Ideal Hot Dog

Awesome chili Mac. Clean place. Waitresses were super nice. If you get the chili Mac you can get mild or hot. Get half and half you’ll love it.

I ordered 5 chili dogs to go, $ 10.40, which isn’t bad. The next guy in line ordered 4 chili dogs to go, $ 6.25. DO NOT get that fifth hot dog that costs an extra $ 4.15. That $ 4 tells me he doesn’t want me to come back. Ok, I won’t!

This the THE place to go for Chili Mac in Toledo! I always get the spicy because it is not really what I would call hot and it has a lot more flavor than the mild. For chili dogs, I still go to Rudy’s or Tony Packo’s, but IDEAL HOT DOG is my place for chili mac.

Still looking for the best Hot dog I can find in the Toledo area. This place has a good tasting chili sauce but the hot dog was again unremarkable. Not much flavor for a place dedicated to Hot Dogs. Fries were good. I got the order to go but it took quite a while even though the restaurant was basically empty.

Let me preface this review by saying I’m a BIG Cincinnati Chili fan. The closest Skyline used to be in BG, but no more. I’ve heard rumor of a Lima outpost…
Anyway, Ideal Hot Dog has the best of the Toledo-​areastyle of «Chili Mac». Years ago (Like 25+) I used to eat at the Heatherdowns location. Always liked it. Then I moved to South Florida. Visited Ideal when I was up seeing family all those years, but was getting my regular fix from a South Florida Skyline store. But everytime I was in NW Ohio, I had to go to Ideal. Infrequently, I have hot dogs, but the Chili Mac calls my name more often. Love it, and I eat it the Cincinnati way — lengthwise.
Ideal ha a great blend of spices and a great meat ratio. I have tried the mild, hot and half and half. All good, but I actually prefer the mild. It has a more even balance of good flavors. The waitstaff is always comforting in that unique diner server way. i always expect kind of a cigarette/​whiskey voice and a «what’llyahavehon» demeanor. Rarely the former, but inevitably the latter. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean it in the nicest possible way. That style of server ROCKS! See my review on Too Jays Deli for more on that if you wish. My one caveat on service is this. Check your bill. Twice now I have ordered the «Whiteboard Special» of Chili Mac, Garlic Bread and Beverage for a set price and have been charged separately for the beverage. Both times it was removed at the register when I pointed it out. Also, as long as I mentioned beverages, they really should have bigger glasses. You give free refills, so save your servers some time and save the aggravation of waiting for a refill or two to the customer.
One more thing, the Chili is always hot, but the noodles and beans have always, ALWAYS been luke warm at best. Each time I dig in, I can’t believe I once again forgot to ask or the duo to maybe be heated up somehow. Its a bummer, but thank god the chili is good.
It seems I run into more Rudy’s fans, and the owner at Deez Diner claimed that her late husband actually was the pioneer in Toledo Chili Mac and taught almost all who followed. I still say Ideal is the best Toledo has.
Now, if I can remember to ask for a noodle warmup…

Best hot dogs and chili mac in Toledo. The atmosphere and service are excellent along with all the menu choices. A group of us from a local Corvette Club eat there often. They are very accommodating to our group. Thanks Ideal

Been coming here for 17 years. If you like dives with amazing food and staff, it does not get better than this!

I ordered a chicken pita sandwich, which was cheap but delicious. The reason I gave this such a low score is because every time I go there the service is poor. This time I called in my order to limit my time in the restaurant. Customer service is not a priority here but a quick lunch option for the area.

The place is Amazing. It was so amazing I went twice while I was on vacation! I got the jumbo chili Mac both times it has so much flavor and grease and everything a unhealthy meal should be! The place itself might look a little outdated I’m in my twenties and was one of the youngest customer in the restaurant who wasn’t a child but it’s 100% worth it

Chili Mac is one of my all time favorite meals, and Ideal Hot Dog has the best in town. Again, not quite as good as Cincinnati style, but still really good.
The only question is which location? Alexis or Heatherdowns? North or south? George or Nick? Greek or, uhhhh, Greek?
No matter which Ideal you eat at, you can’t go wrong with the chili. Put in over noodles, put it on a hotdog, or put it in a bowel. Just make sure you put some in your stomach!

My fiancé and I decided to try this place while doing laundry across the street. Typical diner atmosphere, informal and comfy. We were surprised at the amount of items they offered and were excited to order. I got the ham and cheese sandwich, he got the steak sandwich with onion rings. Our food came out quickly, along with the bill. Surprise surprise even tho the waitress asked «what side would you like?» with the steak sandwich, it was not included as it sounded to be. We were charged $ 2.35 for six measly onion rings. My grilled ham and cheese was pathetically small, I could have easily made it at home for far less than $ 4. Nothing fancy about this place, or the food, you could get a much better meal for only a few bucks more across the street at the distillery. Won’t be coming back here.

Why five stars you ask? Because Ideal Hotdog is about as American as it gets in terms of dives/​diners. They do not try to sell themselves as anything else and do not pretend to be a fine dining establishment. They are simply operating as a good old fashioned greasy spoon — and they do a hell of a job at that.
When you get a hankering for some greasy chili served atop a pile of pasta, poured over a hot dog, or lovingly caked inside a burger bun, then Ideal is your place. Admittedly, this is not a place for those worrying about cholesterol as anyone who has gotten take away chili mac and left it in their fridge overnight knows, but if you are headed out to Ideal for a quick bite, I am sure health is the last thing on your mind. They always deliver on what counts: Tried and True American Classic Greasy Spoon Fare.
As Dwight Eisenhower once quipped, «Some people wanted champagne and caviar when they should have had beer and hot dogs».
You can rest assured you will get nothing but the ideal chili-​grease dog at Ideal.

I had never heard of a hot dog diner before stopping here, but that’s apparently what Ideal Hot Dog is. I think the focus is more on the diner aspect as well as their chili, which they put on their eponymous hot dog.
The chili itself is pretty good, just thick enough with a lot of flavor, although maybe not the highest quality. The hot dog, on the other hand, was some sort of cheap store-​bought sausage on par with Oscar Meyer or something else terrible. There’s no excuse for not having a high quality wiener, especially if that’s what you’re advertising. As for the fries, they were standard and I wish they were a little hotter.
The owner has some mixed-​up priorities considering he/​she should have named this place Ideal Chili instead. Or maybe Casual Toledo Diner. Or anything other than a name that brings attention to the hot dogs.

Best breakfast, chili Mac, and hot dogs in the city. I’ve been going for over 20 years and the food quality has not changed and the prices can’t be beat. Toledo’s best-​kept secret and hidden gem. What a great diner!

This is a great place for a cheap meal. Doesn’t matter if it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You will get the same low prices and slightly below average quality, yet it still tastes great.
Chili-​mac is amazing I also recommend ½ hot ½ mild with beans and onions… don’t forget the cheese! Omlettes are great, hot dogs are great, gotta get sauce, mustard and onion (aka everything). Pretty much everything on the menu is great. I’ve been going here for as long as I can remember. At least 20 years.
There are daily specials on the table cards as well.

I have been going to this dive since I was a kid. When my dad and I have an «Ideal Attack» we go get some dogs. In fact, the only thing I have ever had are the hot dogs-​the place is called Ideal Hotdog after all.
This may be sacrilege for many Toledoans, but I like them better than Rudy’s.
The sauce blends well with the bun and dog. It has a little spice, but not too much. The fries are greasy. You will feel like you need exercise after you eat here, and that’s okay.
If you are in to chili-​mac, then this is your type of place. You get a heaping pile of noodles and sauce, and I’ve heard it is great.
Ideal serves some alcohol, mostly beer, and the atmosphere is diner/​dive. It hasn’t changed in years, and I don’t want it to.
To me this is a lunch spot that I have been going to for years, and I just can’t get myself to change my order. I keep it simple at Ideal Hotdog because that’s what this restaurant is all about-​simplicity.