Fake gourmet + lunchgoers in the loop bored of the usual + meh + whatevers = Â westminster hot dog
They should've really gotten a lunch truck instead of a bonafide location. Â
Day 1: suckers in the loop,
Day 2: suckers somewhere else,
Day 3: take a break,
Day 4: start at 1 or take a break
interesting and unremarkable.
does that even make any sense? let me explain:
the sausages they make here are interesting in theory. they look good on paper.
i was wholly unimpressed with the hot dog though. really nothing spectacular at all. not bad, just not great. i was expecting great.
I've tried 2 other sausages here - good, not great.
the fries are on par with everything else. plain, not great.
in a gesture; *shrug* that's how i feel about this place.
*shrug*
I have tried this place three times now and I have to say, they should probably stick to just dogs because the italian beef I tried today well, not muy bueno. The bread was hard as a rock, dare I say stale? I was given a new piece of bread by the very kind lady working the counter and the bread was exactly the same as the other, I thought to myself "maybe its that fancy ciabatta bread" but no, it was actually stale. I ended up just eating the beef with no bread what a mess. The fries, well some were cold some were hot, some were cooked some were not. The other two times that I did eat here was o.k. but thats because I ordered the dogs, they were actually pretty decent. As far as the price, well its downtown your going to pay extra, so I won't bitch about that.
My suggestion to you WESTMINSTER stick to dogs or start looking for another bread vendor, i.e GONNELLA. because the bread you passed off as "fresh" bread, was clearly not fresh bread. I've lived in this city all my life and while I know not everyone can live up to the expectations of ALs or portillos, its really hard to screw-up an Italian beef. Get some fresh bread and it also helps if the cheddar cheese your putting on the beef is melted and not a hard handful of  yellow chips.
I'm willing to eat there again but until you change the bread your serving, I'm sticking to the dog....hold the fries.....please.
I had your standard hot dog Chicago style with fries and a pop for like 5.75.
It was as good as a hot dog can get. Â The crinkle fries could've been crispier.
I would go back for a quick bad for you lunch and try the sausage - lots of options there, all made fresh and they run out daily of the popular ones.
I hate hot dogs and I hate sausage which not only makes me a terrible Chicagoan but also totally unqualified to review a hot dog place. Â However, Westminster is so much more than just a hot dog place.
I came here with some coworkers and the intention of ordering a beef sandwich and french fries. Â Then we got there and I saw they had a couple handmade chicken sausage options. Â Despite my hatred of sausage, I love me a good chicken sausage so I skipped the beef and ordered the Apple Sage chicken sausage and a side of fries.
The fries are crinkle cut and amazing. Â A good crinkle cut french fry is pretty much my version of heaven, but the sausage was an absolute star. Â It was slightly sweet and savory and cheesy and not too greasy and pretty much perfect from the very first bite. Â Just thinking about it makes me want to go back....
The price was right, and the service was quick. Â I paid something like $7 or $8. Â It took a bit longer for my sausage to come out as opposed to my coworkers hot dog specials, but I'd say we were in and out of this place in under 10 minutes.
Super Solid sausage emporium! The hommade sausages here are pretty tasty. They do a great job of having a wide variety of specialty sausages on the menu in addition to the traditional hot dog offerings that you would expect to see at a regular Chicago hot dog place. Fries here are pretty good but defintiely not the star of the show. I have yet to go here and get a sausage that I did not like. This is a pretty good place for lunch in the loop which surprisingly does not have many hot dog places. I only wish that they had some real tables here but it fits with the traditional hot dog place model.
Review Source:WOW, how have I never heard of this place before. As soon as you walk in you will get punched in the face by the amazing smell of all their sausages. Sooo Good!
I was overwhelmed (in a good way) by their unique options of sausages and dogs. I went with the Jalapeno Bacon Sausage with chipotle cilantro mayo and queso fresco. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
The only question now is..... do I try something new next time or go with the Jalapeno Bacon Sausage again?
This was my second time at Westminster and I finally got to eat one of the handmade sausages. I had the Jalapeno Bacon sausage which is a pork sausage with bits of bacon in it. To me the sausage seemed really dry and crumbly. It was covered in a jalapeno chipotle mayo which tasted like the sauce taco bell serves with quesadillas. There was also some cold queso fresco on top which was pretty gross. This is all served in a squishy standard hot dog bun.
Needless to say I came away unimpressed. I'll agree with reviews that say they run out of sausages very quickly. The first time I went neither of the sausages I wanted were in stock and I ended up ordering a Chicago style dog which was pretty good. However the fries are frozen crinkle cuts and were probably sitting around waiting to be thrown in your bag. Today's fries were a little cold and under cooked(fried?).
The employees are nice, and its walking distance from my office. There are still 15 other sausages for me to try so I'll most likely go back, try something new and update this review.
I can't say enough about mom and pop shops that take pride in producing a high-quality product...Westminster Hot Dog does just that.
I was a fixture at this place for several months and I enjoyed every bite of it. Â Here is a list of my top five favorite sausages and a quick review of each:
(1) Cherry Chicken BBQ - Delicious cumin spice with a nice savory-sweet cherry BBQ sauce and smoked cheddar cheese. Â My absolute favorite.
(2) Country Bacon...yes, country bacon. It's amazing, but I can't eat it every day. - Wonderful smokey, maple flavor that pairs very well with the spice mix used in the pork sausage. And do not be turned off by the raspberry caramel sauce.
(3) Southwest - This is one of their regular sausage offerings and it is wonderful. Nice spicy Cayenne/Paprika flavor, but not overwhelming, that pairs wonderfully with the avocado-ranch sauce and the pepper jack cheese. My mouth is watering right now...seriously.
(4) The Polish - Unbelievable. Enough said.
(5) Thai Curried Chicken - Exactly as described. Excellent curry flavor with a nice, sweet 'n' spicy peanut sauce and shaved carrots.
Honorable mention: Carolina BBQ, and Caribbean Jerk Chicken sausages.
Go there...now!
I was fairly excited when Westminster Hot Dog opened up just down the street from my office, but I'll admit that I'm underwhelmed. On the one hand, they hand-make all of their sausages in house on the daily and that's awesome. On the other hand, it's like they do all of this work and forget to season and adequately spice the actual sausages and count on the toppings/dressings to do the flavor heavy lifting. I want to give them 4 stars, but they're more in the 3-3.5 star range to me. Â
The folks who work here are nice, and they have a bunch of options on the menu. Drinks are can only, and the fries are your standard frozen crinkle cut variety. Not a bad option for the abysmal choices in the Loop, and its definitely a cut above the numerous other dog and burger joints around. If you're looking for a decent sausage or hot dog, look no further. If you just want a good lunch that isn't necessarily sacked with calories, there are other options...
Westminster Hot Dog is, as far as I'm aware, the only place to get real and varied sausage in the loop. Â
Place is a small storefront, with bars on the sides and stools. Â Not really an eat in type of place for groups bigger than 3. Â The Wall has a big chalkboard listing their sausages. Â They keep a standard assortment of handmade sausages made out of a variety of meats and different toppings and have 4 or so that they rotate through on a weekly basis. Â
They place makes their sausages each morning and when theyre out, theyre out so get there earlyish if you want to get something crazy. Â Also get the cheese fries. Â Theyre amazing.
Sausages are generally good, better if you get there in the morning. Â They will be juicier and more flavorful than they are later in the day. Â Always a variety and new things to try and a typically upbeat staff.
Great spot for something new in the loop.
Jimmy Johns should move their free smells sign into Westminster Hot Dog. We had 3 coworkers get various sausages from here and it smells like a sausage store in our office.
Is it the best sausage I've ever had? No. But it's very good...and it's the loop. So I give these guys an extra star for setting up a homemade sausage shop in the middle of the crappiest lunch spot in Chicago - the heart of the loop. The Chicago dog was spicy from the sport peppers and met my expetations for a tube shaped meat log on a poppy seed bun. Neon relish and all bitches! The brat was large, served on a separate bun than what came with the hot dog, and topped with brown mustard and caramelized onions. It was a nice second sausage to my original dog. Both were gone in minutes.
I love the layout of this place. It has the feel of a no-frills hot dog stand where you come in, get your sausage, and leave. Being under the el tracks, it almost feels like no one knows about this place. Like it's the secret of the loop. I look forward to trying the seasonal sausages as well as their standard options. Come early or they may be sold out! Westminster leads the pack for creativity in the loop. A must visit.
The food selection in the Loop suuuuuuuucks. Â I've been wanting a good hot dog place. Â But they kept opening healthy-soup-natural-vegan-"Hey! We're even MORE environmentally friendly" restaurants.
I went here on their first day and since then they have only gotten better. Â No, it isn't Hot Dougs, but what is?
I can't comment too much on their specialty dogs - what can I say, I like simple n' classic. Â I had the jalapeno bacon, which was good, but again, it doesn't replace a classic vienna to me.
Now, why the 4 stars?!? Â The chili...light ur a@@ on fire pulled pork chili will make u streak in sub-zero temperatures and cure any cold you'll get this winter. Â Top it with cheese and sour cream....mmmMmmm want to smack someone.
Please do keep in mind, it still is very unfair to compare this against someone as legendary as Hot Doug and due to the location is unfair to compare this against Franks N Dawgs. Â
Having said that, it's the place to go when fancying for a fancy frank. Â They have since made substantial improvements since their grand opening, padding down the hot dogs with toppings to give it more substance. Â
The service is pretty good being able to maintain quality through the pressure of the lunch time rush. Â Staff was friendly and was willing to work with customers. Â I say this because whenever a place asks for a name, I pick "fun" names and the staff member I worked with was willing to find a compromise to make it easier on pronunciation. Â It came out even funnier than I had envisioned.
Though the fries need some work to make it worthy of the hot dogs it accompanies, I'll let it slide because their primary goal was improving the hot dog. Â
There's plenty of room for improvement with the food over all, but with the trend they're following, I have no doubt they're still honing it in. Â
For more details, please look over my previous review. Â
Keep it up!
With so many great hot dog places in this city, you really have to bring your A game to stand out. Unfortunately, my recent experience here was subpar.
My wife and I came ~1:30pm on a Friday. I was a little surprised by how small the place was but it's in the loop so space is a rarity. I saw the menu of 13 or so sausages made in house plus the menu of hot dogs. This really impressed me and was actually having a hard time deciding. I finally picked the Apple Sage which was a chicken sausage w/gouda and dijon mustard. My wife went with the Steak Fromage which was a beef sausage w/boursin cheese and a cabernet reduction. We walked up to the counter and were told almost immediately that many things weren't available. That seemed odd as it wasn't too late in the afternoon for a lunch. We mentioned the two we wanted and were told it would be about 10 min as they make them. Cool, we'll wait.
When the food was done, it was unimpressive. My chicken sausage was quite bland, as was the soggy bun, and the dijon had no kick to it. My wife's beef sausage also had little flavor with the boursin providing the only taste with the dish. The fries were ok and I'm never a fan of places that don't have fountain pop and only sell by the can. Overall the dogs were meh in a city that's known for good dogs.
So I can't say I'm a hot dog connoisseur, but I was really craving one yesterday. I just had my first Chicago-style hot dog a few weeks ago, and found this place online since it's about a block from my work.
First thought was - interesting ambience. A bunch of dudes basically, and construction workers. Real men who like their meat I guess.
I got the Cherry Chicken BBQ & a Chicago dog, sans mustard, peppers, & relish (I'm not big on the spice). Both were good; I think I liked the Chicago dog better though. The CCBBQ had sort of a weird texture to the sausage. I think it had an actual cherry in it. Chicago dog was great, no complaints.
Would I go back? Yeah, I think so. Next time I'll try the fries with my dog though instead of getting 2 dogs.
Some peeps at the job have been talking about this new hot dog joint around the corner...basically saying it was pretty good. Today I was looking for that new and this place crossed my mind. The flavor everyone has raved about is the jerk chicken dog. I walked over with this flavor in my head thinking the damn thang was gonna get done, but when I got there I was told their menu rotates and they no longer have it! Damn!
Checked Nikki S review and she ran into the same issue, no jerk, but she had the Cherry BBQ dog. I trust her tastes so i went with it. The dog comes with smoked cheddar and Cherry BBQ sauce...I got fries as well. It was pretty good as the smoked cheddar and cherry bbq flavor blended quite well. They had all sorts of interesting flavors, which will probably bring me back for more. FYI...If you plan to eat inside there is sitting space off to the left and right walls.
It's ok. Â When I arrived at 1pm most of the sausages were sold out. Â The one I ended up with was dry and forgettable (I can't even remember what I got now). Â
The food really reminded me of Hot Dougs but worse. Â I am not a fan of Hot Dougs (there sausages are dry too), so I think if you like Hot Dougs but can't make the trek, Westminster might be a possible alternative.
It was also a bit pricey for what it was. Â I always compare every hot dog place I go to with Top Dog in the Bay Area. Â For the uninitiated, please go there to understand why this place is so disappointing to me.
Not much room to sit in there either. Â I just brought my food back to the office.
Let me preface this by saying I'm not a huge hot dog fan, but I paid  a visit to Westminster Hot Dog because my manager came back raving about the Jerk Dog with mango/pineapple habenero sauce.
Just my luck when I went, they were out of the Jerk dog, but how about the Cherry Barbecue Dog? Unh Huh...the perfect bite and balance between savory and sweet.
I believe there's a combo, but I paid about $8 for a dog and fries which tasted pretty good. Service was pretty quick considering the line of people waiting to order around noon.
...And before you ask....yes, it will probably be my new addiction.
I am giving this place another 1 star review after receiving the following (rather callous) message from "dustin t." who I assume is the owner or otherwise affiliated with the restaurant (at the time of writing this his profile has 1 review and it is 5-stars for Westminster Hot Dog):
"I want to say something because I feel your post was a bit ridiculous; you say that the can of pop was no consolation due to the fact that you get free pop at work??? LOL how the hell is that their fault or how are they to know that you get free pop. Â Furthermore, if you read everyone Else's posts they compliment the SPEEDY reception of their "dog." I just think you were in a bad mood and just so happens you were the ONE Chicagoan....oops excuse me you are from Arlington Heights. So never mind. This was a waste of my TIME!"
$9 and some change. This is what I paid to get a bacon jalapeño cheese dog along with a Chicago dog. I was in the mood for some hot dog and was generally pretty pumped to try this hot dog joint. The line was light and I was impressed by their big.......selection......of....
Oh wait they were out of Great Philly Dogs. Fiery Southwest Chicken. Sorry out of that too and definitely no Steak Frommage. It was noon, how could you be out of food? I get it, places get new shipments of inventory every week or whatever but man don't put fake stuff on the menu if it's all going to be sold out or put something to cover it so I don't get my hopes up.
I waited in line and got my food several minutes later. The decor is nothing to write home about so I took it back to the office. Yep $9 and some change got me two hot dogs and no fries or drink. The jalapeño cheese bacon dog was unimpressive and was quite flavorless. They did do a knockout job by dousing my dog with too much mustard and hellafied cheese. The Chicago dog was on point so that is what I liked best.
Westminster does not win my vote but I may have to try again later.
Magically I have never had to wait in line.  First time I went was around one pm and about 4 or 5 of the dogs were 86'd, including the one I wanted, but less choices make for a more fun, spur of the moment kind of decision and then I got to brag the for the next couple days that I had jalapeno bacon sausage for lunch.  The  queso fresco added a light and creamy texture to the sausage.  My coworker got three chicago dogs and said they were absolutely delicious.  I would have liked a little more jalapeno action, but I loved the fresh flavors.
I went earlier around noon today (Tuesday) and the one I wanted to try was out again. Â Which is making me wonder what time this place gets busy and what time everyone else in the loop eating lunch...?
Steak Fromage was my pick today. Â Equally delicious. Â Also great toppings and textures, but I wanted more boursin and cab reduction. Â I cannot fairly judge them on this as I am guilty of adding and consuming unhealthy amounts of sauces, dressing and an assortment of toppings with everything I eat.
I like that they run out of stuff. Â I like that the ingredients are fresh. Â I like that the guy taking my order spells my name right and that it isn't anything like the stressful and usually awkward kind of exchange that goes down whenever I spend ten dollars on a 58.4247% organic sandwich at Hannah's Bretzel. Â And I like that I still have 14 more to try.
Been there twice. I had the standard Brat and the standard polish. Both came with cheddar, onions and mustard.
Their product is of a high and unique quality. If that's the bottom line for you, it's worth the hassle of long lines and waiting. If you're looking for a quick and cheap hot dog stand, definitely not the place for you. Prices run about 1.5x what you'd pay at a 'normal' hot dog place.
4 stars because the lines are long, the wait is dreadful, they often run out of product and their forgot my fries on my first trip there. My tip is double-check your sack for your order before you depart. Nothing worse than getting back to your desk at work, unwrapping that white paper bag to find your chips is missing.
This place is amazing AND I don't understand how any foodie could compare this place to Hot Dougs. Doug is nice don't get me wrong, but in terms of quality sausage Westminster is on a whole another level. First off at Westminster they make their different types of sausages fresh (in house) daily while most other places do not. The prices are reasonable and on the 3 different occasions I've been there the service has been good as you always see the same guys working there. Yesterday I had the Wild Board Special (wild boar sausage and wild boar bolognese sauce) with ricotta cheese. Delicious! The time before I had the Steak Fromage which was steak sausage with Cabernet reduction sauce w boursin cheese. SOOO GOOD.
Bottom line get over and try this place before everyone finds out about Westminster and line starting looking like Hot Dougs (EXCEPT at a whole another level in terms of quality).
Quick, gourmet dogs in the Loop, yes please.
Stopped by here with a friend; was expecting just the typical under-the-El hot dog shop, but there was a huge selection! Â
Its bare-bones decor and presentation (foil wrappers) puts your focus where they put their focus - on awesome hot dogs! Â
Staff was friendly and food was prepared fresh. Will definitely be coming back!
Sausage lovers dream.
I was on my way over to Bombay Wraps for lunch today at the suggestion of a friend. Upon entering, they advised me they didn't open for another 5 minutes, and I just didn't have the time to wait. So, I left, planning to go to Arby's on wells.
On my way, I happened to notice a place called "Westminster Hot Dog" a few shops over from Arbys. A hot dog sounded good, so I went in and ordered a polish sausage combo.
While waiting for my polish, I noticed signage announcing that they make all their own sausages (except the basic hot dog, which is good old Vienna Beef). A bit more reading and looking at the other menus indicates they have weekly specialty sausages... and this week had such unusual (and tasty sounding) fare as boar sausage. I wish I had noticed that!
My polish is awesome. It's big and flavorful with delicious grilled onions and a slightly spicy brown mustard. Just the right amount of "tooth" to the casing, nice and firm without being hard. The buns are hearty and good quality.
I don't really understand the reviews calling this place a dump. It's sparsely decorated, but it's fresh and clean, seems newly painted, has eating counters and stools, a new-looking service counter and even has a newspaper and magazine rack so people can read while they eat. Unless you're used to eating all your meals at ultra swanky restaurants with dress codes, I can't see anyone calling it a dump.
This is my new favorite lunch place. Next week they're supposed to have some kind of venison sausage special and I'm all over that.
I first heard about this place when someone asked me "do you like encased meats?" and then handed me their menu.
Needless to say I was intrigued by their offerings of daily handmade sausages and the Steak Fromage I got was a flavorful combination you wouldn't normally find in a quick lunch spot in the loop.
I'm looking forward to seeing more from Westminster as their small shop grows.
Very glad to have found a place like this downtown, squeezed in between all of the Mr. Submarine Houses, KFCs and Sbarros... Â There's plenty great eating in the loop, don't get me wrong, but I'd love to see more countertop restaurants that focus on handcrafted, inventive foods like this. Vendors of the French Market come to mind as another example of this done well.
The Westminster menus, staff and clientele will tell you, they hand-mix, spice and case each sausage daily, which is something you have to appreciate. Â No sausage-stuffer 5000 operating in the back of this place - it's all done by hand. Â But, as noted, when they're out, they're out! Â So, if you had your heart set on the foie gras with bacon, (same as 100 people before you), you're just going to have to live to fight another day.
I tried the Steak Fromage with a cabernet reduction and boursin cheese, and it was amazing. Â Great sausage flavor that paried perfectly with the sweet cab and garlicy cheese. Â It was a perfect pick. Â Also had a cherry BBQ chicken sausage, which was an impulse pick when my other orders (venison & bacon, and pork and mustard BBQ sauce) had already run out. Â Both sausages were standard brat-sized, and a hearty meal.
Pairing a couple of dogs in one meal, you can really appreciate the difference in flavors and textures of the meat. Â Having never been to Hot Doug's (yet!) I found it really interesting to note how the ingredients in these sausages come together.
Only thing keeping it from a fifth star is the tiny restaurant space - okay, that wasn't really even a factor, just a consideration for how it could be better. Â Actually, the true reason I didn't rate 5 stars was that the quality of the ingredients is somewhat held back by a lack in execution. Â When you stuff a dog quickly into a foil bag with all of the toppings, including cheese, it does have a tendency to do squish into that singular Ballpark Hot Dog shape that's not the most appealing presentation. Â LIke I said, sausage, toppings, bun are all delicious, but see one of the photos in a previous review for how these sausages sort of get rode hard and put away wet as the shop tries to keep the massive amounts of orders moving.
So, this spot is a little more than a month old right? Â Maybe they figure this out down the road. Â But, it's sort of a shame that the food doesn't get served with the same reverence in which it's cooked and ordered.
With all of that said, it won't keep me from coming back! Â Really looking forward to trying some of their upcoming specials as they change throughout the weeks. Â I will find and eat tube-encased foie gras someday, of this you can be sure.
I am sitting at my desk, eating two cold plain hot dogs because they were not only out of what I wanted when I ordered, but they ran out of what my friend ordered 10 minutes after he ordered and it still took another 20 minutes to get his dog. Â
This place is so horribly run and managed that I have no choice but to go 1 star. Â
It is one thing to run out of food and tell your customers when they order, but to run out 10 minutes after they order and then not expedite the order is unforgivable. Â On top of that, they did not refund him the price difference! Â Thievery! Â Prison Rape! Â OMFGWTFPWND ZOMBIES!
Goodbye forever Westminster.
Went here for St Patty's Day lunch, mainly because I saw they had a Reuben sausage. Â They were out of the Carolina BBQ, so I got a Venison Bacon instead. Â Both sausages were good, I preferred the Venison out of the 2. Â
One thing I do recommend, is that they get some better exhaust in there. Â It was a little smoky from the cooking. Â Add the wait times, and you come out smelling a little which is not cool when you are going back to work. Â Will go back again to try some of their other specialties.
So I'm walking from the train to work in the early a.m. and I glance up at a sign on Wells that reads HOMEMADE SAUSAGES. I stop cold, imagine fireworks and hear Mozart. I stick my hands and face up against the steamed glass windows. Inside appears to be a counter with a cash register, some bar stools and a chalk board that reads Elk, Greek, Italian, Polish, Brats, Apple Chicken, and Steak Fromage. In my best Homer Simpson voice, I say to myself... must eat lunch here... sausages.
At lunch time, I walk in and stand in line. I give my order to a guy wearing a Cleveland Indians cap. He tells me they're all out of Greek and I want to say bad things about the Indians but I don't. I order Apple Chicken. All out. I pick a brat and a cup of beef chili. Throw in a can of Coke and the cost is 10 bucks. Then I wait. I wait some more. Then after I wait, I find myself waiting again. I hear other customers ordering. I believe this is the first time I have ever heard anyone say fromage. What a weird word. I've never said fromage. Sounds more like an expensive leather shoe than a sausage. Not sure if I want fromage. Anyway, after my lunch hour has significantly dwindled, I receive my food.
Back at the office, I crack open the chili. But there is no spoon in my bag. Luckily, I'm an experienced office worker and keep a pile of spoons, forks, knives, ketchup, salt, pepper and soy sauce in my desk drawer. By the time I pluck a spoon into the chili, I'm not feeling too good about Westminster Hot Dog. After a few spoonfuls of chili, my mood changes. That stuff is good. Hearty with a little kick. I go after the brat, it's large, grayish color, meaty not fatty, covered in spicy mustard and grilled onions. First bite, flavorful, some nice spice, clean, delicious, definitely not Johnsonville.
The place has only been open a month. So I'll give them time to figure out their inventory and to speed up the process. I'll be back. Must have sawwwsages. Mmmmm.
Polish Polish Polish Sausage I Love You!
Sausage with the Polish and the Polish with the Sausage
You are my best bud.
You were juicy
and snappy
and not too salty.
With sharp cheddar cheese
and stone ground mustard
plus sweet caramelized onions
on a nice firm bun
You are pretty much perfect.
I love you Polish Sausage. Â I will see you soon.
(However, seriously people, WASH YOUR FRONT WINDOWS AND DOORS. Â I almost missed out on my polish friend. Â They are repulsive.)
It's totally not fair to try and compare this place to Hot Doug's. Â It's akin to comparing Patron Silver to Cuervo Gold. Â In the words of Samuel L. Jackson's infamous Jules Winnfield character "It ain't even the same sport, it ain't even the same fu***n ballpark!"
This place is a well welcomed addition to the loop. Â Frankly I believe Gold Coast Dogs to be an affront to the hot dog community and should be laughed off whenever any lunch conversation is begun. Â This will be my go to spot for the coming summer. Â
I had a polish with chedder cheese...a nice safe bet for a first visit. Â The fries were hot and not overly salty. Â The sausage I thought was a little less warm than a polish should be, but of course I compare all polish sausage experiences with what, in my opinion, are some of the best polishes available at Comiskey Park. Â However, the special yellow mustard at Westminster add a nice little twist of flavor to the experience.
The place is new and clean, with small shelves coming off either wall with stools where you can sit and chow. Â The staff was friendly, and one of who I assume to be an owner came over to ask how it was and thank us for our business. Â That is always A-OK in my book.
Next time I go I'm getting that Jalepeno Bacon monstrosity and I am going to destroy it with little mercy.
Pulled pork Chili how can you go wrong. Â I was little sad when I got there around 1:30 and they were sold out of anything sausage related. Â If was an ok Jan day to get out of the office to get some food, so that may explain it. Â So had Chili and a hotdog, very good hotdog, cruncy pickles and fresh rolls. Â
But the Chili!!! pulled pork to my surprise...not and fresh, with a little kick to it. Â If you are looking for a good cup of chili get their loaded Chili, will not be dissapointed..
They should call this place Westminster Dump. Â
These guys didn't spend a dollar on the build out. Â We walked in today and our eyes started to water from the poor ventialtion system in the kitchen (i wish it had been over the food). Â There is nothing on the walls. Â No photos, no paintings, no nothing. The seating sucks, with a few seats along a rail counter. Â This place completely lacks any character. Â If the food good, i would overlook all of this. Â But it wasn't.
A chicago style dog was $2.75. Â It wasn't the jumbo you get for the same price at portillos, but the skinny vienna dog you can eat six of. Â I also ordered the Jalapeno Bacon dog. Â The dog itself was undercooked, and the bun was sort of stale. Â It had some sort of cheese topping (underneath the sausage) that they skimped on. Â The dog had a little kick, but there was almost no bacon flavoring or taste. Â That only cost $5.75 (rip-off). Â
We ordered a small fries as well. Â They were served luke warm and were clearly not fresh or hand cut. Â Even had they been piping hot, they would have been average t best. Â
Hot dogs should not be that difficult to make. Â Plenty of people do it right. Â These guys need to find another concept because they clearly don't get the Hot Dog. Â On to the next Hot Dougs challenger...
Here's the thing: it's no Hot Doug's... but nothing is for that matter.
What Westminster IS, is a great place to get gourmet-style sausages, dogs and brats in the Loop - at a decent price and without the huge line.
I wouldn't travel here from far and wide to get your sausage fix... :-/ um, awkward. Buuuut, if you're working in the Loop and looking for a new lunch spot, WHD definitely takes 'Best in Show' (that one's for you, Zach!).
I'm sorry to do this to you Westminster HD, as you just opened in the past month. I really, really wanted to like you -- I'm part of the movement to move hot dogs into their own level on the food guide pyramid. So, basically I'm telling you I likes me some hot dogs.
New hot dog place, only one logical order (and, not, Seattle-ites, we do NOT put cream cheese on our hot dogs....only Communists and hippies do that; no offense to you pinkos or hippies) was a chili cheese dog. I know most of you are saying, "What? Not a Chicago dog?!?!". I say a good chili cheese dog is a staple of any joint boasting of their sausage prowess (that's a penis reference, yes, especially for those of you who didn't get it...if I have to explain it....oh, never mind). It's simple -- hot dog, bun, chili, cheese. Done. Pencils down.
Chili cheese dog review: I LOVE the Vienna hot dog; it was probably the best part of the sandwich. The poppy seed bun was stale and on the hard side. Chili? There was chili on there? I thought that was meat ketchup or some other chili-colored condiment. If you're gonna put chili on a chili cheese dog, put some chili up on that bitch! Don't put a tablespoon and a half and then expect me to believe this was a chili cheese dog. The amount of chili on there made me think it was a savory condiment. And, the cheese...don't get me started. I'm thinking this was food-service grade grated sharp cheddar. Luckily there was such a sparse covering of it, I didn't have to worry about having to taste it.
Fries review: Sorry folks -- for those of you who claimed this is "fresh made", you clearly have not had anything "fresh made". These were food-service crinkle-cut fries. Fortunately for me, these were crispy. But, someone teach your fry guy how to season fries -- greater than 50% of the fries had no salt on them. And the ones that were salted were over-seasoned.
Cost review: Paid $6 and change for my wiener, fries and a can of soda. WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. And, I didn't even order one of their "gourmet" sausages.
Mr. Westminster, sir, you have a a gold mine of a location and concept. But, don't be skimpy on ingredients -- I don't care if you have to aggressively pay back the small business loan you had to take out to open the joint. Execute with excellence. Do what you do well. And they will come. Unfortunately, I will not be coming back and will walk past and opt for tacos instead. I almost suggest that you, the reader, do the same.
Good day sir.
I said good day.
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