Lincoln Park – Winner’s Circle is back after months of renovations aimed at making it the neighborhood’s “backyard.”
The popular hot dog restaurant, 2622 N Clark Street, has spent 35 years as a bone location where people order from the wall and eat at the counters—but new owners have acquired it in recent years, and announced plans this spring to renovate it. .
Director Brian Haines said he designed the suite’s new look to “bring it back to life”.
The idea behind the renovations, Haines said, was to put a bar in the back where people could order and enjoy drinks on their picnic benches. The backyard seats about 100 people and features a large canopy and heating lights.
Haines said the yard is suitable for kids and dogs.
“We’ve got the basketball hoop back on with the Wiener’s Circle logo,” he said. “But it’s also an attractive place for people to ride their bikes, bring their dogs, and enjoy park chairs.”
The backyard bar comes with a specially designed cocktail menu, an innovation of Wiener’s Circle, which had never had a bar before. Zach Osipczuk, the bar manager who created the menu, said the change was “easy but exciting”.
“The biggest seller and a true fan favorite to date has been the Winner Slammer,” Osipczuk said. Wiener’s Slammer is a red drink made with bourbon, slaw, gin, and orange juice, among other ingredients.
The menu includes many of the city’s festivities, including a Malort-based cocktail and local craft beer.
Wiener’s Circle also added four unisex restrooms, each with a unique design in honor of the ward’s longtime workers. Haines said customers can also enjoy the “podcast room,” a space that can be used for private events and karaoke.
Despite a long renovation, the lobby and Wiener Circle table – beloved symbols of the place – are untouched.
“That was sacred ground,” Haines said. “We wanted to keep it just the way it is, so people feel the same old Wiener Circle when they come in.”
Listen to “It’s All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast” here: