Top Dog: The Battle of Franks in this Week's Showdown

I will start by saying I am not a die-hard fan of hot dogs, but more a fan of what hot dogs are associated with – like summer cookouts or an afternoon game at Wrigley (or The Cell, if you’re a fan of the Dark Side). Eating a hot dog just feels natural in those settings, and generally that’s about the extent of my consumption. However on occasion, the craving strikes and I go on the hunt for a good dog. Who came out as top dog across Orland Park, Tinley Park, and Oak Forest?  Check it out. 

Widen’s Hot Dogs – Orland Park
Located in a small strip mall just North of the Orland Park mall, Widen’s has been in the hot dog business for 20 years. I ordered mine with tomatoes, celery salt, and sport peppers. Not quite the quintessential Chicago dog, but it’s all according to taste. At first glance the hot dog looked a little off, like it was under-boiled and the taste seemingly confirmed this. To be fair, every restaurant can have an off day and Widen’s wouldn’t still be around after this long if they weren’t doing something right.

Thumbs Up: Fresh tomatoes and peppers
Thumbs Down: Overall flavor was alright and the bun, which was not a poppy seed, was a bit soggy.

Diana’s Kitchen – Tinley Park
On the corner of the 167th and Oak Park Ave, Diana’s just opened in early January. Though it’s connected to a gas station, it was a surprisingly welcoming and clean restaurant. Good-sized hot dog was made fresh to order and included fries. I also like that the tomatoes were chopped rather than sliced (like the other two). And it always helps to have an owner serving you the food because you know they are proud of it.

Thumbs Up: Great, flavorful hot dog. Solid overall flavor.
Thumbs Down: No poppy seed bun—a must in my book.

– Oak Forest
A local favorite—the little hot dog stand with the Statue of Liberty on top of it—Doug’s Dogs is unique in that it offers you the choice of either a beef or pork hot dog. Because I wasn’t sure what the others had offered, I went with beef as that’s what I’m used to. The first thing I noticed was the hot dog was pretty skinny. Nothing else was really remarkable except that it was hot and fresh.

Thumbs Up: Served hot, good flavor.
Thumbs Down: No poppy seed bun, and I wish the hot dog was bigger (though the pork option might be).

Though I’ll probably wait a bit on that first ballpark hot dog this year, this showdown certainly got me ready for the summer. Not one of the options offered a poppy seed bun, which is crucial in my opinion, so that was a wash. It then came down to the quality of the hot dog and in this Hot Dog Showdown, I’m giving the nod of Best in Show to Diana’s Kitchen in Tinley Park.