Polish Sausage with the Works at Hot Doug’s
“There are no two finer words in the English language than,
‘encased meats,’ my friend.”
-Secret Robbie
Everyone’s got their favorite dog. People who rarely eat hot dogs will cheerfully order up when in Chicago. When I’m in town, my all-time favorite remains the one I’ve been eating for decades: The Chicago Style Polish Sausage with the Works. It is a hickory-smoked mildly spicy beef sausage with all the condiments. Even as a kid, I chose the polish over the hot dog on our regular trips to Fluky’s, another famous hot dog stand that’s been around since 1929. These days, no one does encased meats better than Doug Sohn, owner of Hot Doug’s.
Pictured above is: The Elvis
Polish Sausage: Smoked and Savory – just like the King.
$2.50
The polish, served in a steamed poppy seed bun and dressed with all the traditional Chicago-style condiments:
- Yellow Mustard
- Caramelized Onions
- Bright Green Sweet Relish (also called Piccalilli)
- Tomatoes
- Pickle
- Celery Salt
- Sport Peppers (optional)
Doug is my hero. In addition to the excellent standard fare, he also offers duck fat fries (only on weekends) and gourmet sausages including Game of the Week, this particular week: Merlot and Blueberry Venison Sausage with Pomegranate-Blueberry Mustard Cream and Finnish Lappi Cheese, oh my!
And other specials such as the one pictured above which I enjoyed on my last visit:
The Celebrity Sausage
Robert Goulet
Uber Garlic Pork Sausage
Chipotle Dijonnaise
Menage Cheese
Roasted Garlic Cloves
$7.00
My nephew, Stone, prefers his hot dog with ketchup only.
How do you like yours?
The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium
3324 N. California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60618
Phone (773) 279-9550
Hours 10:30 AM – 4 PM
Stone and I recommend that when you visit Chicago, don’t miss out on a trip to Hot Doug’s for lunch, and be prepared to wait for your excellent encased meat, as the line is usually out the door!
17 comments • Filed in: Restaurants
Just looking at your site always makes me hngry
. How do you do it? And to answer your question, I like to stay classic and have the all American Hotdog with mustard!!! I hate Ketchup!
Hi ts – you are cracking me up!
Hi Merisi – I have to keep my eye out for that!
Oh, this looks so delicious, even I am tempted.
Have you ever seen on PBS that great documentary about famous hot dog stands all over the USA?
I meant, SALIVARY.
Apparently, that hotdog there is also making me unable to use my brain.
That there with the pickle is making my salivatory glands ache! =D
Hi Laurie- I think I just posted the answer
Hi FA- everything but the onions!
Hi Sandi – that sounds good too!
Hi Marie – there you go!
Hi Kevin – my all time fav!
Hi Mikky – me too.
Hi Maria – so did I. Great town!
Hi Marla – what town in So. Ill.?
Hi Dee – he sure has some exotic ones.
HI MLV – lots of people outside if Chicago haven’t heard of them, maybe they would recognize them as pickled serranos.
Hi Nicole – yep, no ketchup on the dog!
Looks good! I usually take my dog w/ dijon, onions and fries and pickle on the side. Tomatoes, mayo and other trimmings sometimes welcome. Ketchup … ONLY on fries.
Just another reason I desperately want to go to Chicago. They look great. I like my hotdog with sport peppers. They are amazing.
I like mine with everything on it please! I would definitely do justice to that Merlot and Blueberry Venison Sausage… oh my, indeed!
I must say that your first photo makes me a bit homesick. I grew up in Southern Illinois and Chicago was an exotic adventure as a kid. Real fries with a real sausage or dawg looks tempting. I’m thinking an Italian version may be on my horizon soon.
I grew up in IL…Chicago is my favorite city! And the hot dogs can’t be beat there! This is a famous place! Glad you enjoyed it!
oh dear, your pics making me hungry… looks so good…
That sausage looks really good!
Mmmm, I’m hungry looking at this! I’ll have mine with the works, no ketchup of course, and extra hot peppers! Were you in town for Charlie?? I can’t wait for the pictures!!
I am a cole slaw dog kind of girl!
Great pictures, as always, Lori Lynn. I’m with Stone when it comes to hot dogs: mustard only. But, I might be converted from the looks of that Works dog.
This looks quite yummy!
Do you have a date for Trotters yet??