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The Best Hot Dogs in Every State and Washington, D.C.

The Best Hot Dogs in Every State and Washington, D.C.

From classic to gourmet, we sampled hundreds of franks to find the tastiest ones from coast to coast

By Stephanie Emma Pfeffer

July 17, 2019 10:38 AM

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AND THE WIENER IS ...

Credit: Victor Protasio

PEOPLE Food partnered with the editors of Food & Wine to find the best hot dogs across in every state and Washington, D.C. Click through to find what our tasters deemed the most delicious dog near you.

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ALABAMA

Dew Drop Inn

1808 Old Shell Rd, Mobile

Opened in 1924, the restaurant offers an Upside Down Dog: sauerkraut, chili, mustard and ketchup slathered in a bun with a wiener placed on top.

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ALASKA

International House of Hotdogs

415 L St, Anchorage

A specialty rarely found outside the state, the reindeer Polish sausage in the McKinley Dog is dressed with sautéed onions and their secret chipotle crème.

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ARIZONA

El Guero Canelo

Multiple Locations

The Sonoran—which received the James Beard Foundation's America's Classics award this year—boasts a sweet Mexican roll filled with a bacon-wrapped dog, pinto beans, tomatoes, grilled onions, and a fiery jalapeño sauce.

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ARKANSAS

The Original Scoop Dog

5508 J.F.K. Blvd, North Little Rock

City-inspired offerings—like the Kansas City Dog with sauerkraut and Swiss cheese—are the perfect start to a meal that ends with frozen custard.

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CALIFORNIA

Pink's

709 N La Brea Ave, Los Angeles

What began as a family hot-dog cart in 1939 has become an institution: There's everything from a classic Chili Cheese Dog to the Emeril Lagasse "Bam" Dog with mustard, onions, cheese, jalapeños, bacon and slaw.

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COLORADO

Biker Jim's

2148 Larimer St, Denver

A former repo man, owner Jim Pittenger has created a hot-dog haven with custom cuts and locally sourced ingredients. Try the Elk Jalapeño Cheddar or Rattlesnake-and-Pheasant Frank.

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CONNECTICUT

Blackie's Hot Dog Stand

2200 Waterbury Rd, Cheshire

Their Connecticut-style sausages—quick-fried in hot oil until blistered and crisp—can be topped with Blackie's famous spicy, pickle-free relish.

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DELAWARE

Johnnie's Dog House

3401 Concord Pike, Wilmington

The Delaware Destroyer consists of two plump sausages piled into a 6-in. hoagie roll and smothered in creamy mac and cheese, chili, grilled onions and hot sauce.

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FLORIDA

Hot Dog Heaven

5355 E Colonial Dr, Orlando

A Windy City native, owner Mike Feld makes an authentic Chicago Dog with tomatoes, mustard, onions, bright green relish and a celery salt made in his hometown.

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GEORGIA

Mike's Hot Dogs

5948 Roswell Rd, Sandy Springs

These snappy Vienna beef sausages are inspired by the classic Chicago Dog—and are served on steamed poppy seed buns.

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HAWAII

Puka Dog

2360 Kiahuna Plantation Dr, Koloa

The fresh buns here are baked with a hole, or Puka, in the center before the sausage goes in with a secret garlic-lemon sauce, one of six tropical relishes and Aunt Lilikoi's passion fruit mustard.

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IDAHO

Franko's Dog House

2700 E Seltice Way #6, Post Falls

The family-owned business prides itself on seasonal specialties like elk and buffalo dogs. Or pick the Huckleberry Hound topped with huckleberry chipotle, mozzarella and bell pepper.

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ILLINOIS

Gene & Jude's

2720 N River Rd, River Grove

Consider these slender sausages the minimalist's take on the Chicago Dog, dressed with mustard, relish, chopped onion and sport peppers...and a fistful of french fries. Insider tip: Don't ask for ketchup.

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INDIANA

Fort Wayne's Famous Coney Island Wiener Stand

131 W Main St, Fort Wayne

Known for its Original Coney Island Hot Dog, with mustard, onions and homemade Coney sauce, this spot still opens at 8 a.m., a time once set to accommodate overnight shift workers on their way home.

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IOWA

Bob's Drive Inn

5th Ave SW, Le Mars

The locally made Wimmer's franks snap when you bite into them. The joint's famous Bob Dog comes topped with tavern loose meats (a.k.a. seasoned ground beef).

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KANSAS

Fritz's Meats & Superior Sausage

10326 State Line Rd, Leawood

People flock to the oldest smokehouse in Kansas City for the family's gourmet beef sausages that date back to Fritz Plapp, a master sausagemaker from Germany.

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KENTUCKY

Red Top Gourmet Hotdogs

1127 Logan Street, Louisville

This popular food truck will be opening a brick-and-mortar spot soon to serve more of its grass-fed beef hot dogs and homemade sausages.

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LOUISIANA

Dat Dog

Multiple New Orleans Locations

One of the fan favorites at this spot—which began as a 475-square-foot shack—is a secret menu item known as the Duck Special: duck sausage with blackberry sauce, barbecue sauce, yellow mustard, and bacon.

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MAINE

Simone's Hot Dog Stand

99 Chestnut St, Lewiston

The poppy-bright Red Snapper pork franks are not to be missed at this family business that has been standing on its original location on Chestnut Street since 1908.

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MARYLAND

G&A

3802 Eastern Ave, Baltimore

The sausages are cooked in the front window for everyone to see, and locals keep coming back for the Coney Island Dog topped with a special sauce of ground beef, chili powder, celery salt and secret spices.

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MASSACHUSETTS

Larry Joe's New England Fire Pit

30-A Cape Rd, Mendon

The dogs are grilled over a hickory flame, but it's the superspicy Caribbean-style Fire Dog—a beef sausage made with crushed red peppers—that sets taste buds ablaze.

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MICHIGAN

Lafayette Coney Island

118 W Lafayette Blvd, Detroit

Locals stay loyal to this cash-only spot's vintage interior and classic order of the Coney Dog with chili fries.

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MINNESOTA

Kyatchi

Multiple Locations

A Japanese twist on a traditional hot dog, the umami-rich Yakisoba is a Limousin beef frank covered with stir-fried soba noodles, onions, red ginger and Kewpie mayo and served with potato salad.

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MISSISSIPPI

Ward's

Multiple Locations

The go-to combo at this local fast-food chain is a chili dog with onions and mustard alongside a frosty house root beer.

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MISSOURI

Steve's Hot Dogs

Two St. Louis Locations

A former musician, Steve Ewing once fed folks from a food cart after his shows. Today he has two hot-dog shops where you can get franks with his fabulous macaroni and cheese scooped right on top.

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MONTANA

Mr. Hot Dogs

1806 Cobban St, Butte

Set in a mining town, this spot with a retro vibe serves 100 percent Montana beef sausages. Their popular Butte Dog is dressed with bacon, blue cheese, onion, mozzarella and tangy steak sauce.

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NEBRASKA

Fly Dogz

3111 O St Suite D, Lincoln

Try the CinnaDog (chili, cheese, onions, jalapeños and sour cream on a sweet cinnamon roll) or FlyDog (with cream cheese, cheese sauce and jalapeños).

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NEVADA

Buldogi's

2291 S Fort Apache Rd, Las Vegas

At this Korean-fusion joint the Gang Nam Dog is made with roasted pork belly, pickled cucumber, nori flakes, sesame seeds, green onions and Korean chili sauce—and can be ordered with a fried egg on top.

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NEW HAMPSHIRE

Gilley's PM Lunch

175 Fleet St, Portsmouth

Late-night revelers hit this original box-car diner for its cheap, hearty franks—like the Kraut Dog—and poutine fries.

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NEW JERSEY

Rutt's Hut

417 River Rd, Clifton

The sausages are deep-fried, which causes the casings to crack and split—hence the nickname "Rippers"—before being topped with their neon-green, house-made relish of cabbage, carrots, onions and mustard.

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NEW MEXICO

Dog House Drive In

1216 Central Ave NW, Albuquerque

This no-frills spot on Route 66 serves Footlong Chili Dogs (served with green or red chili), tater tots and a killer Frito pie.

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NEW YORK

NoMad Bar

10 W 28th St, New York

Of course luxury hot dogs are a thing in Manhattan. Star chef Daniel Humm's Humm Dog is a $16 deep-fried beef dog wrapped in bacon and topped with black-truffle mayonnaise, Gruyère cheese and a crunchy celery relish.

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NORTH CAROLINA

J.S. Pulliam Barbecue

4400 Old Walkertown Rd, Winston-Salem

There are no seats in this tiny shack that's been around since 1910, but the Chili and Slaw Dog with a toasted buttered bun and supercreamy coleslaw makes up for it.

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NORTH DAKOTA

DogMahal Doghaus

305 N Washington St, Grand Forks

Hot dogs meet vinyl and comics at this eclectic mash-up where you can browse vintage records before or after you bite into a Green Party Dog with guacamole, green chili and salsa verde.

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The Best Hot Dogs in Every State and Washington, D.C.

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ALABAMA

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ALASKA

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ARIZONA

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ARKANSAS

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CALIFORNIA

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COLORADO

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CONNECTICUT

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DELAWARE

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FLORIDA

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GEORGIA

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HAWAII

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IDAHO

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ILLINOIS

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INDIANA

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IOWA

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KANSAS

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KENTUCKY

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LOUISIANA

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MAINE

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MARYLAND

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MASSACHUSETTS

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MICHIGAN

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MINNESOTA

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MISSISSIPPI

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MISSOURI