Chicago Dog Challenge!

For Longmont being the "Chicago Colony" we certainly don't have many places that serve Chicago Dogs. While this is sad, we found 3 of them for the challenge anyway. If you know of any others, please share! 

Dog #1 - Abbondanza Pizzeria

 As you can see, we got ours fully loaded. I didn't expect the cucumber but it was a pleasant addition. Vienna dogs tend to be kinda skinny but the flavor is always good and it's all beef, so that's a plus. All fresh ingredients too. The celery salt and peppers are really what makes it a Chicago Dog and not just a hotdog with stuff.

Dog #2 - Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers

 This was also a Vienna hotdog, the same as Abbondanza. It came out hot and the bun was toasted. It had a little less of the toppings but it made it easier to eat, I guess. At 64 cents more with less toppings it falls behind the other one but the lightly toasted bun was really nice. 

Dog #3 - Sonic

The menu says it's an all beef hotdog but I don't know what kind specifically. I've had these a few times and the bun is always a little mushy but it IS piled with lots of onions, peppers, and relish. At almost a DOLLAR less than Abbondanza this is the bargain option. 

The surprise we found with our Chicago Dog challenge is that they were ALL good! I didn't expect them to suck but I thought there would be more variation. So here's our breakdown: 

Dog #1 (3.9 on Jason's 5 star scale)

Pros: Local place, I already go there anyway. Lots of fresh toppings!

Cons: None really...though it costs more than our cheapest option, we try to frequent the local places over the chains when we can. 

Dog #2 (3.8 on Jason's 5 star scale)

Pros: Freddy's staff was very friendly, the dog was HOT, and the toasted bun was a pleasant addition. Drive-thru option is convenient. 

Cons: Most expensive option with not as many toppings. 

Dog #3 (4.0 on Jason's 5 star scale) 

Pros: Loaded with toppings, handy little box for car eating (which I wouldn't advise here...), cheapest option.

Cons: Soggy bun. 

Overall winner: Dog #1 from Abbondanza!
Same amount of dog but more and fresher toppings.

Bargain winner on the Jason scale: Dog #3 from Sonic
The Jason scale is decided largely on price which is why #3 got a higher point than #1. If price wasn't a factor the Abbondanza dog wins there too but since you get about the same amount of food, he felt this was a good value.

Wildcard winner: Dog #2 from Freddy's
The celery salt on the top had a little spice to it and the toasted bun made all the difference.