If you've never had a Chicago dog, give it a try. This is an excellent way to eat a hot dog, with the toppings lending a fresh, tangy flavor, the pickle and cukes providing crunch and juiciness and the peppers finishing everything off with a blast of heat. I never lost the flavor of the dog, a tribute to its quality.

With our meals, my husband had a packaged salad that our server assured us was made by her shortly before we arrived, and we all had crisp crinkle-cut fries. For dessert, the younger girls enjoyed the warm brownie bites that came with their meals, while our oldest forked down a slice of Eli's cheesecake, a Chicago staple offered at Johnniebeefs in chocolate-chip and Snickers versions.

My husband and I slurped down fresh-made chocolate shakes that you could drink from a straw. I'm a big fan of our "concretes" and "over the top" shakes here in Utah, but I have to admit these frothy, thick but slurpable concoctions are pretty good, too.

Appetizers and sides $1.49-$2.29, hot dogs $1.99-$2.59, hot dog combos $3.89-$4.49, sandwiches $2.49-$3.79, sandwich combos $4.39-$5.89, salads $4.59-$4.99, family meals $14.49-$22.99, kids' meals $3.59, desserts $1.99-$2.29.

Rating: ***

Where: 7194 S. Union Park Ave., Suite A (Family Center at Fort Union), Midvale

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Closed Sunday

Payment: Major credit cards accepted

Phone: 352-0372

Wheelchair access: Easy

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Stacey Kratz is a freelance writer who reviews restaurants for the Deseret Morning News. E-mail: skratz@desnews.com