Spicy San Antonio: Italian Sausage Sandwich from Chicago Hot Dogs
Bottom Line: The Italian Sausage Sandwich from Chicago Hot Dogs delivers on authentic Chi-Town taste and also brings some good heat.
Whether you like the winters in Chicago or not (and I do not), you have to admit that Chi-Town is a great travel destination. You can head over to Navy Pier, Millennium Park, the Art Institute, the Museum of Science and Industry, or just chill by Lake Michigan, because there is plenty to do in that city. And then there is the food… the oh-so-delicious food of Chicago. You will find a ton of good Italian selections in and around the area, as well as its famous Italian beef, Chicago-style hot dogs, and deep-dish pizza (is your mouth watering yet?). I spent many years traveling to that city for business, and I certainly put on quite a few pounds during that time!
And while I never lived in Chi-Town, I consider myself a connoisseur of its cuisine, having tried many of the local favorites at multiple locations across the city. And Chicago-style food certainly seems to be popular these days across the country, with any number of joints opening up touting the city’s gastronomy. One of several here in San Antonio is Chicago Hot Dogs, a place I had not made it to even though it has been around for a while. But recently I stopped in to give it a try. The immediate temptation is its titular featured item, but I love me a good Italian sausage sandwich (another popular item in that city), so I decided to give that a try instead. It comes with Italian sausage served on French bread with mozzarella cheese, sweet peppers, and hot giardiniera.
To start off with, they give you one large link of sausage that spills over the edges of the bun. And this is certainly a hearty meal, just like you expect from Chicago. I took a bite of the sausage by itself (since there was plenty), and it delivered that savory flavor you expect, with good meatiness, some char, a touch of fennel, and a bit of a kick. It has a good snap when you bite into it, and it is nice and tender and well-cooked on the inside.
Those large chunks of roasted bell pepper were a bit unwieldy (thinner slices would have been the better choice), so I ended up taking them off. The authentic giardiniera delivered some tang and some spice, and they added plenty so that you get some in each bite. The mozzarella is not a typical addition, but it is nice and melty and adds a good counterbalance to the heat. The roll is crusty on the outside and soft inside, and it soaks up the oil from the giardiniera and the juices from the sausage, getting a bit soggy on the bottom. But that is exactly how it is supposed to be, and it was oh so good!
Most of the heat comes from the giardiniera, but the sausage has a kick as well. Combined together, this gets close to Medium on my scale, and that burn certainly lingered for a while. This is not something that will set your mouth on fire, but it does bring the heat, and it will certainly wake up your taste buds with an explosion of flavor.
You can read my review of the Italian Sausage Sandwich from Chicago chain Portillo’s here.
As a local joint, they don’t include the calorie count, but I can save you the trouble: this ain’t no diet food! It is one large sausage on a nice crusty roll that will fill you up and expand your waistline if you down too many of these. They also give you a generous portion of crispy, tasty fries in that “small” order, which helps to pack on the calories. If you have the willpower, split this into two meals. But I approached it like any good Chicago native would (and they would certainly approve of the sandwich) and gobbled the whole thing down. I did my penance in the gym later, but it was worth it.
The price for what you get is not bad at $14.30 for the combo, which includes a drink, because you get quite a lot of food for your money. Chicago Hot Dogs claims to be the No. 1-ranked hot dog restaurant in San Antonio, so I will have to go back and give those a try, particularly the Chicago-style dog. They also have Italian beef, which looks quite good, as well as pizza, though it is not deep dish. It is a small little place on the north side of town, but it is big on flavor from what I sampled, and that Italian sausage sandwich reminded me of some good ones I had in Chi-Town. People who enjoy that city’s cuisine should certainly find plenty to choose from here, as should anybody looking for some good food made by people who care.
Chicago Hot Dogs
12914 Jones Maltsberger Rd #101
San Antonio, TX
Phone: (210) 906-5260
Website: https://chicagohotdogs.com/
