Hot Dog!!! A Chicago Dog Comparison: Viva Chicago Dogs, Lefty’s Chicago Pizzeria, and Chicago on a Bun

Now I must admit, I'm not a real big hot dog fan….though I almost always must have a Dog at the movies…well, you know, just because. Or even one from Costco, it seems that I'm just unable to avoid a good deal! But the Chicago Dog has a special place in my heart. I'm not quite sure why, but the combination of a beef dog, onions, dill pickle, Sport Peppers(yes, even the type of peppers  matter), mustard, tomato slices, and most importantly, celery salt, holds a special place in my heart. It is a bit odd….. And my introduction to the Chicago style Hot Dog was even more bizarre. After all, where does a kid from Hawaii get introduced to a Chicago Hot Dog? It was at, of all places, an Orange Julius location at Kahala Mall several decades, and some change ago. Now I have been known to grab a Chicago Dog every once in a while, but have never really documented my flirtations with the Chicago Dog until recently.

You might think that plopping a hot dog on a bun, and covering it with said ingredients is a slam dunk. But there are some subtle differences in the 3 different dogs I had. So just to jog your memory, a Chicago Dog must fulfill the following criteria; the base is a steamed poppy seed bun, the hot dog must be all beef, the most well known brand being Vienna Beef. In fact, just as you'll see those Kronos brand Gyro posters in front of Gyro shops, you'll see the large and bright Vienna Beef posters adorning the walls and counters of places selling Chicago Dogs. The Dog is topped with Yellow Mustard, Neon Green Relish, Chopped Onions, 2 Tomato Slices, A Dill Pickle Slice, 2 Whole (they must be whole) Sport Peppers, and a healthy sprinkling of Celery Salt. Usually in that order. So let's get started.

Viva Chicago Hot Dogs:

*** Update Viva Chicago Dogs has closed

Located right off Miramar Road, it was the sign for Viva Chicago that first got my latest Chicago Dog craving going. The shop itself is small, but colorful, serving everything from Hot Dogs to Burgers, to Sandwiches.

All these "Chicago" Dog places dress themselves up with memorabilia, which I guess gives them an air of authenticity and charm. The unfortunate thing is, after you've been to a couple of them, you can't help but think that this is more a calculated marketing effort, sort of a calculated "kitsch" restaurant design. At this location I went with the Jumbo Chicago Dog (poster said 1/5(!) of a pound, not 1/4, but 1/5). I heard the distinct beep of the microwave, so I'm assuming this dog was heated in the microwave. And my Jumbo Chicago Dog($4.60) was served.

So how did this dog line up? I found the dog to be on the bland and tasteless side, and it lacked the "snap" that I enjoy from a good dog. The roll was warm, but on the stale side as it kinda crumbled. The Dill Pickle was nice, mild in flavor, though it had a great texture. The amount of onions was perfect. The peppers were hard and chewy, lacking in crunch. And I thought that the dog needed more celery salt. It wasn't bad, but for nearly 5 bucks…….

Viva Chicago Hot Dogs
6780 Miramar Road
San Diego, CA 92121

Mon-Fri  10am-9pm
Sat  10am-8pm

Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria:

Yes, I know, it's a pizza place. And they serve up some pretty good pizza. But they also serve up a Chicago Dog. There are no "size" choices, it is a Chicago Dog and Fries ($4.25):

Though the dog was the standard 2 oz dog, there was a ton of hand cut fries. This dog had the best "snap" of the three that were sampled. It was put together well, the bun was warm and soft, it was "Dragged through the Garden" with everything in good proportion, except for one thing…..where's the celery salt? The fries were scalding hot when they arrived. But really got soggy quickly. Still, a nice potato flavor, and with a liberal sprinkling of Malt Vinegar, they were okay.

This was without a doubt the best "bang for the buck" deal that I had.

Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria
3448 30th St
San Diego, CA 92104

Tues-Sat 12pm-10pm
Sunday  12pm-9pm

Chicago on a Bun:

*** Update: This location of Chicago on a Bun has closed.

I've posted on Chicago on a Bun before, so if you'd like to see more "stuff" you can find the post here. I hadn't been to this location of Chicago on a Bun in a good while, and have noticed that the prices have gone up a bit. On this day I got a combo, Jumbo Chicago Dog, Homemade Chips, and a Drink ($7.80):

I've eaten here several times over the years, and expected this to be the hands-down best. And as always there was a good amount of celery salt. But on this day I was a bit disappointed overall. The dog was good, just as always, and the dill pickle hands down the best. They have an excellent poppy seed roll, but on this day it was served to me cold, not steamed and fluffy. Also, instead of the mustard residing on the top of the dog, it was smeared on the bun. You may say that it's no big deal, but the mustard made the (cold) bun go soggy and break into mushy pieces. It is already a challenge to get the perfect bite of a Chicago Dog, it's no fun when it disintegrates. As for the chips…my advice is to stay with the fries. Two simple things would have made this the hands down champ….a steamed bun, which I'm hoping is an oversight. And placing the mustard on top of the dog. Looks like I'll just have to keep returning until it's done right!

Chicago on a Bun
8935 Towne Centre Drive, Suite 109
San Diego, CA 92122

Mon-Fri 11am-8pm
Sat  11am-7pm
Sun     11am-5pm 

Have I ever had a Chicago Dog in….Chicago? Well, yes, sort of. On my last trip to Madison, I had a dog from Superdawg in Midway Airport. Like all airport outlets…it was less than stellar. Trying to convince my traveling companions that we "needed" to stop for "just a hot dog" (How dare they), was also not successful. So hopefully someday soon….