Burgers Orlando: Chicago Dog and Co. Review

If you’re looking for the best Orlando burgers, I’ve been celebrating National Hamburger Month and visited a new local spot that unsuspectingly serves a pretty good burger! This post is my full review of a new local spot in Central Florida, Chicago Dog and Co.

About Chicago Dog and Co.

According to their website, this new restaurant was started by two Chicago natives, who also happen to be sisters. One is a practicing attorney and they are both moms. It is noted that opening this restaurant is “fulfilling a long-held dream for their family!” I personally find it very admirable and ambitious to be opening a restaurant for the times we’re are living. Even though we are in a pandemic, the restaurant has posted recently about the success of busy traffic from all who want to have a taste of Chicago.

The atmosphere at this hot dog spot in Altamonte Springs

Chicago Dog and Co. is a casual dining location. You wait in line outside and place your order at a window. There is only outdoor seating at the moment, though some of it is covered. I would say that you can still safely dine here if it rains, but not if all the seating is taken – which would not surprise me during their busy lunch hour.

The staff is nice and they all appear to be working diligently as a team to get everyone’s order out quickly and at the same quality for everyone. While there, I was able to confirm they usually have a crew of 7 working each day.

chicago dog and co menu photo burgers orlando

The menu at Chicago Dog & Co.

This is the part where I will have to ask that you don’t ignore the “company” part of the restaurant’s name. Yes, they have a pretty good Chicago style hotdog, but to be totally honest I’ve already got one nearby (that tastes just as good).

They have 7 types of “dogs” which include the following:

Chicago Dog (pictured below)
Polish Sausage
Chili Dog
Ditka Dog
Maxwell Street Style Polish
Italian Sausage
Veggie Hot Dog (how nice that they have a vegetarian option!)

If you’re curious about any of the other hot dogs, I highly recommend you check the reviews on Google – they are mixed in star rating but there are plenty of photos and comments from people who note to be from Chicago.

The Food I personally tasted

The menu item that really put it over the top for me was their Smash Burger. I found it to have great flavor and my favorite part was the caramelized onions throughout. It seems to be a simple recipe – but their burger patty was great. To top it off, they serve it on a wonderful Brioche bun, that is soft and perfect to balance the salt of the beef. Highly recommend.

In addition to the Smash Burger and the Chicago Dog, I ordered a substitute item on their menu. I also had their Chicago Poutine, which to me was not great. There was a lot going on with the ingredients. I didn’t think the Italian Beef had much flavor and all the heat from the meat made the fries soggy. I ordered the mild version, so this may be why. They created this dish when they ran out of bread for a regular menu item… so I don’t know if it is a permanent menu item.

Final thoughts

Overall, I think Chicago Dog & Co. has some pretty good items on their menu, but I’m not sure how often I’d drive 30 minutes away to have it. I have a great Chicago hotdog place that’s just 10 minutes away and other than the burger, not much else stood out. I think their prices are fair, but I did notice a few reviewers felt it wasn’t worth the portions provided. I felt the portions were okay – the poutine, in particular, is something I could share if I was also having a hotdog. But everyone is different so just keep the comments of those other reviewers in mind.

I would say if you are in the Central Florida area, they are definitely worth a try.