The Best Chicago-Style Hot Dog In Chicago | Best In Town - VoiceTube: Learn English through videos!

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Herrine Ro: Hot dogs might be an American classic food,
but Chicago knows how to make it a full meal.
We visited three famous spots,
Gene and Jude's, Superdawg's Drive-In, and Portillo's,
to find which Chicago-style hot dog is best in town.
Producer: Rolling. Cameraman: OK, rolling.
Erin Kommor: Rolling!
Herrine: We're in Chicago to start our journey
to find the best Chicago-style hot dog.
Have you had one before?
Erin: Herrine, like most things,
I have not had a Chicago-style hot dog.
What are we looking for in this hot dog?
Herrine: One,
the dog itself should be flavorful
and have that snap to it.
Erin: Oh, I love a snap.
Herrine: Yeah. The second one
is that every place that we'll be visiting
has their own iteration of what a Chicago-style hot dog is.
So the toppings should all meld together and make sense.
Everything should be a cohesive flavor profile.
Erin: Uh-huh, amazing.
Herrine: Third, we're looking for the satiation effect.
A Chicago-style hot dog should be a full meal.
Erin: Yes!
Herrine: So after you eat it, are we full?
Erin: Yeah. Herrine: Do we want more?
Erin: OK, so let's go try them.
Herrine: Our first stop is Superdawg's,
and this place is known for their Superdawgs,
not their hot dogs. Erin: Ooh! Amazing.
Herrine: We will truly get in trouble
if we call it a hot dog.
Erin: OK, OK. I will not call it that.
Lisa Drucker: There are other hot-dog places
throughout Chicago, but nothing is a Superdawg.
Customer: I consider Superdawg to have the best
Chicago hot dogs in the city.
I think it has a lot to do with the dog itself.
It's a little bit thicker and heavier
than the dogs you get at most places.
Scott Berman: The Superdawg is all-beef choice cuts
made to our recipe.
Extra large, so large that we have to have buns
made specially to hold the Superdawg.
Lisa: And they're also cooked exactly
the right amount of time
to give it the right snap, the right bite in your mouth.
Not too soft and not too hard.
Don Drucker: The generic, traditional definition
of a Chicago-style hot dog is a boiled hot dog
served on a steamed poppy seed bun
served with the Chicago seven:
golden yellow mustard, bright neon-green relish,
a white chopped onion, a kosher pickle spear, a red tomato,
hot peppers, and celery salt.
We're a little bit different.
We don't use a red tomato.
We use the green pickled tomato,
and we don't use celery salt.
The other thing about a Chicago-style hot dog
is you never put ketchup on a hot dog in Chicago.
Scott: We serve all of our Superdawgs in a box,
and it also contains Superfries.
We're very proud of our french fries.
Fresh potatoes peeled and cut in-house
and then put in the box with the Superdawg.
Herrine: I don't know how to do this.
Erin: Oh, my God, you're gonna fall out.
I feel like I have to spot you.
Herrine: I feel like a dog.
"Press button for service."
Lisa: Hiya, thanks for stopping.
Can I take your order now, please?
Herrine: Yes, can I get two Superdawgs?
Lisa: Sure, everything on both of them?
Herrine: Yes, please.
Lisa: Thank you. Herrine: Thank you!
Lisa: Coming right up, thank you.
Herrine: Can you pop the trunk?
Erin: Yes, honey.
Herrine: Oh, wow. Erin: Holy...!
Herrine: She is filled to the brim.
Erin: She is filled to the brim!
It's not just, like, a wimpy little hot dog.
Herrine: Like, it's so packed that it's, like,
difficult for me to fish out the....
Erin: I know, I'm actually having -
uh-oh.
[somber music]
Herrine: No!
Erin: You can have mine, Herrine.
Herrine: It was part of the experience.
Erin: Oh, my God, it's really good.
Oh, my God.
Herrine: Oh, yeah!
Erin: That is...
unreal.
Herrine: That is so good.
Erin: It's one of the best hot -
if not the best hot dog I've had.
Herrine: Every ingredient is, like, very purposely put on.
Erin: Totally.
I didn't know what a hot dog -
like, I'm basic.
Like, I've only had a hot dog with, like,
ketchup and mustard from, like, a stand.
The mustard and the onions and the pickle,
that's what should be on a hot dog.
Herrine: Yeah, I agree.
Erin: And they're so fresh.
Every single ingredient is so fresh here.
Herrine: The first bite of that dog,
for me, I got the snap.
You got the snap? Erin: I got the snap,
and I love the end piece.
That's, like, my favorite.
It had such a nice crispy snap.
Herrine: And it's so juicy!
Erin: It's so juicy.
Herrine: And that bun is not something to be overlooked.
Erin: No!
Herrine: It is so plush and honestly, like...
Erin: The plushest.
Herrine: Sticks together, and I like the combination of
the toppings and how it's, like, sweet and crunchy and sour.
Erin: Me too, I love...
acidity is my thing, so all the pickles
and onions and relish really adds a real big pop.
Wait, have you tried the...
Herrine: Sport pepper. Erin: Yeah.
Herrine: Let's try it together.
Erin: Oh, I like that.
[Herrine laughs]
Oh, it's very spicy!
OK, so, overall, how do you feel?
Herrine: I like everything in a Superdawg.
Erin: I do like everything, but I just, like,
love the meat so much.
Herrine: The fries, also...
Erin: They've divine. I love a crinkle.
Herrine: You get that pillowy inside and crunchy outside.
Erin: So pillowy.
Herrine: I don't think there's one thing
that I can say that's bad about this.
Erin: I wouldn't change anything.
Herrine: Would you consider this the
super hot dog? Erin: Superiest?
It's the superiest Superdawg I've ever had.
Herrine: But we can't make a decision just yet.
Erin: I want another one.
Herrine: I want another one too.
Erin: OK, Herrine. Where are we?
Herrine: Surprise! We're not in Chicago anymore.
We are five minutes outside of Chicago,
but we still have to loop this in because
this place sells a very famous Chicago-style hot dog.
Erin: I see.
Nick Holmes: Gene and Jude's
is a traditional hot-dog stand,
one of the few remaining in the country.
And we're located in River Grove,
which is about five minutes
outside the city limits of Chicago.
There's two styles of Chicago hot dog.
There are the "dragged through the garden" variety,
which has tomatoes, pickles, and all that.
We do Depression Dogs,
which is kind of the original Chicago hot dog.
But the Depression Dog started back in the Depression era,
when people didn't really have a lot of money
and they were looking for a cheaper way
to get a lot of food.
My uncle decided to take fries
and top the hot dog with them
as a way to help fill your belly a little bit more
and add a little more flavor to the hot dog.
The Depression Dog is actually more iconic to local
Chicagoans than the dragged through the garden variety.
Customer: What I love most about the hot dogs here
are the authenticity.
It really comes with the culture of the community,
and I feel like I'm in Chicago when I eat a hot dog here.
It's great.
Nick: So, we use regular hot dog buns that we do steam,
and that helps soften them up a bit.
We use classic Vienna hot dogs.
We boil them for a very specific time.
Our hot dogs come with a full casing,
so when you bite into it, you get that,
you know, it breaks off with a good snap.
So, a Depression Dog is only mustard,
relish - brown relish, typically -
onions,
and sport peppers,
and then you top that with fries.
Our fries are peeled and hand-cut in-house.
Herrine: I'm gonna get us napkins.
Where are the napkins?
Oh, here we are.
I have found the napkins.
Erin: Boop. [beep]
Oh, my goodness, there's so many fries.
Oh, my God.
Herrine: You know how, like, people say, like,
"Oh, you're a snack," Erin: Holy...!
"This is, like, the whole meal"?
Erin: Take a few fries off. Herrine: OK.
Erin: And then eat a few fries, like,
just, like, to warm yourself up.
Oh, heck, yeah. Herrine: Solid fry.
Erin: So solid.
Herrine: OK, let's go for it.
Erin: Cheers.
Mm.
Herrine: When I saw photos, like,
I thought it was gonna be too much carbs,
because, a pile of fries.
So I thought topping-wise it would be overwhelming,
but there is a very pleasant sensation to it
when you take a bite and you get all of these, like,
layers of plushy potatoes. Erin: I know.
They're so plush.
Herrine: And, like, the flavorful, snappy dog.
Erin: So snappy.
It feels very, like, comforting and familiar.
Herrine: This I feel like is, like,
the true Midwest thing, Erin: Yeah.
where it's like, a meal is supposed to be, like,
hearty, stick to your bones.
Erin: Yeah.
Herrine: You know, like, how sometimes when you're eating,
like, a regular sandwich, you, like,
put in fries or potato chips?
Erin: Potato chips, yeah!
Herrine: To, like, make it taste better.
Erin: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's like the missing link we've been searching for.
Herrine: The link!
Like a sausage, you know?
Erin: [laughing] I truly didn't get it.
At Superdawg, they serve them on the side.
Herrine: And I don't think it would work with, like,
a dragged through the garden thing,
where you put fries on top. Erin: No, there's no room!
Herrine: There truly is no room.
Erin: No. And if you're gonna put fries on the hot dog,
they better be good, and I'm just gonna say it.
These are my favorite fries.
Herrine: Really? Erin: Yes.
Herrine: Why?
Erin: I love a crinkle cut, sure,
but I find that with crinkle cut sometimes
they get, like, dry,
and, like, they're not as flavorful to me.
These are so greasy and, like, satisfying.
Herrine: It's very smart that they use this kind of fry,
like you said, because it, like,
sops up all that extra juice.
If we're judging on the satiation,
you're getting a full-on serving of french fries
on top the hot dog.
Like, there's no amount of vegetables
or other kind of toppings is gonna fill you up.
Erin: No, absolutely not.
There's no way.
How do you feel about the bun here? No poppy seeds.
Herrine: This might be a hot take, but I don't
see the appeal of a poppy seed bun,
really, like, when it comes to taste.
Erin: Yeah, it doesn't really add anything for me.
Herrine: Yeah. So, at Superdawg
they use electric-green relish.
Erin: Yes.
Herrine: How do you feel this is different from that?
This is a brown relish.
Erin: Is this one a sweet?
Herrine: No, I think it's more tangy.
Erin: I like the way that this one
complements with the french fries.
Herrine: The flavor profile for the Depression Dog,
I feel like, is more acidic and sour.
Erin: Mm-hmm. Tangy.
Herrine: And tangy, versus, like, the sweet, sour, salty
that you would get from a garden hot dog.
Erin: Totally. I fully, 100% agree.
Herrine: It's gonna be hard to compare this
with a "dragged through the garden" hot dog.
Erin: 'Cause they're so different.
Herrine: Our next stop is Portillo's, obviously.
It is Chicago's famous fast-casual restaurant,
and they are known for their Chicago-style hot dogs.
Erin: Everyone I talk to is like,
"You have to go to Portillo's."
Herrine: Yeah. Erin: I'm so excited.
Herrine: I am too. Let's go. Erin: Let's go!
Employee: Two four zero, come and be my hero!
Two five zero!
Brad Fithian: Portillo's is definitely
considered a Chicago institution.
Customer: This is the first time I've had a Chicago hot dog,
and what I think separates it from others
is it's got all the ingredients
that you wouldn't get on a regular hot dog.
Mm. 10 out of 10.
Brad: The Chicago-style hot dog
we sell more of than any other item.
So, our dogs are special because, for one, they're Vienna.
The hot dog itself is also smoked,
which, with the casing, that's what gives it
that little snap, that crunch, when you bite into it.
I think that because of the smoking process,
they have a little bit more flavor.
In my definition, a Chicago-style hot dog
is like a melting pot of flavors.
So, you have a steamed bun,
you have a crisp, warm hot dog,
you have mustard, you have relish,
you have onions, you have tomatoes.
The fresh tomatoes,
it gives it a little bit of, like, a bite to it,
as opposed to any other kind of tomato.
A pickled tomato might be a little bit too tangy.
Then you have pickles, sport peppers, and celery salt.
The celery salt is a key ingredient,
because celery salt is a very strong-flavored salt
that meshes well with the other flavors.
Herrine: I do wanna say that the hot dogs
and the fries are sold separately,
and the other places you get it all in one.
Erin: Yeah.
Herrine: So in terms of, like, "satiability,"
we only will be judging on the dog.
Erin: OK.
Herrine: The dog itself is very slim.
She's slim and thin.
Erin: She's been going to the gym.
It's half-vegetable, half-dog.
Herrine: Do you wanna bite?
Erin: Yeah. Both: Cheers!
Erin: Oh, my God.
That is a snap.
It went [makes snapping sound].
Herrine: It went [makes snapping sound].
Erin: And it was very satisfying.
Herrine: I got a snap, but, like,
I didn't get, like, a jarring snap.
Do I have poppy seed on my mouth?
No, other side.
Just hold on one second. [beep]
We're back. Back in business. Erin: Whoo!
I don't get, like, a very smoky flavor,
like you would expect from a Vienna sausage,
or, like, that you would get from other places.
Erin: I've never had celery salt,
and I may keep it that way.
Herrine: You don't like it?
Erin: I don't love celery salt.
I love the hot dog.
I love everything that's on it, but the celery salt
doesn't necessarily, like, up it for me.
Herrine: I'm very familiar with this dog and celery salt.
Like, celery salt provides, like, that extra,
like, herbaceousness and earthiness to a dog
that, like, already has so many vegetables on it.
Erin: Yeah.
The anatomy is 50% vegetable.
Herrine: Yeah, it's truly dragged through the garden.
I do like the fact that the poppy seed bun here
has the most poppy seeds.
Erin: Oh, it's very poppied out.
Herrine: And it does provide that texture.
Like, other places, yeah, they do have,
like, the poppy seed bun, Erin: A little sprinkle.
but it doesn't really do much.
It's more like the aesthetics of it.
This place, like, it's there. It provides that texture.
The bun itself, I do think it's a little thick
just because the sausage is very small and thin.
Erin: Yeah, yeah.
Herrine: I would have liked, you know, a thinner bun.
Erin: Or a bigger sausage.
Herrine: Or a bigger sausage.
But the sausage itself is, like,
we got the snap. Erin: Uh-huh.
Herrine: It's very flavorful. Erin: Uh-huh.
Herrine: It's not as fatty as Superdawg's.
Erin: Do you like the fresh tomatoes
or the pickled tomatoes better?
Herrine: Considering the pickled tomato for me
fell off the moment I opened the box....
Erin: I remember that.
You tried mine, though.
Herrine: I tried yours.
I...hmm.
I liked the pickled tomato more.
Erin: Same. Same, like, by far.
Herrine: 'Cause, like, if you even think about,
like, a hamburger and you put a tomato on it,
it doesn't really add much to it.
Do you know what I mean? Erin: Mm-mm.
I agree. And I love all the other toppings,
but tomatoes are always just like....
Herrine: Do you like all the other toppings?
Like the relish, the mustard? Erin: Yes.
The relish is super fresh.
Herrine: The onion?
Erin: Yeah, I actually really like the relish
and the onion and the peppers.
But, honestly, the tomato, like,
I don't care about her.
She's like a friend that, like,
you invite to a party and, like, doesn't talk.
She doesn't add anything.
Herrine: The flavors are a lot more subtle.
Like, if you are person who, like,
doesn't really like that pungent,
like, acidic-ness that you get from pickles
or, like, these sport peppers that are pickled,
I think this is, like, a dialed-down version
of something that, like, could be very jarring.
Do you think if you just ate the dog alone,
it would satisfy you?
Like, it would keep you full?
Erin: I don't think so.
The biggest thing I would change is the size of the dog.
Herrine: Uh-huh.
Erin: Compared to all the toppings, I feel like
the dog gets lost, and I really like the dog,
and it's just kind of disappearing.
It's so juicy, and that snap was the snappiest snap
that I've ever snapped.
Herrine: There was more of a snap for me at Superdawg.
Erin: And also the freshness of the ingredients.
Herrine: Mm-hmm.
Erin: I don't feel, like, sick or greasy or weighed down.
Herrine: The freshness and the lightness here
is, like, their biggest strong suit.
Erin: Yeah.
Herrine: Now is the time we've all been waiting for.
Erin: Yes!
Herrine: The verdict.
Erin: Let's do it.
I, like, know my answer.
Both: Three, two, one.
[laughing]
Erin: Yay!
Herrine: OK, this was really easy!
Erin: Yay!
Herrine: So, why for you?
Erin: For me, it was, like, a no-brainer
because the dog at Superdawg's was my favorite.
It was the biggest.
The toppings were perfect.
They were so flavorful, so fresh.
All the pickled onions and tomato and relish,
like, I died for it.
Herrine: I agree. I mean, the dog itself
was so big that they had to make
their own custom buns to fit that dog.
And the fact that they put pickled tomato
versus, like, the regular fresh tomato
I thought added that extra zing, and it was just,
it was the best flavor profile of
the combination of toppings. Erin: Totally.
Herrine: You got the salty, the spicy, the tangy, the sour.
Erin: A little sweet too.
Herrine: A little sweet, yeah. Erin: Yeah.
Herrine: They had it figured out to a science,
and the fact that the Superfries came with the Superdawg
made it a full, satisfying meal.
Erin: Oh, yeah.
Herrine: And the experience itself, I mean...
Erin: So fun, so nostalgic.
Herrine: Next to none. Yeah.
Erin: Yes. I love a drive-in.
Herrine: So, very clearly, Superdawg's is our winner.
Erin: Yay!
What do you guys think?
Is your favorite Superdawg?
Something else?
Herrine: Let us know in the comment section.
Bye! Erin: Bye!