United States of Franks: A Guide to Regional American Hot Dog Styles

Where it's from: Chicago, IL What it is: Vienna Beef franks are the standard in the Windy City, but the toppings are what really make a Chicago-style hot dog impossible to miss. The dog itself is steamed and placed in a poppy seed-encrusted bun, then it's “dragged-though-the-garden”—i.e., topped with tomato slices, celery salt, dill pickle spears, chopped white onions, green onion relish, sport peppers, and yellow mustard. Iconic place to try it: Portillo's

Where it's from: Arizona What it is: Popular in Phoenix and Tuscon, this bacon-wrapped hot dog is grilled and placed in a steamed bolillo roll. There are many variations on the toppings, but the standard dog comes with pinto beans, chopped tomatoes and onions, mustard, mayo, and jalapenos. Guacamole, salsa verde, and a variety of cheeses are also common options. Iconic place to try it: El Güero Canelo

Where it's from: Detroit, MI What it is: Popular across the Midwest, these dogs are on the smaller side, making them sort of like the slider of the hot dog world. The all-beef dogs are served in steamed buns and loaded up with Coney Sauce (a beanless chili traditionally made with beef heart for some iron-y oomph), mustard, chopped onions, and a hefty serving of shredded cheddar.  Iconic place to try it: American Coney Island

Where it's from: Seattle, WA What it is: This hot dog is most often a frank (sometimes Polish sausage) that is first grilled, then split in half before being placed into a toasted bun slathered with cream cheese. While there are standard garnishes—grilled onions, jalapenos, and grilled cabbage—there is kind of anything goes mentality when it comes to toppings. Some carts serve 'em up with sriracha, barbeque sauce, or even pico de gallo. Iconic place to try it: Comet Dogs

Where it's from: Cleveland, OH What it is: The Polish Boy is a grilled kielbasa sausage on a hefty roll. It’s topped with cole slaw, plus generous amounts of both barbeque and hot sauce. What sets this dog apart the most is the hearty pile of fries the sits on top of the frank. Iconic place to try it: Hot Sauce Williams

Where it's from: Newark, NJ What it is: Deep-fried hot dogs are common throughout New Jersey, but “Italian hot dogs” are really something that;s associated with the northeastern part of the state, specifically the Newark area at cult haunts like Dickie Dee’s and Jimmy Buff’s. Skinny all-beef are deep fried, then stuffed into half-rounds of pizza bread with plenty of fried or sauteed onions, red peppers, and potato rounds. Iconic place to try it: Dickie Dee's

Where it's from: Rhode Island What it is: The New York System wiener is very much a Rhode Island specialty. Topped with meat sauce, mustard, chopped onion, and a dash of celery salt, the all-beef hot dogs are served in side-cut rolls that have been steamed. The dogs themselves are usually stuffed into natural casing and griddled. Iconic place to try it: Olneyville New York System

Where it's from: The South What it is: Popular throughout the South, these (typically) all-beef dogs are usually topped with chili-slaw—cole slaw, raw onion, minced chili—or BBQ slaw. Given the regional sprawl, there are sub-genres of the slaw dog depending where you go.  Iconic place to try it: Nu-Way in Central Georgia

Where it's from: Kansas City, MO What it is: Reuben dog's are inspired by the famous deli sandwich and sold by the dozens at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium—home of the Royals. The frank itself is all-beef and is topped with melted cheese, caraway seeds, sauerkraut, and plenty of Thousand Island dressing. Iconic place to try it: Kauffman Stadium

Where it's from: New York, NY What it is: New York is home to all manner of hot dogs, but the classic variety is a Kosher all-beef dog, either skinless or with a natural casing. The dogs are known for their simplicity—typically griddled and topped with sauerkraut and a smear of mustard. Just don’t get a New Yorker started on endlessly debated topic of where to find the best dog. Iconic place to try it: Katz's Delicatessen, Gray's Papaya

Where it's from: Maine What it is: A Maine Red Snapper is either grilled or griddled, then nestled in a buttered and toasted roll, or popped into a steamed top-split bun. They get their name from their distinct bright red colored casing (the work of food coloring), and the snap achieved by use of natural lamb casings. Iconic place to try it: W.A. Bean & Sons Meat Market

Where it's from: Columbus, GA What it is: A local favorite in Columbus, the scrambled dog was invented by Charles Stevens over 50 years ago. It's a chopped hot dog smothered in chili, onions, and pickles, then served with an ample amount of oyster crackers. No hands here—the delightfully messy dish requires the use of a fork or spoon. Iconic place to try it: Dinglewood Pharmacy

Where it's from: Washington, D.C. What it is: Less a hot dog and more an over-sized spicy sausage, Half Smokes are one of the most famous dishes to come out of Washington D.C. They are topped with either pork-and-beef or all-beef chili, mustard, and chopped raw onions after they have been grilled and stuffed into a steamed bun. Iconic place to try it: Ben's Chili Bowl

Where it's from: San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA What it is: Commonly found in San Francisco and Los Angeles, these franks originated on the streets of Tijuana, Mexico. Wrapped in bacon and deep fried, the wieners are regularly sold by unlicensed street vendors—accounting for the tongue-in-cheek moniker, "Tijuana dog," relaying the potentially dubious quality of the product. Get it topped with fried onions and mayonnaise. Iconic place to try it: Street carts in L.A. and San Francisco, though the practice of deep frying hot dogs with bacon has spread across the country.

Where it's from: Troy/Albany area, NY What it is: Typically eaten ten at a time, the mini hot dog is a hyper-regional style originating from Troy, NY. The tiny links, produced by local butcher shops, are served on custom crafted three-inch buns and customarily topped with spicy meat sauce, yellow mustard, and onions. Read Robert Sietsema's tour of the best mini-dog spots here, and learn a bit more about their interesting history, which involves some hot-dog ingenuity from Greek immigrants. Iconic place to try it: Famous Lunch

As we discussed yesterday in the kickoff to hot dog week, one of the greatest joys of the all-American frank is its endless mutability. Travel around the country and you'll find that while everyone is bonded by a fundamental love of hot dogs, conceptions of what a hot dog should actually look and taste like vary drastically. Chicagoans smother their Vienna Beef franks with a laundry list of toppings, folks in Arizona pimp their wieners with Mexican-inspired toppings, and if you're from certain parts of New Jersey, your dogs better be deep-fried and stuffed into Italian bread with a gang of potatoes. While there are too many regional hot dog styles to list here, these are the most notable variants from coast-to-coast that should be on everyone's hot-dog bucket list. How many have you tried?