Hot Dogs

[scoutaustin]

We just saw a show on PBS about hot dogs.......now we're craving one.

I googled Hot dogs in Austin and came up with Lucky Dog and Dog Almighty. There was also Hilberts and Top Notch. Are there any hot dog stands any where?

Calling all hot dog lovers out there........Tell me where to find the best dog!!

[Roofrack]

This is not in Austin, but it is worth the trip to head down to San Antonio for an Alamo Dog. I enjoyed a bacon wrapped hebrew national. It was perfect. He can often be found at the corner of Commerce and St. Mary's. Though since it is a cart I am sure he moves around.

[tuckspop]

Bella Donna Subs on Burleson Road has New York City Cart Hotdogs. Really good. The rest of the food is great too. They are in the front of some warehouses just past the post office.

[FoodEquipmentGuy]

Late getting in but Chris' Little Chicago is the Real Deal. Get The Original with real Vienna Beef Hot Dogs, the relish, sport peppers, pickle, tomato etc. Now I know what I'm having for lunch!

[loveofthedogs]

Have you tried Chris' Little Chicago on S. Lamar? Been going there for about 6 months. They offer authentic Chicago dogs and other Chicago style food as well. Give it a try

[JJiffy33]

MIKE & mike's Chicago Dogs just opened at 8th & Congress during SXSW weekend. It's a father/son duo from Chicago with authentic Vienna Beef Chicago dogs out of a cart on the sidewalk. Pretty tasty and spot on. They're gonna open at 24 & Guadalupe soon too if anyone's looking for a really good Chicago Dog with all the fixings: yellow mustard, bright green relish, onion, tomato wedges, Kosher pickle spear, celery salt , and sport peppers.

-----
MIKE & mike's Chicago Dogs
Austin, TX, Austin, TX

[Rene]

Phil's Icehouse has a darn good chili/cheese/onion dog, served with mustard and japelpons. It's cut in half and grilled and is a huge serving, I could only finish 2/3 of it and that was by avoiding the fries it comes with. One of my companions was eyeing the remainder enviously so I shared. He loved it, too.

I recommend Phil's at off peak hours when going on weekends. They are crammed full of kiddos at lunch time who run around a lot and are very loud. As it's a rather small dining area, it gets rather chaotic.

[scrumptiouschef]

Late getting this post up:

Sitting on a bluff overlooking the big valley behind Chris' Little Chicago is a fine way to spend a Sunday afternoon recuperating from last nights' boisterous Carnival at the Palmer.

I'm still chafing at the notion that selling plastic cups of watery,domestic lager for $6 is anyway to throw a party in Austin Texas.My plans to drygulch the Carnaval promoter are only beginning to foment as I know I have a full year to dispense some Texas justice.For right now I'll concern myself with eating some good curative food;weiners,links and potatoes.

My standards for Chicago dog food carts is pretty high[weaned on Travis Chicago Style in B'ham of all places]and while Chris can't compete on this level he is still fine.

We order a hotdog with mustard and onions,an Italian sausage dressed the same but with added hot peppers,an order of fries and a rootbeer.It's not cheap like a taco cart but at 13 or so dollars not outrageous either.

The Italian is a good quality link,heavy on the fennel and dressed properly but I wish the cook had drained the water off as it soaks the roll and makes the second half a soggy mess.

The dog fares better with a high quality weiner,good fresh roll[from nearby Phoenicia bakery]and an appropriate amount of garnish.

The fries are decent,frozen from a bag and quite dear;2 bucks for 12 french fries that made their way to table via freezer truck is on the north side of acceptability.

I like the Porta-let 100 yards or so away in the edge of the clearing we're sitting in.It reminds me of something out of Night Gallery;edge of the woods-off by itself-forbidding.The assistant cook is making good use of it[3 or so visits in the 15 minutes we're there]we debate as to whether or not she's a taking key bumps or is a goldbricker riding out the shift in the john.Perhaps she's just suffering from the flu like half the people I know.

The counter girl is effusive,friendly and happy to have your business which counts for a lot in Austin the land of dimbulb service.

It's a good trek down from the Eastside for me to eat at Chris but if I found myself in the neighborhood I'd happily wheel in for some friendly service and respectable food.

[Johnny Thunders]

I think Dog Almighty is overrated... I got their classic dog and even though their chili tasted great, the bun couldn't stand up to the sloppy chili and was ripping apart. Rock Dog used to be the best hot dog in Austin, but it closed down recently and Dog Almighty moved in the same location.

[Bali]

Maybe a little too Texas if you're craving Chicago style, but Shaddy Grove's chili dog is yummy.

[Brian Lindauer]

I also love the hot dogs at Dog Almighty. Are you sure they fry them, though? I could swear they are grilled. I agree that they would be even better with a natural casing to give some snap. As for the Chicago dog question, I'm not a big fan. I don't like the combination of flavors or having a bunch of veggies on my dog. Danny Meyer used to run a Chicago-style hot dog cart in Madison Square (NYC), but I was never a huge fan. If you like that sort of thing, though, the P&K has something pretty close. Even if I enjoyed Chicago-style dogs, though, I think I still would have felt ripped off at $4 (or was it $5?) for a hot dog.

[scrumptiouschef]

I'm surprised noone has mentioned Casino el Camino...their "Double Dog Texas Tommy" is two foot-long ,char grilled weiners stuffed into a bun and topped with Bacon,Mustard,Onions and Shallot mayo-if you ask.

[Rene]

sounds like lots of bang... does it taste great? Actually, with your description, how could it miss? Affordable, too, I'll bet!

[diva360]

scrumptious, I forgot about the CeC dog because I usually get a burger when I go there, but I do remember sampling a friend's "Texas Tommy" there that was very good. And I was wrong about the frying of the dogs at Dog Almighty; they do indeed grill them.

In any case, this prep results in a (relatively speaking) snappy casing, and I do believe Almighty dogs' dogs are among the tastiest in Austin, in spite of the uninspired bun. Although I used to live close to Chicago, I've never been a fan of that style of hot dog, just too much going on--something about a mix of a bloody mary and a hot dog seems wrong to me--for me the best dog is all about easy on the onions and deli-style spicy mustard. Something really good to eat while driving from point A to B, but mmm, so much better than most other options in that category.

[tokyomonamour]

The best ones I've had are at the truck next to Red Eyed Fly on Red River. Nothing better than the brats smothered in onions and spicey mustard at 2 a.m. Warning- save some cash for it because the closest ATM charges $$.

[scoutaustin]

I just remembered.......The Best Wurst.........now technically, that's not a hot dog....but the cart is supposedly at San Jacinto and 6th? Wed thru Sat 8-?.

These are pretty dang good.

Also, there are some giant weiners at the Whole Paycheck.....errr.....i mean Whole Foods.......They lie quietly in the corner of the meat case....behind the bacon.....They are really really awesome......if anyone wants to do something at home.......Which I don't.......

[scrumptiouschef]

After a long night of rocking it at Hank III and David Allan Coe the Best Wurst stand at Red River and 6th St seemed like a damn fine option for a post libational feast.I was wrong.The Italian sausage itself was a pretty decent link,nice and greasy,charred up a bit from the griddle and straddled by a light garnish of griddled Texas Sweet Onions but the bun...UGH,I think the guy had mistakenly brought in a bag of antique buns from a few years back when he was just getting started.It was stale....way back when now as the bun had entered its' dotage,staleness was but a fond memory.Tough and hardened like a grizzled old west Texas ranch hand.The Wild Turkey in my belly settled in for a hard digestive fight[and ultimately won] In all fairness this was the first time in many visits I've had less than good chow from this guy but....

[rudeboy]

Scrumptious - thanks for taking one for the team! Glad that your tastebuds were not compromised by the Wild Turkey. The Best Wurst could definitely be better than it actually is, even considering the 2:15 AM gimlet goggles. I've been there, believe me.

[ridgeback]

Lucky Hound in Round Rock at Sky Ridge Plaza has excellent Chicago style dogs. White paper holders, sport peppers, tomatos, celery salt. Really excellent place. Crave-able.

The one on Spicewood is no longer owned by the original owners (a couple years ago they sold it). But surprisingly the location in RR is still thriving and it's excellent.

[TroyTempest]

The one on Spicewood (formerly lucky dog) is no longer there. There's a burger place there now.

[Samoq]

I'm from New England, and I miss my lovely natural casing hot dogs that pop when you bite them. I have NOT been able to find a decent dog anywhere down here, and I'm going to have to resort to trying to bring a few pounds back on the airplane next time I go home--unless somebody knows where I can get them down here. They don't even have to be the bright red kind, although those do look the prettiest with yellow mustard...

[rudeboy]

This sounds crazy, but have you even had the dogs at Costco? All beef hebrew national on a potato bun. I'm not expert, though, but the one I had was good. I loaded it with ketchup.......just kidding!

The best dog I've had in austin was in the alley next to, but across the street from the original Alamo. Guy with a cart. Of course, that was at 2:17 AM.

[scoutaustin]

I remember that guy...........in the alley.........yeah........those were the best......

[Allison L.]

I think the hot dogs at Costco are tasty too - weird - my mom told me about them and I didn't believe her but it's true. However, like everything else at Costco, they are gigantic. To me, that takes away rather than adds to therm. The thickness of the hot dog overwhelms the meat/bun ratio to the point where I usually can't finish it. I wish they had a skinnier dog.

[foodiegal71]

That's so weird. While I've never had one of the dogs at Costco, I've heard they're great. I actually make Hebrew National at home on Potato buns. I didn't know that was common! Mustard and relish for me...

[rudeboy]

Damn - we just had a hankerin for a dog, went to Costco, but they were closed.For some ridiculous reason, we ended up at Einstein's for a bagel (where else can you get a bagel in Austin - different post), and I got a Polish dog on an everything "wrap" bagel. Very interesting - a little too salty between the polish itself and the bagel, and the bagel itself was a bit raw and doughy. I'd say if you are hard up and about to buy a 7-11 dog, then try the Einstein's version (althoug it is a steep $5.75). I won't be rushing out to buy it again, but I will say that it was intriguing. They loaded it with purple onions.

[mkwng]

The Costco Polish is my favorite! And I feel a little guilty about this, but one of the things I miss most about Houston is James Coney Island (a #4 Chicago-style or a #1 with cheese fries, please!) Wish they'd stuck around in Austin.

Otherwise, to be honest, I haven't been anywhere in town that has a better combo of taste/price/quickness than home sweet home.

[kevo]

Try Tip Top Weiners from Taylor Meats (In Taylor, TX)- pork and beef with a natural casing - excellent dogs - good pop - good spice - and they're red!

I get them at my neighborhood MiniMax IGA store (On Woodrow north of Koenig) - but it seems like I've seen them at Fiesta.

[verily]

Have you checked grocery stores like Whole Foods or Central Market? They have dozens of different kinds of hot dogs, and quite a few that bill themselves as all natural.

[austx03]

Billy's on Hancock & Burnet has a pretty good hot dog on their menu. I've had it a couple of times. It's on the kids menu, but not a kids portion. Great at their happy hour with a beer.

[rpiercef]

OMG! I just saw the same show and was thinking the same thing. As a former Chicagoan, it saddened me to Google Hot Dogs in Austin and come up with so few choices!

[scoutaustin]

I'm sooo glad you saw that show.......so now you know what i mean.......
I've never seen any place here like I saw on that show.........I want the whole shebang.....the slapping of dogs, the slathering of mustard.......the little paper hot dog holders....the onions, the relish.....

I must say though.......those Chicago dogs they showed were dressed pretty fancy.....never seen that before.......tomatoes???? celery salt??? hmmmmmm............

i fear that austin is missing out on the hot dog scene..........

[Carter B.]

The old Lucky Dog on Spicewood Springs made a killer Chicago Style but started going downhill (stale buns) and eventually closed. Is their RR place still open?

[kelbygene]

Yes!!! I was there Sat. Its good! I had two Chicago Dogs. it was AWSOME!!!!

[curlykerry]

While you guys were watching a hot dog special on PBS I was watching ESPN's coverage of Joey Chestnut pounding down 66 Nathan's originals in 12 minutes while Kobiyashi was throwing up his 62nd dog...
I think I'll pass on hot dogs for awhile.

[scoutaustin]

oh gross.........so glad i missed seeing that......heard about the dogregurgitation .......eeeewwwwwwww...............

[ashes]

The technical term in the competitive eating world is a "reversal"..... :)

[ashes]

Dog Almighty is definitely my favorite in town for a great hotdog...not to mention some pretty tasty cheese fries. I'm also a big fan of their jalapeno corndog (made fresh in house.

If you're downtown late at night, try finding a Best Wurst cart for a quite tasty sausage or dog. I'm partial to the brat or the all beef sausage with kraut, onions and spicy mustard. The last time I had one, the cart was parked on 6th just outside the outdoor Emo's entrance.

[diva360]

I agree that Dog Almighty is the best (they fry their dogs so the get a bit crispy), but their buns are nothing special. However, I will have to try P & K to see how theirs stack up.

[lobolady]

I agree that the buns are nothing special. I'd go further and say they are pretty bad. More like Wonder Bread than a bun. If they would go with a better bun, I'd eat there a lot! As it is, I rarely go there because the buns are so yucky.

[thebodytx]

Dog Almighty is my favorite; usallly get there about once a week for a "Dot Com Dog". There are three locations now; check out http://www.dogalmightyhotdog.com/

[Twill]

Timely. I just posted this response.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/41764...