We Found Chicago's Best Sausage

On episode 2 of Food Duels, Chicago Dogs go up against Jibaritos (y Más)

“Chicago’s a sausage town,” is what chef Jonathan Zaragoza tells us as we sit in his living room, sampling salsa seca. “If you think about what Chicago is, we’re a sports town. What sports event do you go to and not have a hot dog, a polish, a brat?”

Jonathan is best-known as an accomplished chef and content creator—who we joking call the “Salsa 101 guy”—but I know him through his family’s beloved restaurant Birrieria Zaragoza. He not only grew up in Chicago, he’s been working in the Chicago restaurant industry for nearly 20 years.

To us, that makes him the perfect judge for a blindfolded ranking of Chicago’s best sausages on our Martinez & Mu Channel. If you haven’t watched the episode yet, there are some spoilers below.

“That tastes like Green Street, I’m not going to lie to you,” he tells me as he bites into a sausage, blind-folded. He’s right: It’s the cheddar-jalapeño smoked link from Green Street Smoked Meats. “That’s a jibarito,” he says while tasting another sausage. “The smell of the lettuce gave it away.”

“There it is,” he says while eating claypot rice. “That’s Chinese sausage.” We knew Jonathan would be a good guest judge; we didn’t expect him to be Daredevil for food.

After we wrap filming and the winner is revealed, I tell him his true calling: Forget Salsa 101. It’s time for Salchicha 101. “Oh no,” he says, laughing.

“That’s behind the paywall, homie.”

Below is a list of everywhere Julian and I ate in the Chicago episode of Food Duels. Behind the paywall, you can listen to us go behind-the-scenes on the episode (no salchicha 101, sorry). Consider subscribing to support the channel. ❤️

• 📍Art’s Drive In, 1333 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60642 (Google Maps Link)

  • Julian’s first pick is also the very first Chicago Dog he has ever had.

  • He ordered the Char Dog with Fries: all-beef hot dog, poppy seed bun, yellow mustard, bright green sweet pickle relish, white onions, tomatoes, dill pickle spear, and pickled sport peppers.

• 📍 Doma Cafe, 946 N Orleans St, Chicago, IL 60610 (Google Maps Link)

  • Rob didn’t think his order of Eastern European beef sausages would beat Julian’s Chicago Dog in a Chicago episode. Julian didn’t either.

  • He ordered the Ćevapi: Grilled beef sausages in a flatbread, ajvar (roasted red pepper eggplant spread), kajmak (salted clotted cream), and white onions.

• 📍 Jibaritos y Más, 3400 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL 60647 (Google Maps Link)

  • Rob: Often questions why his dish choices don’t win. Also Rob: Decides to send it and choose a Blood Sausage Jibarito.

  • The Jibarito is a sandwich originating from Chicago. Invented by Venezuelan cooks at a Puerto Rican restaurant called Borinquen, it’s a derivative of a patacón, where fried plantains are used to sandwich ingredients.

• 📍 Mart Anthony’s Italian Restaurant, 1200 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60642 (Google Maps Link)

  • Three of Julian’s choices in this region were closed or sold out before he decided on Mart Anthony’s.

  • He ordered the Italian Sausage and Peppers. Later this was defeated by Rob’s choice at Green Street Smoked Meats.

• 📍 Novel Pizza Cafe, 1759 W 19th St, Chicago, IL 60608 (Google Maps Link)

  • Other than Kasama, this was probably the spot that Rob and Julian wanted to hit the most.

  • Julian ordered the Longanisa and Giardiniera tavern thin pizza.

• 📍 La Nonna, 3400 N Lawndale Ave, Chicago, IL 60618 (Google Maps Link)

  • Rob grabbed the Choripan, an Argentinian street food comprised of chorizo and bread with chimichurri.

  • Fun fact: Rob ate most of the sandwich before remembering to take his photo. It was easily beaten by Julian’s Lao sausage.

• 📍 Resi’s Bierstube, 2034 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60618 (Google Maps Link)

  • This stop marked the first of many beers that Rob had in this episode - It’s one of the first places in America to carry many German pilsners.

  • He ordered The Thuringer: smoked pork and beef sausage in a bun. All of the sausages come from nearby Paulina Market.

• 📍 Jonny’s Claypot Rice, 1835 S Canal St #A, Chicago, IL 60616 (Google Maps Link)

  • This ended up being Julian’s back-up sausage that he was able to bring due to the advantage from winning the map.

  • He ordered the Chinese Sausage Claypot Rice: Cured, dried pork sausages with a crispy rice bottom.

• 📍 Tac Quick, 1011 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60613 (Google Maps Link)

  • Rob went here, aged 20, based off of a recommendation from the Chowhound forum. He loves nostalgia.

  • I will put one thing the owner told me about this place behind a paywall… He did not want it public.

• 📍 Kimski, 954-960 W 31st St, Chicago, IL 60608 (Google Maps Link)

  • Julian knew he was coming here the second he saw this was a Korean Polish fusion hot dog.

  • He ordered the Maria’s Standard: Polish sausage, seasonal kimchi, soju mustard, and scallions on a brioche bun.

• 📍 The Duck Inn, 2701 S Eleanor St, Chicago, IL 60608 (Google Maps Link)

  • The very first proxy battle, where Rob sent Julian to try the Duck Dog to battle against Julian’s own pick.

  • Rob chose The Original Duck Fat Dog: Beef and duck fat sausage, relish, onion, tomato, mustard, pickled serrano peppers, dill pickle spear, all on a poppy seed bun.

  • We tell a funny story about this behind the paywall.

• 📍 Sunset Phở Caffe, 2856 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60657 (Google Maps Link)

  • Julian found a Vietnamese and Croatian fusion restaurant. It turned out to be Rob’s favorite stop of the day.

  • Julian wanted Rob to order the pho with cevapcici, but after discussion about whether that was a sausage or a noodle dish, we went with the spring rolls with cevapcici.

• 📍 Green Street Smoked Meats, 112 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607 (Google Maps Link)

  • Rob ordered the Cheddar Jalapeño Hot Link, which beat the Italian Sausages and Peppers in a showdown.

  • This ended up being the runner-up sausage.

• 📍 Lao Der, 3922 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618 (Google Maps Link)

  • The Sai Ua Moo is the best thing that Julian ate, which is fitting because it won the entire episode.

  • Ground Pork, lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves, garlic, onion, chili powder and turmeric sauce.

• 📍 Jim’s Original, 1250 S Union Ave, Chicago, IL 60607 (Google Maps Link)

  • This 24/7 stand opened in 1939 is a true Chicago Institution, even though it ended up losing its showdown to the Chinese Sausage Claypot Rice

  • Polish dog with yellow salad mustard, grilled sweet spanish onions, and a spicy grilled serrano on top (which you should probably not eat - it’s very spicy.)

  • Unsuccessfully tried to dethrone the claypot rice. Bummer.

Below, enjoy both the video and audio version of the Martinez & Mu Show.