Woofies Hot Dogs

There are three staple foods of the Chicagoan’s diet - the Italian beef sandwich, the Chicago-style hotdog, and deep dish pizza. You spend enough time in the Chicagoland area, and you think these things are ubiquitous, found everywhere.

Moving to St. Louis was a culture shock in discovering that is absolutely not the case. Travel only a few hours away, and not only do you stop seeing a hot dog and beef stand on every corner, but you don’t see them at all. You can’t even find them if you go searching.

Somehow, even in the age of computers and the internet, finding specific regional foods done correctly outside of the region they originated is quite the challenge, and Chicago-style hot dogs are no exception to that rule.

The ingredients on a Chicago dog are as follows:

• Pickle spear
• Tomato slice (2x)
• Sport pepper (2x)
• Relish, neon green
• Onion, diced
• Mustard
• Celery salt
• Poppyseed bun
• Vienna Beef hotdog (steamed!)

None of these ingredients are optional or negotiable (unless you’re making a depression dog, but that’s another story).

I’m happy to report that not only does Woofie’s out in Overland not only make a good Chicago dog, but they make a perfect Chicago dog. On top of that, they make the best smash burger I’ve ever had. I’ve you’re looking for a good burger or dog in a no-frills joint that matches the vibe of your neighborhood corner hot dog stand in Chicago, head over to Woofie’s!

I’m only giving them a 9 instead of a 10 because I wasn’t a fan of the Italian beef sandwich they offered. It just didn’t have the flavor and greasiness in the gravy that I’m looking for. Still on the hunt for a good Italian beef in St. Louis!