Top 7 hot dog locations per ABC

[SIMIHOUND]

I just happened to see a spot on top hot dog locations in SoCal. The reporter is Alicie Del Valle whoever she is, I never saw her before.

1. Pinks
2. Dodger Dog at the stadium
3. Slaw Dogs in Pasadena
4. Vicious Dogs in North Hollywood
5. Fabs Hot Dogs-Reseda (soon to move to a bigger location)
6. Chronis Famous Sandwich Shop in East LA
7. Carneys-LA

Can someone tell me about Vicious and Chronis? I have not heard of them.

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Chronis
5825 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90022

Vicious Dogs
5231 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601

The Slaw Dogs
720 N Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104

[Akitist]

Dodger Dogs have been from Farmer John since the 60s anyhow. I remember Vinnie doing the commercials during the radio broadcasts. Yep, Koufax and Drysdale.

I think the prep is the problem, as those things are about as lame as a dog gets, while Farmer Johns done at home are no worse than mediocre. That gummy bun is a big part of the problem.

Costco dogs at the Burbank location are good, or were last time I had one. I like Pinks OK, but the line is a deterrent for me.

Edit: the dogs at Costco, whichever brand they were.

[reality check]

Somebody told me they used to "marinate" the Dodger Dogs in beer and then grill them up, after the grill was covered in onions.

The thing I hate about Dodger Dogs, is that they are pre-made. Come on, set up a stand where they grilled the hot dogs and serve them up fresh.

[westsidegal]

sounds like the dodger concessionaire could benefit by hiring some Top Dog alums.. . .

[loreeLB]

LOVE Carney's! Take that over Pink's any day! Agree on the bad rec on dodger dogs BLECH!

[tnsquire]

still wonder how dodger dogs are burnt on the outside and cold inside.what about cupids hot dogs have not been there in a while they still good ?

[WildSwede]

Pinks sucks and after my last time there about a month ago, I never need to stand in that ridiculous line again. Cupids is still great - same as ever! Altho now the only locations are the ones in Northridge (Nordhoff and Lindley), Reseda/Canoga Park (Vanowen and Corbin) and one in Simi that I have never been to. Every time I go to the valley I have to stop and have a Cupid's dog.
Carney's is also really good. Not a huge fan of these fancy schmancy hot dog places altho I like the ripper at Fab's. Tired of the buns at Slaw Dogs that fall apart after the first bite. I have recently been having a love affair with the chili cheese dog from The Hat. The chili cheese dog at Wolfe Burgers in Pasadena is pretty good, too.

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The Slaw Dogs
720 N Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104

[hnsbmg]

In Chicago, if you "ripped" a Vienna Beef dog, Mayor Daley would come back and rip you. But -- and I should have said this before: keep it on the QT -- I do like Fab's ripper, despite my expectation that it would be awful. I'll bet my Chicago-born ex-mother-in-law would be able to explain why.

[orythedog]

Hey WildSwede, I like Carney's too! Their spicy polish is the bomb. The location on Ventura Blvd always serves a perfectly steamed bun, and I have them split and char my dog on the grill with extra yellow mustard.

[Trippy Food]

Pinks has suffered in the quality area of late, but I'm told that you have to go when the lines are long so you're not getting a rubberized meat tube that's been sitting on a steam table for an hour. It may have gotten picked because of its star power, where you can end up in line with a clebrity. Fab Hot Dogs in Reseda is my personal favorite, if only because they do letter-perfect renditions of famous regional dogs like the Chicago hot dog, New Jersey's "ripper" and the ever popular SoCal favorite, the "danger dog". Dodger dogs are terrible - the only thing they have going for them is that you're eating them at a MLB baseball game. I like Slaw Dog's ingenuity, but have yet to try Carneys and Vicious Dogs; I'm interested in Papoo's Hot Dog Show, if for nothing else, the name...

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Papoo's Hot Dog Show
4300 W Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA 91505

Fab Hot Dogs (location as of May 2010)
19417 Victory Blvd, Reseda, CA 91335

Vicious Dogs
5231 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601

The Slaw Dogs
720 N Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104

[monku]

Been to Papoo's Hot Dog Show once, it wasn't memorable even the name till you brought it up.

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Papoo's Hot Dog Show
4300 W Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA 91505

[Hughlipton]

Been there and it is just not what the Hot Dog Show was when the original one was on Ventura at Coldwater right next to Tail O The Cock. Chili dogs with the melted cheddar were some of the best ever. Pinks when Paul Pink was alive and Boris used to man the hot dog service and they cost a whole 25 cents were great. After Paul passed away for some reason it became a destination for tourists and lost it's allure as a truly great hot dog stand.

[kevin]

that sounds like a good estimation, i wasn't around when they were 25 cents, but that sure makes sense. right now, and for at least the past 15 years or more since i first tried the dogs have been utterly dreadful, not even worth a couple minutes on line.

[ns1]

I live like 5 minutes from Papoo's and I'd rather drive to Fabs

[kevin]

papoo's was terrible the one time i went there. also, slaw dogs is ok but way too expensive, i spendt lke 19 bucks on two tiny dogs, a fries, and a soda, how in the hell does that happen. and the chili dog had likely barely any shredded cheddar on it, like say three token strands, i don't get the popularity, yeah, they have many varieties but it seems to be price-gouging and the chili at fab's is head and shoulders above the stuff they serve here. also, i don't know but two dogs and a soda a side should top out at 10 bucks max, unless yes unless we are talking about a gourmet sausage, you get the picture anyhow.

[hnsbmg]

Fab's version of the Chicago dog is far from "letter perfect." Unless they've changed the recipe recently, they don't use Vienna Beef, and it shows. Portillo's is still the best hot dog in Southern California, IMHO, and you also have the option there of getting a semi-decent Italian Beef -- the best I've had this far from Chicago.

Incidentally, I do like Fab's ripper, which they cook with the care this kind of delicacy desperately needs.

[carter]

QT's dogs on Woodman just north of Ventura Blvd. in sherman Oaks uses Vienna Beef, and their product is quite tasty, and fairly convenient without the drive to Fab's, which has a wider variety of toppings, yet that is about it.

[hnsbmg]

Thanks, Carter and Swede. I know about QT but haven't been there -- I'll try it.

[mucho gordo]

Did QT's go out of business or do they still have their other location at Topanga? They were located in the spot that Fabs just moved to.

[WildSwede]

I thought Fab's moved to Lohmann's Plaza on Tampa and Victory. I do know that the Northridge location (Parthenia/Reseda) is closed and the Indian market that had the space next door expanded(?) and took over their space. They also have a location somewhere close to Ventura (in a shopping center with a good Greek restaurant) but I cannot remember where that is exactly. It is attached to a mini mart or liquor store.

[carter]

The one on Woodman in sherman oaks is still very much there, or at least it was last week.
Fabs brought a well known name to the Tampa/Victory center. QTs did not have that much of a name in that area, and basically, chowhound made Fabs what we know it to be - good enough, but overhyped
Thanks simihound.

[SIMIHOUND]

Huh? Did I miss something? What did I do? About the hype. I disagree that CH had a lot to do with FAB popularity. If you look at the way things happened, WF got screwed and closed up. People wanted to fill that void. FABS owners were selling their other restaurant in the SFV and knew about the problems that WF faced for years with landlords and etc. FAB smartly stepped in. They opened up a tiny little place, probably to test the waters. Then the DDD show came on and boosted their popularity. FAB then moved to a larger location where he does a bang up business at least nine out of the eleven hours they are open. FAB is not perfect but nobody around these parts comes close to having a wide variety and at the same time fill the void that WF left.

[kevin]

When Wiener Factory closed that was a sad day for dog-hounds, but Fab's is very good though does not make up for the loss, of course. But overall, Fab's is definitely heads and shoulders above QT's (and I've been numerous times to the OT's on Woodman in sherman oaks).

where else can you get a coney all the way with superb ground beef chili, a coleslaw-and chili dog, a serviceable chi town dog, fast-food style cheeseburgers that put in n out to shame, fritos pie, dr. browns, a facsimilie of the oki dog callled the fairfax dog, and an italian dog in a roll with sliced potatoes, all of which are done pretty darn well and under one roof no less.???

[carter]

but you were the first poster to mention this place, and especially its relocation and thus the relocation became a CH event, attended by way too many on a very hot Saturday. I know, I was one of them that day.
I had a ripper, thought it was ok, but probably an item I would not reorder.
As to Kevin's comments regarding his liking for toppings, well both his as well as all of those available at Fabs are seldom of interest to me.
I don't put chili on anything, be it dogs, burgers, fries, you name it.
Can't understand the allure of slaw on a dog either for that matter.
I can't quibble whatsoever with the guy's success (envy it, yes), and with all of those toppings, they will satiate many a varied taste in dogs.

[kevin]

yeah, that makes it sound like just a topping house.

but the beef dog wiht a natural casing snap he uses for the coney all the way, is something else, as well as the chili and shredded cheddar cheese, it all works in perfect unison ( i always hold the mustard on that dog though)

[hnsbmg]

I also favor a comparatively minimalist approach to toppings -- sport peppers, onions, and celery salt on a Vienna Beef dog resting in an S. Rosen bun. It's easy to get Vienna Beef ( www.viennabeef.com/business ), so I don't know why Fab doesn't do it if they're going to sell a "Chicago Dog" in a region filled with Chicago ex-pats. Answer: because most of them are in the Buena Park area, according to the demographic study commissioned by Portillo's before they opened their first place out here.

I do like Fab and would go more often if they had that "V" sign with the well-forked hot dog on the wall -- once a week if they also offered a decent Italian beef on Gonnella Bread.

[reality check]

Fabs trys to do too many things and is average at everything. I always thought they were known for their rippers. Well, I tried it and don't like it at all. A friend, from New Jersey, where rippers were invented/popular, told me Fabs wouldn't last a month in New Jersey.

The other hot dogs are average at best. I agree they should use Vienna beef dogs for their Chicago dogs. But whatever dog they use, is on par with Pink's hot dogs.

[ns1]

"average at everything"

find me a better garlic tot

[reality check]

Yeah, like that's important for a hot dog place.

[ns1]

Well I actually find everything else stellar too, I'm just refuting your claim that they are "average at everything"

In fact, why don't you point us to a store that can do everything that Fab's does, and better?

[reality check]

We are talking about hot dogs in this thread right? Thus my comment: The other hot dogs are average at best, is talking about the HOT DOGS.

I don't go to a hot dog place for tater tots. I almost never order sides when going to a hot dog place.

Slaw Dogs is better than Fabs.

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The Slaw Dogs
720 N Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104

[ns1]

If you look at the SLAW DOGS thread, their reviews are equally polarizing.

We'll just have to agree to disagree (until I can make it to Slaw Dogs to form my own opinion)

[WildSwede]

AND, my friend watched them spray water on the bun and then sprinkle the poppy seeds onto her Chicago Dog. They are from Chicago, live in Granada Hills and make the trip to Portillo's. I like QTs a lot. The location in Northridge has closed.

[laliz]

I should add, that child (female), now 29, is in Dodger Stadium almost every night they are in town. I swear it is the hot dogs I ate. (she is a vegetarian)

[laliz]

I got pregnant in January 1980. My one and only craving was a Dodger Dog. A Farmer John Dodger Dog from Dodger Stadium. On April 17, 1980, I was at Dodger Stadium.

I had tried recreating the experience ~~ grilling the dogs, soaking in beer (?), etc. nothing compared.

So, for those who disparage Dodger Dogs, please understand. They are inimitable, and wonderful. Ketchup, Mustard, and Relish, please.

[samtron608]

seriously..the best hot dog is at Rancho Park Golf Course..snack stand on the 12th hole. no kidding..snaps with every bite..juicy..just a great dog. obviously impossible to get to there unless you play golf or know the course and walk there from the streets.

[mc michael]

Actually, there's a very good dog made at the Pen-Mar Golf Course in Mar Vista. And you can get it without playing the course.

[Phurstluv]

Really?? I may have to start golfing again.....now that my boys are old enough to not get hit at the driving range....do the Pen Mar ones have natural casing too, or just the ones at Rancho Park??

[mc michael]

IIRC (at Pen-Mar), it's a Nathan's dog, split and grilled, served on a good bun with frozen fries that are nicely done. There's a tray of condiments (at least at the bar) including sliced Jalapenas. Used to be $3.75.

[jesstifer]

I've had that dog a dozen times, but I must say I'm always so focused on fixing my effed up swing, I never paid attention. Next time!

[wienermobile]

They forgot Portillo's. Really good Chicago Dogs.
http://www.portillos.com/portillos/

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Portillo's Hot Dogs
8390 La Palma Ave, Buena Park, CA 90620

[ns1]

Sounds like a popularity contest , cuz there is no way Pinks beats Costco.

[Will Owen]

What I said: these dopey little filler items are not the result of any deep research, but of a need for something cute and snappy to use up five minutes. A quick poll of friends and staff, a brief writeup, and there ya go...and Hey, NOBODY takes hot dogs seriously, right?

[SIMIHOUND]

I should have said this before....The reporter picked Pinks and Dodger Dogs because of HER past history with them growing up in LA. She went to the top three in the TV report but left the others to opinions I am sure. FAB will grow in popularity once they move to a larger location in about a month and expand the hours. BTW Slaw Dogs looked great but it will take a while for me to go back to Pasadena after leaving work I hated out there.

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The Slaw Dogs
720 N Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91104

[Will Owen]

This kind of "reporting" is invariably as reliable as picking your favorites by drawing cards. They ask around the office to see who likes what, and of course most people will chime in with the most popular, no matter how dreadful that really is. If I owned Slaw Dogs or Fabs I think I'd sue to be taken off this list!

What I've been told is that Dodger Dogs used to be a nice if unexciting foot-longs until the contract went up for bid and Farmer John won it, at which point they just went to hell.

[martyR]

I thought Dodger Dogs were always a Farmer John wiener.

[Will Owen]

For maybe the last ten years or so. I think I may even have read about that here, perhaps back in the pre-CNet CH...

[cdub]

dodger dogs have been farmer john for a long long time. pretty much from the beginning.

while it's not the best dog, the combination of it and a beautiful night in chavez ravine has most of the other places on the list beat.

[Phurstluv]

And I gotta say, Dodger dogs beat Fenway Franks by a mile!!!

[a_and_w]

That's...not saying much, lol.

[HastaLaPasta]

Nah, I'm 37, Went to my first ballgame around 5 years old - they were Farmer John even back then.

[Will Owen]

I was obviously misinformed, probably by another old poop who remembered the dogs being good when he was a kid and just assumed they couldn't possibly have been FJ...

[reality check]

You must be thinking of when the Dodgers changed the way they cooked the Farmer John Dodger Dogs. They used to be grilled, everywhere but the pavilions. But when the concessions were sold to another company, that company boiled the Dodger Dogs. Very big news, when that changed happened. That company also banned Peanut Man Roger, from throwing peanuts, something he has been doing since the Dodgers were stolen to LA.

Anyways, now there is a sign that says Grilled Dodger Dogs.

Even way grilled or boiled, it's a second rate hot dog.

[Jelly71]

dang, Peanut Man Roger and a grilled Dodger dog takes me right back to the early 80's and some good childhood memories.

and i used to love the older guy that sold programs out front.

[keepon]

I've tried Vicious Dogs: it's quite good, but not good enough to worth the drive when polish at your local Costco is more than serviceable.

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Vicious Dogs
5231 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601

[Briggs]

Spot on. The guys at Vicious Dogs are very nice and the location is great, but the dogs are just okay. No natural casing or anything else out of the ordinary. Say what you want about Slaw Dogs (which I happen to like a lot), at least Ray is trying new ideas and giving the customer options. I really wanted to love Vicious Dogs since I'm in the area frequently, but I honestly think Weinerschnitzel's BEEF dog is better. I'd of added Weenez to the list instead.

[granadafan]

You can't beat Costco's deal, but their hotdogs or polish isn't as good since they switched from Hebrew National to their own brand.

[Briggs]

Los Feliz, Burbank & I believe Marina del Rey still serve Hebrew National dogs,

[wienermobile]

Hawthorne and Marina del Rey Costco still have Hebrew National.

[coconutz]

So does Montclair Costco.

[Jennalynn]

Ate a Hebrew National at Burbank just this week.

[Midlife]

There was a large topic here, some time ago, about Costco's apparent dog switch (tried to find it, but couldn't. Anyway..............

My local South OC Costcos still have the red Hebrew National umbrellas BUT the hot dog and polish just don't taste the same. They're limp and rather flavorless. Does anyone know how to be positive what they're serving? I think I'll check with a manager next time. I've asked the counter people, but they have enough trouble getting that I want warm sauerkraut.

[coconutz]

I just had a Hebrew National polish today at the Montclair Costco. I don't know that I'd know the difference, I eat them strictly from hunger and cheapness.

[Midlife]

So............ how do you know it was Hebrew National? I would have thought they'd be serving HN at locations with the red HN umbrellas only, but after the last few tries I don't know if that's true. As I said, they now seem limp and tasteless. Could be overcooked???

[reality check]

The simple thing to do is ask when buying the hot dog. But I have seen them drop a new package of Hebrew National hot dogs and polish, into the steamer, at the Puente Hills location, about a month ago.

[peppermonkey]

Chronis is an old school chilli dog joint in East LA that has been around for a decades.

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Chronis
5825 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90022

[monku]

Went to Chronis last week and didn't dissapoint old school or not.

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Chronis
5825 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90022

[toonoble]

I love Chronis... if it were located in a more ideal location in LA it would have a similar reputation of The Pantry or Philipes.
Pinks is garbage. I love the Dodgers but those hotdogs are just gross. Carneys reminds me of Chronis. Must have that snap!

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Chronis
5825 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90022

[buhhh]

Yes!!! The SNAP!!!! Natural casing. Where can you buy them to make your own hot dogs?

[kevin]

are chronis all beef dogs with natural casings?

[monku]

Don't know if they're all beef, but definitely natural casing dogs.

[Jack Flash]

Dodger Dogs are inedible - gross tasting, limp and mealy. Take away the "Dodger" label and nobody would have anything positive to say about them. People just like the fact that they've got their beloved "Dodgers" in the name.

[wienermobile]

A long long long time ago Dodger Dogs used to be good. People remember them much better than they really are. It is the nostalgia of childhood.

[monku]

I've only been in LA for 35 years and the Dodger Dog has always been that horrible Farmer John's foot long dog, they weren't any good then. What were they before that?

[wienermobile]

When Sandy Koufax was pitching the hot dogs were great. Or was it that I was 10 years old?

[monku]

Before my time, but maybe before you knew what a good hot dog was all about?

[Phurstluv]

Both. Hahahaha!!