When I lived in the midwest "National Coney Island" made the goopiest, chili dogs that were great any time of day. On the west coast, I would have to pick Sonic for a decent hot dog. I really think DerWienerschnitzel has some of the worst dogs. What do you think?
I do agree Sonic has delicious hot dogs. I tried my first Sonic dog back in 2011 and fell in love. It had chili, mustard, and onions and tasted divine!! I have had hot dogs from other restaurants but none have topped Sonic.
Vienna. They make the best hot dogs. Period. 100% beef. Great snap and crunch. The only complaint I have is they are not very versatile. I'm not a fan of grilling this brand. The salt really outshines the flavour when it's grilled.
Anyone remember Deamon Dogs under the Fullerton (Chicago)? That was the stuff, awesome fries, a dog, and a drink practically for change.
Demon Dogs & I do. The decor and autographed photos were the best when you had quit drinking for the night, on your way home, and you're waiting for your dog. You just lost yourself in everything on the walls. However, I have to say, I was glad they closed. In that last year they had gone horribly downhill. It wasn't the same anymore. R.I.P.
In New York, the best hot dogs is actually a Crif Dog (113 Saint Marks Place). In Crif Dog you can choose between a wide variety of different toppings to have in your hot dog, and some of the toppings are far from traditional. For an example, you can get a hot dog with avocados and sour cream or cream cheese.
If I'm buying a prepared hot dog from a chain, then I have to say that my favorite has to be the hot dogs from Sonic. However, I really prefer to buy them and prepare them at home and when I do that, the only brand that I will buy is Ballpark.
Like many of you are saying, my favorite chain hot dog is Sonic. They have and awesome flavor and texture. But honestly, I'm not super picky about hot dogs. No one I know understands my unquenchable desire for them. I don't care how cheap they are. In fact, I buy hot dogs from gas stations. My favorite brand of hot dogs at the grocery store is Oscar Mayer Weiner. I find them unbeatable and delectable and will often eat 3 or 4 at a time. Don't judge me.
I live in central Arkansas and there is a local place called Petit Jean meats and they have the best tasting hot dogs in my opinion. But as far the bigger brands, who doesn't like a ballpark frank. With or without baseball, I could always go for a ballpark frank with a beer.
My favorite place to get hotdogs is from Sonic and a store called Dodgers. The hotdogs at Sonic are very delicious. The ones at Dodgers are very large and they got a great flavor to them.
I've never purchased a hot do at a restaurant, but my favorite brand has to be Boar's Head. They are a great company for all kinds of deli meats and their hot dogs are no exception. I've never found another brand that didn't have all the nasty ingredients I don't want to eat. Since I've been accustomed to eating only very good quality meat for quite some time now, I can really taste the difference an I don't want the cheap stuff anymore.
There's no Sonic in L.A. to my knowledge but I've heard the food is good. My choices for best homecooked dogs are Nathan's and the best restaurant is Earlez Grill. Right now, EG is in the middle of relocating but if you're in L.A., I recommend them over Pink's anyday of the week. They also have vegetarian options.
Its been so long since I've had a hotdog but when I use to eat meat I would love a good chili cheese hot dog. I use to love them better than sloppy joes, I guess I liked the "folding ability" of the bun as opposed to the the more sloppiness of the sandwich. I can't remember getting a hotdog from any of the places you mentioned I would usually just make it myself.
The Sonic hot dogs are pretty good, and you can get them with all of the "good stuff" on them, so that is a plus. I used to live where there was a 7-11 store, and they had awesome hot dogs, and you put everything on yourself, so you always had them just the way you like them, and the price was really cheap, too. One of my favorite places to get a hot dog now is either Sam's Club or Costco. They have a meal deal, where you can have the hot dog and a large drink for just over a dollar. They also have a condiment bar, so you can load up the hot dog with everything you want on it.
In Northeast Ohio, we have a place called The Hot Dog Shop, which has it's own cult following. I will admit their hot dogs are good, but I cannot stand the people that frequent the place. It's a madhouse of hillbillies and their screaming kids, cranky old people, and rude teenagers. The place gets jam packed right away, and they literally have hundreds of hot dogs cooking on the grills at all times, and the cooked ones are stacked in a pile behind the grill. Most people don't order just one or two hot dogs for themselves, they order a whole box of them, which is like six or so. You'll get funny looks for just ordering one or two. They also serve hand cut fries, which are really good. My all time favorite place though for hot dogs was an old bar in Youngstown Ohio called Stanley's. It has long since been closed and torn down, but they had this awesome hot dog machine that made incredible dogs. It was sort of like the one listed here: Log In It was a husband and wife couple that owned the bar, and she would make a large pot of sauerkraut in the kitchen in the back. The hot dogs would cook in the steamer all day, and the kraut would become so caramelized and mellow out. We would always get the kraut dogs, and they would just melt in your mouth, the bun, the dog, the kraut, everything. We'd wash them down with a Rolling Rock (my dad would let me have some when I was younger, plus we would be the only people in the place). Then they also sold frozen candy bars, so I would get frozen Reese's cups as a desert.
