Restaurant Review – Clark St. Dog

If you live in the city, you’ve got to have a go-to for late night food. Well this week, I found mine. Clark St. Dog is a hidden gem, but apparently only to me; it’s been around since 1977! Since then, the Velliotis family has been serving up delicious Chicago-style food and drink. They’re known for the Clark St. Dog (a play on a Chicago dog) their Philly Steak, and a fan-favorite: Cheese Fries. They boast a variety of menu items that are fresh, never frozen, and cooked to order. We went for lunch on a Wednesday and while there were lots of people getting orders to go, there weren’t a lot of dine-in customers, so we had no problem getting a table. The menu is sizable and full of mouthwatering delights. After much debate, I finally decided on the Italian Sausage: a hunk of French bread topped with a giant Italian sausage, your choice of hot or sweet peppers, and cheese for an extra $0.50 (American, Swiss, mozzarella, or cheddar). I decided on hot peppers and mozzarella cheese. They also ask if you want your sandwich dipped in au jus, which of course I said I did. This was fantastic. The sausage was spicy, the cheese was perfectly gooey and melty, and the dipped bread was divine. The portion is also huge- more than enough for one person! My friend decided on the Original Style Gyros sandwich: grilled pita stuffed with gyros, homemade tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, and onions. This was super tasty as well! The homemade tzatziki was rich and creamy, perfectly complimenting the greasy (in a good way) gyros meat. I loved that the pita was grilled, too! It makes such a big difference in the flavor. I will certainly be back- I have my eye on the Pizza Puff stuffed with cheese and sausage, as well as the Chili Cheese Fries.

Clark St. Dog is located at 3040 N Clark St. Their hours are 10 am to 3 am Sundays through Thursdays and 10 am to 4 am on Fridays and Saturdays. They also feature a full bar, with only local beers on tap (including Goose Island for $3.50 every day of the week).  Check out their website for both online ordering and catering.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO