Relish the Thought

This place has been CLOSED for over a year now. Don’t know why Unilocal still has it listed. I went there earlier today looking to find Relish The Thought, but instead I found a small Thai restaurant at that location. I went inside to see if they knew if Relish The Thought moved to a new location, but they said NO, Relish The Thought went out of business and they bought the place back in 2014. Funny thing is they actually do sell hotdogs here which is very unusual for a Thai place, but I didn’t try one.

I love this place! The owner always recognizes me and we always have pleasant conversation! The food is terrific. The fries are nice and crispy, the nuggets have the tastiest breading, and the dogs have never been less than perfect. Hands down, best Chicago food in the area.

So good. So cheap. I was wandering around Chicago and found this place. The owner was extremely friendly/​chatty and helped me order because I wasn’t sure what the protocol with intense hot dogs is. I had the most amazing Chicago-​style hot dogs and fries.

Your standard hot dog joint. Tasty snack if you’re desiring this type of cuisine. Unilocal menu is outdated though, prices are all $ 1-​$ 2 more than indicated (hot dog = $ 2.99, burger = $ 3.75, etc)

Great little locals place. I had an Italian Beef and a hot dog to try a couple of thugs and it was all fine. The owner was super nice and the food was good. Nothing fancy, but fine.

Amazing char dog! Unilocalers were on the money on this one. I looked up reviews before coming.
Victor is very nice! He will suggest items for you if you can’t make up your mind.
Please bring cash. They take card but I felt bad for using my card.
Yes it is a «hole in the wall» type place located across the street from spin lounge.
But the hot dog was pretty awesome and everything tasted fresh!
Ill be bringing cash next time :)

Went here to see what all the fuss was about and was not disappointed. Nothing flashy about it but damn does this place have character!
Victor, the guy in charge, is super friendly and I feel he genuinely enjoys his patrons. The food is good and they have a few vintage arcade games set up to play while you wait. It’s the kind of place you hope is still there years from now just because of the charm. Victor is Awesome!

I went in here after reading about the reviews and seeing that people recommended it for good food at a great price. I was not disappointed.
The food was awesome, I had the two hot dog and fries deal. The buns are sesame seed buns, the hot dogs have snap to them, and the toppings were generous. I got ketchup (which he let me order as there were «no police around»), onion, and pickles.
The fries were fantastic, I watched him fry them and salt them. Not too salty, very very crispy, but with a great soft center. He told me that he dipped and coated them with something before frying them.
Relish the thought is a great hole in the wall, awesome food, and an even nicer and better owner.

Exceeded my expectations. My family went looking for a hot dog place near the blue man theater and found «relish the thought». We met «Victor» and started with a double cheeseburger 2 chili dogs and 2 Chicago style dogs. We ended up ordering 2 more chili dogs and a cheese dog. The 2 Chicago dogs and a drink special were the best I have had during our trip to Chicago. Fantastic dining experience.

Stopped by after our walk-​by of Wrigley Field and were wanting to try some Chicago hot dogs. We found this place pretty easily and were greeted by the owner/​cook right away, he was such a nice and personable man. We ordered the 2 Chicago style dogs with fries special for $ 5.99 and also got 2 drinks, very decent prices for sure. We sat down with our drinks and then our food was ready pretty fast, too. The dogs were super good and the fries had a little batter on them and were perfectly crunchy. The owner chatted us up and made sure we were happy with our food. The place is a little hole in the wall, but I loved it. I’d be back again if in the area. It also wasn’t too busy for a Saturday afternoon, just a few more people got their orders to go after we stopped in.

Nothing special, but great place for hot dogs, burgers, and gyros. The fries are really good. The owner is the nicest guy you will ever meet.
Ask him about his kids, hes so proud! Really great sport for quick food.

Victor is consistently the nicest guy there is. He remembers where I work and that I am getting married. He shows me pictures of his kids and brags about them graduating and their new jobs. I don’t even go in there often enough for him to remember me. He is a hidden gem of Chicago.

A lot of threads have been written and it is quite a debated topic in Chicago as to where you can find the best Italian Beef sandwich. Well, that may be argued for forever but the quest for the WORST Italian Beef has ended and it is unfortunately here. Once it was put in front of me, I just looked at it and knew it was going to be bad. I took one bite and had to spit it into a napkin. The meat was just a horrible texture and it seemed like it had been sitting around all day.
Now, you may ask, how can the worst sandwich get a 3 star rating? Trust me, it took me a minute to decide between 2 and 3 stars for this review. The reason I am rounding up is that as soon as I expressed my problem with my order, the guy behind the counter immediately apologized and asked what else he could make for me. I really just wanted a refund, but his genuine concern (and my still present hunger) guilt-​tripped me into getting a grilled chicken sandwich. This was actually good, as were the fries. They are the kind with the coating on them. Some people don’t like them, but they remind me of my high school cafeteria fries and I am a fan.
I wish they would give their dining room a deep cleaning and some new paint. It was kinda dingy. But, nothing made me sick and the prices are very cheap. However, it was the customer service that saved this review. I’ll probably be back, as it is very convenient for some pre-​Playground Theatre grubbing.

Not being from Chicago, the Chicago style dogs were ok. Takes getting used to. Family loved the fries tho and I agree with everyone else. Guy behind the counter was very friendly

Yum! Cheap! Delicious!
Everything said about the proprietor, Victor, is true– he’s a gem. He’s friendly with everyone and likes to chat if you do too.
I’m sitting here listening to his goofy laughter at a televised tribute to Betty White. I love this guy.
The food is cheap and good too– I love the chili cheese fries, the polish dogs, and you have GOT to try the grilled chicken sandwich. Real chicken! Cooked with love! For me! In three minutes!
It’s right next to The Playground, too. And he’ll sell or give you disposable cups for your BYOBooze for pocket change.

Best fires ever! My favorite dog, and the cheeseburgers are huge.

Giving a 5 star rating to a hot dog stand may seem a little silly, but know that I am rating it as such against all other «greasy spoon» type places.
I found Relish the Thought completely on accident, as I was lost after just having just moved to the area. I walked in expecting as much as one expects when entering a hot dog joint, & was pleasantly surprised.
The food is very good, & definitely at the top of the list if your craving some greasy goodness. The hot dogs, cheeseburgers & fries are all the best I could ever want them to be at a good price. No one will walk out of here saying it’s the best food they’ve ever had in their life, but I would be very surprised if they weren’t perfectly satisfied with their meal.
& of course the other main feature here other than the yummy food is Victor, the man behind the counter. He is super friendly, talkative, & genuinely wants you to leave having enjoyed your food. He remembers my friends & I every time we stop by & is perpetually happy & proud of his establishment. One time he even brought out pictures of his kids at their Ivy League college graduations, & we marveled at the «American Dream”-like story of a hot dog guy sending his kids to Harvard.
Relish the Thought is a good, quick, tasty place that should leave you with a full tummy & a smile on your face.

Relish The Thought is another one of my «huecos.» My friend and I always come together and get a burger, fries, etc. The service is exceptional — the guy behind the counter is one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. He really cares about his customers. The food is your typical Chicago food — the Polish, the hot dogs, and then your regular American favorites. There’s also a few old arcade games, too. Whenever I come here, I leave happy. The last time, my same friend and I biked 11 miles to Belmont. Then we took our hungry selves to Relish the Thought and ATE! And this time, we got to see the photo montage of the proud owner’s children.
Come with a smile. The owner will return one right back to you with food and his happy spirit!

I have been here three or four times, It’s a average Chicago Burger stand, but what makes me come back? The greasy fare of burgers fries and hot dogs, but most of all The service. While this may be better than most, the service and the overall appearance (the awesome cheesy whack the cat pinball machine) The counter help was extremely friendly. I’ve been here maybe 4 times and Victor always remembers me by name I don’t know how! this guy really loves and cares for his customers which is almost impossible and extinct in this area.

I’ll be the first one to give this place five stars. It certainly doesn’t get the stars for ambience or «looks.» It’s really outdated, usually when I wait for my food to be ready I fantasize about giving it an extreme makeover and increasing sales by 50%. But I digress…
I love the guy who works the counter, we had a long conversation the first time I came in and now he recognizes me! Feel really bad for him, he just had emergency heart surgery so now his wife is helping him out. Such a sweet man.
But back to the food, when you have a greasy, fast-​food-​ish craving, this is the place to go. I enjoy the gyros, he always says «I put on extra meat for you.» Haha. The hot dogs are OK and I had a good chicken sandwich from there too. Fries, delish. God love this little hole-​in the wall. Certainly cured many hangovers for me.