Mr. Pup: Meal On A Bun Dogging 5/12/14

Growing up in the Chicago Suburbs, every town seems to have their own hot dog vendor. This place becomes the one and only place to get a hot dog. No one else seems to make them right. It is impossible to pinpoint what the difference is. I think it comes down to familiarity. For me, Mr. Pup in Des Plaines was this place as a child. It was the location I had my first Chicago and I knew it had to be one of our first stops.

Ultimately unchanged since I was a kid, I can pretty much blame credit Mr. Pup as starting my obsession with the Chicago-style hot dog. Here, as a sign in the front window advertises, the dog is made by Red Hot Chicago. Walking in, this place looks exactly the same as it did 20 some years ago.
Immediately upon entering, the front counter greets you at chest height with an overhang reminiscent of a classic hot dog cart. A old style menu, just to the right of the counter, boasts all of the traditional Chicago hot dog stand staples. My hot dog adventure partner Chris, is insistent that, if available, we order a Chili Dog at each location. This week we are lucky and Mr. Pup offers a variety of different dogs including a chili cheese dog.


After placing his order, Chris strikes up a little conversion with the nice older lady working the cashier. It is the little things like this that make me love the smaller local franchises over the larger such as

Portillo's. Looking at this lady there is the impression that she worked here for years. This certainly cannot be the first time I have received a hot dog from her.

Being served in the classic of classic wrappers, the fries were of a classic steak fry variety. Nothing out of the ordinary but still very much a quality product. At most places, the fires are over salted. Not here though, these fries had hardly a hint of salt. Overall, nothing more than a standard fry.

Obviously, we are ordering the Chicago-style hot dogs with everything, whatever that may entail. At Mr. Pup, that is your typical mustard, onion, relish, tomato, pickle, sport pepper, and celery salt. However, they add lettuce and cucumbers. A real garden on a bun, or as the Mr. Pup sign advertises, 'A Meal On A Bun.' Speaking of the bun, although it is not a poppy seed bun, it is still a nice soft S. Rosen (the traditional of traditional) bun. The dog itself was a Red Hot Chicago. Although it lacked the identifiable snap that we look for, it was full of flavor and juice. The salad bar of toppings was a wonderful arrangement of enjoyment. Slightly breaking from tradition, the tomatoes were diced instead of wedged. Had they been wedged, I'm not sure

how one would attack this behemoth of a hot dog. The sport peppers are large and delicious. Many people choose to pass on the peppers but as I discover more and more, they really are an essential part of the hot dog experience.

For the first time on our Hot Dog Adventure, we were able to order up some chili dogs. Not a true Chicago tradition, it is still a staple at many local vendors. I lived in Cincinnati for about a year and the local dog there is of the chili dog variety. I grew to really enjoy them. That being said, the chili cheese dog at Mr. Pup was quite wonderful. The standard chili cheese dog comes with just cheese and chili. With the addition of raw onions, the dog was complete. A first bite yields a a nice meaty chili with a wonderful creamy cheese. After the first few bites I realized that I should have eaten this beast over the remainder of my fries. Fortunately, they provide you with a fork to clean up the mess. We both thought the combination of the chili, cheese, and the dog was outstanding. However, when eaten without the dog, the chili did not stand up on its own. Though, you could argue that it was never meant to be eaten alone.

Overall, Mr. Pup is a fantastic Chicago-style hot dog vender and a gem to Des Plaines. I am flooded by memories each time I visit and consume one of its tasty treats. There may be locations that are better but every time you come to the Pup, you know exactly what it will be.

Mr. Pup

1262 Lee St 

Des Plaines, IL