Whether you’re a meat and potatoes kinda person or consider yourself a culinary connoisseur, there are few foods more satisfying than a big ol’ juicy hot dog. Part of its appeal is that it has thousands of iterations and every city seems to have its own unique take on the perfect frank. In honor of National Hot Dog day, here are some of America’s best places to bite down on a dog.
1. Biker Jim’s, Denver, Colo.
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This is where you go when you want to indulge both your love for hogs (the 2-wheeled kind) and dogs. The selection of meat is incredible and includes not only beef, but also veal, elk, buffalo, duck, reindeer, pheasant and even rattlesnake. Don’t let the biker vibe fool you, Biker Jim is a pussycat when it comes to talking about his passion for dogs; his website even waxes rhapsodic about the “…sexy scent of grilled sausages and sizzling caramelized onions swirled through the Rocky Mountain air.”
2. Lafayette Coney Island, Detroit, Mich.
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Leave it to no-nonsense Motor City to have one of the best old-school hot dogs in the country. Detroit is renowned for its Coney Island dogs and Lafayette is where locals head when the call for a Coney strikes. This no-frills, cash-only diner remains the city’s most popular hot dog hole-in-the-wall and Lafayette’s Coney ain’t no frou-frou foodie snack, it’s straight up beef swimming in a soupy chili, with raw onions and a hit of mustard on a steamed bun.
3. Gene and Jude’s, River Grove Ill.
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