It doesn’t feel like it yet, but summer will be here before you know it. So to whet your whistle for everyone’s favorite summer snack, here are some of the country’s best hot dogs, from All-American ballpark classics to unique, artisan offerings.
- Monster Dogs, Seattle - This isn’t the first cart that created the Seattle-style frank, but it’s always on the city’s list for best grilled frank topped with a healthy squirt of cream cheese and grilled onions.
- Flo’s Cape Neddick, Maine - This hot dog shack has been serving up their specialty since 1959: steamed frank in a buttered split-top bun, topped with mayo, celery salt, and their top secret onion relish.
- Bark Hot Dogs, Brooklyn - These hot dogs are basted in lard and paired with house-made condiments at their eco-friendly Park Slope location.
- Pink’s, Los Angeles - This famous hot dog shack has been serving franks since 1939, but the menu evolves with pop culture. One of the current offerings is the Martha Stewart dog: topped with relish, onions, bacon, chopped tomatoes, sauerkraut and sour cream.
- Puka Dog, Hawaii - This island spot serves grilled polish sausages in house-baked sweet rolls toasted on custom spikes and finished with tropical toppings like garlicky lemon sauce or banana relish.
- Heid’s, Liverpool New York - This drive-in from 1917 is one of the oldest in the U.S. and you’ve got to get the frank of choice: a griddled Hofmann’s white Coney - made with pork, veal, and egg whites.
- Frank, Austin,Texas - This place has beer, cocktails, and an artisan wiener menu with house-made specialties like the Jackalope, a smoked antelope, rabbit and pork sausage.
- Dirty Franks, Columbus, Ohio - They serve Vienna all-beef wieners with over 20 styles to choose from, including toppings like brisket, corn relish, and Sriracha-cream cheese.
- Crif Dogs, New York City - These franks stand out in a crowded hot dog market because they’re deep fried to a crisp then served in one of over a dozen “mad scientist combinations,” including a bacon wrap.
- Senate Restaurant, Cincinnati - Chef Daniel Wright is well known for his playful take on pub food, including his regularly changing menu of franks, like the Lindsay Lohan - goat cheese, caramelized onions, bacon, arugula and balsamic vinegar.
Source: Food and Wine