Superdawg

Superdawg

Superdawg Drive-In. The mascots Maurie and Flaurie, named for the owners, stand tall on the roof.
Restaurant information
Established May 1948 (May 1948)
Current owner(s) Berman family
Food type Hot Dog stand with carhop service
Street address 6363 N. Milwaukee Avenue
City Chicago
State Illinois
Postal code/ZIP 60646
Country United States
Coordinates 41°59′48″N 87°47′13″W / 41.996763°N 87.78706°W / 41.996763; -87.78706Coordinates: 41°59′48″N 87°47′13″W / 41.996763°N 87.78706°W / 41.996763; -87.78706
Other locations 333 S. Milwaukee Avenue, Wheeling, IL 60090
Website Superdawg.com

Superdawg is a drive-in hot dog stand with carhop service.[1][2] It is located in the Norwood Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, at the intersection of Milwaukee, Devon, and Nagle Avenues. Superdawg has the distinction of being one of the few original drive-in restaurants left in the United States. Its methods have been the same since it opened in 1948. A second, similar location on Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling, Illinois opened in 2010.[3]

Superdawg was featured on the Food Network's television programs Unwrapped and Emeril Live, and on the PBS television program Check, Please![4] It has been visited by many critics and food aficionados. It is listed in the books 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and Hot Dog Chicago: A Native's Dining Guide.[5]

History

Superdawg mascots Maurie and Flaurie.

Superdawg was opened in May 1948 by Maurie and Flaurie Berman, and it is still owned and operated by their family. Although the restaurant has undergone some expansion and remodeling, the landmark figures of anthropomorphic hot dogs "Maurie and Flaurie" on the roof date from the beginning.[6][7]

In 2003, a Superdawg location opened in Midway Airport's B concourse. It closed in 2010 when another Superdawg restaurant opened on Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling, Illinois.[8][3]

Superdawg has succeeded in asking a number of restaurants to cease using similar names, but in 2009 sued a New York City hot dog eatery named Superdog when it refused to comply.[9] The Superdawg trademark was registered in 1984.[10]

In 2014, Superdawg collaborated with Lake Effect Brewing Company, a Chicago craft brewery, to create a lager-style beer called Super Bier.[11]

Maurie Berman died on May 17, 2015.[12][13]

In June 2015, the Unicode Consortium added a hot dog to the list of officially recognized emoji. In September 2015, Apple made the symbol available on its phones and computers with the release of the iOS 9 operating system. Superdawg was a leader in the effort to establish the hot dog emoji 🌭.[14][15]

Carhop service

The menu that is located in each carport for ordering.

The restaurant retains a 1950s style of ordering food. Customers pull their car up to one of the carports and order through a retro-looking metallic speaker box. The orders are delivered to the car window by a carhop with a tray that hooks on to the car door. When finished eating, the customer flips a switch on the box and a carhop comes to take the tray back. Many of the carhops have been there for years and have a loyal base of customers. There is also a walkup window and a small seating area inside the restaurant.

The food

A Superdawg with the cover closed (top) and with the cover open exposing the hot dog and french fries (bottom). Note the signature pickled green tomato on the right.
The Chicago Superdawg at evening twilight.

All of the sandwiches come with crinkle-cut french fries inside a box that helps retain its heat. Every Superdawg comes with a signature pickled green tomato,[16] one of Superdawg's distinctions from the classic Chicago-style hot dog, along with its spicier-than-usual wiener.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kindelsperger, Nick (March 8, 2010)."Standing Room Only: Superdawg", Serious Eats. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Superdawg Drive-In", Metromix. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Ahern, Shiela (January 28, 2010). "Superdawg Finally Opens in Wheeling on Milwaukee Avenue", Daily Herald. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Superdawg Drive-In", Check, Please!, WTTW-TV. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  5. ↑ Gebert, Michael (May 4, 2015). "How Chicago's Hot Dog Scene Has Changed—and Hasn't—from the Era of Jane Byrne to Hot Doug", Chicago Reader. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Our Super Story", Superdawg official website. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  7. ↑ Appel, Tom (2007). "The Consumer Guide Sprint(er) to Superdawg", Consumer Guide Automotive. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  8. ↑ Malik, Nadia (April 22, 2008). "Wheeling Begins Superdawg Countdown", Daily Herald. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  9. ↑ Hughlett, Mike (June 23, 2009). "Superdawg vs. Superdog". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  10. ↑ "73298247". United States Patent and Trademark Office.
  11. ↑ Cherone, Heather (June 26, 2014). "Superdawg, Lake Effect Brewery Say Hiya to Super Bier", DNAinfo. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  12. ↑ Armentrout, Mitchell; Dudek, Mitch (May 17, 2015). "Superdawg Founder Maurie Berman Dies at 89". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  13. ↑ Selvam, Ashok (May 18, 2015). "Superdawg Drive-In Founder Maurie Berman Dies on Sunday at 89", Chicago Eater. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  14. ↑ Cherone, Heather (October 21, 2015). "Hot Dog Emoji Officially Available on Apple Devices — Thanks to Superdawg", DNAinfo. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  15. ↑ Channick, Robert (October 23, 2015). "How Superdawg Made the Hot Dog Emoji Happen. Maybe.", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  16. ↑ Kindelsperger, Nick (May 20, 2013). "Gallery: The 10 Best Chicago-Style Hot Dogs", Serious Eats. Retrieved January 23, 2016.

External links

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