The Best Hot Dog Joint in Every State

The specialty here is an “original Chicago-style dog’ made with Montana-raised beef or buffalo and served on homemade buns. The atmosphere of this little place suggests a family-style Italian restaurant (there are also pizzas and pastas on the menu), but there are ten specialty dogs on the menu and abundant specials, too — among them a Buffalo dog, a Mexican dog, and a mac’n’cheese dog.

The Skoob Dog (bacon, jalapeños, onions, and cheese on a pretzel bun) and the Big Easy (smoked pulled pork, chicory coleslaw, and BBQ sauce) are among the variations here, using either regular or foot-long dogs. Opened in 2017, Julies [sic] is a brick-and-mortar expansion of a popular warm-weather cart called the Dog Sled.

With three Las Vegas locations (and another three in the Los Angeles area), Dirt Dog promises “L.A. street food.” In addition to ample servings of crispy fries with topping including corn and chili, that mostly translates to Nathan’s Famous all-beef dogs served on split-top buns in numerous extravagant variations. The Green Dog, for example, is bacon-wrapped with guacamole and chimichurri sauce. Snoop’s Dogg, also bacon-wrapped, includes slaw, more bacon, and something described as “gin & juice ketchup.”

This historic railway-car-style diner was built in 1940 and towed to its current location in 1974. Besides assorted burgers and sandwiches, the centerpiece of the menu here is the beef-and-pork hot dog — steamed and served on a split-top bun with various traditional condiments, including krаut or chili.

This modest street-corner restaurant (with a streetside takeout window), open since 1969, is famous for its Italian hot dogs, once described by Serious Eats as “the holy grail” of franks. These are all-beef dogs, made by a Newark producer of deli meats, served on a wedge of “pizza bread” cut from a round, flat loaf, and topped with sautéed peppers and onions and little rounds of fried potato. More conventional dogs with chili, krаut, and other accoutrements are also served.