Since its humble beginnings as a push cart around 70 years ago, this Chicago hot dog stand has been serving the West Chatham community. It’s been around so long since the original owner, Jack Gullickson, purchased his kitchen equipment from Ray Kroc when the McDonald’s founder was still a humble salesman. The hot dogs and fixings are a little sweeter than at other stands, but everything is top-notch down to the sport pepper. There’s also plenty of Mexican fare, as the store is now owned by the El Gran Burrito chain.

While developers continue to reshape 31st Street, much to the chagrin of many locals, Maxwell Street Depot continues to serve Polish and hot dogs 24 hours a day.

The Duck Inn's duck fat dog is the kind of mad scientist genius diners have come to expect from chef Kevin Hickey, who led two restaurants to Michelin stars before opening his own place in 2014. The hybrid beef/duck link is a welcome addition to Chicago's hot dog landscape.

Chicago’s oldest hot dog stand has been open since the early 1930s and has always been a family-owned business: first the Kaplans, then the Karms, and now the Fountains. The Karms originally refused to serve their hot dogs with any condiments besides mustard, pickles, and peppers, but restrictions have loosened over the years. Still, no ketchup is allowed.

This classic hot dog spot near UIC has been around since 1968. In addition to Italian beef, gyros, and Polish sausages, it serves the elusive turkey leg, a classic but nowadays seldom seen Chicago street food.

A snappy, juicy bagel dog from Zeitlin’s, a lively modern Jewish bakery and deli inside Downtown Chicago’s From Here On Food Hall, pays homage to the ancestors with an all-beef hot dog from Romanian Kosher Sausage Co., an iconic kosher butcher in Chicago for nearly 70 years. The dog is swaddled in an everything-spiced bagel alongside a kosher dill pickle and deli mustard.

The quest for a vegan hot dog is one that comes with much peril. The sausage needs the right texture and cooked properly. The bun is also not an easy feat to execute. Upton’s Naturals, the vegan food company, knows this and has applied their commitment to quality at their restaurant, Liberation Kitchen. The Chicago-style Updog is almost a perfect copy of the original hot dog, and the toppings are expertly applied. For a true “dragged through the garden” experience, order online. This isn’t just for vegans. Omnivores looking to reduce their meat consumption would be wise to enjoy.

Modern Relish took over the last of 16 locations of Duk’s Red Hots in West Town. Duk’s was famously threatened by Disney attorneys angry about the stand’s original name “Donald Duk’s.” Modern Relish features the same staff with a remodeled space. They have veggie dogs and a modest patio where they’ll serve beer, wine, and boozy shakes.

A love letter to Detroit, Lola’s Coney Island is a small restaurant that imports hot dogs, chili (from the National Chili Company, if you’re partisan), Better Made potato chips, Faygo, and Sanders bumpy cake from the Motor City. The stand also sells traditional Chicago-style red hots and a truly lovely avgolemono soup.

Jimmy's has instituted a complete ban on ketchup since it opened in 1954. Instead, customers can dip their fries in a house-made habanero hot sauce. In a small concession to changing times, Jimmy’s now serves a veggie dog.

Red Hot Ranch’s all-natural sausages with their casing that just has enough bite are no longer a secret. The double dog is the way to go, as the sausages are a bit slimmer than at most places. There’s a second location in Lakeview, and, on the South Side, the same owners run 35th Street Dogs near Sox Park which has an identical menu.

Not all Home Depots are created equal. There are six in Chicago (Avondale, Bucktown, Chatham, West Rogers Park, Chatham) and five in the suburbs (Evanston, Mount Prospect, two in Niles, Oak Lawn), all with special hot dog stands supplied by Makowski Sausage, a beloved South Side sausage maker. Fixin’ Franks also sells wagyu sausages from Vander Farms.

The Depression Dog variant is what makes Gene & Jude's an institution. Stuffed with french fries, this variant gives Chicagoans a reason to visit the suburbs.

This delightful dog slinger is partially hidden in a basement along Broadway in Lakeview, so keep an eye out. The pulled pork chub dog is a fan favorite, and so is the quarter-pound “Chubby.”

An overlooked Chicago dog variant is the Francheezie, a hot dog stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon. It’s mostly served at diners rather than hot dog stands, and it’s deep-fried. So clear it with your cardiologist before sampling, though your doctor will just ask you to avoid all hot dogs. It’s OK, you don’t have to eat the fries. The Bagel, a popular Jewish deli in Lakeview, doesn’t mess with tradition and still serves the item, which was probably most popular in the ‘60s.

Byron's boiled dogs are probably one of the best examples of the Chicago-style dog. The empire may have shrunk — at one time Byron's had locations in front of Wrigley Field and in Lincoln Park where the massive Crate & Barrel store now stands. But the hot dogs always deliver a quality bite.

The special Superdawg proprietary all-beef sausage is perfectly complemented by pickled tomatoes. Enjoy it in the privacy of your car at one of the city’s only true drive-ins while admiring anthropomorphic sausage mascots Maury and Flaury, based on the stand’s owners. There’s also a suburban location in Wheeling.