3455 N Southport Ave.
We tried out the Lou’s Coney Island today and reviews were mixed. First of all, it is a far cry from the hot dog shack. It was more like a Steak and Shake, but for hot dogs, with booths, chairs, servers and kitschy decorations that remind you of that the allure of the 50’s still lives on.
Anyway, onto the Dogs. I got two dogs, a Chicago Style and the Classic Coney Dog with fries.
The Chicago Style was below average. The poppy seed bun was not steamed and thus still had some chew left in it. The hot dog itself was made by Keogel meats and did seem to have a natural casing, but it was thin and did not much flavor. In addition, the outside was much more brown than the inside, which I, for some reason, found slightly disconcerting. The toppings continued to push this hot dog’s rating down with diced tomatoes and a small and very processed pickle that gave limited additional flavor or snap. I would compare the pickle to the one used at Suzie’s, but it did not work as the hot dog itself and the other condiments did not meld together well.
As for the Coney Island Dog, it was very good. It was mainly a chili dog on a non-poppy seed bun, topped with mustard and chopped onions. In this case, all the condiments went very well together and worked well with the hot dog itself. As I am not a chili dog expert, I have not much to report on the specifics and thus will say, I liked it and would return for it.
So in conclusion, Lou’s Coney Island has below standard Chicago Hot Dogs, but does excel in the Detroit style Coney Island Dog and is worth a return trip.
Dan
I also enjoyed the Coney Dog with fries alongside a traditional Chicago Style dog. I had been informed that the chili was good, and that was certainly true. The hot dogs are made by Koegel Meats rather than the more traditional Vienna Beef dog, I'll go ahead and say that the whole Coney Dog (or at least the Coney Dog Aidan style, or minus the mustard) was enjoyable. The chili was the highlight, but the bun was acceptable and the hot dog worked well in that venue. The fries were nothing special, but certainly got the job done. I was not personally a fan of the cheese fries, as the cheese seemed to be a nacho cheese and that is not how I roll. I am a bit of a purist when it comes to my cheese fries.
The Chicago style dog, however, was an entirely different story. The hot dog was not a tasty platform for the traditional Chicago style toppings. Again, said hot dogs were not Vienna Beef, which is often a plus but in this case it had mixed results. There was a natural casing so I got a satisfying pop with my bites but the taste was just not right. Despite the bun not being steamed, I will grant that it held together well, the relish was neon green, and the pickle spear fit on the bun. There was also a reasonable amount of celery salt, and I always appreciate that. The onions were fine as well. The tomatoes were diced and, although I may have felt differently in the past, diced tomatoes are unacceptable. The flavor gets too diluted and the texture is off. Of course, I managed to finish it, but I did not enjoy my Chicago Style hot dog and that is a great sadness.
On the other hand, I realized I had met my server the week before at my neighborhood bar and so I like to think that once again hot dogs brought people together and created much joy. The restaurant was not a grease joint, and there was sitting and waiting and tipping involved, which sort of gave the whole experience a strange edge. I am not used to eating hot dogs under such conditions. It may have been a bit too fancy for hot dog eating, in fact. I might go back, but only if I really wanted Coney Dogs.
Aidan
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