Wise Guys

This place is apparently closed, whether temporarily or for good. I’ve gone by 3 times since April and it still has a sign that says they’re gone on a business trip «for a week». I’d avoid wasting your time until someone else posts otherwise.

The location is a dive, but the owners and their father appear to love making good food, and do it well.
I haven’t eaten anything other than their hot dogs and cookies, but they’ve all been great. The hot dogs they use are large and really nice (I like a place that uses hot dogs with a real casing). My girlfriend contacted them about making a special hot dog for my birthday a few months ago, and the hot dog they invented was very good. My only wish is that they served not only Chicago-​style hot dogs, but DC-​style half-​smokes as well.

There is just something so charming about small, family run businesses.
The father of the owner runs the place most of the time– he told my boyfriend and I the entire story about his family and their business ventures while were at Wise Guys yesterday! He was really, really friendly and let us sit at the counter (even though there is technically no seating in the restaurant).
The place is small– basically just a kitchen with a counter and a cash register on it, but the man that was working (father of the owners) also works as a food service health inspector so it is very obvious that the place is clean and hygienic.
These people care about the quality of their product, and it definitely shows in the food! The hot dogs totally upstaged Ray’s Red Hots– the father of the owners proudly boasted how their retail price on the hot dogs they import is $ 1/​dog, aka quality stuff. My boyfriend and I split three (and were STUFFED by the end): the Chicago dog, the Rueben dog and the chili dog. All were fabulous I am partial to the Rueben and chili dog).
Great stuff– for a hot dog joint, this place is the best in town! 5 stars!
TIPS: Bring cash, they don’t take card. Also, this place has crazy weird hours, so be sure to check before you go!

This past Saturday I was blown away not only by the usual deliciousness of Wise Guys’ hot dogs, but by their generosity.
About a month ago, with my boyfriend’s birthday approaching, I reached out to Wise Guys and asked them if they’d be willing to make a special dog for him. They were indeed willing, and we emailed back and forth brainstorming ideas for the dog, its name, and how the experience would go. I could not get over their commitment to really creating something new and specialized. And day of, it went very well – a poster, some stickers, and an absolutely delicious hot dog.
I wanted to share this experience because I’ve come to understand that some of what makes a restaurant/​company great is the product it offers, but some of the greatness also comes from HOW this product is offered. Wise Guys doesn’t just have great hot dogs, they also have love for their business, product, and customers. It feels so good to patronize them knowing this.

I’m typically not on this side of town, however after having read about Wise Guys on Unilocal and ending up on this side of town for some business stuff, I decided to stop by to get some chicago style dog’s and italian beef.
As I pulled up, I couldn’t tell if they were open or not, there weren’t any ‘open’ sign, other then a sign that said «we’re open «. I parked the car and went in and sure enough they were open. I went with two chicago style hotdog and one italian beef. For Italian beef, I went with regular (#1) and hot (#3).
First and foremost, this place is tiny… and when I say tiny, if you had tow minivan’s, it’ll fit in here and maybe enough room to get out. There are NO seats inside and no more then one or two people can be inside ordering and/​or waiting for the food. I highly recommend you call ahead and place your order if you can. Also, they are NOT open Sun to Tue and they have odd hours Wed to Thur (4pm to 9pm) and for Fri and Sat, they open at 11am.
As I waited, I chatted with the fellow who runs the joint… he and his brother started the place, the owner tells me his brother is pursuing his PhD, thus his running the place by himself now… when his not there, his father will be manning the restaurant. As he prepared my food, he told me that they source their products directly from Chicago and if they can’t get their hands on the items they need, they will source it locally.
Note, they only accept cash… small operations like this, I can understand why they are not willing to take credit cards… So the total price for my order: $ 15.50.
Chicago Style Dogs — they were good, but not the best. The celery salt gave it the unique taste and the bright green relish was excellent. The bun was steamed prior to all the items being stuffed, which was added plus. I would definitely get them again.
Italian Beef — disappointed… the meat was very blend… there was no taste to it… and some parts of the meat was little dry… the hot peppers did help, but masking the taste is not the answer… unfortunately, I had better Italian Beef, thus I would not be getting this item again.
Based upon my experience, I would stay with the hotdogs if you can. Also note, if this place gets busy, expect to wait as it’s one man show. The location is hidden and outside of the campus zone, park on the streets. The service was great, the owner was very informative and loved to share stories with you, an added plus and a great customer service… this is why I was torn between 4 or 3 stars… however, no matter how good the customer service, the food has to speak for itself.

Wow. That’s all I can say (just kidding). The service here is phenomenal. I was served by the owner’s father. He was more than welcoming and gave me all kind of info. He even gave me a tip for cutting my onions without crying.
He told me the philosophy of the joint — and that basically his son’s are foodies and are only in business to make and share really great food. That’s a story I can get behind.
Oh yeah. The dogs I had were Phenomenal. Great poppy seed buns, huge dog, fresh veggies, and the biggest pickle I’ve ever seen on a Chicago dog. The ratio of the celery salt was the crowning glory. Yum. Yum. Yum.
I had very generous service. I’ll be back, and dragging all my friends with me.
P. S. — Cash only — they don’t want to have to raise prices to pay for the credit card fees. Trust me — it’s worth going out of your way to grab some cash.

This is the best Italian Beef in the eastern time zone. You will think you are in Chicago at this place. Hot Dogs are excellent also. Yes — it is small, and seating is outdoor only, don’t let this stop you — Give this place a try!

Great food! Service was a bit slow, they only take cash, and there’s nowhere to sit down and eat indoors but the food is great and pretty cheap!

I’d like to say we ate here and loved it but we were not fed! We went to Wise Guys this past Wednesday March 16, just before 5:00pm. The sign on the door posts the Wednesday hours as 4:00 — 9:00. The door was locked and the place was dark and empty. No signs of any employees anywhere. We won’t try again-​it can’t be that good…

Wise guys is a great dog stand – fabulous food and friendly owners. Sure, onion rings and fries would be a great addition, but you don’t need them the dogs are so good.
Wise Guys prides itself on being authentic Chicago, and their Chicago dog is great. But I am going to buck the trend. Two words: Carolina Dog. Chili, slaw, onions, and mustard – da bomb. Fork and knife required.

I’m a very disappointed panda right now. Based on the recent decline of Red Hot Lovers (currently Ray’s Red Hots) I have been on the lookout for another amazing hot dog place. Based on the reviews here that is what I was expecting. Sadly, what I got was far from good.
First the good-​The service and attitude was amazing. The owners’ Dad was in and he was helpful, kind, and engaging. I wish more service personnel had that attitude and personality. The homemade chocolate chip and walnut cookies are TDF (to die for) for sure. They are big and filled with tasty bits of goodness. Most items were top quality with high potential and the prices were very reasonable. Finally my boy did enjoy his hot dog, though he is notoriously easy to please in this area. Sadly that’s where the goodness ended for us this night.
Before I explain my issues one important thing must be said – most of the listed ‘criticisms’ would disappear with the addition of a real grill to cook on to replace the microwaved taste of several of the meat items.
My wife tried the Smart (veggie) dog with mustard and relish. She explained that the toppings were great and the hot dog was a top quality brand she had experienced before multiple times. She ended up being unable to eat this one and had to throw it away b/​c of the preparation (microwave taste instead of grilled). Since that was one of the few items she could eat (she doesn’t eat beef) she is not planning to return.
I wanted to try a variety of items to get a feel for the place so I ordered several dishes. I tried a hot dog with BBQ, celery salt, and sprouts. The hot dog was good quality but left soggy/​limp from the preparation. The sauce was good. My biggest issue was that the sprouts were *spoiled*?!? I took a bite before I realized and had to throw them away. Next I tried the chili dog. While advertisements explaining that there is a ton of chili were proven correct I must say it wasn’t to my taste. It seemed more like sloppy joe flavored than hot do chili. I fully admit this may be just my preference. Finally I tried the beef with giardini — whatever this spicy stuff is called. The beef was decent quality but overall flavorless. The spicy pepper mix was decent. Overall the dish was adequate but not much more, though it was a decent size. If I want a good sliced beef sandwich I’d probably just go over the Izzy’s and get one.
One final food note that was unfortunate but not their fault – their baker stopped making the sesame hot dogs buns they needed so the buns we got were not as nice. I’m told that will be fixed in a day or two.
A couple of quick practical notes: They are cash only at the moment though there is a sign stating that credit card acceptance is coming. Also, the only place to sit and eat is outside so be prepared to get the food to go unless its warm out.
In summary: I love the service. Despite the good quality of food, based on the the preparation and resulting textures (and rotten sprouts) I’m not likely to be running back soon.
That said it is clear others love the place so maybe I just had a bad night. Maybe I’ll check back in a few months and find out.
Until then the search for the next great hot dog (in Michigan) continues!

This place has become my goto Hot Dog place. I really like the flavor of the hot dogs and the variety of different dogs they offer. The prices are reasonable and the owners always wear gloves when preparing your food. I’m not a big tomato fan so Chicago dogs while good, are not really my cup of tea. This place used to only be open on Fri and Sat. but now they seem to be open any day I call. I really like their cole slaw, its cruncy and not slimy. I also like the chili cheese dogs. I’ve been meaning to try some of the other stuff, because this place really seems to have hit its groove. I just can’t seem to get past a perfect dog served on a warm poppy seed bun, a little relish, a little onion, and mustard. Simple but done oh so well. They have gained a star in my opinion.

We have driven past Wise Guys quite a few times now but never made it in until tonight. We will be back!
My girlfriend had the Ann Arbor Dog, which is the Chicago Dog but with a Nathans skinless. She loved the sandwich, especially the bright green relish. I picked up the regular Italian Beef and it was fantastic! I was told that they weigh the meat after it’s cooked, so the regular has a full ¼ pound and the large has a full ½ pound! The regular was plenty big but I may grab a large sometime so i can have more of the tasty beef! The meat had an excellent flavor and loved the au jus (though I’m not an expert on Italian Beef sandwiches.) It was served quite hot and was still very warm by the time we got home. I definitely recommend this sandwich & really enjoyed the Giardiniera peppers.
The guy working (one of the owners) was very friendly and we had a nice chat with him while he made our meal. He offered some suggestions and was very helpful. We will definitely be back! In fact, this may become a regular place for us to grab a bite to eat.
(By the way, they now have picnic tables outside on the sidewalk.)
UPDATE: A little over 7 months later and this place has turned into one of our favorites! All of the food has been excellent (and completely addictive) and we love the service. Do yourself a favor and check out Wise Guys!

I am from Chicago and have been on the hunt for a good Italian beef since the moment we moved to Ann Arbor 8 years ago. My favorite in Chicago is Portillo’s. When my husband and I drove by Packard and saw the sign for Wise Guys, we were skeptical. But, we decided to go for it tonight and order an Italian Beef. We got home, took a bite and were quite happy. They use Gonnella bread and giardiniera peppers and soaked the beef. The beef was quite tasty and satisfying. I will give it 5 stars if, in the future, they decide to add the giardeniera pepper juice to the actual beef au jus plus maybe add more black pepper. More peppers in the actual beef would be good too. If you are like me and crave a good Chicago Italian Beef, try Wise Guys! Make sure you have cash though, they do not take credit cards. In the future, I’m going to try their hot dog… and maybe an Italian beef on the side (:

This place is small and hard to find unless your familiar with the area, and the limited hours are somewhat disappointing, but the food is fabulous! I go pretty simply with a Vienna and cheese but they are always made fresh, piping hot, and super tasty. And the fresh made choc chip cookies are the best in town by far!

I love great hot dogs. I really love great Chicago style hot dogs. I have waited an hour for a hot dog at «Hot Doug’s» in Chicago. I also love Italian Beef Sandwiches. So when a new hot dog/​Italian Beef place opens up near me, I get all giddy inside, and Wise Guy’s is the real deal!
Now a great Chicago hot dog is no simple task, and i’ve had plenty of piss poor examples with poor topping balance, crappy bread, and limp doggies. The version I received at Wise Guys was excellent on many different levels. The onions were well chopped and perfectly proportioned to the electric green relish, as well as the fresh tomato, and excellent pickle and sport pepper choices.
I was a little skeptical when I saw the bun, which looked more like a roll, but it ended up to be fresh, soft and flavorful. Finally the dog, Vienna from Chicago of course, was flavorful and tasty. One slight issue is that the snap on the casing wasn’t as crisp as I like it, but i’m sure these things will be worked out in time.
On to the Italian Beef. My first Italian Beef was at Al’s original in Chicago, and it was as close to a religious experience that i’ve ever had. For those who haven’t been lucky enough to experience an italian beef, it’s a slow braised sirloin (butt I think) that is then sliced paper thin into a mass of tender meatiness. The luscious meat is then stuffed into a long piece of fresh Italian bread, topped with spicy hot pickled peppers (giardiniera) and then submerged in it’s own au jus to create a flavor and juice explosion that is guaranteed to be a messy.
Wise Guy’s version is a respectable and delicious sandwich. The meat was tender and plentiful, and the giardiniera was spot on. (Ask for a double serving.) As much as I enjoyed the sandwich, I still think that it wasn’t quite perfect yet. The bread didn’t seem right to me, and the au jus needed more punch and seasoning. For me, the Au Jus needs to be the dark amber color that you can find at Al’s. Finally, for me, italian beef sandwiches need to be served hot and steamy. Eating a soaking wet sandwich that is room temp is like taking a bath at room temp. A little chilly.
Probably the most awesome thing about this place is that it is being run by two passionate full time students with help from their health inspector dad. This place definitely warrants a look, and i’m sure they will only get even better with time. So come down and get a taste of Chicago without the 4 hour drive!
One note, this place is super small, and there is no place to eat at all.