I’m not sure where I first heard about Tony Packo’s Hungarian Hot Dogs. It may have been in 1000 Places To See Before You Die, although it’s hard to believe that a beefed up hot dog stand would merit the same consideration as, say, the Taj Mahal.
Even if it wasn’t one of the seven wonders of the world, I decided that it was worth a stop on our drive from Cleveland to Chicago, if only to find out what all the fuss was about. It was on our way, easy to get to, and an inexpensive place to get a meal.
I wasn’t disappointed in the hot dogs either. They were pretty tasty, not as good as the street hot dogs in New York City or Prague, but delicious nonetheless. Even better were the creamy cucumber salad, paprika dumplings, and apple strudel.
I still don’t get what all the buzz is about. Apparently, Tony Packo’s got a lot of media exposure when one of the MASH characters raved about the hot dogs. Later, celebrities turned the place into an even bigger deal by autographing the hot dog buns.
Now, the walls are covered by autographed buns.
No strangers to green, moldy bread, the kids asked how come the autographed buns didn’t suffer the same fate. Accustomed to answering a barrage of questions, mostly on subjects that I know very little about, I came up with what I thought was a reasonable answer. I suggested that the airtight packaging preserved the hot dog buns.
The kids believed me too, until an employee piped up that they use Styrofoam hot dogs. Fake hot dogs seem to be a popular item, and the gift shop was selling them like hotcakes.
I was tempted to bring one home as a souvenir, but I decided to hold on to the squeezable buns with my camera instead.
Want more from On Living By Learning?
Follow me On Twitter or Facebook.
Sign up to receive free articles from On Living By Learning by Email. (Click this link. Fill out the form. Don’t forget to click on your verification Email. Look for this in your mailbox.) You can also click here to receive updates on a RSS Feed Reader.
Share This Post:
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
You have got to check out these in Chicago:
Superdawg Drive-In:
Address: 6363 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL
StreetWise (Chicago’s homeless newspaper) sponsors a tour of Chicago that is based on true stories by former homeless people. They go to several stops, including-the site of the 1968 Democratic Convention Riots, Cabrini Green (one of Chicago’s most notorius housing projects and the site of TV’s Good Times), Malcolm X College, Chicago’s Civic Center. The tour goes past some of Chicago’s most famous off the beaten track spots like Cook County Hospital (think E.R.and Chicago Hope) and through the south, west and north loop areas and downtown.
Not Your Mama’s Bus Tour:
Address: Chicago, IL
Directions: 1331 S. Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago.
Admission: $15 kids, $22.50 adults, $20 seniors.
Phone: 312-554-0060
Museum of Holography:
Address: 1134 W. Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL [Show Map]
Directions: West side of the city, northwest of the junction of I-290 and I-90/94, on the corner of W. Washington Blvd and N. May St.
Admission: $4.
Hours: Wed.-Sun. 12:30-5 pm. (Call to verify)
Phone: 312-226-1007
Large Radio Flyer Wagon:
Address: 6515 W. Grand Ave., Elmwood Park, IL [Show Map]
Directions: At the intersection of Grand and Fullerton, southwest side.
Admission: Free.
Well your home town hot dog joint took the number three spot in the Albany Times Union’s Best of 2009 – http://blog.timesunion.com/bestof/best-hot-dogs/146/ – certainly not one of the 1,000 place you need to visit before you die, but still enjoyable!
I’m not surprised, Mike’s makes a mean hot dog. Kayla and Alex would place it in the Number 1 spot!
Liese, I wish I had time to do the Streetwise tour on this stop, but I’m going to try to squeeze it in on the return trip. That sounds like a truly enlightening tour. Thanks for the tip!