Redhot Ranch

"Red Hot Ranch is one of the best places for a cheap lunch or your last stop after a night out. The counter-service Bucktown location is small and has a couple of picnic tables underneath some train tracks that feel very “Chicago”—assuming your baseline definition is “constantly being serenaded by the Blue Line.” Their burger is smashed thin with crispy edges, and is one of the best in its price range (a double cheeseburger and fries is less than $8). The menu also includes a Depression Dog, as well as milkshakes and fried shrimp by the pound. Just know, it's cash only." - john ringor, adrian kane, nick allen

"What To Get: Hot dog (Chicago-style) with fries, Depression Dog, a side of cheese sauce for the fries. What To Know: Having opened in 2005, Redhot is one of the city’s newer stands but they brought the Depression Dog (an all-beef dog on a plain bun topped with yellow mustard, onions, and hot sport peppers) back from obscurity. There are multiple cash-only locations, but the Logan Square one is open until midnight every day." - adrian kane, john ringor, nick allen, veda kilaru

"The epitome of a Chicago institution, Redhot Ranch started out with a focus on fries-laden Depression Dogs. But thanks to a jolt of inspiration at an In-N-Out in 2013, co-owners Barry Nemerow and Jeff Greenfield added a perfectly smashed-and-seared burger that’s widely regarded as one of the best and most wallet-friendly around. There’s debate among aficionados regarding the particular strengths of the Lakeview location versus the outpost in Bucktown, but both welcome a steady stream of regulars. 35th Street Dogs, near Sox Park, also offers the same burger." - Naomi Waxman, Ashok Selvam

"Red Hot Ranch on Ashland serves a great Depression Dog topped with fresh-cut fries and one of the best cheap burgers in town with a thin, delicious griddled patty." - sam faye, adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru

"In a world filled with wagyu burgers, nothing is quite as satisfying as a straightforward burger you can eat with one hand that costs less than $10 and comes with fries. That’s what you’ll find at Red Hot Ranch, which has locations in Lakeview, Bucktown, and on 35th street. This cash-only spot has a short menu of mostly burgers, and what you want to get is the Red Hot Double. It’s two patties, pickles, LTO, and American cheese on a squishy bun that practically melts in your mouth. And those salty fries will beg you to order a vanilla shake to dip them in, and you should listen." - adrian kane, john ringor