rand Red Hots is a great place to pick up Hot Dogs and Fries. My boyfriend loves his hotdog loaded with everything, while I tend to get the Beef Hotdog with ketchup only. The fries are great and always a plenty to eat. I'm particular about my coke and their drinks are tasty too. If you get a chance try their banana dipped in chocolate with nuts. (yummy) read more

Really wish they sold more than just hot dogs. This place is close to my office and I would go back more if they offered more on their menu, I mean how many hot dogs can you really eat in a week.. Also I'm not digging the soggy fries. read more

Disappointing. Was craving a good dog after deciding not to stay in line at Hot Doug's yesterday but was disappointed. I am a big fan of Paradise Pup but given that it is not open on Sunday, wanted to try Rand's since I was dying for a hot dog. Found it disappointing, at least by Chicago standards. Had the char dog, which is a good value. The taste was just meh. I like char on my char dog but none to be found on mine. Was also disappointed in the fries, not at all crispy. Reminded me of Five Guys fries, which some people love but I am not one of them. Overall, nothing bad but also nothing great. read more

Compared to Gene and Jude's, but different. I won't pick one over the other. They are just different. The fries are greasy and plentiful the hot dog is thin with a good snap. This is much closer to me being in Des Plaines, less packed, and I find the seating area to be more comfortable then Gene and Jude's. Always happy when I come here! read more

Saw their review one Sunday morning on CLTV, now it's my turn. Like the Retro look of the restaurant, something your hot-dog joint really requires. Ordered 2 with everything, NO tomatoes (that's what the picture showed). The girl corrected me, they don't put tomatoes or ketchup on their dogs, EXTRA Points! The wait was a bit much think I it was due to the drive thru (I hate drive thrus, why do drive thru-ers get faster service then a walk in, are we not all equal?) Food called- Lunch is served---Hand cut Fries wrapped WITH pooch, good Vienna dog, No Gene &Judes but a great alternative and perhaps a bit faster considering they don't have the Volume of customers but do have a crappy drive-thru I'll Be Bock! read more

Can't beat the prices, fresh cut fries or dogs and Polish. Designed like a diner there's plenty of outside seating. Indoor seating is a little harder to come by but their food is damn good and there is plenty of parking. Very happy about this discovery!!! read more

Rand Red Hots - Inside - Hot Dogs Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois