Big Sammy’s Hot Dogs

Used to be a regular of the original Big Sammy’s in Elk Grove, but it has been quite a while since I’ve seen Sammy, and I have never been to the Elgin location. I had a taste for a hot dog while on Randall so I figured I’d stop in. To be honest with you, Sammy makes the place. The food is ok and decently priced, but it would be just another hot dog place if it wasn’t for Sammy. He’s one of the nicest friendliest people around. It was good to see him again after a couple years.

I stopped in here for lunch when I didn’t feel like fighting for parking at Panera.
The service was great, and he was understanding with my questions (since I’d never been there before). I got their 2 hotdog special, and they were delicious. Normally when I get a bacon cheese dog, I feel slightly skimped on cheese. Here? The cheese was warm and gooey and I had to be careful not to spill it all over!
The fries were crispy, nicely cooked. If anything, they needed a little salt — easily fixed with a packet of salt.
When I got ready to go back to work, they all thanked me for coming. I will definitely be back and can’t wait to try the Gyros.

For a fast food place, this is the best around. We have been a few times and can’t wait to go back to try more from their huge menu. Great hot dogs, brats, cheesy beef and fries. Sammy makes you feel welcomed, like you are over to his house for a barbecue.

Over priced. Higher prices than Portillos with only mediocre food. Hot dogs are advertised as Vienna Beef however I highly doubt they are Vienna Beef. They look and taste like cheap pork hotdogs.

I have been coming here for years. I love how they great you by name, if they don’t know your name they ask. Amazing service all the time. The food is fresh and not your typical fast food. It is very much like a Chicago style hotdog/​burger place with a wider veriety of options. There are many places in the area to eat and we choose Big Sammys. Also Big Sammy works the counter such a great guy.

Food is very good. A typical «beef and hot dog joint» but what sets this place apart from the others is the owner, Sammy.
He is so friendly. You walk in and he remembers your name. He chats with you about stuff going on in your life and not just small talk. Makes you feel very welcome.
There is TV there and typically it is on a channel that plays movies. Its nice to sit and eat your food while watching a movie vs a sports program like most other places. Refreshing!
The 2 hot dog special is a great deal and is delicious. My wife loves the hamburger. I have had it as well and it is a good burger. The beef and sausage combo sandwich is very good. Order it with cheese and sports peppers. Fabulous!

Tried Sammy’s for the first time today, ordering a chicken gyros and small fry. The chicken gyros was okay — it is pre-​cut and they reheat, while I prefer it fresh off the spit (or whatever you call the gyros, slowly-​rotating warmer ;-). The fries were very good, fresh & crispy (comparable to Tommy’s in Lake in the Hills). What I did NOT care for was their gyros sauce. Instead of serving a true, fresh tzatziki sauce it seemed to be a highly-​processed creamy garlic dressing with a tiny bit of cucumber grated into it. I don’t think it was good enough to return again; when I decide to splurge on gyros again, it’ll be worth the further drive to head to Brandy’s in Hanover Park for the ‘real deal’ gyros.

I’ve only been here once, and it was pretty decent. I ordered the chicken gyros sandwich, which unfortunately, I wouldn’t order again. I would have preferred my gyros to be a little more crispy, as it was too soft or undercooked for my liking. The portion was OK. There were tons of fries, and the fries are delicious! My friend ordered the regular gyros, and it was just okay. I also tasted the popcorn chicken which was excellent! I’d definitely order that if I was in the mood for fried chicken. The mozzarella sticks weren’t that good and neither was the sauce that comes with it, I’d skip out on that one. I would be willing to go back to try their food again.

We ordered two beef sandwich’s and a full slap of ribs ribs we could not even cut with the plastic knife.. 5oz of beef wouldnt even cover the bread… I would not recommend this place :(

Unexpectedly awesome, everything I’ve tried has been great tasting and filling. Only bad thing I can say is the hot dogs are a little small and not the highlight of their selection. Other than that I have had nothing but good experiences with them. Great price, fast, and tastes good.

When we visit the area (we live in FL now) we make time for at least one lunch stop here.
Love the hot dogs and fries. Don’t forget to order a cup of cheese.

My own imposed rules for any review:
1. Must visit at least three times. Two of which must be distinctly different formats; i.e. one weekday night and one weekend night.
2. Must order something unique each visit.
3. If they have any «signature» items on the menu, you must order a «signature» item at least once.
4. Ratings are based on a 10 point scale with 5 being average, which does not mean bad. What a score of 5 means is that the category meets expectations for that establishments format.
Thanks.
Big Sammy’s
Location/​Layout — ⁴⁄₁₀: Located on the far Northwest corner of Elgin just south of route 72 on Randall, the area is easy to find. The strip mall that the location is located in, is tucked back a bit from the street but it is fairly easy to navigate to the front entrance. The issue is the parking, while in good repair; it is shared by several other businesses in the strip and at times serves as overflow parking for a neighboring bar. This can make getting access to Big Sammy’s an issue. The interior is simple and offers fairly ample seating, although it is in banquet table format set in three connected rows. There are also a handful of counter seats available for those that do not want community style seating.
Menu — ⁶⁄₁₀: Big Sammy’s offers a fairly standard Chicago «beef stand» menu. This includes your stand beef, combo, dog, sausage and burger options; paired with various fried sides. While the menu is fairly expansive for a dog stand, there is rarely if ever any special or seasonal items.
Service — 1.5÷10: The service has always been an issue for us. It ranges from inattentive to unenthused. Which was never a major issue until we recently went to eat there. When we ordered, my wife’s interaction was not very well received and therefore she opted to not order and abstained from placing an order since this was her last straw with this establishment, never having been a big fan of the food or the service. I received my order brought it to our table to eat and while we decided where we were going to stop so she could eat. I ate my $ 10 combo meal and she pondered her options. During this time at some point she had a couple of my fries. When I went to refill the small beverage that is provided with the meal I was told that there are no free refills, for those sharing a meal. At this time I noticed the paper printout above the fountain but did not realize that her having a couple of fries constituted «splitting» a meal??? So she asked a question was told sternly about the «rule» to which she sternly replied and we left, never to return again.
Food — ⁴⁄₁₀: The biggest issue is not taste but the value. Costs are significantly above average, with the exception of their two hot dog meal which can be had for $ 5. For example a combo (beef and sausage for non-​locals) meal is roughly $ 10 and a beef meal is $ 8. I know sit down restaurants serving these items at a lower cost. Additionally, the beverage you are served with the meal is significantly smaller than most establishments. On the other hand, the taste of the food is fairly good. Beefs are solid, though not wet enough, and don’t ask for anything other than dipped because there are no special accommodations for requests like that. The combos are good but the beef is only used as a garnish and at the menu prices should have significantly more beef to sausage ratio. If you do go here the dogs are the definite stand out.
Drinks — ⁴⁄₁₀: They offer the standard fountain drinks and machine shakes but little other options.
Overall Experience — ²⁄₁₀: We really wanted to like to Big Sammy’s. We have stopped here several times as it is convenient when travelling the Randall corridor. The issue has always been value and not feeling welcomed. Unfortunately, on our most recent trip the service got to a level that we just will choose not come back.

Came in here for a late night snack to carry out. The worker there, who might have been Big Sammy himself, told us about the hot dog special. Two hot dogs, french fries, and a drink for $ 5! We bought three hot dog specials and some cheese for the fries. We paid and waited around 5 minutes for the food. The smell of hotdogs filled the car and our mouths were watering. When we got home, we opened it up and realized that they forgot to give us the cheese! AHH! Anyways, the hot dogs had a good snap to it and were tasty. They wieners were a bit small, but I guess that’s expected from the price. I would come back if I was in the area, but I would make sure to check the contents of the bag before leaving…

Never miss a lunch here when in the area for training. Plain and simple Chicago style dogs and on the cheap.

Big Sammy’s is a decent place to stop in and get a decent dog.
I’ve had hot dogs all over the Chicagoland area, and Big Sammy’s got some of the best in the suburbs. Fully loaded Chicago style hotdogs on the cheap, you can’t go wrong. I work in the area and stop in for my cheese fry fix and the occasional hotdog combo, and I rarely leave disappointed. I usually try to avoid some of the more filling items as they seem a little pricey to me, and (this is probably just a personal problem) leave me feeling a little funny later on. The cookies they offer also taste just like mom makes and are a lot bigger than the ones two doors down at Jimmy John’s.
The staff is also very friendly and Big Sammy Himself, when he’s working, is a riot. I never dread walking into his place knowing I’ll be well taken care of. I would definitely recommend a trip here.

Simple and easy. This place is exactly what you would expect. Service was good. Prices were just right. Not an everyday joint, but we will be back.

Based off a co-​workers recommendation, I went and tried Sammy’s and got the grilled chicken sandwich meal. Loved the sandwich and also the fries. I must agree the food was really good and fresh. My only thought is that the price was a little high. I would say $ 8 flat for the meal would be just right. Wont be a everyday stop for me but I know I get a craving and head over there once and a while.

Solid chow scene… Clean, fresh…
Never disappointed

Stopped here for a beef sandwich. I was shocked at how nasty this tasted. It must have been sitting all day in the gravy, and the gravy had a weird taste to it. I saw a couple of hot dogs go out that actually had a decent steamed bun. Nothing original here, would not recommend this place. They have no clue what a good Italian beef sangwich is. Mediocre at best.

This dog don’t hunt.
Hot dogs are mediocre gyros suck fries are low quality
Do yourself a favor and skip this choke n puke joint