“Hot Diggity Dog- Little Louie’s is a Northbrook favorite”

**** Every town has a favorite hot dog joint! In fact, in a city like Chicago, every neighborhood had that special place where you knew everyone and they all knew you. When I was a kid ( a sophomore in high school), I worked at Dan-Dee Red Hots on Devon Avenue in Rogers Park. Back then, we cut and peeled the potatoes, then blanched them and fried them. We also cut the onions and sliced the pickles. Many of my classmates stopped by and I made many new friends there.

I moved to Northbrook in my senior year of school, and returned 10 years later , about 3 years after Little Louie’s opened its doors. From the start, it became the place to go for a burger or a good hot dog, either Chicago style ( boiled and steamed) as well as the very special char dog ( still my favorite). Over the years, they outgrew the original location, but never left the building ( per se).A few weeks ago, Little Louie’s celebrated an anniversary under its current ownership and now that I have moved back to the “hood”, I stopped by to see what all the commotion is about. It turns out Little Louie’s is still the place for a great dog or burger, but Pete with his staff, has added a wonderful selection of wraps, salads and to truly make the menu special, Mexican items that will more than compare with anything you might order in a Mexican restaurant.

Tonight, Jane and I were joined by Cary and Frank for a menu tasting. The menu is quite large so we needed to try and sample some of the highlights that we felt might appeal to the majority of diners. There was no question that we would have to enjoy a grilled char-dog ( we ended up having one simple with mustard and pickles and a second with the works ( no ketchup). They were delicious and grilled to perfection.

The burger we enjoyed was a 1/3 pound ( no cheese) on a tasty pretzel bun. They also have 1/4 pound as well as Veggie Burgers, London Burgers ( served on garlic bread), The Conan Burger ( 1/3 lb. cheddar cheese, bacon, fries, egg, all served on a pretzel bun) and a few more choices. Don’t overlook the brats, Polish sausage and Italian sausage as well as a selection of sandwiches that will knock your sox off. We did one of their wraps ( Chicken Caesar that was divine) but they have so many you could try a different one every day and go the entire month without duplicating. They also have 1o amazing salads.

The South of The Border Menu was something I had not anticipated, as I never thought of Little Louie’s as that type of dining experience….UNITIL TONIGHT!

We enjoyed the Steak Taco, the Chicken /Avocado Taco, The chicken Tamale and their tiny special. By the way, the kids menu has everything any kid might ask for and their beverage list is stupendous. They also have Chicken Chili, Tortilla soup, Nachos and a variety of tacos and wraps. We were all pretty much full and quite satisfied with every item from their vast menu. They have two dining rooms and when you go into the second one, you will see photos of some of the locals who are regulars and some of the teams that they have sponsored in the community. Perhaps, like The Continental in Buffalo Grove and Petterino’s in Chicago, my photo will be added to their wall.

Little Louie’s is located at 1342 Shermer Road in Northbrook. This is what they refer to as “Downtown Northbrook”. There is street parking and a lot in the rear of the building.

The phone number is 847-498-1033

website:  www.little-louies.com

HOURS:

Monday-Friday 10:30 am- 7:30 p.m.

Saturday 10:30 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.

They offer pick-up and delivery

They also have a food truck and do catering. Have a party with food your guests will love- comfort food at affordable costs.