Chicago-style hot dog. Photo by Mark Davis
The State Fair of Texas season is upon us, but you don’t have to venture far from our neighborhood for gourmet fair food. Case in point: Chicago Hot Dog. When Eddie Lee moved from Chicago to Dallas in 1990, he realized the city’s restaurant scene was missing something. “I could not find a hot dog place anywhere around here,” he says. So, about a year and a half ago, he opened his own place at the southeast corner of Abrams and Northwest Highway — but not just any hot dog joint. Chicago Hot Dog specializes in traditional hot dogs made famous by the Windy City. The undisputed ingredients are as follows: a 100 percent Vienna Beef dog, freshly chopped onion, two tomato wedges, a kosher dill pickle spear, two Vienna Sport Peppers, mild mustard, Vienna’s bright green cucumber-based relish and a dash of celery salt, all served on a poppy seed bun. The restaurant also sells the Maxwell Street Polish Sausage dog, which comes with grilled onions, two Sport Peppers and yellow mustard. Patrons must adhere to the sign, which jokes “no ketchup unless under age 17.”
Chicago Hot Dog
5844 Abrams
214.706.6925
Three more spots for fair food:
1 Jake’s Hamburgers
You don’t have to fight State Fair crowds to score deep-fried goodies. Add an order of betcha-can’t-eat-just-one fried jalapeno bottle caps or fried pickle chips to your next burger order.
6606 Skillman · 214.349.1422
2 Henderson Chicken
Yes, they have some of the best fried chicken parts around, seasoned to your liking, but the standout side item — deep fried corn fritters — are the kind of thing you could enlarge, place on a stick, and sell from a stand near the Midway for 12 tickets a pop.
8266 Abrams · 214.340.8777
3 Varsity Grill
Add some green to your deep-fried batter. In addition to plenty of hearty burgers and even some healthy options, this little sports grill offers fried green beans, zucchini, broccoli or jalapenos. Also on the app menu, the Texas Twisters — onion and jalapeno strings fried to golden perfection — are a must-taste. 9310 Forest
9310 Forest · 214.342.3000
