Best hot dog you have had...
 

I love hot dogs and since I travel a lot I was wondering who makes the best hot dogs. Share your favorite hot dog restaurants.

Syracuse NY, once the home of many German immigrants, has two firms who have produced top quality dogs and coneys for many generations (coneys are called white hots in some areas). Hoffman's brand is generally regarded as the best with Meier & Ranz running a close but respectable second. THE place for buying and eating Hoffman's hotdogs has always been "Heid's" restaurant of Liverpool (a Syracuse suburb just north of the city on the edge of Onondag Lake). It now has a small dining area but for many generations had only a take out counter and years of seasoning acquired by the cooking rollers may be part of the reason why Hoffman's taste better there than when they're cooked elsewhere. Until a few years ago it was considered sacrilegous to even mention the word "catsup" in the vicinity of Heid's. The only condiments were relish and Medford's German style mustard. Yhe Hoffman's company now has two "Hot Haus" locations of their own but Heid's remains favored by the true dog conniseur. Worth a trip if you're in the area. Oh, if they could only bring back the white birch beer then everything would truly be perfect...

hot dogs consist of all the scraps from the animals that they can't do anything else with. <BR> <BR>Most people who would see them being made wouldn't eat them afterwards.

Who cares-There is nothing like a great hot dog. Years ago nothing compared to Nathans in Coney Island!

The Kosher hotdogs sold at Logan Airport, Boston! Are they Nathan's? Anyway, I'm 56 this year, had one in February there! Love hotdogs, and was the best I've ever had. Yes, I know I'd be repulsed seeing them made, but lucky for me, I can block that out! Can taste it now................

Owen from Syracuse is only 70 miles east of the world's best hot dogs. Zweigles of Rochester wins hands down.When people leave the Rochester area they certainly do not miss the weather, but they do miss the Zweigles. (and Nance's mustard, and Grandma Brown's beans). Rochester, like Syracuse was settled by many German immigrants, and the Zweigle family made the very best hot dogs. Sorry, Syracuse

I won't challenge Marie but I suspect the Zweigle's dogs would taste eben better if they were grilled at Heid's. At one time Heid's tried to expand - the general consensus was that the dogs never tasted the same when they were cooked elsewhere. I had forgotten all about Nance's mustard (my grandmother's favorite). It's creamy yet very sharp and quite unlike any other mustard I've ever tried.

CHICAGO !!!!! is the only place to get a hot dog or a pizza..........

Mustard's Last Stand in Evanston, IL, 2 blocks from Dyke Stadium where Northwestern plays has great hot dogs. If not Mustard's, then anywhere else in Chicago!! Yum!

One of the hardest decisions in Chicago to make is which hot dogs to get this time. There are so many excellent ones here that usually the newspaper or guide will rate the fries so you can go with the best combo. My son is a Bozo's <BR>fan which uses a Vienna dog with a slightly tougher "skin." The only place I have had one that comes close is in NYC. But that didn't have the "usual" on it. A Chicago hot dog has the following: yellow mustard, diced onion, pickle relish, thin wedge of cucumber, 2 slices of tomato, celery salt, and a couple of hot sport peppers on the top. Used to have a child who just wanted ketchup and this order was met with groans. Both the South and North sides have so many places with excellent dogs that I think almost everyone who really loves hot dogs ends up coming here to check it out. The ball parks are like the hot dogs everywhere else. Junior's, Michael A's and tons of individual stands make great hot dogs.

I'm glad no one has mentioned the typical NYC hotdogs that include Zabretts' at the sidewalk stands and Grey's Papaya for takeout. They often taste great under the circumstances (ravenously hungry and walking down the street on a beautiful day) but pale compared to the best hotdogs available elsewhere. I will give a nod to the Hebrew National brand as the best all-beef dog that I've tried. Just curious... do any of you recall the article that appeared either in the Ny Times or perhaps in one of the culinary mag's about a year ago? It detailed a short list (8-10) of places where exceptional hotdogs are served. There was one in CT that was famous for a battered deep fried variation that sounded unique but I can't find the article again...

I just love those Nathan's hotdags. At first I thought that they were only sold in NYC but now small franchises are popping up everywhere. I've even seen them in my local supermarket. grilled to perfection maybe even burnt a little they are simply the best.

Tony Packo's in Toledo, Ohio -- mmm!

If you've ever been to Plattsburgh in upstate NY -- there'd be no question. "Michigans" are a favorite!! A michigan is a hot dog served on a steamed bun covered with meat sauce, onions and a strip of mustard. Don't know where the name came from -- but there's NOTHING like them!

On the Milford/Wilton line in New Hampshire, there is a hotdog stand which sells foot-long hotdogs in a HOMEMADE roll; both are outstanding (the dog and the roll). They also sell burgers from buffalo meat.

Why do they always taste sooooo good at a baseball game!These are the best to me!

PBS did a show all about the best dogs in the country. <BR> <BR>http://www.wqed.org/tv/natl/hotdogs/ <BR> <BR>My favorite is the 3/4 pound hot dog at Westward Ho in Las Vegas and the 1/2 pounder at Slots-o-Fun next door. Packo's dogs are the only lunch I've ever had that I could still taste the next mornibg. Yum !

At Comiskey Park they have three different kinds of dogs but they are not as totally top of the line as those sold in stands around Chicago. BUT, the smell on the Maxwell Street Polish dog is undescribable, grilled onions plus the hot dog "grease" etc. It adds another dimension to the whole experience of being there. We went to the original Ricobene's under the Stevenson Expressway at 26th St. before the game last Friday and had the original Italian breaded steak sandwich which is another whole thread. But even after eating that and being stuffed, the aromas at the park were so over-whelming that we were tempted to split one. <BR> <BR>And in my youth I did go to Swift's hot dog factory in Chicago. My brother worked there one summer and we used the <BR>"garbage" casings as a prank hose sprinkler system once. I have seen what goes into them and it still makes no difference to me. I would rather have a good hot dog than most of the tortured food that passes for trendy gourmet, that's for sure.

The best hotdog I've had this year was at Wrigley Field in Chicago over the July 4th holiday, a bratwurst sausauge on a roll with onions, and a homestyle beer. Fantastic! Otherwise, I try to find boarshead hotdogs sold in links at some delis. They're great on the grill.

Wrigley Field. <BR>

Wrigley Field!!! You have got to be kidding. I think maybe you love the place etc. and it has hypnotized your taste buds. And bratwurst are not hot dogs. The hot dogs are ok at the ballparks but they are not fractionly as good as most stands in Chicago. Chicago Magazine has rated hundreds several times and the ball parks don't even rate for the finals. Plus the ones at the ball park don't have the condiments added and the buns are just marginal. The first time I saw the onion dispenser (liquified and running all over the place) I laughed that some one could have imagined that it would <BR>replace freshly diced onions.

To be a true chicago hot dog it must be a vienna hot dog no substitutions. <BR>To the poster about bozo's the last I knew they didn't use vienna but may have switched, I hope so because I could never stand bozo's & to the person who said brats you must be from wisconsin(nothing wrong with that).

Has anyone here ever had the pleasure of stopping at "Hot Dog Johnny's"? It's near the Delaware Water Gap in NJ (on the way to Pennsylvania). It's been there for decades. <BR> <BR>Right on the river, with hot dogs on the grill, tap root beer, and frozen custard. <BR> <BR>Can't be beat (okay....those Chicago dogs are also pretty great!!!).

Does anyone know if Simcoes by the Bridge..outside Boston( near Mattapan, I think) is still around. <BR> <BR>It has been a very long time, but they had great "foot longs"

Chili dog on the beach at Daytona from a little stand about 1961....

The 1/2 pounder at the Edgewater, and the one ounder at the Pioneer in Laughlin, NV aren't too shabby.

Hot Dog Annie's in Leicester, MA. The service isn't the best anymore, but - the dogs can't be beat.

Jack's Cosmic Dogs in Mt Pleasant SC- just 13 miles north of Charleston on HWY 17 N- Boars Head brand all beef dogs with home made toppings and the ambiance is 50's retro meets the Jetsons!! great fresh cut fries, draft root beer in frosted mugs and frozen ice cream custard- nothin' no fat here! just great dogs in a fun road side attraction- TRY IT!

Jack's Cosmic Dogs near Charleston SC- on the way to the beach at Isle of Palms, this is where the surfers go to re-fuel! unreal!

Well, for years and years we thought Chicago...yum yum yum. However, about 3 years ago we traveled to Toronto, Canada. We now consider "smog" dogs from the street vendors in Toronto to be the best. It's the bread that really, really makes them extra extra special.....

Manush, 21st and I Streets, NW, Washington, D.C. Manush is a street vendor, parked in front of Tower Records, and a legend at George Washington University. Ask for a Manush dog (cheese and ketchup). I went recently after having not visited Manush for more than 6 years (and 30 pounds), and the guy remembered my name.

Dick, to the best of my knowledge Simcoes by the Bridge is still there. It had a fire a number of years ago, but it reopened. I've only been there a few times, and it's certainly not in an area where a tourist would go, but it sure has local history. My favorite local dogs are Pearl dogs, though I have to grill them myself.

Just about anywhere in Chicago. I love Wally's in Central but it isn't quite downtown I also love Duck's but they burned down a year ago. Go just about anywhere, but the ballpark - yes they're better than in most cities but they just don't compare to a Wally (or any other hot dog stand) dog. My tip would be to look for the more run down, family owned places, those seem to be ther best, the only chain that I like is Portillo's - especially their cheece fries. I have to disagree with a previous poster, you can get any condiments you want without getting groaned at. I have lived here my whole life and have eaten at more hot dog stands than I can remember - I have never been groaned at when I ask for my usual Ketchup, Tomato, cucumber/pickles and celery. Yes it's not the traditional Chicago condiments but honestly most people that I know don't like all those condiments and usually order something different. I think Chicagoans are just very particular about their hot dogs and the condiments that are put on them whereas tourists get the usual for the sake of eating a "traditional" chicago hot dog. There's nothing like a Chicago Vienna beef hot dog (There are a couple of other brands that I like as well) in one of those fresh buns and an order of cheese fries. Oh and you can't beat Johnny's Italian beef sandwiches - simply the best as noted by their ever present line that goes all the way around the building. Anyway, that's just my $.02. <BR> <BR>Kristy

Any "Umbrella Room" NYC jargon for the street corner hot dogs stands. My Father called them 'dirty water" dogs!! <BR>Best anywhere....Can't go by a stand, smell the onions and sauerkraut and not want one! My mouth waters....YUM!!!

The street meat in Toronto is called a hot dog but actually resembles a sausage and it is delicious. My favorite stand, a block from Gretzky's, grills the dog and puts it on a chewy bun. They have about 25 different toppings laid out that you can spoon on yourself. I couldn't get enough of them. <BR> <BR>

I wouldn't say that this is the BEST hot dog I've ever had, but it sticks out in my mind-- at Fenway Park in Boston, I got a "Fenway Dog", which was on what looked like a slice of Wonder bread engineered to hold a dog- it was great- not so much bun to interfere with all of the hot dogg-y goodness! <BR> <BR>And maybe it's because I'm a Chicagoan, but I am definitely a no ketchup person- my ideal dog has lots of mustard, onions, a dill pickle spear, chopped tomatoes and some hot peppers.

Max's foot long hot dogs in Long Branch, NJ by the shore. Incredible

I agree with the Fenway Frank. I would also add to the list a New Orleans Lucky Dog with mustard, relish and onions - best when eaten in Jackson Square.

If you're ever near Pittsburgh, try a Jim's hotdog in West Mifflin. It's been there about 75 years, and the secret's in Jim's sauce.

Nathans in NY by far