Regional Hot Dogs

From the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council

Hot Dogs Across America

If you want to see controversy, just ask a New Yorker his opinion of a Chicago Dog or vice versa. Just like people are loyal to the hometown baseball team, they are equally loyal to their hometown hot dog.

Americans eat billions of hot dogs each year. In restaurants and at street carts, ballparks and backyard barbeques - hot dogs are everywhere! But depending on where you purchase your hot dog, your toppings may differ radically. Here's our short guide on what to expect when you buy your hot dog away from home.

New York City

New Yorkers eat more hot dogs than any other group in the country. From downtown Manhattan to Coney Island, when you buy your hot dog in the Big Apple, it will come served with steamed onions and a pale, deli-style yellow mustard.


Chicago

The possible antithesis to New York dogs, Chicago dogs are layered with yellow mustard, dark green relish, chopped raw onion, pickle spear, sport peppers, tomato slices and topped with a dash of celery salt and served in a poppy seed bun.


Atlanta and the South

Buying a hot dog at Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves, or elsewhere in Atlanta and the south, you'll find your dog topped with coleslaw and perhaps some delicious Vidalia onions.


Kansas City

Get the mints out - you'll need them when you order up a hot dog in KC as it is served with sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese on a sesame seed bun.


The Rockie Dog

Served at Coors Field, the home of the Colorado Rockies - is a foot-long dog with grilled peppers, kraut and onions.


The Fenway Frank

Served at none other than Fenway Park - is the only dog to eat while watching the Red Sox. It's boiled and grilled and served in a New England style bun with mustard and relish. New England dogs can also be found topped with Boston baked beans


Sonoran Dog

This Southwestern favorite features a grilled, bacon-wrapped hot dog on a sturdy bun, pinto beans, grilled onions and green peppers, chopped fresh tomatoes, relish, tomatillo jalapeno salsa, mayonnaise, mustard and shredded cheese.


The Texas Dog

Chili, cheese and jalapenos make this the favored item at Minute Maid Park in Houston.


Michigan Coney Island Dog (AKA Michigan Coney)

This favorite of Michiganders features a meaty chili sauce on top of a hot dog with mustard and onion.


West Virginia Dog

This favorite features chili, mustard and coleslaw atop a wiener on a steamed bun.


New Jersey Dog

A variety of hot dog styles can be found in New Jersey but the one most unique to the state is the Italian Dog. It’s a hot dog in thick pizza bread topped with onions, peppers and deep fried potatoes.


Philadelphia Dog

A classic Philadelphia dog is one of the most interesting ones you’ll find. It features the brotherly love of an all-beef hot dog with a fish cake inside the bun as well. It is often topped with a sweet vinegary slaw and spicy mustard.


Cleveland Polish Boy

Cleveland is home to two unique hot dog offerings. The Polish Boy is a kielbasa or hot dog served on a bun covered with a layer of french fries, a layer of sweet southern style barbecue sauce or hot sauce, and a layer of coleslaw. It is commonly found in carts around town. At Indians games and elsewhere in the city you can also top your hot dog with Stadium Mustard, a type of Brown mustard with similar flavor to a spicy Dijon mustard.


Cincinnati Coney

The home of famous chili is also the home of some delicious chili dogs. These are topped with Cincinnati style chili and usually also feature a heaping mound of grated cheddar cheese on top.


Washington, D.C.

The Nation’s Capital is where you’ll find the half-smoke: a half pork, half beef sausage that is like a hot dog but with more coarsely ground meat and a little extra spice. A classic half-smoke is topped with chili, mustard and onions. You can find them in hot dog joints around the city as well as at Nationals Park.


California

There are many different hot dog varieties sold throughout the state of California, but the one most unique to the state is a bacon wrapped dog with grilled onions and peppers. These are favorites from carts around Los Angeles and San Francisco.


Seattle

The Seattle dog offers a topping twist not found in many places around the country…cream cheese. The hot dogs are split in half and grilled before being put in a toasted bun and are also topped with grilled onions. Sriracha sauce and jalapeños are popular additions as well.


Alaska

True to its roots in the far north, the Alaska dog is commonly called a Reindeer hot dog or sausage, but it isn’t actually made from reindeer meat. Instead the meat is typically caribou. The hot dog is served in a steamed bun with grilled onions that are sometimes sautéed in coca-cola.


Birmingham Special Dog

Perfected by Gus’s Hotdogs, Alabama’s "Special Dog" was first crafted by Greek immigrants who came to Birmingham from New York and Chicago looking for work. Similar to the New York hot dog, the "Special Dog" is dressed with yellow mustard, onions, and sauerkraut, but to differentiate themselves, the Greeks added their own signature "special" sauce – typically a beef-based sauce with various spices.

Birmingham Special Dog