This Restaurant May Serve The Best Hot Dog In Illinois

Let's be real: Chicago is a hot dog city (even Anthony Bourdain said the city's frankfurters are better than New York). And with that moniker comes the particularly rabid debate and intense allegiance to any number of Chicago-style hot dogs and its purveyors. So when something comes in as the best place to get a hot dog in every state for Illinois, it's no small feat. If you're wondering who's at the top of the list, it's Jim's Original. And it's not just Mashed who believes this spot serves the best hot dogs in the entire state of Illinois; many voice this sentiment on social media, too.

A number of reviews on Google are pretty intensely reverential. One remarked, "The best hot dog place in Chicago!" And another, "Best hot dog I ever had. I had 2." A Reddit user said, "I really believe [Jim's Original's] hot dog and Polish belong in the conversation for best hot dog in the city." On TripAdvisor one user commented, "This is one of those places that earned a reputation ... Their hot dogs and sausages are simply the best, cooked properly, and a most gratifying snack or meal." On Yelp one reviewer said Jim's Original has "by far the best hot dogs in Chicago." Jim's Original's hot dogs are 100% beef and pack a lot of flavor, especially when served with grilled onions and a spread of mustard on the bun. And there's quite a lot of history behind those dogs.

The story of Jim's Original goes all the way back to 1939, when the hot dog stand was founded by Yugoslavian immigrant, Jimmy Stefanovic, on the northwest corner of Maxwell and Halsted Streets. Jim's Original says it is the longest continuously operating hot dog stand that once did business on Maxwell Street (a street now synonymous with Chicago hot dogs). It closed briefly to relocate to Union Avenue in 2001 (due to an expansion of the University of Illinois Chicago), where it still proudly serves from a sidewalk window as (quite literally) one of the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Chicago.

While its hot dogs are regularly regarded as the best in the city, Jim's Original is possibly most famous for its Polish sausages. Jim's claims to be the inventor of the celebrated Maxwell Street Polish sausage sandwich, which starts with "a juicy, crunchy, and sweet smoked Polish sausage served the same way since the 1940s." The sausage is flattop grilled and placed on a hot dog bun spread with yellow mustard and topped with caramelized onions and spicy sport peppers. It's a pretty hefty bite by itself, but it comes with a bag of French fries, and you can even double-down and get two links of Polish on one bun. Just beware, according to reviews, Jim's sport peppers are particularly hot, so you may want to get them on the side and dole them out as you see necessary. Up to you, but either way, you're in for a treat.