Whether world-renowned institutions with thorough cocktail programs or laid-back dives, bars have a knack for keeping patrons satiated with low-cost bites. But beyond the tried and true — say, a ramekin of salted nuts or a bowl of chips — the best bar snacks walk the line between a quick and easy bite and a full meal. Hot dogs fall in that sweet spot. They are relatively cheap, simple, and filling, and they can be served with just a simple squirt of ketchup or mustard or with a laundry list of piled-on fixings.
New York City may not boast a hot dog style that’s as iconic as, say, Chicago (though the street dog culture is unmatched), but the city is rife with bars that complement their drinks with excellent pups. From no-frills frankfurters at unassuming dive bars to gourmet glizzies at well-to-do cocktail institutions, here are seven of the best bar hot dogs across NYC.
Corn Dog at Cowgirl
Cowgirl is a saloon-inspired restaurant and bar in the West Village and it’s been around since 1989, when it opened on Hudson Street as Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Pieces of Wild West decor cover every inch of the space — from saddles hanging off the ceiling to chandeliers made of antlers. With grits, rattlesnake, and okra on the menu, the food program leans Southern. It’s only fitting, then, that Cowgirl offers corn dogs on its menu. These dogs, served with mustard and “catsup” are encased in a pillowy, sweet exterior of cornbread that gives way to a meaty interior.
Gowanus Glizzy at Hidden Rivers
Hidden Rivers arrived in Gowanus, Brooklyn, earlier this summer with the goal of celebrating New York-based breweries. The newcomer, which frequently rotates its draft beers and features a backyard with picnic tables, is a hot dog haven. The food menu is scant — just a hot dog, a cheese spread, and chips are available — but that doesn’t mean it compromises on quality. The Gowanus Glizzy is an ideal blend of meaty, spicy, and acidic goodness. Whereas most hot dogs’ toppings are laid over the sausage, this glizzy bifurcates the dressings, which are laid onto the bun itself. One side of the bun is slathered in grain mustard and green relish, and the other is lacquered with pimento cheese. The stark visual contrast — one side bright green, the other a muted yellow — comes through beautifully in taste. The pimento cheese cuts through the tang of the relish, and both elevate the meaty frank.
Montreal Steamie at Peek Inn
From the same team behind East Williamsburg’s Meat Hook and Cozy Royale, Peek Inn landed on an unassuming corner in Greenpoint this spring, and it’s already made a name for itself with cold Martinis, stellar happy-hour deals, and ultra-loaded dogs. These homemade glizzies are comically oversized for their buns, and the out-there toppings take the dogs to new extremes. The menu frequently cycles through different options: In the past, the bar has offered Caesar salad and pimento cheese with pickled red onions as toppings. To honor the World Cup, a street taco-inspired dog, loaded with cotija, iceberg lettuce, refried beans, and jalapeño and encased in a pambazo-style bun is currently on the menu. One of our favorites that’s often available is the Montreal Steamie, a traditional style of steamed hot dog from the Canadian city. This frankfurter comes smothered in a cabbage slaw with white onion, relish, and mustard. The slivers of cabbage give a nice crunch that complements the Meat Hook’s snappy wieners. No matter what’s up for grabs during your visit, Peek Inn won’t steer you wrong.
Chang Dog at Please Don’t Tell/Crif Dogs
Please Don’t Tell is a world-class cocktail institution hidden like a speakeasy: To get in, you must walk through a phone booth located inside Crif Dogs, a subterranean hot dog joint in the East Village. The two establishments offer hot dog options of their own, but Crif Dogs supplies its franks to Please Don’t Tell, where the renowned cocktail bar dresses them to the nines. The Chang Dog is a Please Don’t Tell staple — a deep-fried, bacon-wrapped wiener topped with kimchi. The dish gets its name from the kimchi, which is sourced from David Chang’s Momofuku. The kimchi’s piquant bite balances the meat’s succulent, unctuous qualities, creating an overall punch that meshes well with Please Don’t Tell’s flavorful cocktail program.
Romeo’s Hot Dog at Romeo’s
The East Village is teeming with high-quality cocktail bars and late-night food spots, and Romeo’s on Saint Marks Place is both in one. The bar, which takes inspiration from ’90s-era westerns, puts a fun-lovin’ spin on classic cocktails like the Snap Pea Daiquiri, the Gazpacho-jito, and the Romeo’s Harvey Wallbanger. That eccentric spirit continues into the bar’s food program: The Romeo’s Hot Dog layers jalapeño relish, crispy onions, and mustard over a snappy wiener. The ensemble is packaged in a brioche bun, adding a sweet, buttery goodness to the mix. The bar also offers frequent collaborations with other restaurants, topping the remarkable Brooklyn-made franks with cheffed-up toppings and pairing them with complementary Martinis.
Free Hot Dog at Rudy’s Bar & Grill
In front of Rudy’s Bar & Grill, which opened in Hell’s Kitchen in 1933, is a bright pink statue of a pig. Inside are other porky relics and stashes of 8-packs of hot dog buns. These symbols all point to one of the most beloved characteristics of the bar: a free hot dog with every drink purchased. In a city where most things cost more, nothing beats free. At Rudy’s, the drinks themselves will only cost you a few bucks, too: The most expensive pint is $9, and the cheapest is $4. There’s nothing particularly special about the Rudy’s hot dog other than it being cost-free, but that’s enough of a perk to earn it a spot as one of the city’s best bar hot dogs.
Perro Con Todo at Santa Salsa
Santa Salsa is a dive bar meets Venezuelan street food cart. What more could you ask for? Not much, especially considering the spot’s heavily loaded hot dogs are just $6 to $8 each. Santa Salsa opened in Bushwick in 2011 and has since made a name for itself with its Venezuelan-inspired hot dogs, burgers, and other snacks. Of the dogs, our favorite is the Perro Con Todo, a traditional Venezuelan hot dog offering whose name translates to “dog with everything.” The toppings on a Perro Con Todo can vary, but at Santa Salsa, each order comes loaded with a heap of crushed potato chips, onions, cabbage, cheddar cheese, ketchup, mustard, and sweet corn salsa.
