Poochie’s — Restaurant in Niles Township

I am no stranger to Poochie's, I have driven by its location off-and-on in the past with an interest in visiting at some point. It was not until getting my vehicle serviced at Toyota of Lincolnwood when I considered visiting after searching 'Beyond Burger' via yelp and finding Poochie's listed eighth within a radius from Lincolnwood Illinois.

Poochie's itself sits along Dempster St nearby several restaurants that I am familiar with, with one being Monkey King Jianbing which I admit I have visited a handful of times for jianbing, tehehe. The parking lot is shared with another business, but there are plenty of parking spots available.

I was acknowledged shortly after I walked in and up to the counter to look at the menu which sat off to the side. I ended up ordering their char veggie burger, and a strawberry milkshake which was completed within several minutes, with the milkshake being given not long after I sat down.

Service: 5 (Great)

I opted out of dine-in and chose to take my order to go. Nothing wrong with the atmosphere of Poochie's, I just was not in the mood to dine-in. Moreover, the restaurant appeared clean, and the atmosphere gave off a nice sporty vibe. And there are a number of tables and seats available inside of the dining area, plus televisions plastered on the wall for viewing pleasure as you eat.

Atmosphere: 4 (Good)

Rather than wait to eat until I got in from my long drive, I ended up pulling into a parking lot and eating the char veggie burger inside my vehicle. Garnished with everything but hot peppers, I enjoyed each satisfying bite of it as lettuce, ketchup, and mustard fell from it. And that strawberry shake was so mouthwatering! I must say that there is not anything like a good old fashioned milkshake.

Food: 4 (Good)

Being that I had a good experience, I would gladly re-visit Poochie's again whenever in the Skokie area.

Service: 5 | Atmosphere: 4 | Food: 4

Recommendations: double char veggie burger, char veggie burger, fresh cut fries, cheddar fries, or grilled cheese.

Good Food = Good...

So many people rave about this place. I know it's a staple of the area and they I have had their catering at events. It's a hot dog/burger joint like any other, but you need to have grown up with it. I have my favorite places and this is on the list for many other people. It's definitely on my list for top hot dog joints.

We were on our way somewhere and my wife was peckish. She immediately thought of Poochie's. I said I've had them at events but had never dined at their brick-and-mortar location and she looked at my like I had a second head. How could I have never been there?! Well, this was my moment.

We both got hot dogs. Mine is always the same, mustard and pickle only. Her's was mustard, relish, pickle, and onion (but they were grilled). We got their cheese fries (and if you visit a hot dog stand and not get the cheese fries, you're a heathen). And I also got a tamale (because that's a true test of a hot dog stand). She got a diet Coke and I a Mr. Pibb.

They had a lot on their menu and I really want to go back and try their burger. I will always get cheese fries and never the other concoctions they offer (you people on the West Coast with your cheese fries and thousand island dressing mixed in - what the hell is wrong with you?) And when do loaded fries ever have sour cream added. Ya got cheese and bacon. Save the sour cream for the baked potato. And don't get me started on your Caesar fries. Really? Really?

I do want to try their fried pickle chips. They looked great, but my wife was shooting daggers at me through her eyes and I knew I had pushed my luck with cheese fries AND a tamale AND a Mr. Pibb. When in Rome...

Their food is great! It rivals anything in the area. You can go to your sit down restaurants and order whatever, but will you leave with a smile on your face? Chances are just 50/50.

If you go to Poochie's and order all of their deliciousness? Chances are you're walking out full with a big sh*t-eating grin on your face and 100%...

Poochie's has been a Skokie establishment I have been going to for many years and it would only be fair to write a review to get the word out to those in the city. This review will only comment on my most recent experience last night. Poochie's is a small restaurant in a tiny strip mall, so you might miss it if you are driving during high traffic times.

Walking in you can tell that the owner takes pride in his place on how clean and well kept the place is, this is definitely a mom & pop operation. Last night the place was almost half full, not bad considering it was Friday night. The girl greeting me to take my order at the counter was very pleasant and friendly.

I ordered Char dog, Chicago style and a side of cheese fries. You can appreciate the fact that Poochie's has fresh home cut fries and uses quality cheddar for their fries and burgers. The fries as usual were crispy and hot. Poochie's gives you a fair amount of cheddar cheese and doesn't cut corners. The char dog had that classic char taste that I prefer over hot dogs sitting in hot water. Ketchup is available on the premises if that's what you prefer. Overall, this is an establishment that I would recommend for quality fast food.

Note: Parking can be a slight issue since they are in a small lot. This place really gets busy on the weekends and during lunch time during the working week. Still, don't let...