gene and judes

Hot dogs 2 die for. I'm taking the 40 minuet trip there later this week, I can't wait!! I've never had the tamales before, but I'll give it a try this time. Pros: Best hott dog I've ever had Cons: No sitting... oh well more

When I was a little girl, my parents would get my little sister and I together and we'd go out for Gene and Jude's. There was something so exciting about going there. Its always been busy, whether its midnight or noon. The hot dogs taste the same as they did ten years ago and are delicious. Awesome salty fries and tamales. Its a no frills hot dog place. You can't miss this place. more

When I was little it was my mom and dad's favorite thing to do. We would all pile into the car and drive to Rubber Dogs (also known as Gene and Jude's) The only thing was I hated hot dogs and always ended up running next door to McDonald's or across the road to Cockrobin (which is gone now). On the rare occasion my sister and I did decide we wanted a hot dog we peeled off all the french fries and ran next door to get catsup. Did I mention I swore up and down as a little kid that I would never ever drag my children to get a hot dog, especially at midnight. But now it's my favorite thing to do to.\r \r It's a wonderful little hot dog joint with the best rubberiest hot dogs ever (no catsup served) and they pile homemade fries (seriously, you can watch them chop up the potatoes) on top of your dog and wrap it all up. The best part is the tamale. Actually, they are kind of the worst packaged and steamed tamales ever but I LOVE them better than any other. Then there's the grape kool aid which I always have to get with my meal. There is this guy who's always been there and I think he looks like my Uncle Bubba but with a lot of tattoos. He seems like the tough as nails type on the outside, but I'm pretty sure he's just a big teddy bear. He is always laughing and joking with the customers and seeing him always makes me smile.\r \r Rubber Dogs has been a family for three generations. I used to go there with my Guppy and Pa all the time and then go to CockRobin for square ice cream. A lot of the times my Grandma June and Grandpa Tony would come with us. Even though they are all gone now and there's no more square ice cream, Gene and Jude's will always hold a special place in my heart. My husband and I love to go out for the occasional midnight hot dog (you can't do it too often or it's won't be special anymore). And despite the fact that I whined and complained and swore up and down that I hated it and was never dragging my kids there...I can't wait to share it with our baby! Pros: Great atmosphere, eating in your warm car with lots of family! Old Fashioned! Cons: Too far to drive to more

First of all to ""ilovehotdogs"" it's not dirty it's old! Second of all it's a hot dog stand for take out only. Do you complain about pizza places that are take out only? Now to ""timloveshotdogs"" if you think that the positive reviews are shillings then you must be a competitor with inferior hot dogs because I grew up here and live in Las Vegas and this is the first place I want to go when i visit here! Now for ""ourmilitaryisevil,"" your name says it all. This is an old time hot dog place and that's old time hot dogs don't have chilli or cheese or ketchup. Get a clue you anti-American! Pros: The food is top notch! Cons: No cons except that they are not in Las vegas where I live now. more

This is NOT the only great hot dog place in the area. It is dirty, you can't sit down, there is no ketchup and the employees don't seem to care.. There is a BETTER PLACE IN NORTHLAKE. It is called Winking Dog, 100 North Ave (between Mannheim and Wolf, next to the shell gas station). The hot dogs are EXACTLY LIKE GENE AND JUDES with the fresh fries put on top. You can sit down and eat, use the drive thru and PUT KETCHUP ON ANYTHING YOU WANT. They have a big menu (burgers, salads, subs, beef, GYROS, polish sausage, etc. etc. etc.) They have THE BEST PRICES IN THE AREA. Try their 2 hot dog deal ($4.00). The employees are really nice and care. You should also get their soups that are made fresh (not canned) and are DELICIOUS. The Greek Chicken is to die for !!!!\r GIVE THIS PLACE A CHANCE. IT IS WORTH IT !!!!!!!!!!!! Cons: DIRTY, No place to sit, more

\r \r I can't even describe how good these are. A family favorite for sure. I have not lived in Chicago for almost 20 years now, but each time I go back, I make sure that I get to Gene and Jude's. The last time I was in Chicago I took checked in at the airport for my DEPARTURE, then took a cab to get a few of these wonderful dogs!! Every friend I have every taken there, loves the place. The fries, fresh cut, and served on top of the dog is unbelievable. If you are ever in Chicago, you need to go. I literally have had dreams about these hot dogs many times over the years!! more

I love Gene and Jude's. I've been out of Chicago and living in lake county for almost 15 years now, but every time I visit my family in Chicago I have to stop at Gene and Jude's. These are the true Chicago hot dog's I grew up with. The hot dogs in my area were just no comparison.... no fresh cut fries, no natural casing..they don't know what a true hot dog should taste like. Recently, a buddy told me about a new place that opened up here...and he said they tasted just like Gene and Jude's. I didn't beleive him. After years of searching to have a good hot dog in my back yard...but I went, I tried it, and Wow....it's just like Gene and judes. The place is called Droopy's and it's in Winthrop Harbor on Sheridan Road. So for any of you in the far north suburbs, if you want a tast of home you should definetly check it out. more

If you want a true Chicago dog, this is the place. As a follow up to another review, yes it is a simple menu - it's a hot dog stand. If you're looking for an extensive menu then go to a restaurant. My friends and I make the forty minute trek at least once a month for this hidden treasure. So, if you want to pop-in for a root beer and a couple of the best dogs Chicago truly has to offer, do not miss this historic landmark. \r \r Word to the wise: leave some of the fries on your dog, don't forget the sport peppers, and if you require ketchup - grow up. more

For what it's worth, the place does have a rich history (pun intended, the owners are millionaires), having been around since the late 50's. My dad went there with his buddies when he was a kid.\r \r Here's the skinny: As for the hotdogs themselves, they're great. The menu, perhaps what has made the place infamous, is quite simple. All they sell are hotdogs, fries, tamales, and drinks. Nothing more. (No beefs, hamburgers, italian sausage, you get the hint).\r \r A hotdog and fries is $2, which is a nice bargain. The fries come piled high ontop of the hotdog and are wrapped up with it. In my opinion, the fries aren't all that great, but some people love homemade potato fries. They can be soggy and although you can reheat the hotdog later, the fries usually are just mush and I throw them out.\r \r As mentioned above, the place is a goldmine and is open long hours, usually to about 1am. When I say there are lines literally out the door, they can literally be out the door. I have seen upwards of 75 people (give or take) in a line once. The line usually moves quickly, but the massive amounts of people inside can irritate you, especially on a hot day.\r \r There are no places to sit inside, they have some window ""tables"" where you can stand and eat. I recommend either getting the food to go, or eating it in the parking lot. Which leads to this...\r \r This place, over the years, has also become a ""hangout"", a lot of high school and maybe college kids just standing around eating in the parking lot and basically loitering and looking for trouble. Especially being open late hours at night - do the math. This may be a turn off for some people. I'm in my 20's, and I have gone there several times with friends just to get food and have come out walking past dozens of younger people loitering, smoking, or girls just looking for ""attention."" This is usually only in the later hours of the evening though.\r \r The place has great HOT DOGS and I'd recommend overall. Pros: Rich history, great HOT DOGS, economic prices, nice hangout (for younger crowd) Cons: Long lines, kinda dirty/messy inside, average fries, and a 'hang out' at night. more

I've gone to this place several times. It was never good. The positive reviews are either shilling for the place or they don't know what a good hot dog is.\r \r The dogs are small and they don't have a full range of condiments. You can find better dogs at many other places.\r \r Bottom line: Skip the hype and patronize your local stand. Unfortunately for the folks in River Grove, their local stand isn't very good. They are the only ones who should travel for a hot dog. Don't waste your time or gas to go to this place. Pros: Can't think of one Cons: Too many to list more

After reading that Gene and Judes was a ""noteworthy"" hot dog stand in the Chicago area in the recent issue of TimeOut Chicago, i eagerly drove from the city to the quaint neighborhood of River Grove to check it out for myself. In this day and age, with channels like the food network and growing interest in the ART of cuisine, it is unfortunate that anyone could ever claim that Gene and Judes is any good. Sure the hot dog was good vienna beef and it filled my stomach, but to write about this in a magazine is a waste of print space. They don't even offer chilli on the cheese dog. This place is pathetic. The only reason to go there is to observe the patrons, who are a diverse group (when i was there i saw kids in apocalyptic, black shirts with the name of metal bands or just macabre phrases like ""Death is Me"", and then a group of police officers in white shirts and black pants in another corner and a jewish rabbi as well. The hot dogs were serviceable, but not spectacular. Parky's is much better. ""if it ain't broke, don't fix it"" is a fine philosophy for G & J's , but that doesn't mean that what they're doing there is anything near extraordinary. It's so basic in terms of what's offered that it's food does not deserve any mention. As a place to get a quick, reliable bite and mingle with people from different backgrounds, it works. Pros: The Crowd Cons: The Offering, and no darn place to sit more

I don't know where chicago style dog lover ate - maybe outta the dumpster in the back - but these are by far the best CHICAGO style Dawgs around. I grew up closer to SuperDawgs and still made the journey to Gene & Judes. more

I lived here for over 25 years and went to Gene and Judes after all the hoopla on the Food Network. I was a little disappointed to say the least. The dogs were small and there seemed to be more fries then dog. My husband was raised here and had eaten there before but hadn;t been in a few years. Even he was disappointed. He says the fries are not the same and the dogs don't taste the same either. We moved backto Chicago after being in Texas for 5 years, and the one thing we wanted most was a Chicago Dog, I guess our next adventure will be to SuperDog. more

I have been eating at this hot dog stand since I was little my cousins owned it a while ago but I still enjoyed eating there. Everytime I eat a hot dog it reminds me of what chicago is all about, and I recommend it to all my friends and when my family comes in from other states I tell him they can't leave until they taste a ""rubber dog"" from one of chicago's best hot dog places. I rather eat there then any other place that selling hot dogs, they are nice respectful people they are down to earth and funny, they make it worth the long lines to get these tasteful dogs. Everyone should visit this place there ain't no other than Gene & Jude's Red Hot Stand!!! Pros: this food is like no other Cons: better park down the block cause they get busy more

ok so this is not a typical chicago style hot dog, but it is SOOOO much better! i could live on these hot dogs. this is an amazing place to go to grab some food and socialize. and for those who want ketchup HA HA ur crazy and will be laughed at and i would laugh at you. THIS IS CHICAGO!!! we dont do ketchup with hot dogs. stop complaining and deal with the experiance. EH and for those who thinks this is expensive then stick with the dollar menu on mcdonalds i guess...this place is SOOO well priced. i remember going once with a couple of friends and litarly 2 guys had 2 double dogs and me and my friend both had two hot dogs, we all had drinks and it comes with the best fries and it came out to like $20, compared to any place downtown then this place is a steal....go downtown and you will be paying triple for all that....idk what these ppl are thinkin when they give this place a bad review, its kinda upseting. i now live in california, and every time i visit right after gettin off the plane i go to gene and judes and have a great meal!!! everyone should go at least once.....you dont know what your missing Pros: parking, cheap, late night, friendly, funny Cons: N/A more

I live in upper wisconsin (5 hours from Gene and Judes) and drive there and back just for these hot dogs. They are talked about like a god here. We buy 15 dozen at a time sometimes and people look at us like we are nuts but they are awesome and way worth it. I wish there was a way to have them shipped directly up here......\r or\r just open a Gene and Judes up here somewhere (ha wishful thinking)\r \r The long line is worth the wait (especialy if you drive 5 hours to get there). Best Hotdog Ever!!! No complaints! Pros: Everything Cons: Nothing more

This place is a let down! I heard how good this place was, and then when I went there, they didn't even offer a Chicago Style Hot Dog. There is only one way to enjoy a hot dog when you are living in Chicagoland, and this place does not know how to make a Chicago Style Hot Dog!!!! \r \r When I arrived and asked how they make their dogs, making sure it was Chicago Style, they did not have the right answer. Superdawg or Portillos , now those are the places to go for real Chicago Style Hot Dogs! But not this place. I will never be back again!!! more

As a former Rivergrover,who could not love Gene and Judes.I dont think because the dog does not have pickles and tomatoes,it does have the green relish Chicago dogs have.And as a former reviewer said when did Vienna quit makeing all beef hotdogs? I can't wait till they open in Addison IL this summer. more

Who cares if it's not ""Chicago Style""? If you want a Chicago Style dog go somewhere else. If you want the best dog and fries ever go to Gene and Jude's. When I was growing up we would drive from LaGrange to River Grove just to get them, and we would always bring back a bag of 15-20 plus an order of fries. Anytime I am in the area I get 'em. Get over the lines, the menu and the fact that you expected a Chicago style dog and enjoy the best hot dog ever. I've packed these in ice and brought them back to the East Coast with me and everyone always agrees that these are the best ever hands down.\r Pros: Great dogs and greasy fries more

This place is not recommended.It's not a true Chicago-style dog,no tomatoes,or pickles and it was not even filling.I was told you have to order the double dog for a big dog,if you have to order a double dog that tells me the original is not filling sorry guys bad dog.Not true Chicago-style Pros: Parking,Ambience Cons: the hot dogs more