Felony Franks

this was another Unilocal find that I decided to try.
I understand the slow service but when paired with mediocre food and a several order problems it’s just not worth going here again.

Felony Franks was a stupid idea from inception, I have never seen a hot dog stand get so much publicity for a NAME and not a reputation for good food. It makes me so mad that this owner thinks that just because he willing to hire people that have criminal background that he should have been successful…1^st he blamed the alderman because of his sign (bullshit)…Now it the neighborhood, and the near by liquor store (bullshit)…The owner is a fool with money to waste on a bad idea that he is convinced is a good idea. Well the people have spoken his idea and concept suck, it’s stupid and most importantly condescending to all the people in the neighborhood.
I don’t get who he think his customer base was… benevolent white people that was suppose to go slumming for a good hot dog and walk up to the counter and order a felony frank, or a misdemeanor hot dog from a real know felon.
Jim Andrew’s your idea sucks, your mission sucks, good by and good rittens, and you are a lair that liquor store was open years and years before you can around with your stupid Hot Dog Stand.
And as for the media, do your home work you lazy bastard’s is a hot dog stand 2 block south of stupid Felony franks that has been open and serving and employing felons in the neighborhood for over 40 years (Polk & Western Hot Dogs) one of the best neighborhood hot dog stand in Chicago.
Then there’s Moon sandwich shop that has been around for 40 years, serving employee and ex felons for all this time. The owners of these great neighborhood eating establishment are great men, J.R. the owner of Moon’s Sandwich Shop… and the ex cop Johnny P and his wife Laural that own Polk and Western Hot dogs, thank you both on behalf of all the people you have hired and serve in our community.

I was so disappointed to hear today that Felony Franks closed just days after I tried it for the first time. The hot dog wasn’t amazing, but the fries were FANTASTIC, and both the owner and the ex-​con who served us were friendly and helpful. I really respect what the owner was trying to do in the neighborhood, and am disappointed by the city’s response. I hope he — and his employees — get another chance elsewhere.

I love this place. Who would’ve thunk to have an ex-​felon themed-​restaurant? Jim Andrews, that’s who. He established FF to give criminals who’ve served their time a second chance at becoming productive members of society. Say what you will, but having a few ex-​cons in the family, I know how hard it is for them to get a second chance. If you can’t/aren’t given the chance to make money the legitimate way, all signs point to a return to crime. Hey, we need money to live and survival is an «any means necessary» type deal. At least this guy is giving them an alternative. Ijs
The theme stretches to the menu, naturally, where items have such titles as the Misdemeanor Wiener and Freedom Fries. Cute, right? This chain has met with a lot of controversy over the years since some Chicagoans don’t want ex-​cons serving them food and others think that the name demeans the employees. What REALLY rubs them the wrong way may have more to do with how you order than what you order. Servers stand behind bulletproof plastic — standard for stores in the neighborhood, although increasingly not … which is curious but I digress — and ask customers, «Are you ready to plead your case?» Then you say what you want. «Yes. Chain Gang Chili Dog, please.» Look, I really don’t care if you want the Pardon Polish or Probation Burgers. The food is goooood and I think it’s great to employ the «unemployable.» Would I like it better if it were a vegetarian spot promoting health and wellness? Duh, yeah. But ’tis what ’tis. So, if the employees are like, «Right on, I’m making legit money and showing that I paid my debt to society» then so be it.

Felony Franks is staffed with ex-​cons. From the feel of this neighborhood, that’s not much of a surprise. It breaks down to this: they serve up generous portions with personality plus. They may mess with you a bit, but they’ll send you out with enough food to satisfy any appetite.
And here’s the play by play: We pulled into Felony Franks after nightfall on a Friday. We were bound to run into some local kids, and while I’d convinced 2 out-​of-​town friends to come along, we questioned that call when we saw the crowd. I claimed they not only needed to try out a Chicago style dog, but they needed to have it somewhere with character. Regardless, we made our way inside and won over the kids by ordering a gyro burrito. Supposedly it’s the local famous.

Since I also work at the Cook County Jail, I think that It is awesome that this place exist. The fact that ex Felon’s (Hence the name Hello, many didn’t know this), work here should never deter anyone from coming down for a cheap bite to eat. The staff are all so wonderful and are extremely polite, the food is fast and wow there is nothing quite like a Chicago style dog with the greasy fries that we all have grown up here with in the Midwest. I tell you this place is great and you will always come out with a smile.
Everyone deserves a second chance so (get ready I’m about to say something you didn’t expect), come down again and try it two times and know that your in the right place.

«I see chili dogs in your future…»
Whenever I think of chili dogs, I think of that ridiculous fortune teller song that DQ was running on the radio when they were promoting 2 for 1 chili dogs. For some reason, I decided that yesterday would be MY first chili dog. I’ve been feeling a bit adventurous.
A chili dog, a generous helping of fries, and a large Diet Coke cost me less than $ 5 and the dog itself was very flavorful. The fries were also a pleasant surprise, and weren’t the soggy, blah potato strips you usually get at a hot dog joint. The service was quick and friendly.
Here are the extra special tid-​bits that make Felony Franks more than just another weiner joint.
1. CUTE little hot dog on the sign
2. Green River
3. Funny names for the food. Fraudulent Fish makes me think of a cartoon character.
This is the most important one: Felony Franks’ mission to help ex-​cons gain employment. They can use all the help they can get, and this place has a very creative way of doing it.
Next time I’ll try the two dog deal. That’s right, I plan to be a repeat offender.

Felony Franks Hot Dog:
1. Start with Red Hot Chicago Beef dog.
2. Wrap in kitschy bun.
3. Sprinkle with a little bit o’ neighborhood grit.
4. Top with a wedge of good mission.
Ok, so you can relate to the Red Hot, the kistch (just check out the menu… probation burgers?! Doi), and Western and Jackson «grit» isn’t exactly Lincoln Park. Yep, bars on every plexi-​surface, a housing project in the background and 4 stark picnic tables in the grass lot. Would I hang around at night? Probably not. During the day, you’re fine… add a little vibrancy to your life, via hot dogs.
The mission? To employ rehabbed ex-​cons. It’s a good one, and truly… the service has always been stellar, so who am I to complain? I’m not, in fact I find it most admirable.
Kitschy purpose… well, not so often found.
Read more here:
Rescue Foundation Website: www​.theres​cue​foun​da​tion​.org/
Freedom Fries: $ 1.50, salty, hand-​cut, served in a bag.
Misdemeanor Weiner: Chicago-​style! Bun’s a bit soggy, but eh… still not a speck left.
Good stuff. Good mission. Good Dogs.

This is the only place I will go to for hot dogs in Chicago, which says a lot considering this is the Mecca of hot dogs. The employees are friendly and their menu is great. They have the best fresh cut fries around. If you order any hot dog or sandwich it comes with these delicious fries — - so order a side of cheese and you’ll have the best CHEESE fries!
They have a meal program called the Commissary Card where you buy 10 sandwiches/​hot dogs and the 11^th is free. Believe me, I’ve filled up a couple cards already.
Most importantly, I think the concept behind this hot dog shop is great. I support giving people a second chance and helping end the cycle of recidivism in prisons today. I go out of my way to get to Felony Franks just to give them my money and support– AND a delicious Misdemeanor Weiner!

I went to this place a while ago and apparently forgot to write my review back then.
Anyway, I tried the hot dogs and I liked them. All the items in here have funny names like misdemeanor wiener, probation burgers, and… ummm…you get the idea. The service wasn’t the fastest I’ve seen, but the guy gets some bonus points for giving a little kid waiting a free Popsicle. I thought that was pretty cool of him.
The prices are ok. I think my meal of two hot dogs, fries and a smaller sized drink came out to around $ 7 or so.
The main problem for me is that it isn’t very convenient to go to, so I don’t. I kind of went out of the way to try it because I thought the concept of the place was pretty interesting. (By the way, this little paragraph here didn’t effect my rating.)
To sum it up, cool place to check out if you are in the area, but is probably not worth the travel otherwise.

A unique theme. I like it.
You go in and to place your order, you have to utter one phrase. Something jail-​related (sorry, can’t remember as I’ve only been here once). For a ‘to go’ order, you have to do the same (again, can’t remember the phrase).
The food — fun names with standard quality. i.e. Misdemeanor Weiner = pretty decent (PS – the onion rings were just so-​so) Everything is very fairly priced, too.
You also get a card and for every 2.50 you spend, you get a stamp. 10 stamps and you get a free meal. There was a man in front of me who forgot to take a card so I got his stamp. 7 more and I’m in free-​food city, yo. Score!

Being in the neighborhood and ready for lunch, we stopped in here last weekend.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had veggie burgers on the menu, and also at seeing how inexpensive everything was. We had two veggie burger combos for about $ 6. For reference, one veggie burger + fries + drink combo at my neighborhood burger joint is $ 7.50.
I thought our veggie burgers were really good, and they came with more toppings than we had been told — lettuce, tomato, pickle, grilled onion, mustard and ketchup, as well as a handful of fries and a soda. I had high hopes for the fries, but found them to be needing some more salt and less grease.
Making our food took a bit longer than other places, but still within the acceptable range. I like the fact that they wore gloves when handling food.
I’m glad this place is here and has helped to start a dialogue about the difficulties people face in finding work after having done time. I will be back, not only for the tasty food, but also to support something I believe in.

I tried the two hotdog special. I have to say the hotdogs were tasty with all the trimmings, but the fries left something to be desired. They were soggy and not much different from Chickies fries.
Overall, I’d stop by again and try something new there.

Came here the other night and was aiming to try the gyros. Unfortunately due to a promotion by Kronas — they famed gyro meat supplier — they were out of gyro meat. Apparently so was Kronas.
So, Plan B. That’ll be a double cheeseburger for me and a hot dog for the hubs.
It was quite good. The prices are a little below average so it makes out for a good deal. I wish I hadn’t gotten the burger and stuck with the dog. The burger meat was too well done and thin — just looked like it had all the fat pressed out of it while being cooked. The fries were kind of lazy too. Weren’t crispy at all and needed salt. But I had a bite of the dog and it was perfectly fine.
I normally would have given the food here 3 stars, but I really like the mission of the business. I fully support it and I will likely return when I’m in the mood for a joint like this. So, kudos to the owner, which bumps him and the stand up a few notches.
Also, I think people who are upset about the name need to relax. A lot.
And, I’m sorry, but I don’t really care that they have glass between the folks who work there and the customers. If that’s insulting to you, then you should open up your own business in the neighborhood. At least the glass is clean and at least it’s glass, not cheap plastic that has been scratched up with keys. If I were opening up a cash business, near a main drag, near a highway, in a neighborhood that is a little rough around the edges, you bet I would have the safety of me, my family, AND MY EMPLOYEES in mind when I build out the joint.

The «Misdemeanor Wiener» and fries were delicious, and the fries reminded me of the way Stash’s made fries when I was a kid in Highland Park. I wasn’t so hungry but I had to try them and I’m glad I did.
But the real story here is not the novelty of the menu items or the in-​your-​face name of the establishment. Yes, I understand making a «joke» of crime is in bad taste. That’s if you concede that the name «Felony Franks» is a joke.
But it’s no joke. The real story here is owner Jim Andrew’s bravery and heart in giving voice to the plight of people who can’t easily work even once they have paid their dues.
There are roughly 64 million people in the U.S. with a criminal record and approximately 700,000 released from prison annually. And it’s almost everywhere in the US legal to discriminate in the employment process just because someone has a criminal record.
We have three choices for people with criminal records: give us a death sentence; a life sentence, or a job.
Owner Jim Andrews and his wife, Mary, understand this. So when you go in the small hot dog hut and feel like you are in a jail cell because it so small, or you look at the menu and take offense at the in-​your-​face menu items like «Pardon Polish» and the like, or if you feel that the people with criminal records behind the counter are moving too slowly, ask yourself if you feel safer in your neighborhood with unemployed people with criminal records or employed people with criminal records.
And look at the many letters on the wall from people like local school and church officials who have written to Mr. Andrews stating that in no way does the name «Felony Franks» offend them nor do they consider it inappropriate.
Congressman Danny Davis cut the ribbon for this place at the opening and remarked that he had heard supposedly so many people in the hood objected to the name «Felony Franks,» but he aptly observed looking over the huge crowd «but they’re all here now.»
For the self-​righteous reviewers here on Unilocal who argue the name «Felony Frank’s» glorifies crime: can I send a few unemployed people with criminal records to your house? Maybe you wouldn’t mind hiring them?

Give me a break out, Red Hot Chicago hot dogs. First, I can’t stand those franks, I just can’t. They are somewhat flavorful, but skinless and no snap.
I bet the Felony Franks people thought everyone would dig this idea without running into any resistance. Well, that resistance, the controversy was just plain stupid. And to their benefit, tons of free publicity.
Cute little names on the menu for who? The gangsta, the family crowd, the Hot Doug freaks or the Alderman that would have liked to close them. Clever names all throughout the menu, but a little over done. And in general, this whole ex-​con thing is over done.
I’m just going to say it straight out, if they just hired ex-​cons that would be cool. However, it is not as sincere if they want everyone to know. It raises it to the level of being a gimmick, they are kinda exploiting ex-​cons for marketing purposes. From what I saw, two non and two were, just half of the staff. Half the staff, that would be half the staff over all this ruckus.
Can you differentiate yourself in the market place by honorably hiring ex-​cons with less than desired dogs and service? Should eating a hot dog be a humanitarian experience? Should people give them a better rating cause the owners found a gimmick that might be sincere? Is the cashier an ex-​con? Face it, how many characters behind the counter of any hot dog stand are already ex or future cons?
It ended up being over 4 bucks for a large Red Hot Chicago dog with homemade fries. Maxwell St. toppings and they forgot the grilled onions and put the sport pepper in with the fries. Not what you would expect with the homemade fries included routine, not a lot, marginally larger than a small order.
A respectable looking guy in front of me didn’t get the right change. They argued for over 5 minutes before I ordered. The butthead partner in the background didn’t get off his ass to take my order, I had to get his attention. He just sat doing nothing, just mesmerized by the cashier defending her position. Hello, customers are waiting, figure it out on your own. Step in and deal with this guy or take someone elses order, idiot.
If you are familiar with the drive thru at the bank, that’s the feeling you get when ordering at this place with the difference being having to get out of the car. You feel like a prisoner in this place and that would make the guys behind the glass prison guards, not actual ex-​cons. Actually, this is common for the area and communication is more like a ticket booth.
Verdict, I’d rather drive an extra ten minutes in a couple of directions to get a better value with it also being tastier. Let me not forget, safer also!

Hurray for the felonious and tasty frank! My partner in crime and I decided to break out some red hots for our lunch. I had the two dog, fries and soda special and it was quite delicious. It’s a bit unusual to sit out at a picnic table that looks over housing projects, ambient it is not. The weiners were good, the fries needed an extra shake of salt. Typically this greasy style of fry that’s served snuggled up next to the hot dog isn’t my favorite, but these were an exception.
I really hope that this place does well. This location has always had some kind of shady and dirty looking food joint. This time around the exterior is clean and bright and the inside is neat and the service was pleasant and prompt. I am also a huge fan of the «second chance» philosphy that Felony Franks promotes. All these people that are upset or offended by the playful name really need to choke on a hot dog and shut it. Let’s have a little sense of humor, lighten up, don’t be so strong about your convictions, get it?
Yep, cash only!

I really really like what Felony Franks stands for. Taking the negative a felony background and turning it into a positive. It is near impossible for people to get jobs after a felony is on their record and I love that this place is giving them a chance.
The place is cute. I love the names of everything (think: «Misdemeanor Weiner» and «Freedom Fries»). I like themes. And this place defintely has a theme.
The lady at the counter was nice and helpful. The time it took to get the food was soooooooo sloooooooooooow. You can see the guys working and they were trying hard, but they just couldn’t get it down. (they had to remake my hot dog a couple times) And they left my dill pickle and my sport peppers off my hot dog. And the hot dog was just okay. I prefer vienna beefs to chicago red hots.
All that said, I will likely go back, but more to support them because I appreciate what they are doing and not so much because I love the food.

I told myself if I worked out after work today I could come get a hot dog at Felony Franks. I was in and out in about 7 minutes, after placing my order after another group of guys. I got the Felony Frank dog, which came with fries (YES)! It was about $ 4, so it was very decently priced. They have a lot of fries and drink specials on the wall, which I actually missed… but it was okay because I was taking it home. The hot dog was really good, I didn’t taste any garlic that they talked about in the Redeye, but still it was good, got all the toppings. The fries were very hot, and obviously fresh, however they didn’t cook them long enough and were kind of soggy. Again, good thing I brought it home so I could put them in the toaster oven.
The place was clean and the employees were nice enough. Kind of ghetto with plastic/​glass covering the whole counter area and they put your food in a turny thing, apparently they’re trying to keep those felons workin’ the counter away from us! It was good, and I’d recommend to anyone who is around the area.

The whole place, inside and out is nicely done and looks very clean
and organized. We ordered when the cashier asked if we’d like to «plead our case».
We ordered 2 Felony Franks with Fries and drinks. 1 Frank with sport peppers and one without. The service was very friendly and professional. We got our food in 3 — 4 minutes and the tab was about $ 11.00. Sounds fair to me.
2 Other customers ate inside at the stand-​up counter, but we went out to the picnic tables in back.
The franks were very good, buns were soft and fresh, toppings were abundant and the fries were cooked perfectly. Let’s say «moist», but «perfectly greasy & tasty» would be accurate at well. We got several ketchup packets, napkins and straws in the bag. Our order was accurate and complete, the food was hot & just perfect. The frank does have a very subtle garlic taste, nice when you want something tasty and a bit different. We finished eating and left satisfied and impressed.
Overall, it was a fine experience and we will definitely return.