Gene & Jude's — Restaurant in Leyden Township

A legend on River Rd. at Grand Ave. (in river grove, IL). I grew up in a nearby area and have been coming here for over 50 years. Except for employees- not much has changed.

Very simple menu: hot dog with fries, double dog with fries (2 dogs on the bun), tamale, order of fries and soft drinks. That’s it- no gyros, Italian beefs, polish, etc.

French fries are hand cut right in front of you and loaded on the dogs. These chicago style hot dogs are dressed with the original “depression” style toppings: mustard, relish, onions and sport peppers (no pickles, tomato, celery salt). And no ketchup is served or available. Same as it ever was since they opened 70+ years ago.

All the food is served as fresh as you can expect at a busy hot dog joint: the dogs have a good snap to them, the buns are steamed, the fries hot and satisfying.

The only change I’d like to see is making ketchup available ….. which I need on my fries. I bring my own when I know I’m going. More than once I have overpaid for a bottle of ketchup from the c-store next door. FYI- The McDonald’s next door only provides ketchup to their customers. [update January 2025: the McDonald’s has moved out]

No seating (but there are stand-up counters lining the walls) and no customer restrooms. Ample parking. They take credit cards. No ATM on site. [update January 2025: credit card network down- cash only. I assume this is temporary but be prepared. Saw several disappointed customers walk away when they read the sign on the door].

It looks clean behind the counter and they have good food sanitation practices including everyone’s wearing a hat, food preppers are wearing kitchen gloves and there is a dedicated person to handle the money.

They’re open early and late and you should expect a long line at lunch and dinner hours. I once counted 20 customers in line when I arrived and there was another 20 behind me when I walked out. The place is well staffed (there were about 10 employees on duty late morning on a recent Saturday). They are efficient and things...

Hello everyone. The experience I had at Gene and Jude’s was like no other hotdog place I have ever been to. Tired. It was 11 pm. There was still an hour drive left till I got home. Hungry. And craving a hot dog. There was only one proper solution which was right in front of me which first appeared like a mirage in my mind. A hot dog place. I think I felt the stars physically align above me as well in that moment. The best part about Gene and Jude’s is that you know what you are getting. Options at the typical fast food chain are endless and some being pointless. Such as the Wendy’s Taki Burger. Why do they sell that? You have other burgers? Smh anyways Gene and Jude’s keeps things simple, and in a world of overconsumption and complexity, sometimes you just need a hot dog. For the low price of 4/5 dollars, you can get a Chicago hot dog made Gene and Jude style with delicious, flavorful fries. My mind was truly blown when they put the fries IN THE HOTDOG. Gene must stand for genius because I had no desire for ketchup (duh) or any other condiment for my fries because they were packed with flavor from the hotdog. The hotdog was obviously a TEN OUT OF TEN. I don’t know how they did it. But it was orgasmic. Perfection. While ordering and receiving my order and staring at the chefs I began to hallucinate them as a bunch of Jeremy Allen Whites as his character from the bear which felt slightly intimidating, but yk its the vibe. Don’t disturb the chefs process cus they quite literally LOOK like they know what they’re doing. True master chefs. Gordon Ramsey has to get to the back of the line. Moral of the story is sometimes you just need a simple hotdog so get it made at Gene and Jude’s where it’s done right. No...

I grew up with Gene & Judes...lived a block away....so here's my take. In Chicago area, there are two styles of dog that differ in the condiments... 1: the "garden" style. Green relish, fresh tomato slices, yellow mustard, sliced pickles, onions, sometimes sport pepper, and always celery salt. Gene & Jude style. Garden dog minus: tomato, sliced pickles and celery salt. Add a handful of greasy fries.

The dogs Gene & Jude uses are Vienna brand , but are special made... little more rubbery with thicker skins...some people like that, some don't. The fries ... excellent if you like greasy...I love them myself. You can ask to have them removed or placed in a separate bag. It's a grungy place so as far as service goes...they are generally very accommodating for customizing your order. There is a long (half hour?) wait on busy times though and eating inside is standing only...most people take home or picnic from their cars in the parking lot. The only thing I dislike is when you check out: the guy behind the register ( not the guy building your order) asks what you purchased....(Are you being honest?) Then seconds later asks your order guy to confirm. I just sort of pissed me off. Don't bother me with it... just ask the order guy from the beginning. I know people visit from all over the US and are encouraged to stop by and have a dog...it's good stuff... but keep in mind this is a neighborhood, grungy hot dog stand. One last thing: these dogs are tasty and addictive....so please, for your the sake of your health, try to limit them . Ask...