Murphy's Red Hots

So let's get real. I've pretty much grown up on the Chicago hot dog. I will start a yelling match with those pesky New Yorkers and mainstream media who believe the quintessential American food is a New York Hot Dog (pizza too for that matter...) because they're flat out wrong. Chicago is meat packer to the world. Just ask Carl Sandburg. I grew up going to Parky's in Oak Park which is an old standard.

Murphy's Red Hots is about as good as you will get in Chicago in terms of hot doggery. From the minute you walk in you're greeted like a family member. The high top tables and red stools are as close as you'll get to the ketchup if you know what's good for you. The dogs are amazing. A nice snap to the meat. The toppings are fresh and the sliced cucumber is a welcome, albeit untraditional, addition to the hot dog which is a beautiful compliment to the celery salt.

The fries are hand cut. Well salted. And straight up delicious. They also are franchised in Japan. Which is pretty darn cool.

Murphy's Red Hots is holding my current crown for Chicago Hot Dog of choice.

This is the second time I have come here and equally disappointed as the first. I really love onion rings, but $4 for like 6-8 onion rings that come out of a frozen bag! I really should have taken a picture to show.. Most definitely will not return..really don't even know why I gave them a second chance! Thumbs Down

The best standard dog in the city, but not by much.  Don't get into a char-war with the cook unless you really mean it, because they don't mess around.