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| - This is my first review that is under 4 stars. But do not be alarmed, sole person who reads this.
I'm firmly in the "if you don't have anything good to say, don't say it" camp when it comes to reviews. And there's some good stuff to talk about with Yovi's, and realistically, this is a 3.5 star review...but Yelp refuses to acknowledge my need for fractions.
Yovi's Chicago Style Hot Dog's....that's about as completely honest a restaurant name as you can get. They do hot dogs. Chicago style. And some other stuff. But you're not there for the tamale...unless you are. But you're a weird guy to look for tamales at a hot dog shop that makes no mention of tamales in their name. Freak.
For those new to the game, Chicago style, or stizz-ile if you're Canadian and ten years in the past, is an all beef dog, mustard, diced onions, electric green relish, "sport peppers," tomato slices, celery salt, and a pickle spear, all squeezed into a poppy seed bun. It's called "run through the garden" for a reason.
Now, I'm a bit picky when it comes to hot dogs. And this isn't a bad one. But Pittsburgh is quickly becoming a Hot Dog Mecca, with places like Packs N' Dogs, Franktuary, Station Street Hot Dogs, and even the Rowdy Buck on Carson Street is getting into the mix. So, a good dog doesn't quite live up to a 4 star rating.
The all beef frank was solid, but nothing special, and all the toppings were fresh and tasty, but fairly pedestrian. And for around $8 you get a 2 dog combo, with fries and a drink. You'll be full, but you won't be chomping at the bit to come back. I think the biggest problem, for me at least, was that the poppy seed bun was a let down. Less of the Chicago original, and more of a Giant Eagle bun with some seeds on it.
I'm not hating on Yovi's. It was a good deal, really good fries, and a good dog. All the Chicago nostalgia on the walls was like stepping through the looking glass in comparison to the "all Pittsburgh all the time" that is the norm in the city. But next time, I might try the tamale.
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