The Story
Doug Sohn opened Hot Doug's in 2001 with a simple premise: hot dogs and sausages deserve to be taken seriously. His 'Encased Meat Emporium' started on Roscoe Street, moved to California Avenue after a 2004 fire, and became a national phenomenon.
Sohn, a Kendall College culinary graduate, offered over 200 distinct sausage varieties including yak, rattlesnake, and foie gras-infused duck. When Chicago banned foie gras, Sohn created a 'Joe Moore' dog named after the alderman who sponsored the ban, flagrantly served it anyway, and was eventually fined $250. (The ban was repealed in 2008.)
Lines for Hot Doug's regularly exceeded 4 hours. Anthony Bourdain visited. Bon Appetit named it one of the 50 best restaurants on the planet. And yet, on October 3, 2014, Sohn closed for good. 'It's been a good ride,' he said. 'It's just time to do something else.' The website still says: 'The restaurant is closed... I am not.'
🍽 Signature Dishes
The infamous banned delicacy that Sohn served anyway
Rotating exotic meats including yak, rattlesnake, alligator, and wild boar
Only available those days, worth the extra wait
💡 Did You Know?
- Sohn was fined $250 and had 30 pounds of foie gras confiscated for defying Chicago's foie gras ban
- The original Roscoe Street location closed after a 2004 fire
- Lines regularly exceeded 4 hours; Sohn refused to expand, franchise, or change anything
👤 Notable People
🏙 What's There Now
[VERIFY current tenant at 3324 N. California Ave.]
Original Address: 3324 N. California Ave., Chicago, IL 60618