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The folks behind Zack’s are trying hard, and that’s a double-edged sword. First, there’s that “attitude” thing, complete with an annoying X-treme kid mascot and hucksterish menu copy (“Caution! This hotdog has been known to be highly addictive and in some cases even dreamt about!”). But then, there are those hot dogs, and that’s where the trying hard succeeds. Like Dad at a Sunday afternoon barbecue, the cooks at Zack’s take great care with their dogs (and the rest of the grub).

They use Vienna Beef sausages, a good brand; the fixins bar is extensive (freshly made bacon bits!); most of the sides are homemade (i.e., potato salad and mac ’n’ cheese); and while the rolls come out of a bag, they’re not cut-rate. Zack’s Chicago-style classic ($3.25) is, properly, steamed and smothered with a garden’s worth of veggies (tomato, onion, bright green relish, pickle, banana pepper). And the Southern style ($3.25) swims in both tangy coleslaw and spicy chili. The only thing missing is a not-dog for the vegetarians. If Zack’s added that to the menu, it’d be awesome, dude!

E-mail Christopher Skokna