Chicago Joe's Espresso & More

Chicago Joe's Espresso & More
611 W Appleway Ave.
Coeur D Alene
(208) 667-6346

Get Out reader Dog Guy recently left a comment on an older post totally raving about the dogs at Chicago Joe's on West Appleway in Cd'A. Funny, because Q. points at the place all the time when we drive by there and freaks out "Oh my Gawd you have GOT to try one of those hot dogs, they are SO good!" Okay, okay, folks. I'm convinced. I'll be there next time I'm craving a nice big wiener. Probably have better luck there than at Mik-n-Mac's, har har. Anyway, I can't see doing a full print review of a tiny hut, so for now I will let Dog Guy's words speak for themselves:

The most orgasmic experience one can have and still have it considered a legal act in the state of Idaho is the hedonistic consumption of a genuine Chicago Dog.

I don't remember the name of the place, but it is located about midway between Paddy's and Lowes on Appleway, same side of the street. It is a drive through coffee stand, brownish in color. You should see a banner advertising, "Viena Beef" hot dogs.

Do yourself a favor, don't drive through. To truly experience a great dog, you have to park your vehicle and order from the window. Step two is to rest your soda on your trunk lid and then consume your Chicago Dog in large, glutenous bites, standing upright in the sunlight. Even better is to have a vehicle with a tailgate and sit there with your legs dangling over and trying not to let any of the "must have" nuclear green relish dribble onto your feet.

Make sure to order the Chicago Dog all-the-way. You won't regret it!

Here is a link to what a Chicago Dog is all about.

(Bonus - they serve some obscure brand of chips from Oregon(?). They are the bomb too!)

Also, I just discovered what scoopity-scoop artist Nils Rosdahl had to say about Chicago Joe's last month in his SR column (see below). Sounds like the real deal to me. Suddenly I feel an urgency...(cue growling tummy)...

"These dogs have snap!"

That's the positive summation a caller made of the hot dogs at Chicago Joe's, a glorified former espresso stand at 611 W. Appleway, just west of the Carpet Warehouse. She said previously Coeur d'Alene didn't have a good hot dog, but these include optional (with no additional cost) mustard, relish, onions, a pickle spear, tomato wedges, sport peppers (really hot) and celery salt on a poppy seed bun.

Owner Tom Hayes, who came from Chicago last fall, said his dogs are Vienna beef with a natural casing. They're $3.75.

"There's 1,800 of these hot dog stands in the Chicago area," he said.

He also offers four breakfast options, Polish and German sausages, BLT burritos, Italian beef sandwiches, chili, clam chowder, a soup of the day and many beverages. He'll be adding meatball and sausage sandwiches.

The drive-up stand is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays (later in the summer). Hayes will be adding picnic tables and lights.