Meet us where ketchup is nowhere to be found
If you’re visiting Chicago, then you may not know one of the crucial rules of the city: Under no circumstances should one put ketchup on a hot dog.
That’s why at the famous Gene and Jude’s hot dog stand in River Grove, you will find no ketchup anywhere. In fact, the no-frills hot dog joint goes further than that, claiming as its motto: No Seats. No Ketchup. No Pretense. No Nonsense.
The story of this legendary place began all the way back in 1945 when city worker Gene Mormino went to a Cubs game and started piling fries on top of his hot dog to enjoy a bit of saltiness with every bite.
That’s how the “Depression Dog” came into a being with simple condiments (mustard, green relish, onions, and sport peppers) and fries piled on top.
Some say it’s the best hot dog in Chicago while others like the magazine “Every Day with Rachel Ray” go further, calling it the best hot dog in America. Gene and Jude’s was inducted into the Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame in 2006.
Gene and Jude’s is open Monday through Thursday from 10:30am to 1am, Friday and Saturday from 10:30am to 2am, and Sunday from 10:30am to 10pm.
A hot dog will cost less than $4 at Gene and Jude’s!
The vibe at Gene and Jude’s hasn’t changed much since Gene opened his hot dog stand in 1945. He moved the stand to River Grove from Chicago in 1950 and, back then, the stand didn’t even have a sign outside. Locals knew it simply as River Road Hot Dogs.
Now there is a sign at Gene and Jude’s, but the hot dog connoisseurs behind the counter will offer you the very same hot dog that Gene perfected after that fateful baseball game in ‘45!
Gene and Jude’s is located at 2720 North River Road in River Grove. It’s just 15 miles west of downtown Chicago.
