Windy City Red Hots Offers Ashburn Budget-Friendly Dining

Food trucks seem to be among the current trends – there is even a show on the Food Network called the Great Food Truck Race – but residents may not know there’s one right here in Ashburn? Windy City Red Hots is located right on Route 7 at .

Windy City Red Hots, which opened in 2008, is plastered with countless reviews and buzz, all praising the company’s delicious hot dogs and other fare from Chicago, the actual Windy City.

Owners Angel Miranda and father-in-law Rodney Nuval opened the Ashburn location to assuage their cravings and homesickness for good beef sandwiches. Windy City opened a second restaurant in Leesburg in mid-2010.

“Business is good, but it is affected by the weather,” said Nuval, who runs the food truck. “Both locations are doing well, the Leesburg restaurant is open longer hours. But Ashburn gets great lunch hour traffic.”

He said the Blue Mount Nursery employees are great regulars.

The owners chose the Ashburn location at the nursery in part for it’s access to the high traffic on Route 7, but also because the nursery allowed a different food truck to operate there before and offered the spot to Windy City.

Miranda said they pay rent and electricity for access to the parking lot. They checked out other areas around Ashburn and Leesburg, but it was difficult to find a location willing to take a food truck.

Windy City Red Hots offers Ashburn a menu of authentic food from Chicago with several affordable options: prices start at $2.99 for a hot dog and $3.95 for a sausage. The red hots are made from 100 percent pure beef, and topped with your choice of mustard, relish, onions, tomato, pickle and peppers on a poppy seed bun. Chili and cheese as well as a variety of additional toppings are also available.

The Italian sausage with grilled onions and sweet or hot peppers served on a poppy seed bun is a favorite. Another menu option is the Pizza Puff, a flour tortilla filled with Italian sausage, home-style pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese. Last, but not least, the eatery offers the Italian beef with lean Italian-style roast beef, thinly sliced, and topped with hot or sweet peppers. Get a side of fries plain, with cheese or with chili and cheese.

Windy City makes a convenient alternative to fast food that’s equally inexpensive and locally owned. Despite being a truck there are some nicely laid out tables for eating there.

Miranda said he hopes to expand beyond the two locations one day, but nothing is in the works.

As for the Great Food Truck Race on Food TV, it turns out Windy City Red Hots has been nominated before, but has not yet made yet the cut. The stand also made I Am Modern magazine’s “Best of Suburbia” list earlier this year.