Be Frank, What Region Of The Country Has America’s Favorite Hot Dog? Patch Survey

The celebration of National Hot Dog Month in July begs the question: What region of the country has the best dogs?

Chicago has a hot new take on its famous dogs with a running joke that putting ketchup on them will be a venial sin now that new favorite son Pope Leo, the first American ever elected as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has been installed at the Vatican.

Chicagoans pile pickle relish, pickled peppers and tomatoes on a Vienna beef dog swaddled in a poppy seed bun and season the whole thing with celery salt — but never with ketchup.

Jersey’s Italian Dog Vs. ‘The Ripper’

People from different regions of the country are just as passionate about their takes on hot dogs. Many, New Jerseyans will say frankly — as if that were ever in question — that nothing beats the dogs in their state. They may disagree on which one — the Italian dog, piled high with potatoes, onions and peppers in pita bread, or the Jersey Shore’s “Ripper,” natural casing dogs cooked in a deep fryer until they split, leaving a crisp dog with a crunchy casing.

Coney Island Goes Inland

Coney island sandwiches have little to do with the actual Coney Island. The coney dog is king in Michigan, which claims these hot dogs topped with all-meat chili, yellow mustard and chopped onions are its birthright. Rival Detroit restaurants, American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island, and Todoroff’s Original Coney Island in Jackson all say the coney dog originated with their founders more than 100 years ago. Their dogs are based on recipes brought to Ellis Island by immigrants from Greece and Macedonia in the early 20th century.

Keep It Simple In New York

New Yorkers like simple hot dogs, sandwiched in a bun and served with steamed onions and pale, deli-style yellow mustard, according to a survey by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council.

Perhaps, but what about sauerkraut? Or even ketchup? Just as New York is diverse, so are its dogs. For example, White hot dogs are the rage in places like Rochester. The blend of uncured and unsmoked pork, beef and veal gives the dogs their unique color.

The Best Of The Rest

Sometimes a hot dog is known by its name. You don’t have to go to a ballpark for Fenway Franks, but they’re a favorite in Boston for obvious reasons. There’s nothing fancy about them: The dog is boiled, then grilled, nestled in a split-top New England-style bun and dressed with mustard and sweet pickle relish.

Another regional favorite is the Southwest Sonoran dog, a grilled, bacon-wrapped hot dog in a substantial bun and topped with pinto beans, grilled onions and green peppers, chopped fresh tomatoes, relish, tomatillo jalapeño salsa, mayonnaise, mustard and shredded cheese.

Other regional favorites include the famous Half-Smoke in Washington, D.C., a coarsely-ground half beef sausage with extra spice and topped with chili, mustard and onions, and the Seattle dog, a hot dog split in half before grilling and served in a toasted bun with cream cheese, grilled onions and sriracha or jalapeños.

They didn’t register in the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council’s survey, but don’t overlook Cleveland’s Polish Boy Sandwich — a kielbasa in a bun slathered with barbecue sauce and topped with mounds of coleslaw and fries.

The scrambled dog is considered a delicacy in Georgia. It’s as simple as it sounds — a wiener on a bun topped with chili, onions, mustard, pickle slices, oyster crackers or anything else that could conceivably (or not) be put on a hot dog.

The Kansas City-style all-pork dog is a nod to the Reuben sandwich with melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and mustard or thousand island dressing.

Now, Take The Survey

So, what region is, ahem, the wiener here? One of the aforementioned dogs or one overlooked in this inventory but worthy of the title of “America’s favorite hot dog?” Just fill out the survey below. And don’t worry, we don’t collect email addresses.

We’ll publish the results on Patch in time for National Hot Dog Day, which is on July 16.

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