The hot dog is probably the fast food that most truly symbolizes American ingenuity. It’s inexpensive and hand-held and although you will come across some really disgusting ones, there are some truly awesome ones out there too. In the following post, that’s exactly what we wanted to highlight here at DotCom Magazine, the truly amazing hot dog giants that we think are the best in the country. This is all subject to opinion and preference, of course, but with these five establishments you are going to be in for a treat every time you visit.
Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs
Jim Pettinger’s Gourmet Dogs have come a long way and put his name firmly on the map in Denver. Andrew Zimmerman and the late Anthony Bourdain were fans. What has brought him and his tasty delights so much attention? It could be the fact that his signature hot dogs include such delicious and interesting meat as reindeer, buffalo, boar, elk, pheasant and even rattlesnake. The fun for your taste buds doesn’t stop there as there are a plethora of intriguing toppings to finish them off, such as harissa-roasted cactus and Malaysian curry gam or green chili salsa and Coney sauce.
Diggity Dog
Diggity Dog is home to the best Seattle Dog. The Seattle Dog for those who don’t know is placed inside a bun smeared with lashings of cream cheese and finished with delicious and crisp grilled onions. For anyone who thinks that sounds abhorrent, there are also Chicago and Detroit-style dogs and they even have a kimchi-coated Korean dog.
Happy Dog
It’s fair to say that just sticking a pile of weird toppings onto a hot dog does not make it a great hot dog or the place that serves them a great hot dog joint. However weird the Happy Dog toppings are in Cleveland, they still make a great tasting dog. Those toppings are a bit mental though it has to be said with Froot Loops, Andy Capp’s Hot Fries, peanut butter and even SpaghettiOs.
El Guero Canelo
Many people call David Contreras’s El Guero Canelo stand as being the best seller of Sonoran dogs. This is accurate and we’re asking anyone to prove it isn’t. Frankfurter, wrapped in bacon topped off with just enough onions, pinto beans, chopped tomatoes, jalapeno sauce, a line of yellow mustard and a squeeze of mayo.
This could basically be seen as being a hot dog-style burrito. Replacing the tortilla with a bolillo roll.
Dat Dog
Dat Dog in New Orleans, Louisiana has a wide variety of amazing toppings and specialty dogs on their menu. There, the sausage ranges from ordinary wiener-style to alligator-meat and toppings such as guacamole and crawfish etouffee. Although there are many places in the country that would call most of their ingredients and concepts as blasphemous, while you are there just load whatever you want onto their sourdough buns. Cheddar bacon ranch fries and duck sausage with sour cream will become your new best friends in no time at all.
