Vienna Beef Factory Store & Deli

05/06/04

Hot dog lovers go straight to the source for Vienna Beef's famous meats served in a cafeteria setting.

by Contributor at Citysearch

The Scene
Cafeteria setting with some of the brashest servers around. Checkered tablecloths, a wooden statue of Michael Jordan, vintage posters and photos of Chicago hot dog stands--including a drawing of dear ol' Maxwell Street, home of the Polish sausage--lend an air of nostalgia to the home base of Vienna Beef. The crowd is men--lots of men.

The Food
Everything and anything carrying the revered Vienna Beef label--hot dogs, Polishes, corned beef, pastrami, Italian beef, salami--is served over the counter for lunch or by the pound for carryout. Hot dogs come boiled, just like at the ballpark. The hot corned beef sandwich is as good as you want it to be, not the heaping mound you might expect, but generous and tasty (ask for it extra-lean). A must-have is the side dish of potato pancakes, a small basket filled with deep-fried, fluffy critters--very greasy and delicious. Non-beef items include hearty, homemade chicken noodle soup, plus breakfast and an assortment of dessert items such as cheesecake and jumbo chocolate chip cookies.

11/27/02

Good Eats

by cmeskin at Citysearch

One of favorite places to eat. Plus I can get a case of Vienna's to take home with me. With the exception of Happy Hound On Touhy Just East of Milwaukee (Truly the best hot dog stand in the city and th e best value), this is the best there is.

• Pros: Good Eating

08/13/02

Service with a smile

by Gamer03 at Citysearch

The factory store is one of the best tasting places to go and get a hot dog.Workers are down to earth people.Not in the mood for a hot dog, The Factory store has wide variety of other fast food dishes.

• Pros: Fast service
• Cons: Crowded

08/12/02

The Best in the World

by SMOKESHADEY at Citysearch

No place on earth can make a meal like Chicago. And nobody and I mean nobody make a Hotdog like Vienna Beef!!!! Every hotdog I eat, it has to be a Vienna Beef. Anything else is uncivilized.

08/07/02

The absolute best hot dogs for pennies

by bunsennbeake at Citysearch

We just returned from a trip to Chicago and tried a few "hot spots" for hot dogs in town. Vienna Beef was the absolute best by far. We got a Chicago dog, Polish dog, and Italian Beef, plus an awesome piece of Oreo cheesecake, 2 drinks, and the potato pancakes and fries that came with the sandwiches for $14!!! And they don't skimp on ingredients. The Italian beef, wow... it was a HUGE delicious sandwich packed with juicy roast beef and spicy giardinera. The potato cakes are absolutely perfect, the best taste. The other places (like Superdawg, etc) were OK, but nothing compared to this place, plus we ate twice the food for the $. It's in the cafeteria for the production workers, which didn't bother us (they were quiet and unintrusive). Plus, they sell all their ingredients, so we get to relive it here at home!

• Pros: best dogs/sides, incredible low price, clean, fast, A+ staff
• Cons: maybe location?, plain setting

07/22/02

best dressed dog

by marygray at Citysearch

we come to chgo. at least once a year now. we always go to the vienna beef factory to get our dogs. they are the best. then we drive into chgo. hgts. to end our trip.

• Pros: inexpensive

05/15/02

Go Straight to the Source

by nathanstull_citysearch at Citysearch

The folks behind the counter aren't the nicest bunch, but they sure do serve a good hotdog. You can get meat to go, or sit and eat in the dining room, which resembles an employee break room (complete with microwave). But, the food can't be beat. Even the fries are good. When the weather is nice, you can eat outside on picnic tables around the parking lot.

• Pros: Food
• Cons: No atmosphere

05/15/02

Bargain dogs

by peterbehle_citysearch at Citysearch

The hot dogs are cooked here, just a few feet away from the production line. Expect to eat next to factory-workers -- there's not a lot of neighborhood folks in this industrial area. And check out the store for bargains on hot dogs, cold cuts and frozen desserts.

• Pros: Cheap dogs
• Cons: Factory setting