Date Visited: 29 December 2010Meal: Lunch
Diners: 1 - Me
Experience: First of all, dear readers, I'd like to apologize for the long delay since my last review; lots of stuff going on. But today I'm back, and I'm hungry!
Windy City Red Hots is a relatively new addition to Leesburg's restaurant scene, in the King St. location formerly occupied by Leshers (and before that, the short-iived Smoothies & Salads, which I never got a chance to visit). As the name implies, they specialize in Chicago style eats (street food). Their hours are very accommodating: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Tuesday through Saturday and 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM on Sunday. There is also another location in Ashburn, although they're not open so late every day.
On this visit, I was by myself and only had time for a quick taste, so I ordered the namesake Windy City Red Hot hot dog ("100% pure beef hot dog topped with mustard, relish, onions, tomato, pickle, sport peppers and celery salt on a poppy seed bun.") Wow, every bit was an explosion of flavor! I had never heard of sport peppers before, so I asked the chef what they were. He said you can only get them in Chicago; they taste kinda like mini-Jalapenos, but you'll have to decide for yourself. There are plenty of other Chicago classics on the menu, which you can check out on their hip web site; especially check out the "We speak Chicago" side bar on the menu. They also feature a great selection of craft beers and other beverages. The decor is very Chicago-themed, including some great blues music playing in the house. The service was friendly and courteous, and I'll definitely be back!
Just today, I read that Windy City Red Hots was voted #1 in the Loudoun Times-Mirror's "Top 5 New Restaurants of 2010"! Way to go! Read the article, then go check them out, and I hope to see you there! You can also get it delivered via Door to Door Dining.
Location: 28 South King St., Leesburg, VA 20175, 703-669-8606
Web site: http://windycityredhots.com/
Total bill: $4.27
