Chicago-style beefs and dogs offered at new Vail Valley food truck
Chi Shack now open in Edwards by friendly folks from Chicago’s South Side

Chi Shack/Courtesy photo
A taste of Chicago has arrived in the Vail Valley. The Chi Shack food truck is serving up Chicago-style hot dogs and other Windy City favorites. It’s all courtesy of Mark Ramos who just opened the food truck in June.
“I’m a true Chicagoan now living here. I couldn’t get the food I wanted. So, I decided to just make it myself and bring it to the community,” Ramos said, while wearing a Chicago Cubs T-shirt.
“I don’t mind getting the grease on it. I’m not going to wear my White Sox best,” joked Ramos, who is from Chicago’s South Side but says he supports both of Chicago’s baseball teams. “And on Sunday, it’s ‘bear down.’ We only wear Chicago Bears shirts on Sundays. And, the Broncos are cool. It’s all good. We support all.”
Ramos has been in the restaurant business all of his life. From Denny’s to Portillo’s, a famous Chicago restaurant specializing in Chicago street food since 1963.
“I ran Portillo’s. For those of you who know, you know. It’s iconic back home. I’ve done everything in the restaurant industry, I’ve done everything that I could do except to be my own boss,” Ramos said. “Then, I was at a crossroads and my wife looked at me and she said, ‘Yeah, do it. Let’s do the truck.’ And we did it and it’s been my dream.”

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The menu is stacked with tasty and authentic Chicago style hot dogs and classic dishes.
“We start out with the Chicago Dog on the menu, and the most important thing is you’ve got to have the relish. It has to be, like, lime green, then the pickle — a big, long pickle with a crunch — tomato, onion, sport pepper, which is a Chicago pepper, and then a little bit of celery salt with a zigzag of mustard. No ketchup allowed, but we will keep ketchup outside the truck for anyone who wants it. We won’t judge you for wanting ketchup,” Ramos said.
There’s also the Italian sausage sandwich, cheese dogs and chili dogs, and the Ditka Polish — named after famous Chicago Bears football coach, Mike Ditka.
“The Ditka Polish is ridiculously big here. And it’s just delicious. We add grilled onions, sport peppers, a nice zigzag of mustard. It looks beautiful,” Ramos said.

“My favorite item on the menu is the Italian beef. I love how it’s dipped, the peppers make it and then the fresh mozzarella is grilled nice and hot, you can’t beat it,” said Mike Henderson, who is Ramos’ brother-in-law and business partner. “Mark’s showing me the ropes and helping me get into the restaurant industry.”
“Family always comes first, that’s how we do it on the South Side,” Ramos said.
Ramos said the first few weeks of operations have gone really well and the response from the public is positive.
“It’s been amazing. There’s more Chicagoans in this valley than I ever thought. And for those that aren’t from there, they’re loving it too. I can’t thank everybody enough for the good reviews,” Ramos said. “And our hearts and souls are in this thing. When you guys come down, you’ll know that we put our love into this food because you’re going to love it.”

The Chi Shack food truck will be parked at its regular spot along Highway 6 west of The Gashouse, across the road from the fire station in Edwards. Check TheChiShack.com for current hours.
“I’ve turned back on the propane after closing — we won’t turn away a guest. We’re here for you guys,” Ramos said.
The truck will also be at the Edwards Farmers Markets on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then back to the main location from 1:30-7 p.m. They’ve also popped up at the GoPro Mountain Games, will be featured at the Arrowhead Friday Afternoon Club events, the Junior Rodeo in Gypsum and other events that come up. Ramos said they also are available to cater events.
“It’s been a blessing. I’ve been in the restaurant industry my entire life doing these things for other owners and I decided, ‘Why can’t I do that?’ So, here we go, we’re really excited about serving this beautiful community,” Ramos said.