LOGAN SQUARE — A different longtime hot dog stand will take up the Hot Doug’s mantle when the owner’s of Fatso’s Last Stand move into the Avondale location, known in recent months for its lines around the block.
The new restaurant, Frank Meats Patty, comes with a secret menu developed over the years at Fatso's Last Stand's Ukrainian Village shop, according to Bob Corbett, general manager of the Lockdown Group. Hot Doug’s closed Oct. 3 but the native hot dog stand will take over shift duty at 3324 N. California Ave. in December.
The char dog and shrimp specialists plan to bring the Fatso’s tradition to the new shop, about four months after the death of Phil Ashbach, the beloved owner of Fatso's.
“When we opened this place we did a secret menu like In-and-Out Burger. The difference is we put items on the menu that we came up with as we went along,” Corbett said. “That’s already kind of the secret thing — people in the know get that … it can be anything you want here.”
As in, go ahead and add an egg, a side of Fatso’s sloppy joes, a cheddar mac and cheese side or any number of other combinations to your burger. Better yet, try a take on the Ooey Gooey with fries: a char-burger stuffed with cheddar, Fatso sauce and grilled onion.
“That’s how that all kind of evolved,” Corbett said. “I think it’s a good idea to have a secret menu. I think they’re that good and that they should stand alone.”
Until then, the memory of Hot Doug’s lives on in Avondale, where day-long lines trailed for blocks outside the iconic hot dog stand, two 15-pound briskets were smoked during a single wait, a couple was married under the marquee and a movie was filmed in the week before the shop closed.
“We found out about it just like everyone else,” Corbett said. “We stood in line and we were as big a fan as everybody. I loved it.”
Plans for the change-over began about a month later, he added, but Fatso’s was in no rush to claim Avondale’s throne of encased meats.
“That guy, he’s a king. You gotta let him do his thing. We didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. It’s like trying to follow Vince Lombardi or John Elway.”
Expect to see a full menu for Frank Meats Patty in the coming weeks.
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