Kim & Carlo’s Hot Dog Stand

I absolutely love this family and their food. Kim & Carlo are a local fam, hard working and committed to serving the folks of their hometown. I’ve visited their Loop brick and mortar location as well as their portable West Town food cart. Both of which offer all of your favorite Chicago-​style delectables.

Not sure what all the fuss is about. Visiting from California and wanted to try an authentic Chicago style dog. With the high Unilocal review, I was expecting something great. It’s just a hot dog people! Yes it did have a lot of toppings but nothing you can’t get anywhere else. It’s your average hot dog with toppings minus ketchup.
If you happen to be in the area and are craving a hot dog, go for it. However, I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here

Overall: Post soldier field hot dogs in front of the museum. Pretty tasty and authentic with a nice view of the city
Food: I got the Chicago hot dog. Classic and delicious
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For four dollars, you too can live the dream of eating a Chicago hot dog in front of the beautiful skyline.

Chicago style hot dog done the right way. No imitation here an authentic Vienna frank with those fantastic sport peppers, tomato, and a dill pick spear. Alll for the unbelievable price of $ 4. How do you top that?
I love hot dogs and I really like Chicago style. This one does not disappoint. If you are by the Aquarium, it is the best value you will get in Chicago. You will thank me.

My first Chicago dog experience and yes coming from the East Coast I know about the dreaded NO KETCHUP ideology that seems to grip this town. The staff was warm and friendly and the hot dogs (fully loaded) were really good. Definitely hit the spot at this authentic place!

A no frills hot dog stand, Kim & Carlo’s gets five stars. Hold the bells and whistles, these delightfully hard-​working folks serve up a bite of one of Chicago’s proud staples: the hot dog. With bratwurst, turkey, and vegetarian options, Kim & Carlo’s has something for all diets. Featuring great value combos, three different options of chips, and soda, choice paralysis is not an issue. Get your dog and go enjoy the beautiful lakeside views of the Windy City’s majestic skyline.

This little hotdog stand/​cart is located at Museum Campus –as if it wasn’t a more prime location for a tourist spot. I knew I had to try the infamous Chicago dog while in Chicago, so my friend recommended this place. I chose the Chicago hot dog ($ 4), which came with mustard, relish, pepperoncinis, sliced tomatoes, and a pickle wedge. The buns are steamed with poppy seeds. It was surprising how hot my hot dog was being made in under a minute.
I am not sure if it’s my difference in tastebuds, but a Chicago dog is not for me. I would choose a LA dirty dog any day. The sourness of the pickle was interesting as for the tomatoes was just confusing to me. I ate them on their own instead.

Great people! Come get an inexpensive Chicago hot dog from Denise and Gitta… good quality all beef dogs…

This hot dog stand was right between the Shedd Aquarium and Field Museum. I went with all of the fixings on a Chicago dog. It could have been a little hotter; can’t compare to the Chicago dog I had at Wrigley field, but given the limited choices in the area, it was good. The fresh fixings made the difference. Fast and friendly service. $ 2 for a can of soda? Okay, I understand, you need to make a living.

Kim & Carlo’s Hot Dog Stand is located right next to the Shedd Museum and Field Museum. They’re opened even though it’s –30 outside. It looks close but there is actually someone in the hot dog stand. You just have to walk up and they sliding window will open. It’s not a creepy person who’s about to kill you. Chicagoans have one rule when it comes to their hot dogs and they’re Nazis about it.
Chicago Hot Dog Rule: No Ketchup. Don’t Ask.
We got the Polish Sausage with everything on it. It had yellow mustard, dill pickles, slices of tomato, chopped white onions, salt, relish, peppers, a poppy seed bun and no ketchup. I asked for ketchup and she gave me a dirty look. What? Did I stutter, m*hf*ckah?!
Anyway, the Chicago dog is definitely distinct from other cities’ take on how a hot dog should be eaten. The Chicago dog has a juicy and sour bite to it. The bun is soft and the main act is the toppings. As you bite into the Chicago Hot Dog, the first thing your palate will notice is the crisp and plumpness of the hot dog followed by the sourness of the toppings as you chew. It’s a good marriage of flavors for Chicago weather and the only reason why Chicago Hot Dogs are only good in Chicago. It’s the same thing as NYC Pizza and Halal Guys only being good in NYC. LA has it’s late night taco stands and dirty dogs cart and no other city does those two things better in the United States.
Anyway, the difference between a Chicago hot dog versus an LA dirty dog is the preparation. Chicago hog dogs and buns are boiled or steamed with the exception of the char-​dog. The boiled or steam gives the Chicago dog the crisp juicy bite to them. Now, LA Dirty Dogs are «grilled» and wrapped in bacon. The toppings are the same except for a few items. The onions are grilled and usually caramelized due to how long it has been on the grill. It comes with mustard, ketchup and mayo. The condiments are more diverse than a Chicago dog.
Overall, Kim & Carlo’s interpretation of a Chicago dog was good and had a lot of flavors to it. I definitely enjoyed it as a snack and wouldn’t recommend it as a whole meal unless you eat like 2 of them. It’s a good spot to stop for a snack or lunch during your day at the museum.

Positioned right by the water near the aquarium and planetarium, this spot is obviously frequented by tourists– it’s not bad for what it is, but it’s far from the great Chicago dog experience you were hoping for. I literally had better at the airport. Service is fast and friendly, prices are reasonable considering the location, with a cheap lunch clocking in around $ 7. Splurge for the polish dog for the best experience.

I have tried the Chicago style hot dog once, but I was not pleased with the experience. Because of that, I wanted to give it one more try. This hot dog stand was conveniently located outside the field museum. I got the polish sausage with all the Chicago style toppings. It only cost $ 5. For $ 0.50 more you can also have the sauerkraut as a topping. It was nice that they do take various forms of card in addition to cash. I was not disappointed with the hot dog! The sausage was so juicy and meaty, while all the ingredients like the onion and tomatoes tasted very fresh. It was a little salty though. Make sure that you have a beverage with you because you will need it.

The hungry tourists dream hot dog stand.
Candy, ice cream and of course hot dogs conveniently adjacent to the field museum.
I chose to go for gold with the Polish sausage chicago style with sauerkraut, and I was not disappointed! They allowed me to customize my order in a manner that left me with a chihuahua sized hot dog all for $ 5.50. Keep in mind that sauerkraut costs an extra .50, but I think it’s worth it. My polish hot dog was well spiced and the Chicago style peppers were really yummy. I would frequent this place if I were local for sure!

So everyone’s all like you’re in Chicago. You HAVE to get a Chicago dog… So I did. And I get the hype. Luckily for me I’m not a fan of that overly sweet but tasteless sloppy red sauce (aka ketchup) people are accustomed to putting on their dogs. So I knew I wouldn’t be breaking that rule of no ketchup on the Chicago style dog rule. They day was cold the dog was nice and hot. The pickle was cool and crisp. The service was fast and friendly. The price was mehhhhh, alright. But the first time experience with a Chicago dog was great.

Kim & Carlo’s was my first experience with the famous Chicago dog! As a quick, affordable lunch during a busy museum day, it’s just about perfect.
I wanted the full Chicago dog experience and I have no qualms about the type of mystery meat that goes into my hot dogs, so I got the regular combo, which includes a hot dog, bag of chips, and can of soda for $ 7. It’s a pretty decent value for lunch, especially compared to restaurant prices overall in Chicago.
The link itself was unremarkable, kinda skimpy and nothing special. But the fluffy poppy seed bun, tomato and onion, dill pickle and pepperoncini really filled it out, so it’s all about the toppings. The hot dog alone didn’t fill me up, so I ended up eating the chips too. So if you have a big appetite, go for the combo (or two hot dogs and a drink).
Service was friendly and fast, with no line at around 2:30 on a weekday, and I was in and out with hot dog in hand in under 5 minutes.
There’s no seating, as this is just a food cart, but you can easily perch on the nearby ledge or museum steps to eat. And then you can get right back to the museum or aquarium and SEE MORE!
A tasty hot dog, if not mind-​blowing or life-​changing, and a good, fast option if you’re at the Field Museum or the Shedd Aquarium. But I’m still loyal to the Seattle dog (hot dog, grilled onions, and cream cheese)!

The famous Chicago hot dog was okay…
I felt like it wasn’t as flavorful as it seems. The pickle and the pepper seems to take over most of the flavor of the dog.

Soo this is a weird review for me. Torn between 3 stars and 5 stars… Let me explain why:
3 stars for overall culinary experience– it is a Chicago style hot dog for 4 bucks. Is it tasty? yes, but at the end of the day, it is a hot dog from a stand, and I’ve had better hot dogs at other establishments. Don’t expect to come here and get blown away by an amazing, unique dog. (I put this here because a ⁴⁄₁₂ Unilocal star comes with a certain connotation…)
However, 5 stars when compared to every other hot dog stand I have been to. Since this seems to be a couple of nice kids trying to make it in the city, I am going to go ahead and give them a 5 starrer.
BROTIPS:
+Order two if you are like me and can EAT. One didnt fill me up
+3% charge for all credit
+ Saurkraut is 50c extra
+ chips +$ 1
+Line can get looooong during lunch
+For a full Chicago experience, order with all the fixins

I spent two days trying to find a place that would serve a Chicago-​style hot dog with a vegetarian hot dog, & this was the only place I found, & it had raving Unilocal reviews. I trudged over in the snow only to find them closed! I thought this odd, since I know Chicagoans never bend to the weather, but I later saw on their Facebook page that they decided to close an hour early. I took the time out of my trip to come back from Forest Park the next day just to have lunch here & it was worth it!
There are two stands at the Field Museum. One outside the museum facing the bus stops, and a second one in the courtyard on the side of the aquarium. It was my first time having a Chicago dog, & it was so good, I had one at each stand lol. The dog itself was $ 4, & a 20oz bottled water was $ 3. The Chicago dog included a veggie dog topped with tomatoes, celery salt, onions, sweet relish, sport peppers (spicy), mustard, & a dill pickle spear in a poppy seed bun.
YUM SO MUCH GOOD!!! THE place to have a Chicago dog in the city!

LEGIT. I like a heartier dog so I went with the Polish with everything. Mo went with the classic chicago with everything. Halfway through we switched as all foodie couples do. And GEEZ these peppers don’t mess around here either. They will slap the Chicago cold outta you.
**TIPS** There are two! One directly in front of the Field Museum & one in front of the aquarium so of one line is too long just bounce over to the either.

Thank you to all of my fellow Unilocalers for the useful information and recommendation for K&C’s.
I had family in town and we made our plans around visiting K&C’s to try our first Chicago-​style dog. Obviously, by the five stars, we weren’t disappointed. K&C’s goes above and beyond by offering a vegan dog so I could enjoy it with my family. We noticed they have two locations at or near the Field Museum but not sure of others.
As I only had the vegan dog I can only comment on that; although everyone loved the meat version, too. All of the ingredients, down to the poppy seed bun, tasted fresh. If you don’t like spicy hot request to hold off the pepper. I personally love the heat so it was no issue. If you’ve been in Chicago long you already know that ketchup is a forbidden condiment. While they will gladly add ketchup upon request, you will have to dance for it at K&C’s.
You might get caught in a long line but the upside is they take time to make your dog right, not just slap it together and throw it out of the window.
Price point is decent at $ 4 per dog and $ 7 for a combo of chips and a can of soda. Bottled water is pricey at $ 3 so bring it from home.
I cannot wait to go back, I’m craving it just writing this review.