Bruce’s Chicago Grill & Dog House

Very good food from Chicago with some New York bent as well. The service at lunch time was pretty fast but if you come here for the first time, the menu is huge and confusing. Baskets vs sizes, vs drinx, vs bottomless, with fries, with onions without, bing bing bing. Sit down with the yellow menu and decide what you want before you approach the counter, because if you stand there and look up at the menu, you will be plowed over by people behind you that are regulars. I had the small corned beef/​pastrami on rye with fries and a drink. It could have been bigger, although I did order the Little Nosh 4 oz. sandwich basket for $ 11.75 or so. I want to go back and try their Chicago hot dogs and a larger Pastrami sandwich. The atmosphere was fun and full of recognizable memorabilia as if you lived in Chicago before you lived in Florida. I will be back, but with a good appetite ! I am not sure why they close so dang early-7:00pm. I would love to be here after work gets out at 5:30PM. But with heavy traffic on Ulmerton, it would take me about 30 minutes to get there and they close at 7 pm. I don’t like to be the last person to eat in a restaurant. I will give them another try earlier in the day. Their food is great and you won’t be disappointed !

Stopped in just after the lunch rush. Very good hot dogs and fries. Service was extremely fast and the staff very friendly. This was my 1^st visit and I will for sure be back.

It’s worth it. The hot dogs and links are delicious, made to order. (I asked if they were grilled, and if the bun was toasted and the reply was «if you like».) And I really liked the crinkle cut fries… hubby had the polish, also delicious. The only real drawback is the girl taking our order was rather bored with her job — I have never seen such a lack of expression, well, other than er dour look of expression. She’s the reason for just 4 stars not 5… tell her to get over her poor attitude, or get rid of her. We may go back next trip, try something else, as I read the reviews…

Chicago dogs are the best in town! I recommend getting them fully loaded, always on point. Once you stop and try their food you’ll keep going back.

Short and sweet, this place has amazing hotdogs. Friendly owner, great staff, fun atmosphere. Expect a little wait to order your food during lunch time, not because they are slow, but because it gets busy. Give the rueben dog a shot, hands down my favorite.

Located in a small plaza that I have been driving past 5 days a week for the last 13 years, Bruce’s was a recent discovery that I can not believe I have been missing for so long!
The sign brags about the hot dogs. You can certainly grab a great hot dog here, but the real winner is the Italian Beef. I recommend getting it all the way (cheese, wet and with spicy peppers). The peppers come in a flavorful oil and are out of this world. You will receive a HUGE delicious sandwich that is akin to a french dip, but so much better.
Bruce’s also has potato pancakes, knishes, soup, an incredible looking pastrami sandwich. Yet, I can not bring myself to order anything other than the Italian beef. It is just too good.
I should also mention that their hours are odd. They close at 7pm. This means that while I drive past it twice a day most days, they are always closed when I drive past. We work nights and have to wake up early and drive up to Bruce’s for dinner. It is worth it.

As good as it gets for the area. Originally from Chicago and had been dying for a beef sandwich I moved here. All order come from Chicago distributors and everything is authentic as can be. Even the coleslaw taste like the slaw I used to eat up north, I know it’s nothing super special but adds that perfect touch. Regular Beef with cheese and hot giardinere (sp). Going back today because my mouth is watering as I write this review.

Excellent hot dogs and sandwiches…

Christian was awesome! He took our order, checked on our food after receiving it, we just moved here and are looking for new restaurants to love and we found one! Clean, casual, fast, good food.

Holy heck this place rocks. Hot dog selection to die for & these are the real chicago deal! The firedog is my favorite spicy, mustardy grilled onion goodness with hot sports peppers and in my case I add jalapeños.
Onion rings hot and crisp out of the fryer always excellent.
Didn’t have it this trip but their Italian beef sandwiches are truly excellent & again very authentic chicago style best to get it with the giardinaire peppers if you like heat & crunch.
This place is a must try if your in the area and Tia’s up the street is closed;)

I was lucky enough to have a place for really great Chicago-​style hot dogs and more when I was a kid. Then sadly, they went away.
I never really found a replacement, until now.
This joint is awesome! The food brings back a lot of memories. If you are a fan, please try the loaded Chicago dog. It’s one of the very best I’ve ever had.
Their menu is extensive, with many other Chicago favorites. With our dogs, we also enjoyed their onion rings. They were top-​notch, and came with a sweet horseradish sauce.
The staff is also efficient and very friendly. They made me feel very welcome here on the first visit.
Nice job! I’m looking forward to my next trip here and trying out their dipped Italian beef sandwich!

Breaking News! OK, so it is more like slightly old news by now. Bruce has expanded his original location, doubling the seating area. Everything is freshly scrubbed, painted, and decorated with the requisite Chicago memorabilia and what I’ll refer to as «hot dog» colors.
I recently learned that what I had always thought were Vienna Beef dogs are actually Red Hot Chicago dogs. The spousal unit says he thinks Vienna Beef are better, but I’m fine with either one. Bruce maintains that the Red Hots are superior. He does use other Vienna Beef products in the restaurant.
Bruce’s Chicago Grill & Dog House is in an older, non-​descript strip mall shared with a few small businesses and Carmelita’s Mexican Restaurant. Please stop in and give it a try. I know it will immediately become one of your favorite haunts.

So glad I found this place. I love their dogs and the variety of options they have on the menu. Friendly and helpful staff that go above and beyond. Only thing I wish they had was a ground beef option to add to their hot dogs… Then I’d be in heaven.

Wife and I went here for the first time yesterday for lunch. Nice décor friendly service. I had two Chicago dogs, small chili cheese fries and a diet coke. Wife had one foot long, a bag of chips and tap water, Total charge $ 19. and change. Chicago dogs were nothing impressive. Soggy buns. Over cooked dogs. Fries we decent but they give you a small container of chili and soft serve cheese to dip your fries in. I wasn’t impressed with the experience. We won’t be returning.

Fun decore. Huge menu, something for everyone. Hot dogs can’t be beat. Juicy hamburgers and perfect fries every time, to order. Juicy hot corned beef sandwich is piled high and as good as anywhere. Fun place to go by myself, with a date, or a small group. Bottled beer. If you live or work nearby, you must try this friendly family business. Take out is supurb.

Stopped here for lunch and enjoyed it. Lots of options on the menu, cute décor, food was good. Good value as well. Nice little lunch spot.

I love this place! I go at least once a month and get the same thing every time. I should really explore my options. Slaw dog with onions and mustard

Another random stop on Ulmerton and another awesome place for lunch.
I’ve passed by here a couple times and it’s kinda hard to miss with the high number of neon signs in the window, so if you see a glow coming from the corner of Belcher and Ulmerton, I recommend you stop in.
I’ve always enjoyed places where you can order from a counter, find a seat and grab your food when it’s ready. It did take me a few minutes to soak in the menu on the wall though, as it is extensive and there are a lot of options. I settled on the chili cheese and the Chicago, both steamed, with a side of onion rings.
In about 5 minutes, I had my plastic basket of food and it looked pretty damn awesome. And thankfully, it tasted as good as it looked. The steam melts everything, making the bun super soft and keeping the meat moist. Both hot dogs were the best I’ve had in Tampa. The onions were also above par. They were very crispy with a crunchy, corn meal crust and they were a nice size too.
There is no doubt that I’ll be swinging by here anytime I’m close to that corner.

OMD (that is OH MY DOG)!!! You know you are in a five star hotdog joint when you can’t stop ordering. OMD! This place has a Coney Island feel with its red and orange colors. The staff wears red chef hats and bright blue smocks. The walls are covered in memorabilia! Be patient it is good. OMD! The seating is almost all booths going straight back along the ordering station and kitchen. All the dogs are prepared to order. Five stars because I ordered one and knew immediately I had to have the second one.
My first dog was the #20 Hebrew National Kosher Dog with mustard and sauerkraut on a poppy seed bun. There is that taste about a hotdog with all its saltiness and the meat bursting with juice. Well this was more amazing than I had experienced or I just had not had a really good hotdog in long time. The topping of the sauerkraut and mustard really made the dog complete. At this point, I was really ready for another dog and wanted to try another menu item. I tried the #15 ¼ Lb Foot Long Hotdog topped with chili, onions, and mustard. Wow, with all these flavors it was like heaven. Only this time they had mercy on me and gave me a knife. Being foot long you would think it would take twice as long; honestly, it was so good I think I finished before the first.
I definitely plan on recommending this as a lunch stop at work. This goes beyond (way beyond) «yay, I am a fan» truly this is «As good as it gets!» OMD

If you like hot dogs, this is your place. All kinds — Vienna Beef, Hebrew National all fixed any way you want. Also Brats, «Cheeze Borgers», and corned beef & Pastrami sandwiched.
It is a small shop in a strip mall & is loaded with Chicago memorabilia. The owner, Bruce, is friendly to all ages.
I have eaten here 8 — 10 times and always look forward to a return visit.