What do game meats, gourmet sausages, duck fat fries, and standing outside in the rain have in common? That's what you'll find at Hot Doug's on N. California (Chicago). Recently named the number one cult restaurant in the entire US, Hot Doug's has been featured in a variety of TV shows, magazines, and newspaper articles. You also see a trend in the message: Hot Doug's is an experience you don't want to miss. Some friends and I have talked about going here for over a year, but never made the trip until this past weekend. Well, I take that back. We did try once, but they had a flood the night before and shut down for a month. Tragic.
So we showed up around 11:30 A.M. and probably got our food around 1:00 P.M, and...it was raining. Not sure what it is about me, long lines, and nimbus clouds, but apparently I like spending my Saturday's under an umbrella. A guy in front of us was waiting in line by himself, then asked us to save his spot while he checks on his kid. His child was playing video games (hopefully PSP>DS) in the back seat of his parked car. We felt bad, because about 15 minutes before we got to the front of the line, the guy left and didn't come back.
Walk in the door, and you see the menu on your right-hand side. They have their standard dogs, many of which have fancy names (the Keira Knightley Dog, the Elvis, the Salma Hayek, just to name a few). Keep moving, and you'll see the specials. We were impressed at the exotic types of sausages, and wanted to try them all. However, at $8.00 for some hot dogs, we had to pick what we really wanted. The final decision: spicy alligator sausage with goat cheese, and a foie gras duck sausage. We also got the duck fat fries (which are apparently only available on the weekend). Overall, the food was excellent. It almost didn't seem like you were eating a hot dog because of the unique taste.
The inside of Hot Doug's is very interesting. My friend compared it to a middle school cafeteria: very colorful, a lot of information on the walls, and a bunch of happy people inside. Doug, who works the register, was very nice (and funny), and you can see that service and not just the food is what brings customers back. Worth the wait? Yes. Would I go again next weekend? Probably not. It was quite the process, so I'll probably save my next trip to go with someone who hasn't been. There is an exorbitant amount of information on this place, so just type in "Hot Doug's" in YahBingoogle. You can even ask that guy Jeeves, but he probably won't be able to help you Koreanvent yourself.
