Al's Drive In

Suburban Chicago Hot Dog Stand Al’s Drive-In Serves Wieners and Fried Rice | Eater Chicago

"A classic, unfussy suburban Chicago street-food stand founded in 1955 and family-run for decades, it sits near Proviso East High School and draws many students who order hot dogs, Italian beef, pizza puffs, cheese sticks, and fries. Its signature mild sauce — put on nearly everything — is so central that customers immediately noticed when someone tried to alter it. The unexpected bestseller is made-to-order fried rice with a Thai-influenced seasoning (salt, pepper, MSG and a proprietary dark soy blend using Golden Mountain sauce); demand leapt after a WGN feature, rising from about 10 quarts a day to roughly 320. The stand is owned by Sue Rapanavanich, and her son — who trained in culinary school, served in the military, and now works as a firefighter — grew up working there and still manages purchasing and operations. Frequently compared to the Italian beef stand depicted in the TV series The Bear, the business relies on high volume rather than restaurant-style margins and has had to raise prices in recent months to absorb 20–30% increases in items like Vienna beef and rice." - Naomi Waxman