Express Grill & Jim's Original: Double Dogging 5/20/14

 

There is a reason I called this page a 'Hot Dog Adventure.' This was the night that proved why. There was no decision to go get a hot dog until around 1:30am when we began to discuss how obsessed with hot dogs we were becoming. Chris knew of a couple of places near where he went to college at UIC that were open 24 hours. So off we were to enjoy dogs from Express Grill and Jim's Original.

Fancy metal ledge

Seeing as how Express Grill and Jim's Original are neighbors, it is impossible to not compare the two. That is exactly what Chris did when he first began at UIC. Trying them both, he became a fan of Jim's and stuck to it during his entire time there. The line at Jim's appears to back up his support. There was a constant line there while at any moment one could walk right to the window of Express Grill. I should point out that both of these were walk up only. There is no entrance and there are no tables. At both places the only place to eat is a metal ledge that runs along the side of the building. Simplicity is very much a theme at many Chicagoland hot dog restaurants.

Seeing as how Chris prefers Jim's Original, we decided to start with Express Grill. Boasting all the favorites from a place claiming Maxwell Street origins, it was only the hot dog that we were concerned with. Unsurprisingly, this hot dog was a Vienna Beef. On first bite I was expecting that wonderful snap

Express Grill hot dog and fries

but was greeted with more of a crunch. For me, this crunch stayed for the entire sausage, for Chris it did not. All we could assume was that one had been in the water cooking for a longer period of time. Here, the toppings were of the 'depression dog' style with a slight variation. Most notably was the use of grilled onions as opposed to raw onions. The addition of a nice caramelized flavor to a Vienna dog was outstanding. What was less obvious to me was the missing relish. I did not even realize it until much later when Chris brought it up.

And then there were the sport peppers. Wrapped next to the bun instead of on the dog these were on a mission statement from hell. I am very much a fan of what must be the more traditional and mild style of sport peppers. Darker in color than what I am familiar with, these caught me by surprise. I placed them on the dog as I would normally do and took my regular bite into the dog. Pepper juice shot down my throat and my mouth was immediately on fire. Chris took his bite and is reminded why he never got peppers here. After trying to fight through it, I run back to the window (no line) and grab a can of coke.

Before the coke, I tried using the fries to cool my burning mouth. Apparently hot fries only add to the discomfort. Proudly advertising that the fries come free with every hot dog, these came in a separate wrapper within the hot dog wrapper.  They were very simple basic fries with no salt. For me, that is all that I really need. Simple but enjoyable.

After Express Grill, we took a little breather to take in the location and to cool our mouths. Located on a one way street the runs alongside the toll way, there is plenty of activity. There were constant people arriving all night/morning long. There was also a nice view of downtown Chicago. It was in this time that I realized that these were our first hot dogs to be consumed within the city limits.

After a brief conversation, it was time to stand in line at Jim's Original. A sign shows that Jim's has been in business for over 74 years. Jim bought it from his aunt in the early 1940s and is said to have made the Maxwell Street Polish Sausage into what we know and love today. There it resided until Jim's relocated to it's current location in the 2000s.

We decide that since we had sport peppers at one place, it was only fair to have them at the other place.

Jim's Original hot dog and fries

So two more dogs with everything are ordered. Once again, fries come free with every hot dog. Also again, these are Vienna Beef dogs. I take my first bite and the bottom of my bun begins to fall apart. At least this dog snapped though.

As with Express Grill, the sport peppers came on the side. So as discussed I add them to the dog. After I get through the first pepper, I decide enough is enough and remove the rest of the peppers. This is another 'depression dog' with a twist. Again there are grilled onions but there also appear to be some lightly sweated diced onions. A unique and delicious combination. Plus, there is relish on this dog. However, with my failing bun and increasingly full stomach, this dog is not becoming an easy dog to eat. I know have to though. For research purposes.

I have no idea what is going on here

That being said, I was hardly able to eat any of the unique fries. I still cannot figure out what was done with them. First of all, these were the first seasoned fries of our adventure. A simple salt and pepper combination. There was more though. Perhaps it was a different frying technique that results in a different texture. They were full of flavor with a nice crisp. There was no way to finish them but I made sure they found their way back to my place. Another first happened with the fires. We were provided with packets of ketchup. Those also found their way back to my place.

Overall the differences between Express Grill and Jim's Original do not explain the difference between the lines. At least in terms of the hot dogs. Jim's is indeed the original though. Given the choice between the two, I would lean towards Jim's mostly based on that fact alone. There is something special about the place that started it all.

Express Grill 

1260 S. Union Ave
Chicago, IL 60607

Jim's Original 

1250 S. Union Ave

Chicago, IL 60607