Hot”G”Dog

The Hot Doug’s original guys behind the guy are keeping the gourmet sausage spirit alive, but this time in Andersonville — and 2 miles from Wrigley Field — a much better location! And they’re open till mid-​evening, even better. The interior is simple, thats the only thing I wish they’d update… but so happy they are doing their thing.

Hot G Dog is alright. If you liked Hot Doug’s, you will likely love it here. They have all the unique types of meats with a few cool ingredients on each, just as Hot Doug’s did. Any amazing elements I loved from the Hot Doug’s though, I simply found lacking here at Hot G Dogs.
Plain hot dogs buns… seems strange to me in Chicago not to use a poppyseed bun. Uninspired.
Out of certain hot dogs on the menu at Noon on a Sunday.
Service isn’t very friendly and not well informed of what’s in and what’s out. My friend ordered one drink with our meal because I do not drink pop. When my friend walked away to get cash, the guy was like to me — you don’t need another drink? I said no thank you. He said okayyyyy… one drink. It was weird as if he thought we were going to take advantage of the free refill drink machines. Chill out. It’s par for the course.
ca$h only.
Over inflated prices.
We had the kangaroo dog with Raspberry Mustard Sauce, Pecan Nuts, Baby Swiss Cheese (too spicy of mustard for me, didn’t get the raspberry flavor, not really delicious), the Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Fleur De Sel (my fav of our three and the only one I genuinely liked), and Smoked Elk Bacon with Chipotle Sauce, Sauteed Bell Peppers, Bacon Cheddar Cheese (this was okay, didn’t find the ingredients complimented each other too well). Each was $ 9.
Duck fat fries for $ 4 were tasty and crisp.
If you are a Hot Doug diehard, you will probably love Hot G Dog or at least it will give you the good feelings you miss not having his encased dogs in your life. It’s all the crazy meats, same prices, without the crazy wait. In face, there is no wait. For me, there are simply better hot dog places in the city on many levels. so much so that I don’t see myself coming back.

Came with a friend who used up a Groupon for a recent visit. I tried a brat (classic Italian), tater tots and the loaded bowl of chili. The brat and the tots were OK but the chili bowl was a grand slam, unbelievably full of meat products, well cooked, very flavorful. I don’t love the layout of the space but I do love getting Hot Doug’s-like quality in a space where I don’t have to wait in line for 45 minutes to eat a freakin’ hot dog, so maybe that’s part of my positive feeling here…

Just as good as the now-​closed Hot Doug’s, but there is much more seating now, and they are open later. That was the problem I had with the other place: waiting in line for hours and they would turn people away after 4pm. In that respect, Hot G Dog is better.
The duck fat fries have the same great taste that can’t be beat; the foie gras is still on the menu and to die for; and the bratwurst are amazing!
This location and re-​tooling of Hot Doug’s is much better than the other one in terms of experience. Yes, it was a Chicago staple and icon, but it’s so much more enjoyable to not have to wait 4 hours in line just it get a good hot dog!

I took my 3 year old to Hot G Dog yesterday after an awesome morning running around Little Beans Café. Their kids «dog» is sliced perfectly so as to avoid being a choking hazard and mixed with tater tots. My little guy ate it up. If you haven’t tried this place yet, you should. Had to add on being toddler friendly! Great job, Hot G!

It’s Hot Doug’s, without Doug. More space, less crowd, less hype, same great food. Do yourself a favor and stop in.

Day 146: So Hot Doug’s is gone, but not forgotten, and if all its pieces were thrown in a building, sans Doug, this is about the best sequel one could hope for. Well, except for the name. The name is terrible. Is the G supposed to be like a middle initial? «Gerald» maybe? It doesn’t roll off the tongue. Maybe that’s why everyone there seemed a bit confused, and the reason Hot «G» Dog ambiance was a B to Doug’s solid A+.
But the Bratwursts I had were excellent, as were the duck fat fries, and I fortunately had cash on-​hand. A very good place for a very good sausage.

Consider this «The Empire Strikes Back» to Hot Doug’s «A New Hope.» The same crew that trained under Doug from the old joint, no hour-​and-​a-​half wait, and no herd of meta-​ironic hipsters all silently judging one another’s delicately fashioned mustaches.
In this case, you get the same incredible sampling of inventive Wonka-​styled sausage engineering in a roomy space. And the duck fat fries on the weekend — guaranteed to fast-​track to your list of last meal favorites.

I like this place for gourmet hot dogs. Duck fat fries on weekends are delicious! Best of all no wait in line.

We ordered to go and there was no line on a Monday night.
In order of preference, my friend and I enjoyed the Wild Boar, the thuringer (with the works), and then Blue Cheese Basil. The wild oar was topped with whole piece of creamy roasted garlic… it was pretty good. The thuringer was fine just not as great as the ones you get at a German restaurant. The pork in the blue cheese basil seemed undercooked so my friend stopped eating it otherwise the flavor was fine. We also ordered a small bag of tater tots (you can’t go wrong with tots!)

Wanted to try a Chicago dog and I wasn’t too impressed by it. Coming from Seattle, I really do prefer cream cheese in my dog.
I got it charred with everything on it. Everything includes sport peppers, tomatoes and pickles. The hotdog itself was a little smaller than what I’m used to. All the flavors work well with each other. There’s a little sweet, sour and hot.
Overall it was a decent hotdog. I wasn’t overly impressed by it but it’s probably because I’m spoiled back in Seattle.

This is a cash only place so bring some green if you want some grub. This place reminded me of Hot Doug’s, except it is more spacious and well lit. I guess the guys that opened up this place came from there. The neon green relish is my favorite.
I’ve taken my in-​laws here and they were quite fond of it. I asked my mother-​in-​law what was her favorite thing that she ate while out here in Chicago and she said it was here at Hot «G» Dog. This place is definitely worth checking out if you were a fan of Hot Doug’s. It may bring some nostalgia.

Never had the chance to try Hot Doug’s before it closed, so when I heard this was supposed to be the unofficial successor to that well-​loved establishment, I knew I had to put this on my to-​try list for my recent visit to Chicago.
The girlfriend and I split 3 hot dogs and some duck fat fries. Fries were okay, I was hoping more duck flavor would come through. They tasted kind of like in n out fries in terms of texture. We got the duck sausage topped with foie gras, the smoked elk sausage topped with bacon, and a Chicago dog. The duck one was spectacular, they give you four generous slices of foie to top off the dog along with a helping of truffle aioli. It’s melt in your mouth savory, creamy goodness. I thought the smoked elk one was decent, the girlfriend actually liked this one better than the duck. It ate less heavy and more balanced than the duck with grilled sweet peppers and cheddar cheese. The chicago dog was delicious as well with classic flavors. For $ 2.50, it’s a pretty good value compared to their specialty items which were around $ 9ish. Overall, I was very happy with my meal there and can’t wait to try more of their creative specialty offerings.
Cash only!

This place was just OK. I was a little disappointed after all the build-​up and expectation from knowing this place was the unofficial successor to Hot Doug’s. I never braved the long lines for the original, but thought Hot «G» Dog would be my second chance. But now I feel like I missed the greatness that was Hot Doug’s. It’s like that line from Jurassic Park that Malcolm used to shut down the hubristic old man: «You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could, and before you even knew what you had, you patented it, and packaged it, and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox, and now you’re selling it…»
I ordered the Veal Saltimbocca and my gf ordered the Smoked Bacon Bratwurst. We shared the Duck Fat Fries. When we got our food, we were a little confused because the Veal looked pale like a brat and the Bratwurst looked darker. When I took a bite of my Veal, it was pretty bland. The meat was just so boring. I didn’t think it could be Veal. It tasted like a very under-​seasoned and barely cooked brat. My gf’s dog was okay, except that the garlic sauce didn’t really come through, and the cheese on top was just cold cubes of cheese with a little bit of bacon in it. The whole experience was just underwhelming, like your parents saying they got you what you really wanted for Christmas and you open a box and find socks. Maybe the other specials or regular dogs on the menu are better, but for 8 bucks a dog, they should all blow my socks off. But enough about socks.
The best part were the duck fat fries, but you can find these on the menu of many other places in Chicago, like Fork. Or get really yummy pommes frites at Hopleaf. I used a Groupon this time around, so I might give it another shot and try some favorites on the menu. I was wondering why there weren’t crazy long lines like at Hot Doug’s. I guess it just isn’t the same.

This place is the heir to the Hot Doug’s legacy, and they’re doing a good job of making creative gourmet dogs, without the block-​long line.
I tried the New York, which included bacon and spicy mustard and ketchup, and the duck, which reproduced the famous foie gras dog, complete with truffle aioli. Both were quite good. The accompanying «small» fries was bountiful, but nothing special.

Yes, we were Hot Doug’s fans, yes we stood in line. Yes, there is less ambiance and no Doug here.
However, the food is just as good. In fact, husband thought the Duck fat fries were slightly better than Doug’s. (Heresy, I know.)
We had the chicken Vietnamese style – thought it was excellent. Also shared a thuringer – really good.
It’s clean; it’s larger; the prices are similar to Doug’s.
We are grateful they opened this place :)

Hot G Dog isnt bad… We stopped by on a Sunday around 1ish and it wasnt packed at all. I like how i dont have to wait long hours to grab a hot dog. But after eating at Hot G Dogs, some thing feels like it’s missing. I hate to compare them to the original Hot Doug’s but it is hard not to since some of cooks are the originals from Doug’s.
When you walk in, you don’t really feel the friendliness you once did when you went to Hot Doug’s. You can tell that Doug liked his job and always greeted his customers. The guys here at Hot G Dogs, not so much. From the time i walked in the restaurant and left, i dont think i saw any smiling faces on the employees that works there. Which kinda makes your dining experience kinda poopy. How can your customers enjoy your food when you’re not even happy making it?
Anyway, the place is clean and a lot bigger than Hot Dougs. No long lines for sure.
You place your order, they take down your name and you pick up your food when your name is called.
We ordered duck fat fries and smoked bison. I never had duck fat fries before and while skimming through some of the reviews, it seemed like a MUST TRY item. I wasnt very impressed with it after my first bite. It didnt have much taste to it. But it was much lighter than regular fries. Still pretty greasy though. I guess i envisioned «duck fat fries» to have a more sweet taste to it. Kind of like that roast duck flavor. But it was kinda bland for me…
The bison was okay. Not a huge fan. The dog has a tiny spicy kick to it.
Maybe i ordered the wrong hot dog but it wasnt «great» like how it used to be at Hot Doug’s.
But i like how they decided to continue some of hot doug’s menu items. Does bring back some memories.

Hot Doug’s reincarnation on the north side! This place can only get better, but what it is now is great. Popped in here on a Saturday and enjoyed three juicy sausages and the duck fat fries that Doug made famous. So happy.
For our veg/​vegan friends, you are covered too. A great, casual fun Saturday lunch. And a bar in back? Looking forward to that! What a great addition to Andersonville!

So here is the scoop on these guys. A few of the line cooks from the previous enshrinement known as Hot Doug’s got together to open Hot «G» Dogs. Many of the same menu items or at least close were brought over. It is a pretty impressive and extensive list of sausages I must say. They have sausages they reach all levels of the sausage spectrum. Including sausages with beer and brandy, vegetarian sausages, a kids option and of course the specialty sausages with Kangaroo, Wild Boar, Elk, Foise Gras and more. If you are not that adventurous you can still enjoy the classic Chicago Dog.
My order consisted of the Thuringer ($ 4 beef, pork and garlic made Chicago style) and a Smoked Duck Apple Jack Brandy Sausage. ($ 8 w
Duck sausage with cheese, what looked like peaches and some other shit). They were both very good. The sausages werw quite tender, not much chewing. Super impressed by that. They were not overly salty either. The food was actually the strong point of this establishment.
The service needs some help. They must have been sleeping during Doug’s Rules of Engagement Class. When I ordered my sausages they never asked me If I wanted a drink or fries with that. I finally spoke up on the drink but I probably would have gotten the fries if they just would have asked. I was also watching them interact with other patrons and it did seem as if they did not care at times. But they are still new so I will give them a pass.
They have a bar in the back that is currently closed as they are waiting on a liquor license. This should be interesting. Not many hot dog joints have a full-​service bar. Might be nice for the late night crowd. One potential problem with this. I saw a lot of families and single mothers with their kids, not sure how they will mesh with the bar. Furthermore they close at 8pm most days, that not a late not crowd. Unless they stay open later, maybe on Fridays and Saturdays, that bar may go to waste. Im interested to see what they do there.
Overall the food was pretty good along with comfortable clean environment. Customer service and a few other things need to be worked out. I do plan to come back, I do not compare them to Hot Dougs. I gave them 4 stars but it really more like 3.7.

Sadly, I moved to Chicago after Hot Doug’s had closed. I had heard stories about the long lines and the amazing hot dogs and fries at Hot Doug’s, so when I found out that Hot G Dog was owned by one of the former chefs at Hot Doug’s, I had to give it a shot.
Wild boar: the meat itself was yummy, had great texture, and wasn’t gamey at all. It also had a nice crunch when you bit into it. I was a huge fan of the chipotle sauce, too. There was a good amount of sautéed garlic on it, so if you love garlic (like I do), you’ll definitely enjoy that. This was my favorite of the 2 dogs I got.
Duck sausage: this was definitely a flavor explosion. The duck sausage was tasty and had more of a pop when biting into it (compared to the wild boar), and combined w/​the truffle aioli, the delicious, creamy pieces of foie gras, and the fleur de sel, everything worked together perfectly.
Duck fat fries: at first bite, I didn’t think these were too special. But, I remembered that everyone raved about the duck fat fries, so I kept giving them another shot (aka I kept eating more). Before I knew it, the entire basket of fries were gone! These fries are deceivingly delicious. They’re thin cut, have a great consistency (not soggy and not crunchy), and come in a huge serving. Definitely a great add-​on to any dog that you order.
I do want to go back to try the regular hot dogs and their other specialties. If this place is any indication of Hot Doug’s, then I’m really kicking myself for not moving here sooner when Hot Doug’s was still open. However, I can take solace in knowing that I’ve found a hot dog spot that is pretty damn good (and almost up to par, from what I hear)!