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Superdawg Drive-In Founder Maurie Berman Dies on Sunday at 89

Founder of iconic hot dog drive-in mourned by Hot Doug's, Mancow and more.

Maurie Berman
Maurie Berman
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Ashok Selvam is the editor of Eater Chicago and a native Chicagoan armed with more than two decades of award-winning journalism. Now covering the world of restaurants and food, his nut graphs are super nutty.

Some sad news came to pass this weekend, as the founder of Superdawg Drive-In, the beloved hot dog spot on Chicago's Northwest Side, died on Sunday. Maurie Berman was 89 and died of heart problems, according to the Tribune.

The iconic 12-foot, papier-mâché sausages on the restaurant's roof — male and female encased meats — were named "Maurie" and "Flaurie," after Berman and his surviving wife. Built in 1948 at the intersection of Devon, Nagle and Milwaukee avenues in Norwood Park, 67-year-old Superdawg features car hop service, serving up a special beef hot dog in a cardboard box filled with crinkle-cut fries. It's a thicker-cut sausage with a pickled tomato, not a traditional Chicago-style dog with all the fixings. Regardless, it's a taste that's won over Chicagoans for generations. The family-owned business opened a second location in suburban Wheeling in 2010, and from 2003 to 2010 ran a kiosk at Midway Airport.

Berman served in the army during World War II in the year before opening the restaurant. He ensured Superdawg had an old-school feel, keeping the original fry-cutting machine and other details to maintain a trip through time. They'll be closed on Tuesday for the funeral. Berman's son told the Tribune that his father had no other hobbies; Superdawg was his life.

Here's some reaction to Berman's death on social media:

Superdawg Drive-In

6363 North Milwaukee Avenue, , IL 60646 (773) 763-0660 Visit Website

Superdawg Drive-In

333 S Milwaukee Ave, Wheeling, IL 60090 (847) 459-1900 Visit Website