Indie Street Eats #1 • 05/12/09
Dog ‘N Suds
Grayslake, IL
Items ordered: Veggie Burger Basket with Fries and their “World Famous” Chocolate Pudding, Medium House Rootbeer
Price: $7-12
Do you like Sonic? Do you like the idea of awkwardly ordering and eating in your car? Do you like the idea of staining your car’s interior with catsup or pudding?
Despite the fact that I would answer with an empathic “no” to each and every one of these questions (alright, Sonic’s pancake-batter onion rings are BANANAS), I was convinced by my co-host and hetero-life-companion Nick Rennis to eat at Dog ‘N Suds in the cozy backwater-town-cum-suburb of Grayslake, IL.
- Atmosphere: Divey . . | . . . . . . . Elegant
You pull up. Girl with disgusting legs and short-jorts takes your order. You sit in your car. You can smoke in your car. Makes you think the 40s were kind of dirty.
- Service: Accommodating . . . . | . . . . . “Laissez Faire”
They come to your car, so.. that’s pretty accommodating. On the other hand, refills aren’t free and, please, Dogs ‘N Suds, those shorts are not going to help your staff’s tips.
- Price: Cheap . . . | . . . . . . Expensive
Not as much food as your get for your money at Taco Bell, per se, but it’s not busting the wallet-balls if you’re hungry. Moved one “dickwet” closer to “Expensive” since you have to tip.
- Food Quality: Low . . . | . . . . . . High
Veggie Burger was nothing to write home about—your basic miscooked Boca Burger. Fries were decent, slightly Steak ‘N’ Shake-esque. Pudding tasted like Swiss Miss. Rootbeer was the standout item. As you can tell, Dog ‘N Suds shops at your local supermarket for highest quality ingredients.
- Food Flavor: Bland . . | . . . . . . . Flavortastic
I think next time I would skip the Veggie Burger and just go for the good ole’ fried stuff—mac and cheese, mozzarella, etc. Fries were average, but not salty. Pudding was average. Rootbeer was flavorful and well-balanced.
- Selection: Focused . . . . . . . | . . Varied
While all of the food falls squarely in the realm of fast food, it is varied within that, uh, genre—they have both subs, for instance, and all types of fried appetizers.
- Draw: Weak . . . . | . . . . . Strong
While the above scales may make Dog ‘N Suds seem utterly undesirable, I’m definitely ready to give it another chance. I’m not sure I’m going to make a pilgrimage out of it, but there is some strange draw. Maybe it’s the drive-up “experience…”
