The Newest Contender For Best Hot Dog in L.A.

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Chatsworth Patch picks a great restaurant either in our community or nearby that's worth jumping in the car to check out.

Here's this week's choice:

Brats Brothers Gourmet Sausage Grill

There's a place in Sherman Oaks that just might claim the title of "best hot dog" in L.A., but there's one problem.

"Don't call these hot dogs," said Pia Radler, co-owner of Brats Brothers Gourmet Sausage Grill, at 13456 Ventura Blvd.

"These are all sausages," said Radler, showing us her menu, which listed 23  different kinds of sausages.

What a list: It contained original creations with such names as "Outback Roo" (smoked kangaroo), "Peking Brat" (duck and fig), "Swamp Thing" (smoked alligator) and "Wild West" (buffalo and burgundy). Many more sausages were listed which are not offered anywhere else in town.

"We drove here from Long Beach just to have these hot dogs," said Rob Pettit, with his wife, Lauren. Their 2-year-old son Liam sat in his stroller munching on a Swiss brat that is described on the menu as "mild veal and parsley."

Whoops, there's that word again: Did he call it a hot dog?

"Well it looks like a hot dog," said one man who was munching on a "Hot Texan." "And it sort of tastes like a hot dog. I like to put mustard on it and put it in a roll just like a hot dog," he said.

Oh, yeah, mustard. Brats Brothers offers about six different kinds of mustard: American, French, Asian, orange, hot and spicy. Customers get their choice of  toppings, which range from roasted peppers and onions to grandma's sauerkraut.

"This is our first visit," said Roz Shumway, who was biting into a big German brat while her two sons Reed and Charles were feasting on Polish and hot Italian sausages. Shumway lives in Pacific Palisades but was shopping in the area when Brats Brothers caught her eye.

"We came to the Valley to buy sporting goods and saw this place, so we thought we'd try it," she said.

"It tastes great," said Reed, who had a bit of ketchup forming on the side of his mouth.

"Having a shop like this is something we always wanted to do," said Radler, who like her husband, Roland, was born in Germany, south of Munich. The couple came to America in the 1980s.

"Roland is an architect and he worked at that for many years," Radler said, "but we always wanted to have our own little business when we reached retirement age, and this is it."

"We've now been in business for three years in Sherman Oaks," she said. "Things are going well. On weekends it's sometimes standing room only in here. People like to try the different kinds of sausages.

"The Food network wants to do a story on us," she added.

Many hot dog lovers claim that Pink's Hot Dogs on North La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles serves the tastiest franks in town. But customers here claim Brat Brothers is right up there with the best in town.

If someone doesn't know what to order at Brats, Radler recommends the sampler plate. It comes with four small sausages, sauerkraut and a soft pretzel, for $10.95.

Most of the sausages cost in the $5.50 to $7.50 range.

You can dine inside, or at one of the sidewalk tables outside.

"The best-selling ones are the German, Swiss and Hungarians. The German is made of veal and pork, it comes with onions," said Radler.

"Please," she said, "don't insult my sausages by calling them hot dogs."