There’s no ketchup in the Garden.

The Chicago Dog //

The Chicago-style hot dog is a beloved culinary icon with a history rooted in immigrant traditions, economic necessity, and local pride. Here’s a look at how it came to be:

Origins (Early 1900s)

Immigrant Influence: The Chicago hot dog traces its roots to the early 20th century, when Chicago was a melting pot of European immigrants. The German community brought sausages and the idea of placing them in buns, which laid the foundation for the American hot dog.

Depression-Era Evolution: The modern Chicago-style hot dog took shape during the Great Depression (1930s). Street vendors sought to provide a cheap, filling meal. A hot dog “dragged through the garden” (loaded with vegetables) offered more nutrition and value.

What’s on a Chicago-Style Hot Dog?

A classic Chicago dog includes:

• All-beef frankfurter (usually Vienna Beef) on a
• Poppy seed bun, steamed
• Yellow mustard
• Chopped white onions
• Sweet pickle relish (often neon green)
• A dill pickle spear
• Tomato wedges
• Sport peppers (small, spicy pickled peppers)
• Celery salt

♦ Absolutely no ketchup—this is a defining rule of the style.

In Chicago, putting ketchup on a hot dog is considered a culinary taboo — almost a local law. Here’s why:

1. Tradition and Purism

A Chicago-style hot dog is a very specific creation: an all-beef frankfurter in a poppy seed bun, topped with mustard, chopped onions, neon green relish, tomato slices, a pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt. It’s a carefully balanced flavor profile, and ketchup — which is sweet — is seen as throwing off that balance.

2. Cultural Identity

This isn’t just about food; it’s cultural. Chicagoans take great pride in their hot dogs, and eschewing ketchup has become part of the identity. Even many hot dog stands in the city have signs that say “No Ketchup.”

3. Flavor Philosophy

Chefs and food purists argue that the sweetness of ketchup overpowers the other flavors. The combination of tangy mustard, savory dog, spicy peppers, and salty celery salt is considered more complex and harmonious without ketchup.

That said, if you like ketchup, you’re free to add it — just be ready for some side-eyes!