All the other stuff on Jimmy's Red Hots menu

Jimmy's sells a few more things besides hot dogs

Hey, everyone!

Thanks for hangin’ in there while Davida and I were on vacation. Disney World was as overstimulating as I remember it. Considering Super Bowl Sunday is pretty much a national holiday, I also took that day off from writing just so I could watch the most legendary ass-kicking of all time. I’m specifically talking about Kendrick digging a six-foot hole for Drake’s career, but you all knew what I was gonna say.

Today’s destination wasn’t my first pick — I’d had a spot all scoped out, but when I arrived in person, it was unexpectedly closed. Thankfully, I had a plan B in my back pocket, in the form of one of Chicago’s most classic hot dog stands.

This stand almost exclusively sells hot dogs, but there are a few other things on its short menu that I’ve never heard anyone talk about. So I figured I’d dig deeper to show you just what you can find — even if these items aren’t advertised on the menu board.

So let’s hit up Chicago institution, Jimmy’s Red Hots, in Humboldt Park.

Jimmy’s is located at the diagonal corner of Pulaski and Grand, and it’s almost always busy.

Many of you long-time Chicagoans at least know of the place, and I’m sure plenty of you have been here. It’s one of the most no-nonsense hot dog stands in the whole city, and one of my favorite things about the place is that it caters to everyone. I’ve seen people of all races, ages, and professions in line here, and I’ve always loved that about Jimmy’s. Also, a well-dressed guy went pee next to my car in the parking lot this visit, which was also pretty cool.

As you can imagine, Jimmy’s is a no-bullshit stand, so you better know what you want once you step in line, because you’ll be in and out of there in no time.

And bring cash, because it’s cash only.

You can eat at the counter if you’re just looking to scarf and get on with your day, but I noticed most people just take their food to go, which is usually what I do. I don’t recommend eating Jimmy’s in the car because it’s greasy and messy, which creates a lot of potential for disaster, plus a grimy steering wheel. But feel free to live your life to the fullest.

The main thing everyone orders is just a regular old hot dog ($4.76, comes with fries), which has always been my go-to.

They’re served depression-style, meaning they come with only yellow mustard, chopped raw onions, pickle relish, and a pickled pepper. An enormous pile of fries are wrapped up with the dog, and you’re meant to pile a bunch of fries on it and eat them as a topping too. This is Chicago’s definition of a square meal.

Since the fries at Jimmy’s are wrapped with your hot dog, they’ll rarely ever be crisp (since they steam themselves), and that’s actually preferred. You don’t want potato barbs with each mouthful of hot dog; you want to be able to bite into a bunch of softer, more mellow fries, ones that are more akin to mashed potatoes.

The peppers included with Jimmy’s hot dogs are very unique in that they’re not the typical waxy sport peppers you get with most dogs around town, but rather pickled serrano peppers.

That means they can potentially kick your ass, so nibble on one before you go all-out. I’ve had a few that were so hot I could even feel the inside of my ears burning. I’ll note that Jim’s Original also does pickled serranos, which puts these two places in an interesting club.

Onto the not-so-usual part of Jimmy’s menu, starting with the Supreme brand tamales ($2.04 for four small tamales).

If you’ve ever been to a Chicago hot dog stand, you’ll oftentimes see tamales listed as a side — they’re almost always referring to one that comes from manufacturers Supreme or Tom Tom. These aren’t handmade artisan tamales, they’re an interesting extruded version that’s local to Chicago.

Hot dog stand tamales are a soft dense carb bomb that I admit I never order, mostly because they’re so filling that I’d rather spend the stomach space on fries. But they’re definitely considered a nostalgic food by many Chicagoans, which I can totally understand, since they’re also quite cheap.

Jimmy’s is one of those places that is vehemently against ketchup, so don’t bother asking for any even if you want a few packets with your fries.

What the place does offer, however, is this fun house-made habanero hot sauce. You can buy it for $0.50 per cup, and I highly recommend you pick up at least one. The sauce does pack some heat to it, so between that and the pickled serranos, you might find yourself sweating a bit. I have a hard time describing it — it’s a little sweet, and it reminds me of barbecue sauce without the smoky molasses notes. If the cumin-scented tamales come off as relatively plain to you, the salsa will definitely perk them up a bunch.

There’s also glossy cups of cheese ($1) for your fries too, but as a self-proclaimed nacho cheese connoisseur, I can tell you it’s not the good stuff.

It looks fine but has a very watered-down flavor, so don’t get too excited about it. Still, considering Jimmy’s is strict on the condiment thing, beggars can’t really be choosers.

One thing that’s not listed on the menu in person is the “veggie dog," which is why I don’t have a price for it (sorry, everyone).

It is, however, briefly mentioned on Jimmy’s website. What’s funny is that there’s no actual veggie dog involved. Instead, Jimmy’s packs fries into a hot dog bun, dresses them with all the toppings, (again, mustard, relish, chopped onions, and that intense pepper), and calls it a day. I can’t help but find this really funny, but it works just fine mostly due to the strong accompaniments on top.

Then, of course, there’s the additional amount of fries you get with the thing. Is it a lot of starch? Of course it is! But that doesn’t mean it won’t fill you up quickly, and isn’t that kinda the point of Chicago’s utilitarian fast food?

Another thing you can also ask for is tamales served in a bun (this is another item with no price listed in person).

They’ll dress these the same way as the hot dogs, and it’s also pretty carb-laden, just in a different way. I enjoy this setup because there’s some extra seasoning involved in the tamale, and the cornmeal gives each bite a lightly grainy texture. Since the tamale is in a tube-like shape, it’s at least it’s somewhat tangentially like a hot dog, too.

It’s important to add that other hot dog stands will happily serve tamales this way, most famously, Fat Johnnie’s on the South side, which calls it a Mother-In-Law. That version has all the dog trimmings, including tomato, pickle spear, and celery salt. I think it’s safe to say that the whole tamale-on-a-bun thing is more of a throwback than a staple, but the fact that it’s regularly available at many of our greasy stands is still great to see.

Then, of course, there’s the Polish sausage ($5.67, fries included).

This is a main menu item at Jimmy’s, but I’ll be damned if I ever hear anyone ever talk about it. I don’t know why they don’t, because this thing is great.

It’s much more substantial than the hot dog, which is smaller and thinner, and it carries a ton of garlicky and smoky flavor.

I’d consider this more of a meal than the hot dog, though you can notably get the regular hot dog (and Polish, for that matter) in a double version, with two tucked into the same bun. I can’t imagine a double Polish would physically stand up too well in one bun, however, considering this bun’s barely big enough as it is.

Another thing that’s largely different about the Polish is that it doesn’t have the same natural casing as the hot dog, but you’ll barely notice the difference. Still, I’ve found that good skinless sausages still have a snap on their exterior, it’s just not nearly as pronounced as a natural casing. If you’re wolfing the thing down, I doubt you’d be judging its finer qualities. (That’s what I’m here for.)

I may have accidentally stumbled upon my go-to order at Jimmy’s from now on, I was that enamored by the Polish sausage. But that hot dog is also so reliable it’s going to be difficult for me to make this decision. I’ll probably end up with one of both, goddammit.

So as well as we know Jimmy’s Red Hots for just one thing, the red hots, I think it’s still pretty cool that there are some other things that you can get. Or I could just be late to the party, which is okay. Hey, at least I still made it.

Jimmy’s Red Hots
4000 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60651
(773) 384-9513

Hours:
Open daily, 10 a.m. - 1 a.m.

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Heh, now that you’ve made it down to the footer, as I was writing this, I discovered that there was a hand grenade scare at Jimmy’s late last year. Yep, you’re reading this correctly — someone found what appeared to be a hand grenade in a bag at Jimmy’s in December.

The police removed the item, but nobody ever followed up on whether or not it was a real grenade. I’m guessing it wasn’t, because if it were, there’s no way this wouldn’t have been the talk of the town around then. Strangely enough, this wouldn’t be the first time someone reported a grenade at a fast food restaurant. Life is wild.

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Okay, everyone, this is where I leave you for the week, as other duties perpetually call. Happy Valentine’s Day early, and hang in there through all the stress. Love you guys.