Hot Willy’s

Best hot dog joint in town!

Real Chicago Dogs and Italian Beef? I’m in heaven! (or at least back in Chicago…). Outdoor seating only — order at the window, and they call you or bring it to you. But it’s authentic, and worth the stop! The outdoor seating can be quite miserable on a hot day, but there were fans scattered around which helped a bit. This place is not on the main drag, but it was well worth searching it out in order to get authentic Chicago Dogs and Italian Beef sandwiches.

Let me start this by saying I love Hot Dogs. I mean, I LOVE Hot Dogs. And Hot Willy’s is the best in Tampa. A lot of people rave about Mel’s but I think Hot Willy’s taste better and are a better bang for your buck. My absolute favorite is the Chicago dog, loaded, with the pickled green beans. Then why am I only giving them 3 stars? The last time we went was on a Wednesday evening. We got there about 7:30 and didn’t realize they closed at 8. They already had the patio locked up and wouldn’t let us sit in there to eat. It was obvious by the customer service that they had been looking forward to locking up early until we got there. So my advice is, don’t go on Wednesday evenings!!! But do go…

Never have had a true Chicago hot dog but if this is even close sign me up. We also had the bacon and cheese dog and the Carolina dog which is chili and cole slaw on top. The chili is store bought I believe but still good. They do sell beer so score on that. So in closing if you find yourself on 5^th Ave stop in for a dog.

My other half heard of this place a while back and had been itching to try it out on a daily basis since. He has an unusual love for hot dogs, but the innuendos, a capella porn music and Barry White impressions I get away with shooting at him as he eats one is kind of worth it.
So, he finally tries this place out. I can appreciate a good hot dog from time to time, but a hot dog is a friggin’ hot dog and paying more than a dollar or two for one is against my religious beliefs or something.
His vote was that it really was not worth the price, the trek down to score a fix, or the hype. While not awful, definitely just not worth it.

Why 3 stars? Because it’s good, but it’s still a hot dog stand.
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It seems to be very trendy these days to bag on the nutritional value of a hot dog. Sure, it might be as healthy for you as a pack of cigarettes and a shot of cow waste, but you know it tastes good. If we are comparing them to other hot dog providers, I give Willy’s a 4 because of their diverse dog selection.
I think Frankie’s makes a better «tasting» dog, but I love the variety at Willy’s. I had the Chicago and the Reuben Willy. The Chicago was great but be warned fellow acid reflux sufferers, the pepper is a spicy bitch. Don’t believe the guys when they tell you that it’s mild. It’s at least a solid medium hotness. The guys that work there are cool, but they clearly do not struggle from an inferior esophagus like myself. :)
I love all things Ybor and will eat at Willy’s again when I’m in the mood for some quick mystery meat.

After nearly a year of walking by this place, but never quite being hungry enough to eat here, I finally gave it a try last night.
My parents are from Chicago originally, and often complain about the lack of «Chicago-​style» food here in Tampa. To those who aren’t familiar with Chicago-​style food, it basically consists of hearty servings of (usually) boiled meat piled on top of bread. And lots of fried stuff. Basically, it’s heaven.
The restaurant is endearing and reminds me a lot of the small hot dog stands that can be found in my parents hometown. You order at the window, take a seat on the patio, and your order is brought out to you. At each table there are rolls of paper towels, and you will soon realize why it’s necessary to have endless napkins at your disposal.
We split a basket combo, and I realize you might be wondering «Why did you SPLIT a combo? What are you, an old married couple on a budget??». But consider this: We ordered a foot-​long Chicago Dog (which is boiled, topped with onions, relish, pickles, peppers, and cucumbers) a soda, and a HUGE basket of either fries or tater tots. The hot dog was AWESOME. It’s been years since I’ve had a legit Chicago dog and this did not disappoint. The mustard was dripping down my fingers and chin, the hot dog was flavorful, and the peppers on it were awesome. The plentiful tater tots were both hot and crispy, and by the time we were done, I was pleasantly full.
The menu here holds a bunch of undiscovered treasures and I can’t wait to be back to try the Italian Beefs.
They’re open till midnight on Thursdays, and 3am on both Friday and Saturday, which is something I’m happy to have discovered. Finally, an alternative to late-​night pizza!

Not a true-​to Chicago style wiener circle but still pretty decent, the beef was also pretty good.
Original post that was justly removed:
Skeptical…I haven’t eaten here yet… but I am from Chicago and I have never had tater-​tots served with my hot dog. Also, why IBC and Dr. Brown’s pop? If you want to go Chicago full-​in, gotta stock Filbert’s! Vienna hot dog, poppy seed bun, rolled up in white paper with my soggy fries, no ketchup! Mickey’s or Byron’s style (my fav hots joints in chi-​town). Anything else will be unacceptable:)

This place is awesome! The Italian beef, wet, with the hot peppers were perfection! Melt in your mouth goodness.
Definitely will go there again…
My husband had the chili dog and he loved it!

Best in town, the only place I know of in south Florida to get an italian combo. I have been looking for a place like this in florida for years. The décor isn’t anything special, but it’s right in Ybor and the staff is super nice, can’t beat it.

The best hot dogs and tater tots! We went there last night and had Chicago dogs, tots w/​the cheese on the side, and french fries. Everything was hot, fresh, and crispy. YUM.

Chi-​Town Dogs are the shit!!!