Vienna Beef, one of the world’s most famous hot dog makers, is suing the owner of a rival hot dog company, accusing him of either stealing Vienna’s 118-year-old recipe or lying to customers by claiming that he’s using it.
The rival is none other than a grandson of one of the two men who founded the company after their hot dogs became a hit at the 1893 World’s Fair.
In this wiener war, one of the only things the owners of Vienna Beef and Red Hot Chicago are likely to agree on is that you don’t put ketchup on a Chicago-style hot dog.
They also might agree that Chicago’s dog – with its mustard, bright green relish, tomato slices, pickle spear, chopped onion and more – is far superior to New York’s grilled or boiled dog, which by Chicago standards is practically naked with only sauerkraut and mustard.
The lawsuit accuses Red Hot Chicago of false advertising, unfair competition and trademark infringement. But it also offers a reminder that hot dogs are no joking matter in Chicago, where the “meal on a bun” is part of local history and where loyalty to one of the region’s 2,000 hot dog stands is passed down from generation to generation.
