Devil Dawgs: A Campus Cornerstone

A shot of Devil Dawgs courtesy of Yelp.com

It does not take long for one to recognize the greatness of Devil Dawgs. The hot dog joint off Sheffield and Webster has been providing customers with delicious dogs, burgers and hand cut fries for years. I recognized the hype when I ordered my first hot dog, which was Chicago style, of course.

The menu is simple and straight to the point. The prices are forgiving on the wallet and the ambiance of the small building, that looks as if it were built to accommodate a different business entirely, is very cool.

But the real beauty of devil dogs is the convenience factor. If you are heading out with friends on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, Devil Dawgs might be in your future.

Scenario #1: You are leaving Kelly’s or McGee’s with a couple friends at closing time Friday night and you start a long, inebriated trek from the bar back to your place. You’re at the corner of Sheffield and Webster when your friend stops walking and looks as if he has received a divine revelation.  A glorious exchange ensues.

Friend 1: “Wow… Tryin’ to hit Devil Dawgs?”
Friend 2: “Absolutely”
You: Already waiting in line.

You will wake up the next morning to find the remnants of, most likely, at least two hot dogs or hamburgers and hand cut fries. Being a fairly health-conscious person, I am sometimes disgusted by the amount of Devil Dawgs I wake up to. But in the moment, there are no regrets.

It is open until 2 a.m. Thursday and Friday and on Saturdays it is open until 3 a.m. This draws a ridiculous amount of students heading home for the night. My only knock on the place is that it is only open until 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Which brings me to scenario number 2.

Scenario #2: You are leaving Kelly’s or McGee’s with a couple friends on Wednesday night around closing time and you begin to walk home just as you did last Friday. Once again, you hit the corner when friend number one brings up a familiar proposition. This time with just two words.

Friend 1: “Devil Dawgs?”
Friend 2: “I could definitely go for some.”
You: Walking towards the entrance only to see the place empty.

You stop dead in your tracks and look up as if to ask God how he could’ve done you so wrong in this dire time of need for some late night grub. But no, you don’t stop there. You walk right up to the door and shake it a couple times to see if it will magically open, revealing a full staff waiting to take your order.

This will definitely put a damper on some great nights, but overall I can’t complain about this gem of an establishment. It really is a cool place to check out and the convenience factor is sure to keep you coming back.