MapMuse - Locate America's Best Hot Dog Stands Near You

...the sausage called a frankfurter.

The flavor of hot dog sausages varies widely by region and by personal preference, as do the accompaniments. The flavor of the sausage can resemble a range of similar meat products from bologna on the bland side to the German bockwurst in the spicier varieties.

Kosher hot dogs may be made from beef, chicken or turkey. Vegetarian hot dogs and sausages, made from meat analogue, are also widely available in most areas where hot dogs are popular. Unlike many other sausages (which may be sold cooked or uncooked), hot dogs are always cooked before being offered commercially. Unless they have spoiled, hot dogs can usually be eaten safely without further cooking, although they are usually warmed before serving. Many doctors recommend that pregnant women heat hot dogs (and other pre-cooked, pre-packaged foods) to 160-170 degrees F. for at least two minutes before consuming to reduce the chance of contracting Listeriosis, which is a rare bacteria that can thrive at low temperatures (such as in a refrigerator) but can affect unborn children and even cause miscarriage or still birth.[1]

Hot dogs are also called frankfurters, or franks for short, named for the city of Frankfurt, Germany where sausages in a bun originated, similar to hot dogs, but made exclusively of pork. Another term for hot dogs is wieners or weenies, referring to the city of Vienna, Austria, whose German name is "Wien", home to a sausage made of a mixture of pork and beef. Hot dogs are sometimes called tube steaks.[2] In the German speaking countries, except Austria, hot dog sausages are generally called Wiener or Wiener Würstchen (Würstchen means "little sausage"). In Swiss German, it is called Wienerli, while in Austria the terms Frankfurter or Frankfurter Würstel are used.

In the United Kingdom hot dogs are sometimes made with British sausages, typically cooked by grilling or frying. When prepared using a frankfurter they may be sold and marketed as German or American-style hot dogs.

Alternate name(s) :

Frankfurters
Franks
Tube Steaks
Wieners
Weenies
Wiener Würstchen
Frankfurter Würstel

Hot dogs in the United States

7-Eleven is North America's number-one retailer of fresh-grilled hot dogs, selling approximately 100 million each year. Other chains in the U.S. that offer hot dogs include Sonic Drive-In and Dog n Suds, who call it a coney; Hardee's (but not their counterpart Carl's Jr. on the west coast of the United States, which is ironic due to founder Carl Karcher having started the Carl's Jr. empire with a hot dog stand); Dairy Queen; Wienerschnitzel (originally Der Wienerschnitzel), whose menu focuses on hot dogs; The Frankfurter in Seattle, Washington; Woody's Chicago Style; Nathan's Famous, which sponsors the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest; A&W; and Spike's Junkyard Dogs located in Rhode Island and Boston. Additionally, Rhode Island is home to the New York System restaurants, specializing in wieners with mustard, chili sauce, chopped onions and celery salt. Krystal restaurants in the southeast offer a small hot dog called a Krystal Pup, and Fatburger, located mostly on the west coast of the U.S., offers hot dogs and chili dogs. In Cincinnati, Ohio Skyline Chili and Gold Star Chili sell hot dogs and spaghetti with their signature Cincinnati-style chili. .

Yocco's Hot Dogs, founded in 1922, maintains six restaurants in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania and is known for its long-standing specialty of hot dogs with various toppings. Given Yocco's strong global popularity, the restaurant also has a mail-order business, providing bags of frozen hot dogs to customers around the U.S. and the world. A map of the world displayed in each of the company's six restaurants marks the thousands of locations that have ordered Yocco's hot dogs.

Casual dining restaurants often have hot dogs on their children's menu, but not on the regular menu. Hot dog stands and trucks sell hot dogs and accompaniments, as well as similar products, at street and highway locations. At convenience stores such as 7-Eleven, hot dogs are usually kept heated on rotating grills; a selection of flavors and sizes is sometimes offered.

* Nathan's Is a famous hot dog chain. The famous original stand is located in Coney Island, New York.

* Pink's Hot Dogs is another famous independent stand and is located in Hollywood, California.

* Casper's Is a hot dog chain that originally started in Oakland, California, whom opted to use a recipe similar to the German frankfurter, and said to have a signature "snap" when you bite into them. [23]

* The Varsity in Atlanta, Georgia is a famous venue for hot dogs.

* Superdawg in Chicago, Illinois is a local tourist attraction which still features carhops.

# Walter's Hot Dog in Mamaroneck, New York, is one of the nation's oldest independent roadside stands.

# Tony Packo's Cafe in Toledo, Ohio made famous worldwide by Cpl. Klinger (Jamie Farr) of the TV show M*A*S*H.

Hot dogs sold by vendors who wander through the stands are a tradition at baseball parks. Several ballparks have signature hot dogs, such as Fenway Franks at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts and Dodger Dogs at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Fenway signature is that the hot dog is boiled and grilled Fenway-style, and then served on a New England-style bun, covered with mustard and relish. Often during Red Sox games, vendors traverse the stadium selling the hot dogs plain, giving customers the choice of adding the condiments.