A visit to Hot Dougs

I thought about titling this as “Ugly American Tourists and Hot Dougs”. I love Hot Dougs. Been there a handful of times. Every single time Doug has been manning the cash register and I assume he never gets sick or takes a day off. He has the same super friendly manner with every customer and has the patience of Job. I have seen him handle one undecided customer after another with aplomb. It must be said that most of his customers arrive in groups of 2 to 3, and thanks to his well-deserved renown and media attention, these groups are food-tourists.
Yesterday, a Wednesday, was ugly in Chicago. Warm enough but dark and rainy. I got there at 11:30, half an hour after Doug opens. Despite the day, the weather, the time, there was a line out the door. The couple directly in front of me jabbered incessantly-the TV coverage, the menu, the possibilities, the dogs, on and on. When they got to Doug, they could not make up their mind. Young Asian couple. She had the stylish female take on a French berret, the stylish boots, the riding pants, the look. But she could not decide. Finally, boyfriend ordered for her. Doug stopped talking and looked down with his paper and pencil.
At Hot Dougs, by some unknown design miracle or hidden genius of Doug, no matter how crowded and how long the line, there is always an open table by the time your food comes. Largely this due to the inalienable fact that it does not take long to eat a hot dog, even if it does have ostrich or crayfish or fois gras or some cheese you have never heard of and most likely invented and made up by Doug. But with fame comes every effort by said food tourists to dawdle and people-watch and gaze at the ambience, and take silly photos. Oh, the photo shooting that went on all around me. Speaking of photos, here’s one of the neighborhood. This is not an area where walk-ins come. Everyone in Hot Dougs got there as a planned and orchestrated intention. I took no photos once inside. Left my cell in the car. And despite my intent to lower my head and get to business on my Duck sausage and fois gras dog, my crayfish and unknown/invented cheese dog, my traditional Chicago dog, and my large order of fries, the photo taking going on all around me was incessant. Asian girlfriend would not eat her food (boyfriend ordered her a Chicago dog which she stared at despite his repeated entreaties that she try it) and instead took 20 photos of boyfriend in various combinations of eating the cheese covered fries or his dogs or just smiling. Two guys in their 60s, both with bad hips, hunched over thoracic spines, and donning fanny packs located at their collective right fronts took turns repeatedly going to the bathroom or taking photos of Dougs rock and roll memorobilia on the walls and even photos of Doug’s condiment and napkin counter. A similarly aged couple placed a take-out order and had no idea where to stand while waiting in the crowded restaurant. Mrs. was nervously clutching her purse with both hands lest someone snatch it. Til she saw the photo taking at which point she took a thirty year old point and shoot camera out of her purse and began snapping away.
I love Hot Dougs. I am not going back any more. Not in a long time anyway. Next time I am going for Wieners Circle. I have never seen photo taking at Wieners Circle.

go at 1:30 pm no lines… little to no photos being taken…

go at 1:30 pm no lines… little to no photos being taken…

I’ll try that next time. Maybe. First time I went, it was with my son as we were visiting colleges, four years ago. The place was empty. We must have hit it around that time. If I go back again and the place is rather empty, I might feel deprived of my deranged and ill-deserved sense of superiority
My other “problem” with Hot Dougs is that you have to be very careful with the order of consumption if multiple dogs are ordered of different types. I made the mistake of having the crawfish dog (Doug calls it sausage, but dogs are a form of sausage too so I don’t agree with his distinctions) first. I could taste everything and it was good. I have had the fois gras/duck before and it sounds so damned good on paper it is hard to resist, but truth is, it’s bland (just MHO). And rich. I ate my fois gras dog second By the time I got to my Chicago dog, I was already in some type of fat-engulfed sensory deprivation and general malaise. My stomach was saying stop and my intestines were warning me that the long drive home would likely prove interesting. I could appreciate the “pop” on my grilled weiner at the center of my Chicago classic, but I was not tasting anything. How pickles and green glo relish and mustard and all else on a Chicago Classic can have no taste at all is a lesson in the complexities of the human brain and stomach interface.

or go to franks n dawgs on clybourn for a similar hot dog experience and less of the hassle. Weiner’s Circle is very meh on their food and is only really special late night (especially friday and saturday nights)

Try the chocolate milk shake

I haven’t been in years due to the lines. I don’t wait for any food or drink. I do recommend FranknDawgs though.

Not a true Chicagoan until you’ve got yourself a $20 Chocolate Shake at TWC.

I am with you. And this might be blasphemy…but I didn’t really think the duck fat fries were that great either.

Now saying this- it is a good visit for an out of towner. It is different, and with all the pub its gotten- still has some good sausages.

I agree about the duck fat fries. I’m much more of a steak fries guy myself. I used to love the ones at Stocks and Blondes on Wells when I worked in the loop…

I’ve had not very good duck fat fries there and “totally awesome I co’t believe these are from Earth” duck fat fries there as well

Again agree on the Duck fat fries. My preference is for beef fat. The old fashioned way.