# Ketchup On A Chicago Dog. Is it Legal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055 "2014-12-12T20:21:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anthony\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@Anthony\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anthony_Smith)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/1 "2014-12-12T20:21:50Z")
**Ketchup On A Chicago Dog. Is it Legal?** Most serious Chicago Dog eaters say it is a Cardinal Sin to put ketchup on a Chicago Dog. The reasoning behind that is they say that the Tomato Slices are all that is needed for Tomato Content. The act is also frowned upon when even put a plain Dog. Some say children are exempt this from this Unwritten Rule. \*\*I say NO. \*\* It is illegal to put ketchup on a hot dog. But I have a work aroud to that. What I do is put ketchup on the side of a paper plate and Dip the Dog in it. I surely did not put Ketchup “On” the Dog. What I did do is Put the Dog on the Ketchup and some stuck to it. when I picked it back up. **What do you think?** ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/2 "2014-12-12T20:25:30Z")
I think people who have nothing better to do than criticize your food habits need other hobbies. Chicago style hot dogs already have so much crap on them, the ketchup isn’t going to do any more damage but it will make it even messier. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/3 "2014-12-12T20:49:27Z")
There was a lively conversation about this in the [Café Society](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736167&highlight=ketchup) a little while back. I can see both sides of this. While I understand that there is a cultural component to the “Chicago style” I don’t think there’s any reason to not put ketchup on it if you want it. I’ve even had owners essentially say “I don’t care, enjoy the dog.” If I’m eating a legit Chicago dog with all the other toppings, I won’t put ketchup on it. Otherwise, I would. My wife (born and bred Chicagoan and self proclaimed “City Snob”) hates mustard and won’t put it on anything but will put ketchup on a dog if she has one. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/4 "2014-12-12T21:02:33Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I think people who have nothing better to do than criticize your food habits need other hobbies. > > Chicago style hot dogs already have so much crap on them, the ketchup isn’t going to do any more damage but it will make it even messier. How about people who have nothing better to do than comment on threads that criticize food habits? (And, how about people who respond to them?) ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/5 "2014-12-13T03:46:30Z")
Eh, I’ve never seen more than good natured gruffness that would collapse under mild pressing. Gene & Judes famously refuses to serve it but it’s not like anyone will snatch the ketchup packet from your hand if you pull one out of your pocket. For my own part, I find commercial ketchup too sweet for most applications. However, I do have very fond memories of mom’s bag lunch hot dogs with ketchup, mustard and sweet relish and won’t give you too much of a hard time if you want ketchup. No, not too much but a little. If there’s a better way to dress a dog than Chicago’s dragged through the garden meal on a bun, I’ve never tasted it and certainly can’t imagine it. I’ll take one, everything, extra hot, please. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/6 "2014-12-13T04:39:44Z")
I visited Chicago for the first time last year. We were just there for a few hours on our way to Glacier Nat’l Park, so we got lunch, and I thought as long as I’m here my first time, it’s compulsory I get one of these signature dogs. I’ve gotta be honest with you, I didn’t really get it. I’ve never felt the hot dog is a proper medium for a lot of toppings, and there’s a lot of stuff on there. I think it’s the pickle spear that put it over the top for me; I had to pull it out, and even then it was quite messy. Maybe I was doing something wrong, but it was just a muddy mess. Not that I wouldn’t give it another go should I find myself in Chicago again. That said, I didn’t find myself missing ketchup, and I’m one of those heathens who usually puts ketchup on hot dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/7 "2014-12-13T05:32:41Z")
I’m a born and bred Chicagoan, and I love eating the canonical Chicago hot dog with all of the approved trimmings. They work, mate. They weren’t chosen at random, you know; they evolved over the centuries to provide the best possible hot-dog-eating experience. But on the other hand, I am also an avowed libertarian. If it is your dog, your trimmings, and your mouth, you are free to put whatever the fuck toppings on it you like! However disgusting. And I will defend (not to the death; I’m not a fanatic after all!) your right to top it however you like. So have at it! ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/8 "2014-12-13T17:17:38Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I think it’s the pickle spear that put it over the top for me; I had to pull it out, and even then it was quite messy. Same here, I always eat the pickle before moving to the dog. It will have a nice hit of celery salt applied and maybe a little mustard transfer so it is better than just a spear out of the jar. Call it an amuse bouche. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/9 "2014-12-13T17:41:02Z")
My view is that it should be illegal to put ketchup on anything, and illegal to put anything on a hot dog. (By “illegal” I simply mean it’s not something I wish to do. Everyone else is free to make and live by their own rules.) ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/10 "2014-12-13T18:06:39Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > (By “illegal” I simply mean it’s not something I wish to do. Everyone else is free to make and live by their own rules.) Right, this isn’t a religious crusade like beans in chili or pop vs soda vs coke. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/11 "2014-12-13T18:39:42Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > My view is that it should be illegal to put ketchup on anything, and illegal to put anything on a hot dog. > > (By “illegal” I simply mean it’s not something I wish to do. Everyone else is free to make and live by their own rules.) I agree with your last statement, but not your first. It should be illegal (for me) to put catsup (not ketchup, but that’s a different discussion) on anything _except_ hot dogs and it should be illegal (for me) to eat a hot dog without catsup. But these “laws” do not and should not apply to anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/12 "2014-12-13T18:41:34Z")
It is legal. It is frowned upon for some reason, I don’t know why. I don’t do it, but that’s only because I don’t care for ketchup on my dogs. I do use ketchup in other cases: a little on a hamburger, in addition to the other toppings; and with french fries. Clint Eastwood didn’t help with the ketchup hot dog thing. What movie was that where he said something like: Nobody, and I mean nobody, puts ketchup on a hot dog? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/13 "2014-12-13T19:49:36Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > It is legal. It is frowned upon for some reason, I don’t know why. I don’t do it, but that’s only because I don’t care for ketchup on my dogs. I do use ketchup in other cases: a little on a hamburger, in addition to the other toppings; and with french fries. > Clint Eastwood didn’t help with the ketchup hot dog thing. What movie was that where he said something like: Nobody, and I mean nobody, puts ketchup on a hot dog? It was the one where he was viewing the gory aftermath of a killing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/14 "2014-12-13T20:45:38Z")
By definition, a Chicago hot dog doesn’t have ketchup on it, so once you introduce ketchup into the mix, it’s no longer a Chicago hot dog. If you like hot dogs that way, though, go for it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/15 "2014-12-13T21:36:43Z")
In New York, they give you a really good quality dog; the toppings are secondary. In Chicago, they give you any old trash for the dog; the toppings are the experience. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/16 "2014-12-13T23:15:31Z")
Ketchup on anything other than french fries or fish is an abomination of nature. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/17 "2014-12-14T06:00:51Z")
The answer is obvious. No. [Cecil says so](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/679/why-is-there-no-ketchup-on-a-properly-made-hot-dog). > [@](#): > > But — getting back to the original question — you say you like the taste of tomatoes. Fine, then eat tomatoes, as God meant them to be eaten — fresh sliced and piled on top of the hot dog. The recommended ingredients of a hot dog with everything, in order of application, are mustard, relish, chopped onion, sliced tomato, kosher pickle spear, optional peppers, and celery salt. (Many think you have to get kraut in there too, but Cecil wants a hot dog, not Oktoberfest.) > > People get pretty emotional over the ketchup question. Mel Plotsky opened our discussion by describing the condiment as a “catchall of garbage.” Over at crosstown rival Vienna Sausage, they refer to ketchup as the “K-word.” If you go into an authentic hot dog joint and ask for ketchup on your hot dog, the counterman will pause and look you in the eye. He may or may not say, “Ketchup?” with a tone of disbelief. But you may be certain what he’s thinking: “Behold this creature that walks like a man. It wants _ketchup_ on its _hot dog_.” > > But hey, if you want ketchup, by all means get it. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/18 "2014-12-14T06:50:29Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > … Clint Eastwood didn’t help with the ketchup hot dog thing. What movie was that where he said something like: Nobody, and I mean nobody, puts ketchup on a hot dog? It was [Sudden Impact](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086383/quotes). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/19 "2014-12-26T12:41:52Z")
Simple. The offender should be tied to a pillar and publicly pelted with McNuggets. Swine. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055/20 "2014-12-26T14:41:36Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > In New York, they give you a really good quality dog; the toppings are secondary. > > In Chicago, they give you any old trash for the dog; the toppings are the experience. Vienna Beef all beef dogs. I’ll take them over ny dogs any day. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ketchup-on-a-chicago-dog-is-it-legal/707055.md?page=2)