About Redhot Ranch
In the summer of 2005, veteran restauranteurs Barry Nemerow and Jeff Greenfield opened 35th Street Redhots on the south side of Chicago near White Sox Park. At the time, nearly all hot dog stands were touting the salad-on-a-bun “Chicago style” dog, but the two partners wanted to reintroduce the city to the original Chicago dog often referred to as the “Depression dog” – a minimalist hotdog served with mustard, relish, onion, sport peppers and fresh-cut fries. They also sought to bring back long forgotten techniques that ensured a better dog like cooking in old fashioned ceramic crocks and using natural casing that would snap and burst with flavor with each bite. Paired with golden, old style fresh-cut fries and wrapped up in old school wax paper, 35th street soon began garnering acclaim from the Chicago Tribune and WGN TV’s Chicago’s Best. Barry and Jeff responded to the success with two more restaurants in Lakeview and Bucktown in the years that followed attaching the familiar “Redhot Ranch” name.
In 2013, Barry and Jeff were eating burgers at an In-N-Out in Vegas when inspiration struck. Chicago was quickly becoming a burger crazy town, and Redhot Ranch customers had been begging for a burger for years. Barry had always been obsessed with the fresh taste and preparation of In-N-Out, but Jeff was partial to the caramelized goodness of burger joints that smashed their patties while griddling. Out of this merging of tastes, the Redhot Ranch Burger was born: fresh patties of crispy, caramelized beef adorned with melty cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and special sauce.
To their surprise, sales of the Redhot Ranch burger quickly outpaced all other menu items and started to gain a cult following throughout Chicagoland. The RHR Burger even began showing up on burger top 10 and Chicago “Must Eat” lists.
Whether you’re hankering for a juicy RHR double cheeseburger or want the old time nostalgia of a Depression dog with delicious golden French fries, stop on by the Ranch and satisfy your craving today.
Press & Awards
RHR FEATURED ON “Check Please!” Watch the video
CHICAGO MAGAZINE: The hot dog stand that’s also perfect for date night!
CHICAGO MAGAZINE: RHR Named best hot dog stand in Chicago!
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: 2015 Dining Awards
CHICAGO TRIBUNE: RHR places second for best fries in Chicago
SERIOUS EATS: TGI Fry-Day: Fried Shrimp from Redhot Ranch
SERIOUS EATS: The 10 Best Chicago-Style Hot Dogs
“I don’t remember a single mouthful I didn’t enjoy. Right now if I go to any other burger place, I’ll wish I’d have gone to the Redhot Ranch instead.”
“No brainer – a place for the regular folks: a great burger for a fair price – rare thing in the Chi. I’ve gone on record that the RHR double cheeseburger is the best burger in Chicago, and I stand by that.”
“At around $6.50 for a double cheeseburger and fries, we should support locally owned places which offer great values without compromising the food”
“As a California ex-pat, Redhot Ranch is the closest you can get to an In-N-Out burger (with better fries too!) in Chicago”
“I’ve driven out of my way to avoid driving past Redhot Ranch on Ashland. This is the only way I ensure that I won’t be tempted to stop. I love their burgers and fries”
“Quite possibly the best $6 you can spend on food in all of Chicagoland.”
“Stopped by Red Hot Ranch for a RHR double cheeseburger yesterday. I was tempted to have another, but I came to my senses and promptly left. Close call though… Redhot Ranch is definitely Hamburger Royalty!!”