Dear Franks Has Doggone Good Simple Fare

Dear Franks does quick American fare right. The counter-service spot keeps its prices low, while still offering great made-to-order food with fresh ingredients.

Situated at the fringes of Village Crossing Shopping Center, the Dear Franks at 5699 W. Touhy Ave. in Niles is one of three restaurants of the same name, with other in Deerfield and Glenview. It embraces its local heritage, with walls lined with photos of Chicago icons such as Millennium Park and Navy Pier and images of Bulls and Blackhawks players.

Two TVs hang in the corners and pages from the day’s newspaper are set at the counter seats. The dining area features small tables with red-topped chairs and a set of machines selling gum and candy. It also provides a view of the kitchen, where customers can see theirs meal being whipped up.

We received a friendly greeting as soon as we walked into the restaurant. When we asked for recommendations, the woman behind the register hesitated, but another employee quickly jumped in to suggest we go with his favorites: the Italian beef ($5.40) and Philly cheesesteak ($6.65). We agreed, and I ordered a Chicago-style hot dog ($2.65), which inspired the employee to jokingly ask if that meant I wanted extra ketchup.

I’m from Florida, where strawberry milkshakes are always made with fresh fruit, so I’m always hesitant to order them in the Midwest where syrup and frozen strawberries are far more common. When I saw Dear Franks menu included fresh strawberry shakes ($2.95) I had to get one. My friends tried the chocolate ($2.75) and fresh banana ($2.95) varieties, which all came out quickly and were delicious. The chocolate shake was so thick and my friend quickly wound up just eating it with a spoon. Both the fruit shakes lived up to their promises by including plenty of pieces of fruit, well blended into a thick and creamy drink.

All our food was also excellent. We started with an order of breaded mushrooms ($2.95), which turned out to be a huge serving for the price. The mushroom caps were served very hot covered in a crisp, but not greasy, breading.

The thick, steamed Chicago-style dog was appropriately loaded with toppings, including particularly good and hot sports peppers and large chunks of white onions. Adding in a side of French fries ($1.60) made it a filling low-cost meal.

The meat in both the Italian beef and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches was very tender and was well-accented by very spicy giardiniera and the creamy melted Swiss cheese, respectively. Both were served on just enough fresh crusty bread to keep the meat together. The bread was particularly good with Italian beef, soaking in some of the meat’s juices and seasoning.

It’s easy to see why there’s demand for three Dear Franks on the North Shore. While there are plenty of places that sell hot dogs, sandwiches and shakes, Dear Franks’ versions are good enough to be worth seeking out.