Growing up I used to think there wasn't much difference in hot dogs from one place to another.

In that time, my taste buds grew up a bit. I now know the difference between a good and a bad hot dog.

Thankfully, I've had a whole bunch of good hot dogs to make things easier and since we celebrate National Hot Dog Day this week, there are a few that you can check out on less than a tank of gas.

MSN posted the 30 Best Hot Dog Stands Across America, and 10% of the hot dog stands on the list are in Chicago.

6363 North Milwaukee, Chicago

...a 100 percent beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun served with golden mustard, tangy piccalilli, kosher dill pickle, chopped Spanish onions, and a hot pepper.

2720 North River Road, River Grove

...comes with a choice of mustard, relish, onions, and sport peppers. But don't bother looking for ketchup.

2622 North Clark Street, Chicago

....famous for its surly atmosphere as it is for its Char Dog, Char Cheddar Dog, and Char Polish.

These are probably the best three hot dog joints in Chicago. What about Rockford? Tell us which places make the best dogs in town.

Sweet Lenny is the brand manager of 97ZOK, Q98.5, and Operations Manager for Townsquare Media Rockford. Catch him afternoons 3 to 7 on 97ZOK. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram and like his page on Facebook.

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