- Credibility:
LINCOLN PARK — The Wiener’s Circle is back following months of renovations aimed at making it the neighborhood’s “backyard.”
The famous hot dog stand, 2622 N. Clark St., has spent 35 years as a bare bones spot where people ordered off the wall and ate at counters — but it’s gotten new owners in recent years, and they announced plans this spring to renovate.
Manager Brian Haines said he designed the new look of the stand to “bring it back to life.”
The idea behind the renovations was to put a bar in the back where people could order drinks and enjoy them at picnic benches, Haines said. The backyard has a capacity of about 100 people and features a large awning and heat lamps.
The patio is children- and dog-friendly, Haines said.
“We put a basketball hoop up back there with the Wiener’s Circle logo,” he said. “But it’s also an inviting place for people to ride their bikes, bring their dogs, enjoy the lawn chairs.”
The backyard bar comes with a specifically designed cocktail menu, an innovation for Wiener’s Circle, which has never had a bar before. Zach Osipczuk, the bar manager who created the menu, said the change was “easy but exciting.”
“The biggest seller and real fan favorite so far has been the Wiener’s Slammer,” Osipczuk said. The Wiener’s Slammer is a red drink made out of bourbon, sloe gin and orange juice, among other ingredients.
The menu includes several homages to the city, including a Malort-based cocktail and local craft beers.
The Wiener’s Circle has also added four unisex restrooms, each of them with a unique design paying homage to the stand’s long-time workers. Customers can also enjoy the “podcast room,” a space that can be used for private events and karaoke, Haines said.
Despite the long renovation process, the lobby and the counter of the Wiener’s Circle — beloved symbols of the place — were left untouched.
“That was sacred ground,” Haines said. “We wanted to preserve them exactly as they are, so that when people come in still feel the same old Wiener’s Circle.”
Listen to “It’s All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast” here:
