If you like delicious and cheap South-Side Chicago dogs, this is your spot. They also have the iconic Mother-in-Law, which is a tamale on a bun and dressed up how you like it, and a variety of other great bun-related goodies. All delicious, all affordable,...all quick and easy. Just a stand, although I think there’s one picnic table in the vicinity. I think the neighborhood drunks more or less own it, though. It’s basically an eat-in-the-car kind of place. Love it.More

We had been going here since 1979 and really enjoyed the food but something happened after the mother died and the place has gone down hill ever since. The food taste the same but the place isn't very clean and the aprons are nasty looking....They give food and money with ungloved hands. I don't eat there anymore.More

There are thousands of hot dog joints in the Chicago area, as plentiful as pizza and steak and barbecue. Ask 10 people to make a list of the top 10 hot dog joints in the city and suburbs and you might get 10 different answers....I've been to a lot of them but I had never been to Fat Johnnie's Famous Red Hots at 7242 South Western Avenue in the west Marquette Park neighborhood until I read an article in the Daily Meal that rated Johnnie's as the No. 1 hot dog joint in the United States. Well, if you've been to Johnnie's or driven past, you know it isn't the Taj Mahal of restaurants. You don't go to Johnnie's for the ambiance, you go for the hot dogs. No glitter, no reservations, no seating, no credit cards, no parking, no fries, no sport peppers. Just fast service and as-good-as-advertised hot dogs. I've driven down South Western Avenue for years (I grew up in Blue Island) and never noticed Johnnie's. When I mentioned the Daily Meal article to a friend who lives on the South Side, he said he was very familiar with the place. But he could understand why few people were aware of the tiny, ramshackle, white-paneled, old and weathered shack that is sandwiched between a Popeye's Chicken on one side and an empty lot and a used car dealership on the other. Bring cash and come hungry. Eat on the sidewalk or in your car or, if the weather is agreeable, on one of two picnic benches in the vacant lot. It's all about hot dogs...red hots, cheese dogs, chili dogs, Polish, chili Polish, double dogs, super dogs (Chicago-style hot dog with chili and cheese) and double cheese dogs. The Daily Meal singled out Johnnie's one-of-a-kind Mighty Dog as the No. 1 hot dog in the nation. It is a hot dog and tamale on a bun with chili and cheese. But Johnnie's touts its Mother-In-Law as its prize hot dog, a South Side original, a cornmeal tamale on a bun with chili. The Father-in-Law is the same plus cheese. And don't forget the Super Sundae, a bowl of tamales bathed in chili and covered with cheese, onions, pickled chiles and tomatoes. Wash it all down with a soft drink from the soda fountain...cola, fruit punch, lemonade, grape, strawberry, orange, root beer or 7-Up. The sign on the building says "Fit for a King." Well, that might be a slight exaggeration. But if you lo love hot dogs, you can't beat Fat Johnnie's.More

Looks like a dive you wouldn't take a second look at. Hours are short, closing at 5pm. That being said, the hot dogs are out of this world. Nothing else even comes close!!!! Quick service. You gotta taste for yourself. What's the worse case scenario,...you disagree and don't like them? For the price of a hotdog you can't go wrong. I have had dogs from dozens of places and Fat Johnnys the best.More

Broken down trailer, no french fries, no sport pepper in the hot dog. No fries. Unsavory people working there as well. Cant believe they rate this place ao good. Never again

Havent been down ths way in a long time, but since Im in the area I had to stop for my usual ( tamale boat and a polish ) Great as usual have eaten at a few yard parties that they catered but nothing beats...the original spot on Western A must while in Chicagos Southwest sideMore

My daughter had heard about this location on one of the foodie television shows and it was one of the first things she wanted to do after her graduation ceremony from Naval Boot Camp. Talk about a hole in the wall place - don't blink...as you are driving by, or you could miss it. Never thought I would write a review about a hot dog. However, if you are in Chicago, you have to go to Fat Johnnies and get a dog from this stand. Simply put - Best Hot Dog Ever.More

Chicago has thousands of hot dog joints. More if you count all the ones in the burbs. Everybody thinks the joint they go to is the best because that's the one they've been eating at since they were old enough to eat solid food. There...are dozens of places that any real Chicagoan will recognize by name because of their legendary status in their particular area. But let's be honest. Except for some minor differences, they're all about the same. Vienna beef dog on a steamed poppy seed bun. Mustard, onions, blah blah blah, celery salt. Sport peppers optional. Some places (Byron's) have unusual options like lettuce and bell pepper while others (Jimmy's) offer a more stripped-down dog with only mustard, onions, relish and sport peppers. Some have fresh cut fries. Some use frozen. But you can drive from one end of the city and back again, stopping at every little joint you see with the Vienna sign out front and not taste any real differences in the product. Ambience. Presentation. Nostalgia. Those are the things that make the difference. That said, Fat Johnnie's is fine if that's what you grew up with. But it's nothing special.More

We recently read about Fat Johnnies as America's #1 Hot Dog so decided to check it out. It was in a very bad area of town which is probably why they close at 5pm. The outside looks less than desireable and the employees looked unclean....However, the hot dogs were good. I still would vote for Gene & Jude's as #1 and would probably not visit again due to location.More

We went to Fat Jonnie's while in Chicago after going to Hot Doug's, Lafayette Dog's and American dogs, this place and Hot Dougs are by far the two bet dogs we have tasted in a USA, but before you order your food just take a...moment and have a look at the shop it just puts a smile on your face looking at it and the man selling the dogs is a great bloke friendly very talkative even gave us other food to sample for free if you in Chicago you must go to this placeMore

We have driven past this place for four years and we finally stopped. It's a shack - literally. They have one of the best hot dogs I have had in a very long time. It's a true Chicago hot dog - all the fixin's and...even does the cucumber and celery salt on a poppy seed bun - excellent! They don't have fries, Jay's potato chips it is - another Chicago staple. If you are driving down Western and pass 67th pull over to Fat Johnnies and grab a dog! The prices are cheap and the food is great and open all year round! Oh yea, they only take cash.More

This place without a doubt, serves the BEST hot dog in all of Chicago, hell in all of North America. The buns are soft n warm every time. The dog is juicy n delicious. The trimmings are the perfect compliment. Especially the super fresh, super...delicious n crunchy cucumbers n tomatoes on top, with the mouth watering seasoning, sprinkled all over. Don't forget to ask for hot peppers. They're not really that hot. But they definitely put the X in sex, when it comes to Fat Johnnies Red Hots. The Chili dogs are ridiculously delicious. They're so good, they'll make you wanna smack someone. Seriously. I hope this place stays open FOREVER. Those Red Hots are absolutely, positively YEE-HAW-DEEELISHIOUS !!!!!!!!More