Bison Jacks

Someone on some corporate committee somewhere decided that it was a can’t miss idea to open a chain of boiled hot dog joints for $ 20 (yes that’s twenty dollars) per serving.
Suffice to say, this place is always empty and if someone unfortunately wanders in their mouth quickly drops before they hastily leave.
Yes, I actually ate a hot dog here once, and it was awful. The price of a steak for a greasy boiled bison dog. Only in Madison.

This was a legendary experience. Was restaurant shopping: on Old Sauk Rd. Chin’s Asian Fresh looked too ‘standard’ cloned Asian for 7 bucks; the line at Chipotle’s was too long; then drove over to Greenway and saw Bison Jack’s and went in. Started looking at the menu items on the wall, and then the guy sitting in a booth (I think he was, like, in camo’s) says, «I’m only selling hot dogs, and they are twenty bucks.»
What a mind %&!* !!!
It’s amazing they don’t CHARGE twenty bucks for the EXPERIENCE — — every visitor to Madison must put it on the bucket list.
I would give it five stars, but I left still hungry. Eventually went home and made a salad.

The owner is a heir to the Wrigley fortune (was in the State Journal in an article when they first opened).
They are contractually obligated to stay open until October 2013, when their lease ends I suppose. Their only hope is that some other business wants to move in and get them out of their lease, or better yet, Starbucks next door happens to expand as it really needs to.
So yes, the owner has one employee that just lives their and looks if he can scrounge up a bun that’s not stale for that bison dog that’s been sitting in hot water for a week. He raised priced to $ 20.
Really? Why not do the opposite? Drop the prices to $ 5 and at least get some cash flow going and people in the doors, even if you’ll take a loss. You’re losing a lot more when you get zero customers at twenty bucks. 0 x $ 20 = $ 0
Oh well. An interesting concept that just didn’t go well and now must suffer until it’s October death.

This place seems to be only open for some financial technicality (this is not hyperbole), like the owner needs it to fail miserably to reap the tax benefit or something…
Let me explain (if you’re pressed for time, just look at the star):
My wife and I first visited not long after it opened, and it seemed to be going through some growing pains, many of which have been mentioned by other reviewers: a byzantine, mind-​bending menu the length of an entire wall which you MUST view from a foot away… a ridiculous array of gadgets behind the counter to match the menu… laconic staff who appear not to know how to use said gadgets… a stupid-​long wait for a HOT DOG. Even though it was lunch time no one was in there, which should have been a sign…
ANYWAYS, we were willing to give it another shot, but to hedge our bets we grabbed a Groupon so we would only regret $ 8 wasted instead of $ 16…
So a couple weeks ago we returned (mostly to use up the Groupon, which was nearing expiration), and something wasn’t quite right; once again no one was inside, but this time that also included the employees…
I had started noticing that there were paper signs plastered all over the entry doors, windows and menu, but just assumed it was some special they were offering… Then right as someone finally ambled out from the back, I started actually reading the «special», which read something like «ALL HOT DOGS AND COMBOS NOW $ 20 DURING REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS». As the ridiculousness of those words started to sink in, my wife asked the person who had wandered out «Do you work here?» (could they be an employee? If so, how was one to tell? This dude looked like he had just stumbled out of a cot in the back room). «Yeah…» he replied, which I didn’t quite believe at first, scanning the restaurant for any other signs of life, «But just to let you know, we’ve only got hot dogs now, and they’re $ 20»…
This was about the time that his words and the message on the sign started matching up in my brain («oh! they’re SERIOUS!»), while my wife started her own scan of the place, looking for the hidden camera crew that was surely waiting to jump out and tell us we were on a prank show…
After my wife asked if they were going out of business, our disheveled host explained «No one’s in here because of the ‘recent change’… The owner’s rich… he doesn’t care if anyone eats here or not. But no, we’re not going out of business».
I felt like we had suddenly entered the real playground of the rich, where businesses rise and fall on the capricious whims of multimillionaires… The owner probably had a bet with someone to see who could come up with the most ridiculous business model…
Confused, but still hungry, we asked if we could at least use the damn Groupon… He held up his hands as if to say «whaddya-​gonna-​do?» and motioned towards the cold lifeless machines behind the counter… «There isn’t any food ready because no one’s coming in… I would just get a refund…» Suddenly I started feeling bad for this dude; whether he knew it or not (and really, who COULDN’T see it?), he was a dead man walking, just biding his time getting paid until this place closed down and became (gods willing) a Chipotle or Panera or something…
So, slightly dazed, we wandered back outside, where an elderly woman and her husband were getting out of their car. When he mentioned going to Bison Jack’s, she said «I made the mistake of going there once before, and I’m not doing THAT again…» as if he had just suggested eating at Crappy McCrapper’s Poop Buffet.
We smiled at each other, wordlessly sharing the knowledge that Bison Jack’s totally sucks and will someday soon be going out of business and losing some A-​hole at least a portion of his immeasurable fortune.
Then we went next door to Cosi, where they have pretty decent salads, friendly staff, and don’t make you feel as if we had entered another dimension.

Rip Off. Must be going out of business. Went for dinner tonight. No one in restaurant. Although prices for many items were listed on the wall menu. The fella working said, all we have is hot dogs and they are $ 20 each. No side dishes. No other items from the menu. No explanation about why only hot dogs and why $ 20. Run fast. Do NOT go here. «Rest in Peace» you rip offs. A failed concept for owner of the Chicago Cubs.

The very first time I went here, it was great. The food was hot, the toppings delicious, and service was very fast. But it’s just been slowly going downhill since then over the course of the year. :/
My most recent visit, last Sunday in October 2012, the entire staff was unprepared and rude. When my boyfriend ordered his lunch, he was told begrudgingly that they would have to spend 4 to 5 minutes «cooking» his dog. There was no one waiting behind us, so we chose to wait.
From snippets of conversation we overhead from the staff, someone either quit that morning or was fired. Apparently it was one of their cooks, because the rest of them didn’t seem to know what they were doing. The toppings we got on our dogs were not nearly as plentiful as usual (mine ended up being mostly bun when I started eating it), and the tator tots were stone cold. Not only that, but I was never offered to have them tossed with cinnamon as usual either, and felt like I would be the rude one if I asked… they also tasted like they had just been sitting in the tray for a long time.
Overall the meal was not fulfilling, and at the prices they ask, we will not be going back. So sad, because it started off so well, but it just seems like the owner doesn’t really care about the restaurant, as reflected in the staff.

The hot dogs are really awesome, the fries are eh but I’ve never had any issue with service, I’ve been there twice in the last couple months and it was always quick and easy.

I’m waiting for this place to go out of business so I can get another viable lunch option near my office. Everything about it is way too complicated and fussy when they’re just aspiring to be the Chipotle of hot dogs. I ate there once and don’t really have any desire to go back. I don’t want to have to think this hard about how to order a hot dog.
I walk to lunch almost every day. You’d think that with with Bison Jacks being 3 blocks from my office I might find my way back, but no. I walk past it plenty, on my way to Cosi next door. Bison Jacks, instead of realizing that simple is better if you’re trying to make a concept like this work, keeps adding new things to their menu and making everything even more complicated. I only know this from there always being some new sign in the window when I walk past with no intention of going inside. No new item they’ve put up has yet to entice me. MAKE IT SIMPLE, DUDES!
Unfortunately since it’s owned by the guy who owns the Cubs and apparently has a thing for bison, I don’t think it’s going away any time soon. Anyone else would’ve closed down a long time ago. It’s in the middle of a giant office park and every time I walk past it with no intention of going inside, it looks like most everyone else agrees with me. I’ve never seen it busy.

This place is terrible.
1. The salad was bagged iceberg lettuce with a few tomatoes on it.
2. The service was terrible, the girl checking us out was incredibly rude.
3. They overcharged us for the burger combo. There had a sign up that clearly stated that the combo was an extra $ 2.00. The burger was $ 6.95. $ 2+ $ 6.95 =$ 8.95. It rang up at $ 9.95. After spending a few minutes trying to explain simple math to the girl working the register and getting nothing but a blank stare, we paid the extra dollar.
We won’t be back, and I won’t recommend other people going there either.

Well, they’re still in business and they’ve added some flatbread choices which look interesting. However, service hasn’t improved from the duration side of things, in fact I think it’s worse now. It shouldn’t take 10 minutes to get 3 hot dogs at 8:30 on a Thursday night, especially when there’s at least 3 staff there.
The staff are friendly, and I think the food is great, but they really need to speed things up.

I love the concept and I am a cheerleader for this place to do well. I’m a big fan of buffalo meat as a healthier red meat and their dogs and burgers are both excellent. They also serve fries and sweet potato tater tots that are baked vs. fried and they are also delicious and somewhat guilt free.
The reason for the two is the service, which REALLY needs to improve. The people that work there are friendly, and polite, and they’ve even given our daughter free frozen yogurt.
What’s the problem you ask? They can NEVER seem to get an order together in a timely fashion. You’re always waiting for something while other portions of your meal are done. I think the last 4 times I was there the fries weren’t ready when my dog was and EACH time (I swear I’m not exaggerating), they forgot to bring me the fries when they were done even though they promised me they would. Each time they tell me they will bring them out to me and each time, I have to go get them and remind them they owe me an order of fries. The last time I even watched them take the fries out of the oven, salt them and leave them in the bin, just 2 minutes after I placed the order. And the thing is, they’re never that busy, we’re always one of only two or three couples in the whole place.
I’ve suggested to them that instead of preparing the food right in front of you, they should do what they do at Noodles or Panera Bread and make your entire order fresh, in the back of the house, and bring it out to you when they are done. If people knew that waiting was part of the experience, they wouldn’t have an issue with it and I think that would make this place a hit. I truly hope it succeeds!

Bison Jacks is AWESOME. The bison hot dog was wonderful and there was quite a selection to literally have it anyway you wanted. I went a second time for breakfast and the burrito of egg, cheese and sausage was fabulous as well. The staff is friendly. The parking easy. I will definitely go back –often!

The staff was great… very friendly and helpful. That goes a long way now a days. :) Although a little pricier then most hot dogs… I think you get what you pay for with Bison Meat. I had the Buffalo Dog which was tasty and messy… just like I would expect. We tried the fries, onion rings and cole slaw and felt all where quite tasty. Also had the chocolate shake which was great. Worth a try… especially if you like to get adventurous with your toppings.

Disappointing.
The staff was very friendly and helpful, and the concept of better quality food is commendable, but I just don’t see this place making it. I can’t think of any reason I would return. I could list lots of faults but won’t bother because I don’t think they’ll be in business long enough for reviews to matter. At high noon the restaurant had perhaps 4 tables filled. Top complaint — I couldn’t figure out how to eat the thing. It was way too big to pick up and eat without making a huge mess, and a knife and fork just don’t work for a hot dog.

We need more places like Bison Jack’s. After recently learning about the way most restaurant food is sourced (read about CAFO’s and you’ll never eat unpastured beef again), it’s awesome to find a local place that seves good food fast, and sources it’s meat from free-​range, antibiotic-​free, grass-​fed animals in America.
I got the sliders and the sweet potato tator tots, and both were great. After ordering and paying, I realized it’s a much better deal to get the meal deal — tip for others. The guy at the counter really knew his stuff, and could answer any question I threw at him. It’s great to find an order-​at-​the-​counter joint that takes a lot of pride in their product and their sourcing.
My one complaint is that I was a little overwhelmed by my choices for my burger. The dogs have a build-​your-​own option as well as some pre-​determined themed dogs «Texas», «Wisconsin», etc., but the burgers have no pre-​determined options. I had three sliders, one with a sweet onion topping, one with thousand island, and one with peppers, and all were good. However, I would have rather selected a themed burger, than to have to stare down about 30 different toppings to come up with my lunch.
However, I won’t knock down a star for giving lots of choices. I will definitely return again.

DH and I decided to try Bison Jack’s this evening as we were curious to see what the «Subway of Hot Dogs» was about. I decided to go with the Sonoran specialty dog (hot and spicy) with the baked french fries and DH chose the Buffalo Dog with the «Pop Chips». Our total for the dogs, potato products and two drinks came to $ 21 and change. Not horrendous, but after trying out the restaurant tonight, was a bit pricey, even IF the sausages and dogs are made from bison.
The Sonoran, I was warned, was very hot (spicy) and I was told to be sure to get something to drink. The bun-​runneth-​over after the additions of all the toppings, and it was impossible to eat out-​of-​hand, so I fork-​and-​knifed it. The baked french fries (hot out of the oven) were very tasty.
DH enjoyed his Buffalo Dog, the blue cheese dressing had LARGE chunks of blue cheese in it. There was enough heat that DH’s head was sweating. The «Pop Chips» were similar in texture to Funyuns, but really were «meh». Part way through our meal a staff member came through and asked if we’d like a free sample of their custard. Sure! It’s not Kopp’s Custard, but it was decent.
The sausages were delicious, the fries were great. The staff was friendly, though there were too many of them around for the very low number of customers present. Overall, I think we really need to try the place once more to determine if it’s «worth it».

Not great but I will probably try again.
Let me explain: you go in and try to read a menu that is about 10″ from your face, along the wall. Ok fine, I found something I wanted. So I ordered my brat, toppings, etc. and a few kids meals. The kids meal indicates that a hot dog, chips, and soda are included. When I asked about the side for the kids meal, the manager acted kind of annoyed that I didn’t understand how things work. He said, with a sigh, like this is the dumbest thing he’d ever heard, «everything here is ala carte». Even the kids meal? Well that’s interesting because the menu does a horrible job of showing that. Then does that mean toppings like onions cost extra too? I didn’t bother asking because the guy was kind of a d*ck about the menu.
The fries and tots are baked, and not very good. The brat alone cost about $ 7 which is a lot for something that was pre-​cooked and sitting in some kind of oil or water solution before he put it in the bun.
But the flavor was good and they have lots of sausages, so I will probably try again. Just how about not acting like a jerk when a family spends $ 50 on your second day of operation, and your menu is incredibly confusing. $ 12 for a brat, fries, and Pepsi (yeah, no coke) is a lot. Bring your Bentley an

I love hot dogs as much as any other hot dog lovin’ guy, but I never thought I’d see the day I’d give a dog peddler 5 stars. Well, I was wrong. Bison Jack’s serves hot dogs and sausages that are made from bison meat. Yup, bison meat. And that’s not all. Their big, juicy tubes of bovine goodness have no nitrates, are gluten free and lower in fat than sausages made from their cow cousins.
I have had the hot dog, the andouille sausage and the Italian sausage and they were all awesome. I’ve only had the asiago bread so far. I’d love to try the other breads, but the asiago had me at my first bite.
And get this, their french fries are not fried. They sure do taste fried, but they are baked. I love BJs! Woohooo!

Figured I’d try the place out — I used to go to the Panchero’s (which was in the same location) all the time.
Just got a basic dog with ketchup. (Apparently «Chicago Dog» and «Bison Dog» are the same thing; although it takes studying the menu a bit to figure this out). That with a soda (no fries) came to $ 7.33. I knew going in that it would be expensive, but kind of expected the dog to be bigger.
The Bison/​Chicago dog tasted pretty good. But have to admit I left with my stomach not completely full. Didn’t want to bother with a $ 3 (or whatever it is) side.
Don’t think I’ll go again, but was worth a try.

This is the Ricketts’ family (Chi Cubs owners) newest venture. Perhaps rolled out to help pay the salary of their new prez Theo Epstein? I initially thought this restaurant had a cool concept — build your own hot dog. they offer bison of which the family has their own ranch & they also peddle at Wrigley.
Unfortunately, the restaurant is not well thought out & is poorly executed.
There are a number of specialty dogs and sandwiches as well. I went with the Italian Stallion — an Italian sausage assembly. After my man drowned the sandwich w marina… this sandwich never had a chance. The bun essentially disintegrated & for my $ 8 I ended up with an inedible mess that one could never pass off as a sandwich.
I passed on their fries & tater tot looking things as they looked stone cold and unappetizing.
Another one of their specialties dogs is a Chicago dog ($ 6). Simple enough — right? Although theirs comes w kecthup. A Chicago family serving a Chicago dog w ketchup? Chicago dogs are never, ever served w ketchup. Never. Ever.
Sorry Ricketts family but you struck out on this one. Hopefully, Theo has better success.