Gene & Jude Red Hot Stand

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Jessica F.

Joined 8 months ago

Been going here since I was a little gril, best hot dogs in the Chicago Area!

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Heather B.

Joined 10 months ago

You have to bring your own ketchup if you are like me and still want it on your hot dog (even though it is not Chicago-style) but otherwise it is awesome.

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smkennedy

Joined 6 years ago

Still wish there was Ketchup. This hot dog stand is like the Chicago-dog version of Seinfeld's soup nazi... only 1 thing on the menu...and no special orders!! Well-- almost. They'll take off the onions or relish if you'd like, but NO ketchup allowed!!! The hot dog was in fact pretty darn good-- they wrap the dog up with fench fries so with each bite you get a bite of hot dog and a bite of fries... which was unique and also hit the spot. Still... I wish there was ketchup. :)

Doesn't Recommend

Alice Goocher

Joined 2 years ago

Worst Hot Dog Place Ever. My husband and I drove from Schaumburg to this dump of a place in River Grove because we heard their hot dogs were the best. We were so disappointed in the quality, taste, and cleanliness of Gene and Jude's. The employee's t-shirts and aprons are stained with food splatterings and look as if they haven't been washed in weeks. We stupidly ordered 4 hot dogs and 1 tamale.

I never tasted a hot dog that bad. The crappy fries they serve are raw and greasy. We threw the food away after a bite or two and vowed never to return again. The place itself is so dirty that it should be closed down by the Board of Health. The counter were the guys prepare and load the toppings on hot dogs was filthy. The mustard bowl was coated with dry yellow crusted particles.We were there on a cold day in March. I pity folks who go to eat there in summer. I imagine it would be infested with flies, cockroaches, and every other insect imaginable.

Doesn't Recommend

discodaddy

Joined 2 years ago

hot dogs. they used to be good at a good price, they switched from a good vienna hot dog to red hots, Red hots are a cheaper dog, and they dont use green relish anymore, most stands advertise Vienna but mix 2 to 1 red hots,

the people that reviewed them had to get paid off, Portillos, Jays and Johnnies have a better dog including Super dog

Doesn't Recommend

pizza pie

Joined 2 years ago

chicago style really. went there today after driving far they say there the best dogs i would like to meet the people that review first of all a chicago dog has a poppyseed bun mustard onion relish tomato pickle sport pepperscelery salt who want a bunch of fries smashed in there dog they have to pick out plain bun onion mustard only what a joke soggy fries every i knoow in chicago eats ketchup on there fries and they are not friendly buonna beef has a real chicago dog which is outstanding will not return here

Doesn't Recommend

Roast Chicken

Joined 2 years ago

For the memories more than the food. I just went to Gene & Jude's for the first time. My office just moved up to the area and somebody mentioned this little hot dog stand that is dear to many, having had Food Network fame and a visit from Rachel Ray. Sadly, I've discovered that this dive and Wrigley Field have a lot in common: they're both vintage establishments with strong enough charm and longevity to mask the fact that they're actually putting forth a frighteningly mediocre product unworthy of legendary status. Gene & Jude's is a very small stand (there's nowhere to sit down and eat in the tiny place) with a super-simplistic menu consisting of hot dogs, fries, tamales, and Coke products to drink - that's it folks! The hot dogs are typical Vienna beef dogs that can be found at any other greasy fast food joint in Chicagoland, although I'll admit that they seemed to be the higher end Vienna dogs with the great casings. What was interesting though is that their dogs didn't come with the pickle spear, tomatoes, and celery salt commonly found on a "real" Chicago-style hot dog. The only toppings to choose from are mustard, relish, onions, and sport peppers. And if you need ketchup you're totally out of luck at Gene & Jude's - they flat-out don't carry it. My conspiracy theory is that the streamlined menu is mostly about cost savings which the owners have brilliantly marketed over the years as old-fashioned purity. As for the famous fries, they're fresh cut right behind the counter in a slicing machine for all to see as they wait in line. Pretty good flavor, but they were really greasy and some were even undercooked. They're enjoyable if you're really hungry, but they're not worthy of being called "famous." All in all, I think the place has its appeal because it's a small hot dog stand from the old days with lots of memories attached to it. If you took Gene & Jude's hot dogs and fries out of that old 1950's building and put them in a modern stripmall setting, the place would probably go out of business in a matter of months.

Doesn't Recommend

Paul4

Joined 3 years ago

Just another hot dog. I drove by the location and obsereved a line of people waiting to buy a dog. I figured let try it out to see what is it all about. Well, I ordered on of their red hot dogs and was shocked for not being able to explain why all these people standing on line for. The dog was just like any other dog from any other hot dog stand, infact, it was slightly under cooked, and the place wasn't exactly the cleanest. So it is realy sad how the public is so easily fooled by a gimick.

Doesn't Recommend

egegner

Joined 3 years ago

better luck next time. The place was recommended to me. I was looking forward to this experience. I walked up to the counter and orderd a hot dog with fries. I was pleased to pay $2.20 + tax. I asked for ketchup for the fries and was denied. No ketchup at all in the place. I walked to the eating counter area and took the food out of the bag. I ate the hot dog and five cooked fries. The rest of the fries were uncooked with an enormous clump of raw potatoes. I threw out the remaining fries. Next, talked to the person next to me and proceeded to walk out frustrated. If I wanted raw food I would have ordered sushi. In the future, I will ask them to cook my food completely. Also, bring my own ketchup for the fries.

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PaytonT

Joined 3 years ago

YES THESE ARE THE BEST HOT DOGS IN CHICAGO AREA. I grew up in the Chicago area and now for the last 30 yrs living in Baltimore, Maryland, so going home to visit family always means a visit to Gene & Jude's. I began eating here in the 1970s & during high school this was the place to go grab a cheap bite of food that is simply unquestionably the best HotDog & Fries experience in the region. Yes, there are other hot dog joints but NONE can topple the matchless wonder of the iconic Gene & Judes, which if you're from Chicago, you say really fast and kinda meld into GeneJudes. The hotdogs are some kind of all beef lean weiner and the casing cracks when you first bite it, unlike imitators in NYC, which sorry Big Apple are NOT as good as Gene&Judes dogs. Simply ask for the relish, onion and mustard, a pox on any ketsup eaters, and then tear into those dogs and fries. If you're a calorie counter, just don't eat for a couple of days before you visit or a few after. Like any TREAT you eat here until your pants are ready to split like a well cooked hot dog. Then you return like I do even if it means 980 miles and the hassle of O'Hare Airport. The fries are as good as everyone raves about and delicious despite the anti-obesity campaigners like Dr. OZ and all the other shamers out there. When I was still 98 lbs. I could pack down 3 hot dogs from here and now at considerably more and a lot older, I strive for one dog and fries and a corn wrapped tamale.

Out of towners, trust this out of towner - these are the best hotdogs in the land.

Thank you Gene & Jude. We love you.

Many regards,

In Baltimore [what a hole].