Superdawg

Superdawg

Superdawg Drive-In. The mascots Maurie and Flaurie, named for the owners, stand tall on the roof.
Restaurant information
Established May 1948
Current owner(s) Maurie and Flaurie Berman
Food type Hot Dog stand with carhop service
Street address

6363 N Milwaukee Ave

Intersection of Milwaukee Avenue, Devon Avenue and Nagle Avenue
City Chicago
State Illinois
Country United States
Website The official website of Superdawg

Superdawg is a drive-in hot dog stand with carhop service located at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue, Devon Avenue, and Nagle Avenue in the Norwood Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. 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 the 1940s.

Superdawg was featured on The Food Network's television program Unwrapped as well as Emeril Live and has been visited by many critics and food aficionados. Superdawg is also listed in the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Additionally, Superdawg remains a favorite with locals and attracts locals on a regular basis.

In 2003, a second Superdawg was opened in Chicago Midway International Airport's B concourse serving Southwest Airlines. It closed in 2010 when a third location opened on Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling, IL on January 28, 2010.

History

Superdawg was opened in May 1948 by Maurie and Flaurie Berman, who still own and operate it today with the help of their children. 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.

Superdawg mascots Maurie and Flaurie.
The Chicago Superdawg at evening twilight.

Carhop service

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

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 (some think is a green tomatillo, but are wrong), one of Superdawg's distinctions from the classic Chicago-style hot dog, along with its spicier-than-usual wiener.

Selections from the menu

The menu that is located in each carport for ordering.
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.

Sandwiches

Sides

Fountain drinks

Trademark disputes

The restaurant has succeeded in asking "dozens" 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.[1] The Superdawg trademark was registered in 1984.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mike Hughlett (June 23, 2009). "Superdawg vs. Superdog". Chicago Tribune.
  2. ↑ "73298247". United States Patent and Trademark Office.

External links

Coordinates: 41°59′48″N 87°47′13″W / 41.996763°N 87.78706°W