Deano O'Leary helped build the tavern that would become WooDogs Pub-n-Grub in the 1990s and has been coming back there ever since.

Since Tamra and Russell Woodley bought the bar and grill in 2001 and renamed it after Russell's high school nickname - and used the image of their Shar-Pei for the logo - O'Leary said the restaurant has become a great sports bar, especially if you're a fan of the University of Illinois and/or Chicago professional teams.

"It's a good sports bar and a family bar," he added. "If you're an Illini fan and a Bears fan, it's a fine place to come."

While there is some Green Bay Packers memorabilia on the walls, there's no questioning the fact that WooDogs fits the bill as a $10 or less restaurant. Seventeen of the 19 sandwiches it serves up are $6 or less, including WooDogs specialties: the ribeye steak sandwich and cheeseburger.

All menu items are ordered a la carte, with most appetizers costing $3.75 and fries priced at $1.50.

The Woodleys keep prices down by closing the kitchen from 2 to 5 p.m., when traffic slows, and by not accepting debit or credit cards so they don't have to pass the transaction charge onto their customers. They do accept checks along with cash.

O'Leary usually orders the pork tenderloin for $4 and appreciates being able to eat a good meal for a decent price.

"It's a very nice sandwich, and a big sandwich," he said.

The low prices help attract lots of families to WooDogs, and they often order the large pizza. Tamra Woodley said the 16-inch pizza, which comes with up to three meats for $17.50, can easily feed a family of four, keeping a meal for the entire family less than $25 by the time drinks are ordered.

"We don't really get the late, late-night crowd, you know, the drinkers. Our is, I think, more family- oriented," she added. "It's a nice local place you can go to and not have all the crazy people late at night. You can still bring in your kids, and some parents are still here until 10:30 at night on the weekends with the kids."