Chicago Style Hot Dog. What’s the big deal? I’ve been getting a few emails lately asking me what exactly is a Chicago style hot dog and why is it so special. What’s the big deal, anyways? (In Chicago we don’t say “anyway”. We say “anyways?” like it’s a question. FYI)
You’ll find the video at the end of this article.
Here’s a quote, “A Chicago style hot dog is probably the healthiest of the variants because of the abundance of toppings belonging to the fruit and vegetable classification”.
Pbbbbbt!
Like anyone really cares – it’s a hot dog for crying out loud. Besides, is it still healthy if I eat three of them in one sitting?
I’ll tell you why a Chicago Style Hot Dog is so great – it’s so great because of all the flavors, textures, and temperatures that come together in one bite. They really work amazingly well together.
If you’ve never tried a Chicago Style hot dog, make some at home and give ’em a try. Here’s the sequence:
How to make a Chicago Style Hot Dog
1. Steamed bun – with poppy seeds if you can get ’em.
2. All beef hot dog – steamed or boiled – Vienna Beef brand is my favorite.
3. Mustard – regular yellow, not brown or spicy.
4. Two tomato slices – wedge between the dog and bun.
5. Dill pickle spear – on the other side of the dog from the tomatoes.
6. Onion – chopped
7. Relish – Neon green from Vienna is the real deal. Yes, it tastes different. You can also use regular sweet pickle relish if you can’t get the neon stuff.
8. Two sport peppers – these can be hard to find, and no they are not jalapenos. I bought mine in 5 gallon buckets from my distributor who ran a truck to the Vienna plant in Chicago once a week.
9. Celery salt – just a light sprinkle but oh, so important. This is the “secret sauce” that ties all the flavors together!
The following video is from our training program at HotDogProfitsPremium.com. I show the construction of a proper Chicago style hot dog at my cart, as well as my “No Gloves” technique…
Click on the video below to watch it!
As you saw in the video, you should never put ketchup on a Chicago style hot dog. True!
I have been known to use ketchup on a hot dog from time to time but NEVER on the Chicago version. There is too much sweetness in ketchup and it completely wrecks the savory/salty/crunchy/spicy thing that does the happy dance on your taste buds with every bite.
As Nancy Reagan said, “Just say no to ketchup on a Chicago dog”.
That was her, right?
-Steve
Ketchup on a Chicago dog, it’s a capital offense here..goto gene n judes and you can beg on the floor for it and you still won’t get any..not even for your frys your just outa luck there..you gotta go to the mickey d’s next door if you want some packets…but then who would put ketchup on a chicago dog unless your 2 years old and don’t know any better..you can get mostly all of ur fixin’s from VIENNA SAUSAGE CO. they will ship almost anywhere in the U.S..then you can say your selling a “CHICAGO STYLE HOT DOG”..glad i live here i can eat them any time i want, the best in the nation..
LOL I had to reply to this. My College instructor is from Chicago, he teaches most Business and Marketing related classes at my school. I have taken three different subjects with him (Management, Managerial Coms. and Marketing) and I kid you not throughout the semester it is guaranteed that he will lecture for 30mins or more at one point or another about the Chicago Dog and how it is a SIN to put ketchup on a hotdog. Now mind you he has moved to the south so it becomes a heated debate, generally ending with him calling a student stupid for thinking that ketchup is a hotdog topping. Because he excepted my research paper late, I figured I would purchase a jar of sports peppers for him as a peace offering. So if anyone can tell me the best one to buy I would appreciate it.
Vienna Beef or Del Alpe
I have called Vienna Beef and spoke at length with upper management, they will not ship most anywhere in the country and you have to go through a distributor.
Thanks for the update Duane!
Oh man, that looks so good! Thanks for the illustration.
Cute,,, I feel like I’ve truly been educated on the fine art of a “Chicago Dog.”
I still like my Cream Cheese, and Jalapeno, with black olive….Try It!
Depending the which side of Chicago you follow you can add some cucumber slices. As Steve notes if you don’t use to the “true” items for your Chicago Dog your just cheatin’ yourself
These are my favorite!
Are sport peppers the same as pepperoncini peppers? And if not, can pepperoncinis be acceptable and still taste ‘genuine’?
George
Absolutely NOT! lol I found this out in my little town of Moscow Idaho. There are people from Chicago everywhere and if you tout a Chicago Dog it has to be authentic.
I got grief because I used Nathan’s instead of Vienna Beef. Back to your question – Sport peppers are truly unique. They have the perfect amount of sweetness and bite! Red Hot Chicago is a brand I have used. You can get them through your friends who own restaurants and order from outfits like Sysco or Food Services of America if you live in a remote area like mine. I found a barkeeper who orders a case at a time and sells to me by the 1 gallon jar. Well worth it to be the only hot dogger who has them!
Right on. Sport peppers are unique and the only acceptable pepper to use on a true Chicago Style Hot Dog. They are starting to appear in some grocery stores now.
Ate at Portillo’s a month ago….was passing by and HAD to stop. Heard too much about The Chicago Dog and Portillo’s….. their Chicago dog TOTALLY ROCKS!
I must admit – being from the South – I much more prefer my dogs with chili….but you’re so right Steve – the textures, the flavors, wow – as we say in Louisiana….make you wanna slap ya momma!
Keep doggin it baby!
George,
Nope, pepperoncini are different – more “pickled” tasting.
There’s no substitute for sport peppers.
-Steve
Hey Bob: That’s a blast from the past Gene n Judes, we used also call them Riverdog’s becaus e the Des Plains river always flooded out the area 🙂
Steve,
The thing I tell my family as to why they taste so good is not the secret ingredient of celery salt, its the love I put into making each chicago style dog! To me, they are the best and they are going to be my feature dog once I get my cart business going.
Man that looks mighty good from here!
Steve, we are making “Chicago Dogs” on our corner in Downtown Phoenix – this is our second week, it is going great…I will be honest that photo you have in this artical is kinda sad – I will take a close-up of our dog on Friday and e-mail it to you! Ours are as one customer said ” a work of art” you’ll see – thanks for all of your support!
We love your web-site! Renee and Susan
R & S,
Yeah, that dog looks kind of tired. Show me yours!
-Steve
Esteban,
Hey man – I saw your video on Facebook. You taught that little dude right!
Get that cart done before the weather closes in!
-Steve
chicago style hot dogs are the best! When I start my hot dog cart business, i will sell THOSE hot dogs! Yes, i am thinking of building my own ez built hot dog cart the steve shable way. Its less expensive and the challenge of doing something on your own is worth the efort!
Jose,
Welcome aboard!
-Steve
Renee and Susan,
Where are you guys located? I’m local and would love to stop in and get a dog someday soon.
We are on the corner of 1st avenue and Washington – right across the street from the Wells Fargo building and a half a block east of Phoenix City hall – Washington is a one-way going west – there are some parking meters on the left – we have a Vienna Beef umbrella and also a bright red one as well – there are 4 other hotdoggers located one each corner – we are the very best – we’ve been told. See you soon Jeff D. Thanks!
Just had my first day running my new hotdog cart. I must say my “doggs” don’t look like that but they must be good because I sold completely out of sausage dogs. It also rained my first day and was cold, well cold for me in the south.
oh and Jeff – I forgot to say we are there Monday – Friday approx. 10 till 3…
R. & S.
Cool Thanks. Hope to see soon.
Jeff D.
Hey Steve,
I’m making progress slowly but surely! I’m waiting on my steam pans to come in, got them at a pretty good price from ebay. Sunday I’m going to paint the interior of the cart and then continue doing what I can until I get the pans. By the way, I just added the link on youtube, I posted the video there too. Anyone want to make a good chicago style dog check out the video! Also, if you’re ever in Belton, look for a hot dog cart with a sign saying “Stevie’s Red Hot Wienies”, that will be me slinging Chi style hot dogs to my fellow texans.
keep on slinging them dogs,
Esteban
Jose, I couldn’t agree with you more, I’m in the middle of building my cart now and its been so much fun! I’m not much of a handyman and I’ve never ever tried to build anything before so this has been such a learning experience. Also, everytime I talk to someone about what I’m doing and what I’m going to sell, they tell me that I am very passionate when I talk about it. That makes me feel good because I am going to do something that “I” want to do, not do something because I have to. I can’t wait to get started. Good luck Jose, live the dream!
Esteban
I found a shop near my home here in Cincinnati that serves an original Chicago style dog. It is AWESOME!!
When I get my stand up and running, I’m going to sell Chicago style, which is my favorite style of dog.
Keep up the good work! 🙂
Washington State here — Where can I get SPORT PEPPERS. Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂
Brook, I order mine online from Puckered Pickle Company and I also get my neon green relish from the same site. The website is http://www.puckeredpickle.com. Try them, they are pretty reasonable and I’m sure you can get a discount if you buy quantity.
Question…the fixins for the Chicago dog, seem to be easy to find, and price out…the biggest hurdle I am finding is a source for poppy seed buns.
I have found Lou Malnati’s and Flukys, but these are sold as “kits” and aren’t all that financially viable for selling Chicago dogs off a cart.
Portillo’s Chicago dog kit goes for $59.95 a “kit” for 10 dogs and poppy seed buns. That breaks down to almost $6.00 a dog. Not very profitable.
I am really frustrated trying to source the buns, because I want to do the Chicago dog right..
I really want to specialize in Chicago and New York style dogs off my cart, because they are solid sellers.
I am new to the hotdogging business, and I would appreciate any advice or source anyone has on this.
Thanks to all for the links especially to Esteban on the sport pepper link, and want to say hello to a fellow Texan hotdogger!
Happy Hotdogging!!!
Nomad Dawgz
Hey guys,
just purchased the book and looking forward to tips and encouragement from fellow doggers! Not sure what style of dogs I will sell- I am in Hopewell VA. Still looking at buying a cart – but also open to building one… decisions decisions!! I hope to have my dogs and cart ready by first week in April – cant wait for the book to arrive so I can begin! Best of luck to all of you and may I say I love this blog!
V
Ok i have an investor considering putting alot of money into my restaurant concept, but he wants to know how much money my restaurant can bring in on an annual basis. I don’t know… it’s not open yet!
Is there a way to find financial numbers relating to the annual perspective of a conceptual hotdog vending restaurant, and if there is, where do I find that info?
Thanks Steve
Vanessa, I’d start off with a simple menu and maybe featuring a regional favorite, like the slaw dog. There are a number of books that you can buy online with great hot dog recipes and you can go from there. Most of all, sell the best product available, sell your brand, and sell yourself and you will do fine. Wishing you the very best of luck and success,
Esteban Guzman
This whole discussion regarding the “Chicago Dog” I find amusing! We started researching this industry close to 3 years ago now. Having never tried a Chi Dog at that time, we Googled it, found out what was on it, and the searched one out on the internet so we could taste one.
I see doggers all day long making knock offs of the real deal, using inferior ingredients to save money perhaps? Using the correct ingredients to make these dogs we feel is crucial! Regular relish is not the same as Neon relish folks! It’s a completely different flavor, as are the sport peppers. The few cents you save by cutting corners just isn’t worth it, and you aren’t representing the real deal to your customers. Use the best as Steve suggests, listen to his advice and learn from his experiences…they are priceless!!! And the internet is another valuable resource, check out “Hollyeats.com” and their the hotdog grease stain rating…it’s hilarious.
Vienna Beef is an excellent source for all these ingredients. Find your source by calling them at the number on their web site. We aren’t large enough (YET) to have an account, but they will sell to anyone. We hooked up with a rep that gave us free product to sample (sausages) and then hooked us up with a restaurant close to us (57 miles), we placed our order with Vienna and met the truck at the restaurant paid the driver and we were on our way with a bucket each of Neon, sport peppers, dill pickles, and a case of Poppy seed buns (which freeze well). I’m sure they all do it, you have to inquire tho.
We’re one of the few folks in the DFW area that serve the real deal Chicago Style hot dog – from the Vienna Beef dog to the poppy seed bun, right down to the position of the tomato wedges and sport peppers. Our clients LOVE these dogs and out sell any other dog 3-1. Do it right. Do it well. People will notice.
The Chicago Style Hot Dog is one of the tastiest. If you’re a hot dog fan imagine a delicious all beef frank loaded with fresh veggies and toppings on a steamed poppy seed bun.
Unfortunately, outside of Chicago, not to many places offer them. If you’re ever in Boston make a trip to The Scotty Dog. They’ve got some of the best Chicago Dogs I’ve ever eaten.
Love the video teachings Steve…now I know how to put together a proper Chicago Dog!
I think the Chicago Dog would go over well in California Roger. Lots of healthy veggies!
I sell the Chicago dog too and charge $5. Can I just ask everyone why it seems like no one sells the Nathens 1/4 lb all beef dog from SAMs. I charge $4.
I’ve seen the small ones and the long skinny ones. I sell in a very small town called Craig Colorado, and they are blowing up my phone already to see when I’ll be out selling. We have a foot of snow here still. I am chomping at the bit to get out though. So back to my problem, am I crazy to sell these dogs when everyone else selling the little ones or foot long ones?
I’ve seen lots of vendors selling the quarter pounders across the country. They sell well, have great margins, and really spread that word of mouth advertising. I sell both and find that they sell equally well. You’re doing it right Carrie, lol!
Google Sport peppers …
Thanks for the video. I too am looking for a place to acquire the authentic ingredients. Shipping kills the price online. It’s hard to find here in Los Angeles.
Call Vienna Beef and ask for the sales department. Those guys can tell you where the closest VB distributor is.
Law dog the reason I think you don’t see Nathan’s on Chicago dog is because I think Vienna is considered more authentic and they may steam better.
Nathan’s are very high quality hot dogs but Chicago is definitely a Vienna Beef town. That’s what Chicagoans grew up on and that’s what they want.
Your no-hands method will be a huge help to me! I have a hand tremor and putting gloves on all day was something I was worried about. Where do you get your wax paper squares?
I haven’t tried a Chi dog, but there’s a Chicago Deli and restaurant close, I’ll check with them today.
Thanks, Steve, for sharing your experience!
I’m glad this will help you Mary! I keep my box of wax paper sheets next to my condiments.
Tad, I’m getting started in Pocatello, I would love to connect with you and how things are going for ya.
Amazon for your sport peppers!