Christmas Hot Dogs

Hot dogs at Christmas time is not a traditional food- and what a shame at that.

Thanks to our friends at Seriouseats.com who came up with 10 themed Christmas hot dogs.

Click here to read the article.

Merry Christmas from your friends at dogsontheroad!

We look forward to bringing you more news and reviews in 2013.

Hot Dog of the Week: The Dog of Nashville

Every hot dog place that exists has their own unique naming system.

Anyone can make a deep fried hot dog, but is it the name of the deep fried future meal that makes you smile or want to tell others about it.  Often it can as much about marketing the name of the dog, than the dog itself.

When patrons go to The Dog of Nashville, they order their version of a deep fried hot dog entitled the "Diet Starts Tomorrow" dog.  Or care to top your chili dog with jalapenos and onions?  Well the you would order the "Fiery Redneck.

Wining multiple awards amongst the Nashville dinning scene, this is the place to go for a hot dog when in the music city. 

Hot Dog of the Week: Swiss Hot Dog Company

Sorry for the long delay faithful readers.

After putting a 'hard day' of work in on a summer day, sometimes kicking back with a grilled hot dog just suits the stomach well.

But if skiing the slopes in Colorado, does a hot dog sound good then?

Well if you ask patrons of The Swiss Hot Dog Company in Avon, CO, the answer would be yes.

Making each of their sausages or dogs, all natural of course, each comes on a baguette.  Fresh chopped parsley, onions, sweat curry seasoning, and brown mustard top the original dog while also containing two sausages inside.  A tasty and bountiful combination.

So as we enter the winter months, and you are headed to Colorado to hit the slopes, hit up The Swiss Hot Dog Company to fulfill your hunger.

Hot Dog of the Week: Franks 'n Dawgs

Question. What do hot dogs have in common with tofu, porkloin, and duck?

Answer: They are each options for a dog at Franks 'n Dawgs of Chicago, IL.

We have all eaten dogs that have been served by 'Greasy Bob' or 'Sloppy Sally', but to have a dog that has been hand-made by a chef sets this place apart.

They hand make all of their own encased meat, and yes you can get porkloin, duck and tofu as options.  They also serve and toast locally made lobster rolls for your dog or sausage to go in. 

When looking for something a little outside the box with an upscale touch, then this would be the place for you when in Chicago. 

A Founding Father

Though we have not been able to personally visit, or review, many West Coast hot dog joints, Wienerschnitzel is a staple across nine US States west of the Mississippi.

Click here to read an article about John Galardi who founded Wienerschnitzel, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times.

Hot Dog of the Week: J's Dawg House

One of our readers was driving through Kenton, Ohio and took a picture of J's Dawg House for us after he ate lunch their.

They have 25 specialty dogs priced at $2.89 each, which is a great price.  Don't want a specialty dog?  Then just get a regular hot dog for $2.59.  They also make their own homemade onion rings.

Thanks to our reader "D.R" for sending this to us.  Next time we are in Kenton, we will check it out ourselves.

A breakfast hotdog?

We eat hotdogs for lunch, dinner, appetizers and as snacks.

But what about waking up an having a hot dog for breakfast?

Click HERE to read about a chocolate eclair hot dog courtesy of yahoo news.

Bratwurst Festival Day

Here at dogsontheroad, we celebrate all kinds of hot dogs.

Well today, August 16th, is National Bratwurst Festival Day.

If you happen to be in or around Bucyrus, OH for the next few days, make plans to head to the 2012 Bratwurst Festival.

If you can't make it to Bucyrus today, well simply go out and get yourself some brats.

Essie's Original Hot Dog Shop

Pittsburgh, PA

The city of Pittsburgh is home to several schools and universities that share the cities quarters with sky scrappers, sports arenas and businesses.  One of the most popular eateries in the city is Essie's Original Hot Dog Shop or simply known as 'The Dirty O' to locals.   When you walk inside, you aknow you are getting genuine food that matches the blue collar style Pittsburghers enjoy.  I ended up with two dogs this day.  The first being just their own original hot dog, which is made out of all beef.  Though it was cooked on the grill, this dog did not have many frills.  A blue collar city giving you a true blue collar food- the hot dog.  The second, was called a Superdog which was wrapped in bacon and american cheese slices.  The bacon was also cooked up on the grill, next to the dogs so the flavors of the two melded nicely together.  At Essie's your mustard option is only brown mustard.  So if you don't like this option, take a hike.  There is a reason that this is one of the top hot dog restaurants in the USA, it is because people come over and over again.  It was packed.  The picture does not do the crowd justice as people were sitting at every table and others simply got their order to go.

Atmosphere- They have a lot of options for food and beverage here.  The above picture is of the hot dog counter and menu.  Directly in the back is the sub sandwich line and where you also get fresh cut fries.  Your beverage options could also include one of 400 beers that they serve!  I kid you not.  Though we did not have any beer, you could get a few of the beers on tap, but take a sixer out the door with you, or bust 'em open and drink it in the restaurant.  It is cramped greasy spoon-esque quarters, but that is what makes it a TRUE hot dog place.  B+

Value- Though the dogs were all beef, they cost just a tad more than the average hot dog prices at other places.  The Original Dog was $3.49 which is a fair price, but more or less just an average hot dog at that price.  The Superdog cost $4.94 and most of that mark up was for the bacon and cheese, although it was also a quarter pound dog.  The Superdog is priced just about right for being a $5 dog.  B-

Side Dish Jody says...I tried the Italian-o sub sandwich.  It was tasty, but nothing specific jumps out about it.  Ham, Italian meats, lettuce, onions and dressing on a hoagie roll.  However, I did order a medium fry for our table of three adults and three children for our table to split.  The suggested serving was for 2-3 people, and we couldn't finish the plate between the six of us...but they were delicious!  B-

Johnny's Lunch

Cranberry Township, PA

Most hot dog joints are a labor of love from a lone entrepreneur.  Every once in a while though, one of these joints sprouts up in a new location to add a second restaurant.  True hot dog chains though are fairly rare but we happened to find one.  May I introduce you to Johnny's Lunch.  Currently (as of July 2012) located in six states, plus the Ukraine, Johnny's has been around since 1936.  Johnny Hots are the original dog which is a Sugardale hot dog topped with the original Johnny sauce which is meat based and topped with onions and mustard.  I tried one of these on the day and it was very good.  I also had a Big John Classic which is an angus beef 1/4 pound dog and topped with the same suace, mustard and onions as the Johnny Dog.  There truly is something that much better tasting from an angus beef dog versus an all beef hot dog.  Extra gold stars for the upgrade in meat!  I give hot dog places props for using family recipies or homemade sauces when someone could easily head to a bulk store and pour a chili sauce straight out of the can.  I also got a spicy buffalo dog which is a 1/4 pound angus dog topped with a blue cheese sauce, buffalo sauce, onions and American cheese.  The sauce was very runny and slid off the dog to easily.  Thicken that sauce up and let it stay on the dog and bun by covering it with the other toppings first.

Atmosphere: Set up as a mock 50's dinner, you can eat on swival counter seats, or in a booth.  If you order a kids meal, it comes in a cardboard carrying case that is a 50's classic car.  The marketing sense to give these to kids is great and they make a sturdy toy to bring home as well.  Though very few, if any, pieces of decoration were authentic 50's garb, the reproduction pieces still added a good touch.  B-

Value: We have had cheap dogs, and to expensive dogs.  Sometimes when we have been to places we get the special of the day, but at Johnny's, every day you can order a Johnny dog for less than a buck.  Yup, .99 cents will get you a Johnny dog.  Even the 1/4 pound dog options are around three bucks.  The company started off by wanting to feed people without breaking the bank, and years later that company philosophy still sticks.  A

Side Dish Jody says... I had a quarter pounder cheeseburger and split fries with the family.  It was a basic cheeseburger that tasted as if it had been pulled out of the steamer and required coleslaw on top of it to add flavor.  The french fries tasted delicious however, and there were many non hot dog options though none of them stood out as spectacular.  C+

Arbetter's Hot Dogs

Miami, FL

Every restaurant owner puts their own touches on an establishment.  That is what makes it theirs.  Having Boston roots and being in South Florida is what make's Arbetter's Hot Dogs what it is.  When/if the Red Sox win the World Series, there is a sign saying that baked beans are free the next day.  The smaller quarters that all patrons wait in line for food, and the confined eating area would fit in well in Boston also.  When ordering dogs, this place has its own style.  If you want onions and mustard on the dog that would be an M.O. dog.  If you wanted chili and mustard it would be a C.M. dog, and so on.  Speaking of the chili, it is homemade and a perfect topping that flows down the dog without taking away from the taste of the grill it was made on.  I had a C.O and an All Around dog which has mustard, onions, and relish.  This would qualify as a greasy spoon restaurant of the South, but that is EXACTLY what a hot dog shop should be.

Atmosphere You walk in the small building and you are hit square in the face with Bostonian sports flare.  A tribute to Larry Bird that includes a sign that says "Free Refills when you say 'I Love Larry Bird' "  This would be a true hole in the wall place that is void of even a website.  You can see the entire process of them preparing your dogs for you which is always cool to see.  Judging by the line of people that filled the restaurant on a monsoon-like day when we attended, shows that customers are loyal.  The place may sit 25 people IF it gets crowded, but most people grab their dogs and hit the road it looks like.  B+

Value Very reasonably priced with the C.O dogs coming in at $2.15 each and the All Around dog comes in under two bucks at $1.95 so you get a lot of bang (including the indigestion) for a great price.  Fries are $2.05 and adding chili or cheese to your fries only tops the scales at $3.15.  Kudos for a local small business for keeping prices so low that people come back not only for the taste, but because it doesn't break anyone's budget either.  A

Side Dish Jody says...Typically the only non hot dog options would be fries or chili cheese fries.  I started with the chili cheese fries and they were greasy and delicious.  The hi-light food of the visit was when the owner ordered several pizzas from a local pizzeria and gave out slices in celebration of the recent Miami Heat championship. D+ (minus the pizza)

Hot Dog Cart Shut Down

A 13 year old boy from Holland, MI decided to peddle hot dogs for some extra money.

Well click here to read the article courtesy of mlive.com as to why his entrepreneur style was shut down before it even started.

Papa's Dogs and More

Grandville, MI 

When a new hot dog place sprouts up, they have to have a niche.  A different way to attract people into their establishment.  Well, Papa's Dogs and More makes hot dogs the only way the owner knew how to have a hot dog for many years... bake fresh bread and insert the hot dog.  You see, the 'bun' is not really a bun at all, but daily fresh made bread baked to engulf the dog.  When the owner was a child he came from very humble beginnings.  The family did not have much money so they ate hot dogs often.  Well his father baked the bread, and put a hot dog inside.  As simple as that.  It was not until he was in high school and went to a football game, did he know that people actually have buns to put a hot dog on.  Well after having these dogs, I may never ask for a bun again.  How can you beat FRESH bread so soft, that I actually enjoyed the bread more than the dog...which NEVER happens.  You order your dog based on the bread (white, honey wheat, garlic cheese, pretzel) and then head to the toppings bar for as many of the 19 toppings you choose.  You can also get a polish dog, cheddarwurst, smoked brat or 1/4 pound dog options as well.  The demand for these dogs is growing incredibly fast, and for all of the claims the owner made, I wholeheartedly believe all of those claims will come true!

Atmosphere- This is not the most scenic place.  It is located in a run down strip mall, but when you walk inside, the energy and spirit of the family (employees) makes you forget the outside and surroundings.  Since they bake their bread, you can actually see the kitchen and the process the bread goes through, this was one of the more unique traits about the place.  There is ample seating for many people, and for going there during a holiday 'lull' it was still hopping with patrons.  There is a food challenge, where if you complete the 'Bullmastiff challenge' you can get your meal free.  They also had a sign on the wall that I of course had to sign and laugh for it read this "WARNING, General consensus has determined that consuming Papa Dogs can be habit forming."  Forget the decorations on the wall (there are not many) just go and eat for the GOOD FOOD! C

Value-  The owner said to me "The greatest compliment someone can give me is that my food is to cheap."   Uh, cheap might be the biggest understatement of all time in the hot dog world.  The Papa Dog Deal includes two Papa Dogs, a drink, chips and two cookies (which are freshly made daily as well, and vary based on what he feels like baking that day) all for $6....DID YOU HEAR ME?  Six George Washington's for all of that.  Each Papa dog could easily sell for six bucks, EASILY.  So six bucks for the meal, or you could just buy a lone Papa Dog for $2.50.  Upgrading to a cheddarwurst or bull dog is a bit more.  I had a Papa Dog on soft pretzel, and a Papa Dog on white.  We have reviewed cheap hot dogs, and expensive hot dogs, but we are giving our first ever A+ in value here!

Side Dish Jody says... At first glance I was nervous about the lack of non hot dog options.  My primary choices were a gigantic cinnamon roll or pecan roll.  But after further discussion, they have homemade soups and homemade bread bowls in the colder months.  I could also call ahead for a chicken tenderloin baked into the bread, which I will definitely get next time.  On this trip I had the pecan roll which was overwhelmingly large, rich and delicious.  A

Chestnut Retains Hot Dog Crown

For the past six years, Joey Chestnut has started off his fourth of July by engorging himself to win the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island.

Well Chestnut broke his own consumption record in the 10 minute allowable frame.

Click HERE to read the article courtesy of the huffingtonpost.com

Island Dogs

Key West, FL

This post comes off of the suggestion of one of our readers.  L.H. wrote to us and said "We were there last weekend (2nd trip) with 8 people and all thought they were fantastic.  One night we even had them on a pizza with bacon - totally unreal!"  

Well while on vacation in the Florida Keys we had to check it out to see if L.H. was indeed speaking the truth.  I had the bacon wrapped Island Dog just as suggested and this dog was big and thick!  The red onion and sweet chili sauce topped the bacon and the banana peppers complimented it nicely.  I gobbled it down, and it wasn't even as a meal, but a mid day treat.  I am sure that many people look at this and think it is just a bar that serves food instead of a restaurant, but if more bars served hot dogs like these, than all of our stomachs would be better off.

Atmosphere- Located on Front Street where much of the hullabaloo of Key West is, this is an open air bar that is an ideal setting for eating a hot dog in paradise.  Many people coming off the cruise ships or staggering around town could choose from many bars or restaurants in the area, but to my knowledge, it was the only place that advertised a good hot dog.  Belly up to the bar, or enjoy many of the seats on the patio while people watch and enjoy the festivities of Key West.  B+

Value- This is a bit slanted because the price of an Island Dog was $9.50 (which also came with the pictured pile of shoe string fries) and much more than we would normally spend on a hot dog. But, considering the area of the country you are in, most everything is a little more pricy because tourists carry money.  The big quarter pound hot dog was well worth this and NOT just an average hot dog.  You could build your own hot dog for a bit cheaper, but L.H. pegged it dead on!  B+

Side Dish Jody says... Since this was a full service restaurant there were many non hot dog options.  I chose the chicken fingers and french fries, and honestly raved about the chicken fingers 3-4 days later.  They were definitely homemade not frozen and popped in the deep fryer.  A-

Hot Dog of the Week: Barker's Red Hots

In the summer time we all see street vendors boiling and selling their hot dogs.

Most of them are owned by a private individual who is just out looking to make a few bucks on the side during a bustling town event or on a hot weekend day.

Well, Barker's Red Hots of Marietta, GA has taken the street vending of hot dog, and added the twist that has kept them in business since 1984.

Barker's uses charcoal to cook all of their dogs over and by slightly scoring them, you get a unique crunch and snap as you bite into the dogs.  Barker's uses a dog that has been making and producing meat by the same family for five generations dating back to the 1860's!

Even from a hot dog cart, each dog is made to order on the spot.  Though it may take a few extra minutes to get what you want, at least it will be fresh.

So when in metropolitan Atlanta, look for the big yellow umbrella's with Barker's on it.  Find out for yourself why the Atlanta Journal-Constitution calls it 'Atlanta's Best Hot Dog'.

Hot Dog Pizza..part II

Back in April, we told you about how Pizza Hut was releasing a hot dog stuffed crust pizza.

Well Rosati's of Chicago, has decided to make a combination of two of American's favorite pig out foods with their chili-cheese dog pizza.

Click here to read the article courtesy of CBS Chicago.

Hot dogs and basbeball

We love baseball on our blog!

Check out stadium dogs (on the right side) to see where we have eaten dogs around the country.

Well one of our friendly competitor blogs, Yanks Franks, have actually started advertising at the local little league stadium.

Thumbs up for supporting baseball at all levels!

Littering of Hot Dogs?

Hot dogs have been shot out of air cannons at basketball or baseball games.  They have been peddled and pushed by vendors, and used to entice people to come to an event.

We have seen hot dogs used in so many advertising ploys, but this one might be top dog.

Click HERE to read the story from ABC news about a helicopter dropping hot dogs.

Hot Dog of the Week: Callahan's

Callahan's of New Jersey has lived on the same principle since its inception in 1950- "So big, so good".

Located just 20 miles (or depending on traffic, 3 hours) from NYC, Callahan's has insisted that each of their hot dogs is made from only the highest quality beef.

Order your regular dog, or your superdog (foot long) and top it with any or all of the three toppings offered: chili, cheese and onions.

Keeping it simple and delicious has made Callahan's an icon of East Coast hotdogs for the past 60+ years, and the continued support of patrons will keep it going for the next 60+ years.

Hot dog Slinger

What does being a lawyer and a hot dog vendor have in common?

Click HERE to read the story of a Nebraska lawyer who turned a part time gig into being a stable at Cornhusker football games.  The story is courtesy of cbsnews.com

Michigan's Coney Dogs

A few weeks back we hi-lighted the search for Michigan's Best Coney Dogs.

Well mlive.com finished it's contest and the results are in.

Click HERE to read about the Top 10 places in the Great Lakes state to eat a coney dog, as well as the honorable mention list.

Hot Dog Pizza?

Americans have junk food favorites galore.

Pizza, buffalo wings, potato chips, and of course our beloved hot dogs.

Well Pizza Hut has released a hot dog stuffed crust pizza in the U.K.

Click HERE to read the article courtesy of the huffingtonpost.com

Hot Dog of the Week: Trolly Stop Hot Dogs

How many hot dog shops give your five different choices for a dog?

Now by choices, I do not mean what goes ON the dog, I mean five choices for the KIND of dog.

Well, at Trolley Stop Hot Dogs that spans five locations along the North Carolina's Atlantic coast, they offer you the following choices in your dog BEFORE you adorn it with the kind of dog you want. Start off with a Sabrett, Original, Carolina smoked sausage, vegetarian, or fat free turkey dog.

Then select one of 13 dog choices.

On the go for the day with your family dog? Well if you show up to one of their hot dog cart peddlers, they will give your dog a hot dog as well.

So when traveling on the road, and the family pooch is hungry too, head to Trolley Stop Hot Dogs.

Michigan's Best Coney Dog

This side of the Eastern U.S. shore, Michigan could perhaps be the state that sells the most coney dogs.

A true coney dog is an all beef hot dog served with a bean-less chili sauce, onions and mustard.

West Michigan has four entrants vying for the bid to represent the area in the Michigan based contest.

Click here to read the full article courtesy of mlive.com

Top price for a hot dog

When we go to review hot dog joints, one of the things we mention is the price of the hot dogs.

Generally, most place are selling hot dogs in the $2-$4 range per dog, which seems fair.

This is not a filet mignon site, it is hot dogs. Unless a hot dog is a foot long, or a jumbo dog, or at a specialty event, hot dogs are usually fairly cheap.

Well if you are planning to attend a Texas Rangers baseball game this summer, you might see a hot dog price that will make your wallet scream for help.

Click HERE to read the story about a $26 dollar hot dog!

A Hot Dog A Day Means Call the Doctor

The old adage states that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Well according to a report from the Bloomberg News, a study performed by the Archives of Internal Medicine says eating a hot dog a day increases your chance of cancer or dying by over 20 %.

For those of you who need a little background on myself, in 2008, my New Years resolution was to consume an average of one hot dog a day for an entire year. I successfully cramed in 366 hot dogs (leap year).

Click HERE to read the article, but PLEASE do not stop eating hot dogs. Some of us depend on them.

Zogg's Doggs

Zogg's Doggs

At first glance at the name of this restaurant, you would think it came from a Dr. Seuss book. However it did not. The owner knew he liked hot dogs, and wanted to run a business, therefore Zogg's Doggs was spawned by an out of work victim of the movie industry gone belly-up in Michigan. An address of 135 1/2 should be the first clue that this is not your run-of-the-mill hot dog place. The menu was developed from mid-afternoon trial and error experiments. Having 40 different options for hot dogs is a crazy number, and they are not done yet. Nothing is pre-made so even a specialty dog can be made on the spot, so having 40 or 50 or more options is great for an owner. Not to mention the fun job of trying to find the next delicious hot dog.

Atmosphere- In having a So-Cal influence that bordered between a skate park and a tiki-hut, there was a lot of eclectic tastes in a small space. The surfboard that meets you when you walk in was the first inspiration piece for decoration. Along one wall there was even a TV and video game system for customers to play. Seriously, why haven't people thought of this before? Everyone wants food while gaming so why not put a gaming system in your restaurant? Just put a timer on the system so people don't sit and play 6 hours of some mind numbing game while only buying one hot dog. B-

Value- Each of their dogs costs only $3.00 which is a very fair price considering the number of hot dog options (40), toppings and specialty toppings (26), veggies (12), cheeses (9) and meats (6). I had three dogs on this trip which included the Pastrami Tsunami, the Mahalo Dogg and the Burnin' House Dogg. The Tsunami had pastrami, jalapeno bacon, cream cheese on the bottom, mozzarella cheese and banana peppers. The Mahalo consisted of baked beans, shredded cheese, onions, and bacon bits across the dogg. Out of the three, I preferred the Burnin' House Dogg the best. The all beef hot dog(g) was topped with bleu cheese, buffalo wing sauce and dashes of celery salt. Out of all the places I have gone to eat hot dogs that were created by the owner, this dog tops the list. The other two dogs were mighty tasty, but I honestly wish I tried three of the Burnin' House Dogg's instead. Take my 3 bucks any time man! A-

Side Dish Jody says...Although I thoroughly enjoyed watching Hot Dog Guy eat the Burnin' House Dogg, the selection of non-hot dog options was far fewer than the rest of the menu. My selection was limited to a walking taco, chips/chili/cheese or one of three side dishes - baked beans, mac-n-cheese, or coleslaw. I tried both the coleslaw and mac-n-cheese. The coleslaw was nothing spectacular however the mac-n-cheese was quite flavorful with flecks of black pepper throughout. They could also really improve their beverage selection by offering fountain drinks instead of cans. C-

Hot Dog of the Week: Beav's Long Boom Dogs

We are not the only hot dog blog out in cyber-world.

There are many friendly competitors that share the same love for hot dogs as we do here at dogsontheroad.

One of our competitors, The Hot Dog I Ate recently had it's 200th post and it was on Beav's Long Boom Dogs of East Stroudsburg, PA.

So if Beav's is worthy for a post on their site, we will feature it as our Hot Dog of the Week on our site this week too.

Hot Dog of the Week: Hot Dog Heaven

The movie Field of Dreams ranks as one of our all time favorites here at Dogsontheroad.

There is a conversation that occurs between Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) and his father John, where John asks Ray, "Is this Heaven?" Ray replies, "No, it's South Florida..."

Actually Ray replies "No it's Iowa," but Hot Dog Heaven is located in Fort Lauderdale, not in corn-filled Iowa. Please no hate e-mails from our fans in the Hawkeye state!

Hot Dog Heaven has kept things simple since its opening, by serving what they call "America's first fast food"...the hot dog. Or more specifically here, a Chicago Dog.

Using Vienna beef dogs, Hot Dog Heaven serves only a hot dog with Chicago style toppings. That means every bun served has the poppy seeds on it, and please do NOT ask for ketchup. This is a Chicago style place.

But Hot Dog Heaven only accepts cash, so leave your plastic in the car when you come to visit.

Hot Dog of the Week: Blackie's Hot Dogs

Here at dogs on the road, we have several friendly competitors that all share in our joy of hot dogs.

This review is courtesy of Yank's Frank's which is out of the New England area. Yank's Frank's also has their own hot dog restaurant.

Click HERE to read about Blackie's hot dogs which is THE place to eat a hot dog in Connecticut.