America’s Most Iconic Regional Hot Dog Styles [MAP]

Nothing screams “America” quite like a hot dog. In the summer months, U.S. citizens take down an impressive 7 billion franks, which breaks down to about 818 every single second, as revealed by data from the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC). Yes, the U.S. has an official council for hot dogs and sausages — and it has some serious rules regarding how they should be enjoyed, from the plate they’re served on to a ban on ketchup if you’re over 18.

Despite what the NHDSC might say, dozens of hot dog styles exist across the country, dressed with anything from sauteed peppers and onions to spicy chili. Some regional styles, like Georgia’s scrambled dog, see its sausage link chopped into tiny pieces before it’s placed on a bun while others, like Massachusetts’s famed Fenway frank, are boiled and grilled before they’re served.

Check out our map and comprehensive guide to America’s most iconic regional hot dog styles below.

Alaska: Reindeer Dog

Originally from Anchorage, the Reindeer Dog is one of Alaska’s most popular street foods. The dish starts with a blended sausage (made with reindeer meat and either pork or beef) that’s stuffed into a steamed bun. Typically, the meat is then topped with Coca-Cola-glazed onions, ketchup, mustard, and relish.

Arizona: Sonoran Hot Dog

First whipped up at the University of Sonora in Hermosillo, Mexico, the Sonoran hot dog is a beloved hangover staple across the Southwestern state. The bacon-wrapped hot dog is placed into a bolillo roll before the whole thing is slathered with both raw and grilled onions, pinto beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese, mayonnaise, guacamole, and green salsa.

California: Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dog

There are dozens of dog variations served in the Golden State, but one of the most popular is the bacon-wrapped hot dog served at food carts around Los Angeles and San Francisco. In Southern California, the dogs are normally tucked into a bolillo roll with heaping piles of sauteed peppers and onions. Some purveyors in the City of Angels also offer beans, pico de gallo, jalapeño sauce, ketchup, and mustard as optional toppings. Up in San Fran, peppers and onions also make an appearance, though mayonnaise is the preferred condiment.

Colorado: Denver Dog

While Colorado may be more well known culinarily for its Rocky Mountain Oysters, the state also has a hot dog to call its own. Most frequently found in its namesake city, the Denver dog is served with green chile sauce, red onions, jalapeños, and sour cream on a standard bun.

Georgia: The Scrambled Dog

On a list filled with unusual preparations, there is perhaps none as strange as Georgia’s scrambled dog. Rumored to have been created in Columbus, this frankfurter is chopped into bite-size pieces and submerged beneath a sea of chili, pickles, diced onions, and oyster crackers, with some diners also choosing to add cheese, relish, or sour cream to the bun. Given the messiness of the dish, it’s typically served on a plate rather than in hand-held form and consumed with a fork and knife.

Hawaii: Puka Dog

The Puka Dog gets its name from the Hawaiian bread bun it’s served in, which is baked with a tube-shaped hole down the center to house what’s typically a Polish-style sausage. The whole thing is dressed with tropical fruit-based sauces or relishes typically made from mango, pineapple, or coconut.

Illinois: Chicago-Style Hot Dog

When it comes to iconic dogs, perhaps none is as adored as the Chicago-style hot dog, which dates back to the Great Depression. An all-beef sausage on a poppy seed bun serves as the foundation for chopped white onion, sweet pickle relish, tomato slices, pickled peppers, and a dill pickle spear before a squirt of yellow mustard and a sprinkle of celery salt complete the build.

Maine: Red Snapper Hot Dog

Nicknamed for the encased sausage’s vibrant red coloring and the “snap” noise it makes when it’s bitten into, the red snapper hot dog is a Maine delicacy. The beef-and-pork hot dog is served on a toasted New England-style bun that is split from the top instead of the side, just like the buns used to serve the state’s iconic lobster rolls.

Massachusetts: Fenway Frank

Despite being named for and most often served at the Boston Red Sox’s stadium, Fenway franks can be made anywhere, anytime. The hot dogs are boiled and grilled, which helps the sausage retain some of its juiciness and provides it with its distinct char. Just like the red snapper, Fenway Franks are served on New England-style buns before they’re topped with relish and mustard.

Michigan: Coney Dog

While the name of this variation may conjure up images of New York’s beachside attraction, the Coney Dog is actually most popular in Michigan, specifically in the Detroit area. Most often served by Greek immigrants in the Motor City, the name of the sandwich is believed to come from the days of Ellis Island, when the Greeks would pass through New York City, potentially visiting Coney Island while they were there. To make it, an all-beef frankfurter gets tucked into a steamed bun and topped with meat chili, diced white onions, and yellow mustard.

New Jersey: Italian Hot Dog

Also called a Newark-style hot dog, New Jersey’s most famous frankfurter is crunchy, tangy, slightly spicy, and entirely delicious. Served on a pizza bread roll sliced down the middle, the spicy sausage link gets buried beneath shallow-fried peppers, onions, and diced potatoes.

New York: New York Dog

Served at carts on almost every street in the city, the New York dog is almost as synonymous with the Big Apple as Broadway and bodegas. Most often served as a beef sausage dressed with sauerkraut or steamed onions with spicy brown mustard, numerous versions of the New York dog exist, so tourists and locals alike can opt for whatever toppings they desire.

North Carolina: Carolina-Style

Given the Carolinas’ reputation for serving some of the best barbecue in the country, it’s no surprise that North Carolina’s hot dog style brings BBQ into the fold: The frank is fixed up with chili, white onions, creamy coleslaw, and mustard. While any brand of hot dog can be used as the base, some argue that for it to be a true Carolina-style dog, Carolina Packers Bright Leaf Frankfurters are a must.

Ohio: Cincinnati Chili Dogs and the Polish Boy

Two types of regional hot dogs dominate in Ohio, one for each of the state’s major cities. In Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Chili Dog reigns, also nicknamed a Coney or a Cheese Coney. The hot dog, which is served in a standard bun, is piled high with a meaty, mildly spicy chili and yellow onion with a smattering of cheddar cheese. Over in Cleveland, the Polish Boy is the preferred style, which sees french fries, coleslaw, and barbecue sauce layered atop a kielbasa in a roll.

Pennsylvania: The Texas Tommy

While the name may suggest Southern origins, the Texas Tommy was actually created in Pottstown, Pa., sometime in the 1950s. The hot dog is first split down the middle and stuffed with cheddar cheese before it’s wrapped in bacon and cooked. Once prepared, the meat and cheese concoction is laid atop a standard bun with whatever condiments diners choose.

Rhode Island: New York System

Named after the type of establishments whipping them up, the New York System is made with a veal, beef, and pork sausage dog that’s topped with a chili meat sauce, raw onions, mustard, and celery salt.

Virginia: Norfolk Dog

This dog is rumored to have been created in the 1930s by local George Bacalis, who served natural-skin hot dogs from his shop in Norfolk. Bacalis dumped a helping of chili, onions, and mustard on each of his hot dogs and the style took off from there, with several of his former employees opening up shops of their own — each with its own chili recipe to slather on the frankfurters.

Washington: Seattle Dog

Most often served from roadside food carts, the Seattle Dog is nestled into a cream cheese-slathered bun and topped with grilled onions. According to the NHDSC, chopped jalapeños and a drizzle of sriracha are also common toppings.

Washington, D.C.: Half-Smoke

The half-smoke hot dog is exactly what the name suggests: a sausage that is smoked until it’s halfway done before it’s laid onto a grill to finish cooking. The half-smoked, half-grilled frankfurter is then typically served on a bun dressed with chili, diced onions, cheese, and mustard.

West Virginia: Slaw Dog

While North Carolina argues the Carolina-style hot dog is their state’s most iconic frank, the style is widely believed to have originated in West Virginia, where it’s called the slaw dog. Hot dogs are piled high with chili (which locals call hot dog sauce), coleslaw, and yellow mustard.

*Image retrieved from Mikhaylovskiy via stock.adobe.com

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