DJ’s Hotdog Company

I have been here with my family two times now. Both experiences were great.
The food is worthy of five stars, for a hot dog place. I mean, this is as good as a hot dog can be.
The staff is also worthy of five stars. They’re young dudes, but they’re super friendly and even patient with customers like us, who are indecisive and take forever to order. They also kept cool under pressure, when the place went from empty to line-​out-​the-​door in less than 5 minutes.

I’m not sure all these reviews are legit. Been here once and not very impressed. Check out Redemption, it’s about 100 feet away from this place. DJ’s is like a subway but with hotdogs and it’s overpriced. Hours are weird. That’s how we discovered Redemption, in which we’revery impressed. We went to DJ’s thinking they were open. They were not, so we walked down the strip mall and found Redemption. Been going back ever since. I tried giving DJ’s another shot this week but when I called to put in an order, they put me on hold for 15 minutes and forgot about me. That’s what drove me to write this review. Below average customer service. Avoid this place.

Horrible customer big guy with dreadlocks. turned us away at 7:30 saying they out food. States they not make fresh food. True restaurant. Serve and don’t turn away customers. I can see why they struggling with this type of employee

I was craving an Italian Beef and I knew just where to look. It was very good, lots of meat. I also added on cheese and sweet peppers and onions and then got it «wet». Was one of the best I have ever had and I am originally from Chicago!

Best little hot dog place. They have a huge variety of hotdogs-​some based on major cities flavors. Also have other stuff If hotdogs aren’t for you. Employees are nice, and the inside is very clean. If it’s busy it might take a minute to get to the top of the line because they make the hot dog right in front of you. But I’ve never waited very long even when it was busy! They also have outside seating!!!

I was not very impressed with the place, it wasn’t terrible but I would not necessarily stop again unless I had to. The hot dogs were expensive and not worth it. The Italian beef was very rough and not flavorful at all. Perhaps they’ll work on it and I would be willing to try again.

Ventured over to DJ’s Hotdog Company June 27^th as some in our party were looking for a Chicago dog. I was surprised to see how busy it was but was glad to see it as that is a good indicator that they must be doing something right. We ordered our food, I got the Atlanta dog with chili cheese and onions, we had a couple Chicago dogs in the group and a couple of dogs for the kids. The dog toppings were generous and the dogs good so you didn’t feel too bad about paying 5 bucks, the dogs themselves were nothing spectacular but overall a really good dog experience. The onion rings were a hit with a couple of folks in our party and the fries plentiful. We would definitely go back to DJ’s for a bite to eat and would recommend it those who like hot dogs and like a variety.

Friendly service, diverse menu, excellent portion sizes, great tasting food, and good value. A comfortable, casual place to eat. We’d eat here again when we’re in the area.

Closed on the 4^th of July? Are you kidding me? Hot Dogs and the 4^th are synonymous! I’m disappointed!

Fantastic beef sandwiches! I just moved to Indy from Chicago and was having a hard time finding a good beef. Then I found DJ’s! I had the beef, wet with giardinera on the side. The beef was tasty and the bread was fresh and had just the right amount of juice. The giardinera had a nice zip to it and complimented the beef well. I am looking forward to coming back and trying their vast selection of hot dogs from cities all over the nation!

Friendly staff and fresh toppings. I never would have thought to put chopped cucumbers in the mix! I enjoyed my Chicago dog.

Based on the lunch crowd it would seem DJ’s is off to a decent start (albeit they’ve been here for a while now). Driven by many times and thought today was a good day to stop.
For what it is, it was pretty good — got a jumbo Chicago dog with potato salad. I liked the poppy seed bun and it was just enough food where I didn’t feel like I needed a nap afterwards. The potato salad was flavorful enough and the service was very prompt. Guys were definitely on their game.
I have to think that slinging dogs for an $ 8 lunch should offset some of the retail overhead this place is likely incurring (especially right on the corner). Hopefully something finally takes root at this corner of high rent and pricey…

EDIT: 12÷9÷14. French bread is back! A proper beef can again be had at DJ’s. Still a star knocked off for all the other problems I listed.
Prior Review:
I had to stop going here, because this place is cutting huge corners with their Italian Beef and Italian Sausage.
Instead of using french loaves cut to sandwich size, they’re using bag bread hoagie rolls. Bag bread makes a horrible Italian Beef. The crust is wrong; the texture is wrong, etc. The bread falls apart when dipped. None of this needs to be explained to a Chicagoan.
DJ’s is doing it wrong, and they’re selling their beefs and sausage at a staggering premium to what is charged in Chicago.
Also, they’re not using a Chicago (or Detroit or New York) hot dog. They get their dogs from GFS, the same people who supply school parties and church socials. Do you want a church social hot dog from a dog stand?
Further, they charge you more for your hot dog to get traditional Chicago toppings like pickles or hot peppers. That’s a very nickel-​dimey approach for a hot dog that costs more than anywhere in Chicago.
Quit cutting corners, DJ’s.

DJs rarely fails to bring a smile to my face. On occasion, I’ve run into a frustrating mistake after I’ve made it all the way home with my goodies. Once in a while, the service is a bit sub-​par. All things considered, this really should be a 4.5 star review. Not quite perfect, but close.
Now down to the good stuff. I’d be better off listing the things I’m not a fan of, rather than what I really like. I really like almost everything! I’ll try to keep it to my top 3.
#3 — Oddly enough, is the ¹⁄₃ lb cheeseburger with thick bacon strips. I know. I know. This is a hot dog joint. What am I doing with a cheeseburger in my hand? Well, because it’s darn good and I like cheeseburgers a whole heck of a lot.
#2 — The Atlanta dog. It’s just a scrumptious mess. I’ll switch up between the regular and the poppy seed bun, but other than that, I’m a purist with this dog. I like it how it is and don’t mess with it.
#1 — The Kansas City dog — I dream about this blasted thing. I typically add a bit of yellow mustard to the mix and, of course, it has to come on a pretzel bun. Delish.
The hot dog itself is nothing spectacular in my humble opinion. Regardless, when the recipe comes together, it works. It totally works. Last note — the only side I get is the potato salad. If you like mustard potato salad that’s on the sweet side, this is a good pick for you. The rest of the sides? Eh. Nothing to write home about. Stick with the hot dogs (or a cheeseburger) and you won’t be disappointed!

I was craving a brat, and had been meaning to try this place for a while, especially after friends tried it and reported back that they liked it. Stopped in here a couple of months ago and ordered a brat with sauerkraut, on a poppy seed bun. The bun was all soggy (possibly from the addition of the kraut, which hopefully would have been strained to some extent first), and the brat had a weird sickeningly sweet taste to it. Service was very good, even though the food wasn’t.

Staff was very friendly, restaurant was clean and the food was amazing! It’s nap time… sooooo very full :-)

First — the beef.
2 years removed from Chicago… This is the best beef outside of the Chicagoland area — hands down. I ordered it wet with hot giardiniera. Well seasoned, tender, thinly sliced. Its hard to explain how hard that is to find. It’s a true culinary feat to repeat that outside city limits.
I had a bite of my son’s burger and it was good.
The pricing on the jumbo beef at $ 8.99 is low in comparison to what u might spend on a good fast lunch… The combo prices are way too high. $ 3.49 to add a fry and drink.
It won’t stop me from coming back bc the beef was that good, but it’ll stop me from bringing back my boys. $ 26 on lunch for three of us is too much.

This was my first visit to DJ’s. the restaurant is clean. It wasn’t busy, so my order was taken immediately. I did not experience the same problem ordering like other reviewers.
I ordered a Chicago dog (regular) and an Italian Beef sandwich, dipped, with provolone and giardiniera.
The Chicago comes with a good amount of tasty toppings (peppers, tomato, cucumber, celery, relish, mustard) on a poppyseed bun. However, the hot dog itself is nothing different than what you would find in the grocery store. Nothing special. It’s also pricy for what you get. It’s $ 3.79 for a small dog that you can finish in a few bites.
The Italian Beef sandwich was thoroughly disappointing. It was completely flavorless. I asked for it to be dipped, and ended up being soggy. I did not detect any hint of spices. The giardiniera was non-​existent. Completely flavorless. They charge you 75¢ for the giardiniera and provolone. Don’t bother… it won’t make the sandwich any better.
So I got an okay hot dog and a terrible Italian Beef sandwich. I may come back again and try their burgers and other sausages.

Just stopped here for a super late lunch/​snack after work… a little something to keep my stomach from growling before dinner in a few hours. The boy and I wanted to try their Chicago dog and Italian beef sandwich.
The setup was inefficient, it just doesn’t work like a Subways once it starts getting busy. The «order here» sign should start at the register to keep the line from running out the door. But, the thing I like about customizing your hotdog is you can see if the fixings are fresh as you make your way to the register. We also had an Italian beef sandwich, but that took a good 5 minutes before they brought it out to us.
So you’re probably wondering… how’s the grub compared to the dogs and beef in Chicago? I’d just give it a pass score. I really liked the concept of the diced cucumbers and tomatoes to cool the heat of the hot peppers, but it kept toppling off. Eventually rolling on the floor. Sorry about being a slob! Watch out for those plump peppers and juicy pickles. One bite can send that juice into your opposites face or hopefully to that empty table next to you. Chuckles. Was the Italian beef worth it? Nah, not too much in my books. A little under seasoned for me. Giardinera was nothing special, sparse and a bit too spicy. We asked for it to be dunked, but it ended up being a soggy. Only good with a knife and fork. Then there’s the typical crinkle cut fries, so nothing special.
Definitely some room for improvement and better coordination behind the counter. Staff is friendly and service was good. I’ll give it some time and a chance to earn a star or 2.

Great addition to the Indianapolis hotdog scene, but it’s a stretch calling DJs the best hot dog I’ve ever had.
When we arrived, we were greeted by a very pleasant young man who was more than happy to answer our questions and make suggestions. I ordered a jumbo (¼ lb) San Antonio Dog (chili, nacho cheese, jalapenos) with fries. My wife ordered a regular Chicago Dog. After we ordered both of our eyes were drawn to the Walking Taco. This is a favorite of ours each year at the fair, so we decided to slap one on though we knew our stomachs would be angry with us later.
A few notes from our meal:
— My San Antonio Dog would have been better had the cheese been shredded, compared to the melted nacho cheese. Reminded me more of a chili dog I would get at a little league ball game.
— Chicago Dogs should have sliced tomatoes, not chopped.
— Walking Tacos should come in an actual fritos corn chip bag, not a basket. Otherwise, you can’t really call them «Walking Tacos» but instead «basket frito thing with taco meat».
Now, all that said I think there is a lot of potential for DJs to be great! I think a good start would be some kind of gimmic… for example, King Davids has their bright red hot dogs, and the plastic reusable cups. Maybe DJs should aim for their own chili/​conney sauce? Maybe a jumbo foot-​long the likes of «Man vs Food»?
DJs, here’s what you can do to earn 2 more stars from me:
1) Fix the Walking Taco (I’m sure your per-​unit cost is better the way you have it, but really, don’t call it a Walking Taco if you’re not going to do it right)
2) Come up with a gimmic.