Conventional wisdom says change is inevitable. But Tom Eliades, a patriarch of Sioux City's food scene, thinks otherwise.
"If it's not broke, don't fix it," says Tom who operated Milwaukee Wiener House No. 1 with his brother-in-law Gus Demetroulis for more than four decades.
Tom retired in 2000, Gus in 2004, but the Pearl Street business has stayed in the family under the ownership of Tom's sons, John and Mike, who also believe that consistently good food and friendly service are everything.
"We give people what they want," says Mike. "We keep it as low-key and relaxed as possible and people always come back."
On the verge of its 90th anniversary, Milwaukee Wiener House No. 1 is the oldest eating establishment in Sioux City. To the delight of its customers, the menu hasn't changed much, with hot dogs as the main attraction, always served with a generous side order of friendliness.
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The famous hot dogs are offered with optional toppings that include mustard, onions and chili. The chili is made from a secret recipe created by Tom and Gus.
Some diners opt for the "Bow Wow" which tucks two wieners into one bun and then tops the dogs with mustard, chili, onion and cheese, according to the customer's wishes. "The Barker" gives hungry diners a hot dog with mustard and sauerkraut toppings. Visitors from the East Coast are particularly fond of the kraut condiment.
"We serve pretty much the same foods we've always served and people always come back for more," says Tom who emigrated from Greece in 1951. "We have people who came to our restaurant when they were kids and now they're bringing their grandchildren."
Donna Knecht is among the multi-generational fans of the place she remembers when she was growing up on the family farm near Salix, Iowa, and the eatery was located on Fourth Street, a couple blocks from its present location.
"From about the time I was 7, our family came to town to sell our cream and eggs at Roe's Dairy on Morningside Avenue. We always stopped at Milwaukee Wiener House for a hot dog with all the chili and for a bottle of pop. My mom and I liked grape pop."
Bottled pop was a longtime signature of Milwaukee Wiener House No. 1, now at its third location. But as soft drink manufacturers moved strictly to cans, the eatery has watched its 27 flavors of bottled pop dwindle to five flavors: root beer; strawberry; grape; creme; and orange. "Now we have all the other flavors in cans and our loyal customers understand why," says Mike.
A display case at the eatery's front entrance holds an array of bottled pop from the bygone era, along with other fun memorabilia that reflects Milwaukee Wiener House's long local history as it moved from 404 Fourth St. to 314 Fourth Street to its present location at 309 Pearl St.
To the delight of customers, Milwaukee's famous hot dogs have escaped "progress." If anything, they've improved with time. Served on china plates, just as they've always been, the personality-plus hot dogs have caught the attention of "Roadfood" gurus Jane and Michael Stern who roll into Siouxland from time to time in search of "real" American food. They found it at Milwaukee Wiener House No. 1.
Michael Stern's story about his happy experience at the eatery doesn't surprise Tom. Decades of operation and millions of chili-topped hot dogs have generated an array of colorful stories about the place that remains a Sioux City fixture. But none can top the story of the World War II serviceman who celebrated his homecoming with 68 hot dogs and 24 bottles of pop in one sitting - or so the story goes.
For many years, the wieners were purchased from Swift & Company when the giant packer operated in the Sioux City Stockyards. Swift moved out of the Yards and then out of Sioux City altogether in the 1980s, so the proprietors turned to Cimpl in Yankton, S.D., to supply their main ingredient. Sioux City's Sunkist Bakery furnishes freshly baked doughnuts and rolls for the early morning opening.
"We start at 6 in the morning with our prep work for the lunch rush," says Mike. "That's when people are welcome to come in for coffee and doughnuts. The lunch rush starts between 11 and 11:30."
While hot dogs with everything are the most popular order, hamburgers, bowls of steaming chili and grilled cheese sandwiches also figure into the selection. All items can be made up as take-out orders. "We are a fast food place, but fast food that's homemade, not pre-made," says Mike.
If they have room for dessert or an afternoon treat, customers can order milkshakes and sundaes made from Well's hard-pack ice cream. Pies used to be a huge seller back when chips had a lower profile. "Back in the '60s, the pie case was enormous," says Mike. "My dad says they would go through 30 to 40 pies a day when people liked to have a slice of pie and coffee during an afternoon break. Now chips are huge and pies are less so."
Less subject to change is the restaurant's interior with rows and rows of cozy booths and busy walls lined with memorabilia that celebrates the business's history. Vintage calendars, letters, photographs, advertisements and a Mike Royko Chicago Tribune column about Greek men bring that history to life.
At the center of it all is a framed showcase of the restaurant's first mustard stick which was used to serve more than 10 million hot dogs. Millions more hot dogs have been added to the total since then.
"I have a great job - I love it," says Mike. "We have so many friendly people who come here and then always come back. People who move away come in for a hot dog or two or three when they're in town. They tell us they've had hot dogs in other cities, but they've never found anything exactly like this place."
Milwaukee Wiener House No. 1, at 309 Pearl St., is open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed Sundays and holidays.
