Oh the mighty Chicago Dog! King of processed foods, ruler of the tubed meat. And perhaps America’s proudest achievement? At the very least, it is certainly the most visually impressive of the hot dog variants. A surprising number of vendors are offering up what would appear to be authentic Chicago dogs in the Largo area, and the best of the bunch may well be found at Bruce’s Chicago Grill & Dog House.
Bruce’s Dog House, on Ulmerton and Belcher (and currently tucked behind a bit of construction work), serves up a bunch of different types of hot dogs and sausages (Polish and Italian sausages, bratwurst, Nathan’s, Hebrew National, and of course Vienna Beef) dressed in a variety of ways, along with hamburgers, deli sandwiches, and Chicago style Italian beef sandwiches.
The place is a magical wonderland… a smattering of neon signs welcomes you in to what is essentially a chunk of Chicago packed into a tiny Tampa Bay strip mall unit. Everything is red, yellow, and blue, and the walls are lined with an overwhelming amount of crap to let you know THIS IS CHICAGO. The tables come in both picnic and booth style, and are all covered with classic, easy-to-clean red and white checkered table cloths. And greeting you front and center at the ordering counter is Bruce Karlin, owner of the place.
The food is just what you expect, fulfilling the promise of edible Chicago. The loaded Chicago dog is perfect – a pillowy poppy seed bun holding a snappy Vienna Beef dog with natural casing, buried in neon green relish, diced onions cucumbers and tomatoes, mustard, spicy sport peppers, and a floppy slice of kosher dill pickle, all lightly dusted in heavenly celery salt. It’s an ejaculation of flavor in your dirty, eager mouth… something curiously magical about that combination of flavors. And it makes me want to coat everything I eat in that refreshing mix of diced tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers.
Purchased as a basket complete with endlessly satisfying crinkle cut fries (blessed with the very same celery salt) and a drink, the meal will run you about 7 bucks, and be worth every penny. Also worth checking out is the Italian Beef, which is basically a halfway point between a Philly cheesesteak and a French dip – sexy wet sliced beef with peppers on a flaky Italian roll. The place is perfect, and is soon to be expanding; even if it weren’t, it’s worth weathering the lunch rush for that sweet taste of Chicago.
Bruce’s Chicago Grill & Dog House is located at 7733 Ulmerton Road in Largo.
Open Monday-Friday: 11am–7pm, Saturday: 11am–4pm. Closed Sundays.
