Express Grill

I’m lying in bed writing Unilocal reviews because my friend who is spending the night is snoring too loud for me to sleep. This was one of the places that came to mind. BURGERS WITH SAUTÉED ONIONS AND MUSTARD AND HOT PEPPERS AND FRIES. I want those things so bad right now. Express Grill, why can’t you be my friend who spends the night?

WOW!!! I had the most amazing hot dog last night. and all I can say is I wish I had TWO.
I’m a believer in Costco polish dogs. Cheap, filling, and definitely tasty. They’re my tried and true. I’ve tried other places… Hot Doug’s… Pink’s… Random NY ones… Yeah, they’re good but are they BETTER value than Costco? No, especially not if you factor in wait time!
Maxwell has changed this. No, it has ROCKED my world. Basically imagine a sweet smoked juicy polish dog (I swear I saw them also pour oil over the dogs while they were cooking.) on a soft bun covered with yellow mustard salad, grilled spanish onions, and spicy (and I mean SPICY) peppers… damn.
PS. This location has no line.

Late weekday night and we had just come from Ph D Pub not too far from here.
Classic window-​serve place that has all the usual hot dogs, polish sausages, beef sandwiches, fries, burgers, etc.
We both got polish sausages with everything and the fries that came with them.
It’s a polish sausage, not really anything fancy or remotely nutritious. However, they are tasty and a classic for this neighborhood/​area.
Friendly and fast guys working the place.
Great inexpensive late-​night option.

There’s fries n cheeseburger was garbage the fries taste like fish & the burger wasn’t even cooked right. & it was –2 degrees out they made us go back to the car until it was ready this is suppose to be a express spot which means quick action. Will not go back nasty ass food I rather go to Jim original hot dog on union or the maxwell on 31^st & Canal st. Can’t go wrong

When here at 3am and you can’t decide between a street Polish or Italian beef, you get both. And then you top off the gluttony with them glorious fries. And more fries. And the crumbs of the fries tucked away somewhere in the greasy brown bag and what’s left in the plastic condiment cup of the practically neon orange cheese that’s all kinds of bad but totally seals the deal like what an MC Lyte rhyme is to an Xscape hook. Then you and your homies gloat to your Über driver just how awesome your night was. Based on a true story. Or multiple.

I smile every time I pass Express Grill simply because the first time I came here was a night that was filled with antics very typical of me. Fighting, crying, laughing, farting… all because of some damn sport peppers. Alright, maybe not ENTIRELY because of sport peppers, but those freakin’ peppers almost killed me. I’m not joking when I say «those are the hottest damn peppers I’ve had.» I keep fooling myself into believing that I want them on my Polish, and then I get them and take a bite and pretty much toss them on the nearest plate that isn’t mine. Eff those deliciously hot peppers.
I’ve been known to have one or two drinks, and most of the people coming here have probably had one or two drinks themselves. It’s good drunk food. They’re quick, it’s filling, the fries are sprinkled with what I can only imagine is one of crack’s distant relatives (I have stopped here before just for an order of those delicious fries) and they have garbage cans nearby to dine at. Judge all you want, but how else is a drunk person supposed to eat food when the world is spinning? Exactly.
I come here sober, because I have no shame. This is probably the best deal in the vicinity from my abode and I’m not above cheap, questionable eats. I don’t think it’s questionable, but then again, I remember what Pilsen looked like 10 years ago.

So this food is greasy, fattening, nothing healthy, crap. But they don’t care and neither does my drunk self at 3 in the morning or hungover self at 2 in the afternoon. Every sandwich or hot dog comes with a side of fries. And the prices range from $ 1.80-$ 4.00! So cheap! Definitely better quality than McDonald’s. And at least the employees of express grill aren’t protesting for $ 15 to flip burgers.
I choose Express Grill after a fun night at Simone’s and so should you!

Mexicans in Pilsen be like «Oye, go to the Esspress Rill & get hot dogs & papas porque ese guey se puso bien pedo!»
This is the go-​to place for late night Chicagoese eats in this neighborhood. It’s more Chicago than the fat white cop at O’hare that’s yelling at you to move your car out of the loading zone.
The premise is simple. Walk up to the window. Order. Pay. Eat. I love that they default to grilled onions on everything. I’ve had an aesthetic for grilled onions thanks to U.S. Cellular Filed for many years. It smells and tastes delicious.
Whether you need some grease after a long night of drinking, or simply craving a polish and fries, this is the spot.

I’ve gone here a couple times because it’s so cheap but their food can make you sick as a dog, just don’t go here. There are a ton of great fast places in pilsen and UIC, this place will make you feel horrible.

It’s pretty much what you think it is — pre-​made food, frozen fries, and quick service. However all of that is what makes it good. «Free» fries with any sandwich also add to the appeal, it’s quite a good deal!
Positives: Extremely quick service, cheap eats, and definitely a filling grease bomb for when you just need something hearty like that. Really good fries, nice and crisy, and had a great seasoning/​coating on them.
Negatives: Everything precooked (piles of meat just sitting on the flat-​top), and no Chicago style dog. When I think of a hot dog with «everything», I don’t think of grilled onions and mustard. That may be the norm down near Maxwell St, but I still would expect the option.
Decent parking options, as there is a bus stop here, and it’s on a good corner location. No place to sit (or stand) and eat, so take-​away only. Expect meals (with fries) to be under $ 5, plus a drink if you want one. Nothing great, but a very enjoyable hot meal!

Express grill served up a hot bag of greasy goodness during a light night visit one weekend. Its hard to go wrong with a cheeseburger and fries, especially fries covered in cheese sauce. Now, these things are not normally in my diet, but everyone has to splurge on some drunk food right? Stuffing ourselves with this greasy goodness was just so right. Don’t be fooled by the exterior, this place serves up exactly what you are looking for at 2 am.

You have to remember what this place is: a greasy, open 24/​7, free-​fries-​with-​a-​sandwich walk-​up. That in mind, this place is great.
The Italian sausage is on par with any other great place in the city. The fries are some of the best I’ve had. Plus this place is cheap and always open. Usually easy to find street parking because of the corner location.

I don’t know what’s the difference between this Express Grill and other ones like it such as Maxwell’s, Jim’s, the greasy place on 35^th and Parnell?, the greasy place on 31^st and Carpenter?, etc. They’re all the same to me.
I don’t eat enough greasy food to tell the difference but if you’re in the area, it’s open ²⁴⁄₇. One negative thing though is that there isn’t a place to eat outside. At least at Jim’s, they have a counter where you can stand and eat.

Greasy, vandalism, and drunken satisfaction.
If you know me well, you will know that there is only one thing I crave for when I am inebriated — cheese fries. I have come here on several occasions because it is a lot closer than Jims. It is very similar to Jims on Union, and strangely there is another Express Grill next door. It doesn’t get much business.
Anyway! I ordered cheese fries and a fish sandwich.
Fish sandwich: Grease galore, crunchy, a sea of tartar sauce, and a pair of hot peppers.
Cheese fries: A river of gold per each bite
Honestly, if you’re looking for something quick, and can careless of nutrition, this place may on your list for pit stop.

was curious on how this place is compared to the Original Maxwells and Jim’s thats around the area. i came here twice. first time i ordered the cheese burger and second time i order the polish. the food was not bad but it wasnt great either. i do like their fries. its crispy and flavorful! simular to Jim’s.

If it is late at night and you just left the club craving for food, this place will be fast, cheap, and satisfying. I like coming to this place more than the other Maxwell’s Street or Jim’s. It does get busier during the late hours, but still not as busy as the other spots. My favorite thing to get here is the fish sandwich with cheese and easy onions. The fries are really good here too.

This place is truly great for a cheap and filling meal. Greasy? Yeah, but one look at this place and you know what to expect.
Seriously, you can find a few bucks in your pocket and be set for your lunch. The only thing is that they have no dining area or anything, so you have to have a plan as to where you’re going next. It literally is just this building on 18^th and Halsted with like two windows.
Four stars for sure.

Polish sausage with the works, cheese fries and a 16oz bottle of soda was under $ 6! It tasted great (I love caramelized onions!) My friends had the chicken sandwich & the cheeseburger & they both liked them a lot… We all agreed the fries were greasy & mushy, but I guess that’s what you’re looking for when you come here. My only complaint is that I wish they had put ketchup on like they did the mustard (it’s hard to maneuver when you’re on the go & have to break open a little packet yourself.)
Also, the guys that were working that day (Monday) were really nice & FAST!

Polish dog w/​grilled onions and mustard and fries for $ 3.50! BEST DEAL EVER!

As far as hot dog stands go (which, arguably, on a drunken evening would be pretty far), this place is the sturdiest. An indestructible cement single story box. Fast food as an ingestible mop for soaking up excess alcohol. Function over form. I asked my server which was better, their hot dog or their hamburger.
«Everything good!» he proclaimed with a broad Eastern European smile.
He gave me the hamburger, which though only $ 2.40, was served with free thick-​cut fries. Awesome! Waiting for the #8 bus at the corner of 16^th and Halsted I wolfed down my cow sandwich, which I was sober enough to realize was not all that good (dry and completely cooked through). But as another example of function over form, I have to admit it got the job done.
As for why there was a bare-​midriffed and short-​skirted model posing for a photo shoot in an all-​glass storefront across the street at 11 pm, I’ll never know. Form over function, I’m tempted to say; an anti-​hot-​dog-​stand, so to speak. Though for all I know (I didn’t ask) she may well be a neurosurgeon by day, a marriage of form and function. At any rate the ‘event’ was an appropriately inappropriate pairing with my fast food, a night at the bus stop serving tribute to misguided evolutionary instincts.