By Leighanne Bent
To the ingenious soul that created National Hot Dog Day – we are forever in your debt. This glorious day is just around the corner, and you’d be barking mad to miss out. To ensure you’re in the know to celebrate on the 19th, DesignMyNight have kindly put a spotlight on all the best places for hot dogs in the capital.
Meat & Shake have a hot dog recipe that’s been ‘handed down generations’, and you have not one, but two places to get your dog fix: Ealing and Tooting. Their Dirty Dog boasts a smoked beef frankfurter that’s cushioned in between a soft brioche bun, smothered in beef chilli con carne, cheese, jalapenos and sour cream. It’s so good you’ll be drooling after every single bite.
Roadhouse is a lively little spot in Covent Garden, and they’re celebrating National Hot Dog Day in a big way this year. They have four different hot dogs for you to dig your gnashers into, and they’re all themed on different states in America. The Texas is topped with chilli, fistfuls of cheese and red onion and the San Francisco comes with crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayonnaise. Each dog will set you back £10, but you’ll get a portion of fries on the side.
We don’t need to tell you about Dirty Bones, and if we do – you’ve obviously not living your best life. Inspired by NYC, the food here isn’t exactly guilt-free – but it’s worth all the extra calories. Head down on the 19th and celebrate National Hot Dog Day by eating their Asian Dog. Topped with Sriracha hot sauce, wasabi mayo, crispy seaweed, pickled ginger and sesame seeds – this one ain’t for the faint hearted.
The Diner in Soho pays homage to the great diners of the 50s with neon signage, bright red booths and old school napkin dispensers. If you’re floating around central London on National Hot Dog Day, take our advice and pay them a visit. They not only have a Corn Dog on the menu, but another barking beauty that comes with melt-in-the-mouth bacon, swiss cheese, sour cream and pickles.
Joe’s Southern Table & Bar might have a lot of chicken dishes on their menu, but don’t be fooled – they know a thing or two when it comes to the mighty sausage. The Huge Pole dons an 8″ pork sausage, caramelised herb onions, mustard mayo and Joe’s spiced ketchup. If you don’t think that’s enough – and want more toppings – you can always dress it up a bit by adding slow braised chilli, beef or bacon.
Forget the days of awkwardly watching your ball roll into the gutter in front of your crush, All Star Lanes are making bowling cool again, and National Hot Dog Day is a great excuse to get back in the game. After you’ve hit a few strikes, take a seat in their downstairs restaurant and order the Top Dog. Topped with beer fried onions, tomato ketchup and deli mustard – it’s a meaty, messy masterpiece.
In case the name hasn’t already given it away, Bubbledogs is a place renowned for its dog game. They pair their heavenly bites with Champagne, and if that isn’t enough reason to grab your purse (and thrown on some stretchy pants), their Mac Daddy should do the trick. It comes smothered in macaroni and cheese, crispy onions and bacon bits.
Porky’s knocks it out of the park where American BBQ grub is concerned, and they have two hot dogs featured on their meat-mad menu. Head down to their no fuss plot on the 19th and get down and dirty with the Hound Dog or the Chilli Dog. Although you can’t go wrong with plain Jane, the Chilli Dog comes stacked with beef chilli, onions and fiery jalapenos.
Herman ze German have some of the best wursts in all the land. Choose from Chilli Beef, Bockwurst and Bratwurst, and watch as all your sausage dreams come true. Each one is grilled to perfection and served with homemade coleslaw, crispy onions and potato salad too. Best of all? All three sizzling saussies are all gluten and lactose-free.
Galvin HOP are going all out for National Hot Dog Day by offering three unique hot dogs, all of which have been created by Michelin-starred chefs. There’s Been a Murder, The Chimichurri Dog, Hogs and Cream Dog are the goods on offer, and you get to scoff all three, and vote for your fave one afterwards. Who will be crowned the king of the dog? Get down there and decide.
With a name like Oh My Dog!, there’s no need to second guess what these guys specialise in. Pop by their permanent home at Camden or make tracks for their summer pop-up at Southbank for what is rumoured to be the best hot dog around. Their North Carolina Pulled Pork option is a no-brainer, made with free-range organic pork shoulder, cooked in a traditional North Carolina barbecue style.
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