Ideal Hotdog

I’ve been going to Ideal for many years. I have to say that their CHILI MAC (hot and mild are both awesome) is truly the best in town! I’ve had their hot dogs and onion rings which are also very good. The staff is friendly and the prices are very reasonable considering the amount of food you get. I grew up on Rudy’s hot dog restaurants, which are also very good, but would choose Ideal if given the choice. I would recommend this place to everyone! I

I can’t believe I have lived in Toledo for 53 years and have never, before now, tried Ideal Hotdog. My brother has been telling me for years that it is the best, and I finally tried it recently. Wow! Absolutely delicious. I had the mild Chili Mac with cheese, onion, and beans.
I also came back and had it the next day :)
Great stuff !

Wow! My family has been telling me about Ideal for some time, but I hasn’t tried it until today. Have to say I’m impressed! Food was delicious! Great prices! I’ll definitely be returning to and recommending this place!

Food is wonderful!!! If you want chili dogs, ask for light onions. No joke. Those onions will kill you. Heed my warning

Great chili Mac served hot or mild. Their chili dogs are also great. They definitely compete with the other hot dog places around town.

Even though traffic on the Alexis Road corridor is DOWN 30%, Ideal Hotdog’s business is actually UP 30% over last summer, according the owner.
Why is business up? I figure it must be because the chili is so damned good. But then again, this is not a change. The chili has always been awesome.
CHILI: You can get the chili «spicy,» (which is actually not that hot; after all, this is not Texas style chili), or you can get it mild. You can get the chili on a hotdog, with mustard and onions (add shredded cheese, if you desire). OR, obviously, you can get it in a bowl or cup. OR, you can get it over fries. OR you can even get it over spaghetti. I’m told that those in the know call this odd chili/​spaghetti mixture «chili mac.»
CHILI MAC: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it now… This is the best Chili Mac in the Glass City, and, it’s some of the best I’ve ever tasted, period. I usually get mine «four way,» which is chili, noodles, shredded cheese on top, and onions. If you like beans in your chili, order it «five way.» (You can also skip the onions, but add beans… this is also known as «four way.» Hate veggies and/​or legumes? Order it «three way» to get only spaghetti, chili and cheese.
ATMOSPHERE: Let’s move on to the next category.
HOTDOGS: Excellent chili dogs. BUT, here’s a word of warning for Coney Island aficionados/​snobs: These chili dogs are not true coneys. The hotdogs do not have casings, and the chili is not creamy. Personally, I prefer Ideal’s.
SERVICE: Always good. And, if George, the owner, is not behind the counter, he’s out in the dining room making sure that his customers are getting what they want.
COST: This place is very, very, very inexpensive.
This place ranks up there with the Brownstone Tavern as a North Toledo institution. Although business is up over last summer, it’s still only «fair.» George is a really good guy, so c’mon in and show him some love!

On my recent stop into T-​town, I had to get chili cheese fries from Ideal.. .. . still killer! However, the chili seemed very salty. Oh well, I still love you Ideal chili cheese fries!!! I’ll shout it from the mountain tops.. . which I can do now that I’m back in CO.
Here is the thing about this place…it’s a dump.. . and I love it! It looks as though it has not received a thorough cleaning in forever. It definitely has never been remodeled.…because it doesn’t need to be! This is a typical greasy spoon in Toledo. Greasy, calorie laden, gluten infused. If you are a prissy, prima donna, germaphobe don’t consider coming to Ideal. Turn away, and don’t look back. There are plenty of other places for your ilk elsewhere.
The service was just fine and the place was busy with all the old folks, just like I remember. I think with my son and I there, and considering the rest of the patron’s, the average age in the place was brought down to about 71.
Ideal rocks!!! Just gotta be careful not to break a hip.

This is a Toledo classic right here. I’ve been going there on an occasional basis for most of my life. The chili-​mac is where it’s at. The chili dogs are just fantastic as well. Breakfast food, also delicious. They have a steady of daily specials and the prices can’t be beat. The only thing holding this back from a fifth star is the aging look. I don’t think they’ve changed a thing in 25 years good or bad.

When the weather cools off, it’s time for some Chili-​Mac. I’ve been coming to this place since I was a kid.
They used to have a condom machine in the restroom. When I was about eight, I bought one and brought it to the table (thinking I had discovered some kind of new candy). The horrified waitress traded me my condom for a little teddy bear pin while my parents sat there and died a little inside.
Fast-​forward to yesterday and very little has changed, although the condom machine is no longer. The prices are dirt cheap and they have daily specials. Remember buying gas in the 80’s or 90’s when you could just clear out all the change in your car? It’s like that but for food.
The Chili-​Mac is incredible. Don’t bother ordering it anywhere else around here. The omelettes and home fries are killer as well. Order anything else at your own risk. I’m not saying it’s bad, just that in the past 20+ years I haven’t really had cause to order anything else.

Old school chilli dogs diner style! Love it!