Think Philly’s a burger town? Don’t overlook the all-mighty hot dog, which is gaining a lot of respect around these parts. Here’s our guide to the area’s eight most drool-inducing franks.

Chicago-Style Dog at Blue In Green
As far as we’re concerned, this is the only place to get a Chicago-style dog in Philly. Vienna Beef-brand dog, real sport peppers (no, Philly, banana peppers are not a reasonable substitute), chopped onion, tomato wedges, sweet relish, celery salt, and mustard, all on a poppy-seed bun. Price: $2.50. 105 South 12th Street.

The Philly Dog at SquareBurger
We sense the influence of the Chicago style on Starr’s Philly Dog. The Hebrew National wiener is boiled, wrapped in salami, topped with cherry peppers, onion, tomato, yellow mustard, and pickles. Price: $3.75. 200 North 6th Street, 215-629-4026.

The Kobe Chili Cheese Dog at Varga Bar
The rubbery beef/chorizo chili is pretty much unnecessary. This is a dog — which is actually made from Australian Wagyu — that could easily stand alone, especially when placed on a Le Bus poppy-seed-and-onion bun. Varga slow-cooks the wieners in their Farmhouse Ale to get ’em nice and plump. Price: $8. 941 Spruce Street, 215-627-5200.

The Kobe-Style Beef Hot Dog at Rouge
Another Australian Wagyu wiener claiming to be Kobe, the Rouge dog is served on a Pepperidge Farm roll and topped with house-made relish and whole-grain aioli. Price: $15. 205 South 18th Street, 215-732-6622.

Veal Corn Dog at Bar 210
Chef Jason Cichonski tosses out these stellar snacks for the occasional happy-hour treat. The all-veal dog is made from veal shoulders, cured and smoked, then dipped in a cornbread batter and fried to a golden crisp. Oh, and served with a tangy black garlic mustard. Price: When available, free with drink. 210 West Rittenhouse Square, 215-790-2533.

The Steer in a Blanket at Water Works
Known around the restaurant as the “Pop Dog,” thanks to a Water Works regular called Pop-pop who orders it routinely, this “Certified Angus Beef” brand hot dog — topped with tomato, bacon, onion relish, and honey-grain mustard — is served on a Philadelphia pretzel roll. Price: $10. 640 Water Works Drive, 215-236-9000.

Texas Tommy at The Philly Hotdog Cafe
All the BOP-winning dogs here start with a grilled Vienna Beef brand wiener. Our favorite version is the Texas Tommy, with loads of cheddar cheese and bacon. Price: $3.99. 204 West Ridge Pike, Limerick; 484-973-6357.

Tornado Dog at HotDog Tommy’s
There isn’t a dog we don’t like at Tommy’s, but the Tornado satisfies all our cravings. Mashed potatoes, chili, cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, and banana peppers on your choice of dog (a traditional pork and beef wiener, or the larger all-beef Black Angus version). Price: $2.45 for a Leaner Wiener/$4.05 for a Big Bad Dog. On Jackson Street at the beach in Cape May, 609-884-8388.

Additional research by Erica Beinlich.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 at 12:53 pm and is filed under Fast Food, Guides. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Posted by Bridget Salmons on 8/4/09 in Fast Food, Guides 4 Comments »