Craving a hot dog? Two California spots named among best places to get one in US
Whether you’re on the go or lounging in the stands at a baseball game, hot dogs are a go-to for many Americans.
Perfecting them, however, is an art — so Yelp set out to find the best hot dogs the nation has to offer. Two California eateries made Yelp’s list of the top 25 spots to grab a frank.
Yelp said it came up with the rankings after looking at the “total volume and ratings of reviews” for businesses listed in the hot dog category. The site limited its list to a max of two hot dog joints per state to allow for geographic diversity.
Happy Dog Hot Dogs in Santa Cruz and Barrio Dogg in San Diego won the honors for the state.
Happy Dog Hot Dogs
Living up to its slogan, “Come Hungry, Leave Happy,” the humble Happy Dog cart’s most popular menu item is the “jumbo all beef hot dog,” a quarter-pound of 100% beef chuck in natural casing from Los Gatos Smokehouse, a little over 20 miles away from Santa Cruz, according to reviewers.
Daniel Aguirre, Happy Dog’s owner, built the cart with the help of his kids in 2014 and established a permanent location in an auto body parking lot, Aguirre wrote on Yelp. Not only is the cart famous for its tasty hot dogs, but Aguirre also found a way to entertain the younger patrons while they wait.
The father of six “loves seeing his customers’ kids happy and playing with the balloon dogs he makes for them,” the Yelp page says.
Yelp reviewers also loved the wide variety of condiments Happy Dog offers.
“Their extensive selection of condiments and gourmet hot dogs is what sets them apart from other carts,” one user wrote.
Barrio Dogg
In San Diego, a small store described by one Yelp reviewer as “a temple to Chicano culture” hosts one of the best places in the country to sink your teeth into a hot dog delicacy — Barrio Dogg. Barrio started serving Mexican-inspired hot dogs in 2017, the Yelp page says.
“Let me just start off by saying I have NEVER been this amped up for a hot dog. Ever. In my life,” a reviewer wrote. “I cannot even put into words how good the food was. Every bite was an explosion of flavor that should not work, but absolutely works.”
Yelp recommended going “for the El Xolito with chopped fresh jalapeno, cilantro, crunchy garlic, grilled onions, cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa Verde and sriracha Aioli.” Dozens of and photos on the restaurant’s Yelp page mention the El Xolito, with most of them rating five stars.
“Perfect if you want something flavorful with just the right amount of spice!” one review read.