Favorite hot dog

[JenBragg]

Hi everybody! This is my first posting, so I'll try to stir it up a bit. Who serves the finest hot dog in Vancouver? I've tried many of the contenders, ranging from an Orange Julius relish dog to the Parisian-style chiens chauds at the Crepe Place. Personally, I favour the hot dog stand located on West Broadway (in front of the Future Shop). The buns are fresh and chewy and there's brand-name condiments a-plenty. The smokies are juicy, skins popping with gas-grilled criss-crosses. The texture is sublime.

Worst dog---Ikea; no comment.

[Chef Fowke]

As per earlier article...

The hot dog stand down the street from the Wedgewood (at Robson) is my favourite. Smokies, Hot Dogs, Veggie Dogs and my favourite ~ Veal Dogs. The guy even has a handwashing station!

Brian

[kontemporary]

Feenie's weenie? I actually haven't tried it.. maybe someone can cue in on this.

[transfattyacid]

i`ve tried the two mentioned above which are very good and would have been my choices ( saying that i do a mean dog round my house ) .

shame hot dog jonny`s closed before i could try`em out , surely this place could have been the hot dog answer to vera`s. any other thoughts .

* bites tongue * resisting temptation to make childish innuendo about feenie`s weenie * bites tongue *

( Daddy A will be proud )

[owzer]

As per earlier article...

The hot dog stand down the street from the Wedgewood (at Robson) is my favourite. Smokies, Hot Dogs, Veggie Dogs and my favourite ~ Veal Dogs. The guy even has a handwashing station!

Brian

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Brian,

Are you refering to the hotdog stand by Mac Cosmetics?

If so, I second that!

If I am not wrong, they have the largest variety of fixings in town.

And fixings is what makes a great dog for me...

Wen

[Mooshmouse]

Welcome to the eGullet madhouse Jen!

Here's a bit more input from an earlier thread on the demise of Hot Dog Jonny's.

Though Anne made reference to this February blurb from the Georgia Straight on owner John Zwickel's return to his corporate roots, there was a Hot Dog Jonny's stand operating at this May's Children's Festival. Wonder what the explanation is behind that... busman's holiday, perhaps? My bison dog was, by the way, delicious.

Edited to be well-mannered and welcoming.

Edited June 21, 2005 by Mooshmouse (log)

[eatrustic]

My vote as well is for the couple who run the stand in front of Future Shop on West Broadway. (And until the new food/lifeguard "complex" opens at Kits Beach they're also there with a second unit on sunny days.)

Everything is good, but my favorite is the Turkey Smokey.

The condiments aren't as elaborate as downtown but they're more than sufficient.

[Ducky]

The Slavic gentleman in front of Chapters at Broadway and Granville gets my vote. But perhaps he moves down to Future Shop from time to time and is the same person to whom others have made reference.

Also the "Kaisereck" in the GIM is worth mentioning.

[tarteausucre]

The stand in front of the Sutton Place Hotel has a Japanese-version hot dog. I think there's seaweed, some Japanese mayo, and various other condiments on it. Has anyone tried this version? It seems intriguing...

[Daddy-A]

My vote as well is for the couple who run the stand in front of Future Shop on West Broadway. (And until the new food/lifeguard "complex" opens at Kits Beach they're also there with a second unit on sunny days.)

Everything is good, but my favorite is the Turkey Smokey.

The condiments aren't as elaborate as downtown but they're more than sufficient.

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I'll second that! What is the name of his stand ... "Urban Pup" or something like that. He's the only guy I've found who has corn relish! European weenie, a little mustard, kraut and corn relish.

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the dog at Kaplan's. Keith?

A.

[Macha]

I favour the hot dog stand located on West Broadway (in front of the Future Shop). The buns are fresh and chewy and there's brand-name condiments a-plenty. The smokies are juicy, skins popping with gas-grilled criss-crosses. The texture is sublime.

Worst dog---Ikea; no comment.

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Hi Jen

I would have to agree about the dogs on Broadway, But now I am going to have to try the stand by the Wedgewood. I have found the guys up at Georgia and Granville who have been there forever, serve a pretty good dog as well.

[Paul B]

I would agree that the guy near the Wedgewood on Robson is pretty durn good. As for Hot Dog Johnnies, they had great wieners and lots of condiments, but they didn't heat the buns! Blasphemy.

Most of the time I head over to Supervalue and buy the President's Choice Ballpark Wieners (the best) and just make the dogs myself.

[easy]

I've had the Feenie Wienie, It's no better than any of the smokies at any of the stands around town.

The woman at the Art gallery serves up a nice dog and you can't beat that local on a sunny day.

Also, I can't resist the hot dogs at Ikea. must have something to do with the crowds and screaming kids that drives me to eat 4 $0.75 hot dogs

[JenBragg]

Wow! There has been some really interesting feedback re: favorite hot dog. I've noticed that most people prefer their dog from a street vendor. I remember when there wasn't any street food available in Vancouver. I believed that carts were the height of urban sophistication.

The cart on the corner of Robson and Burrard (across from Virgin) is/was? called 'Heavenly Dog'. They have excellent home-made condiments. I hate it when vendors charge $4 for a smokie and offer a saddo array of no-name dressings.

P.S. What about bacon bits on hot dogs...too much of a good thing?

Jen

[DarkDante]

I like the hot dogs at Vera cause it is a Nathan's hot dog. I can't find anywhere else in Vancouver that has that type of hot dog that snaps when you bite into it.

[Keith Talent]

Good hot dogs are entirely situational. It's neither the weiner nor the condiments that make a good dog, but the environment and situation you eat it in.

And beside, the best hot dogs in the city are found at golf courses, no question what so ever. A bad golf course hot dog is ten times better than one of those dirty street cart dogs cooked by some marginal workforce participant with a drinking problem and a lack of understanding why fingers should remain outside of nostrils. Besides, (and I can't beleive I even have to explain such basic fundementals to a group of food enthusiasts,) a hotdog with out a beer is like Arnie without his delete button, Neil without hangar steak or Maw without sexual puns.

Hot dogs belong on golf courses and at baseball parks. No grass? No dog. Simple. Anyways surrounded by the culinary Disney that is Vancouver, who eats cart dogs anyways? Weird.

And Ikea dogs are the only possible exception to the above rule. They make me nostalgic for Hot Dog Day at elementary school. One taste and you can detect that you are eating the cheapest foodstuff known to mankind. Even at a buck I gaurantee the have a profit margin on raw materials that would make the operators at Lift blush. Serving buckets of sand and gravel would have a higher food cost than Ikea dogs. And for that I love them.

[nondual1]

Good hot dogs are entirely situational. It's neither the weiner nor the condiments that make a good dog, but the environment and situation you eat it in.

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Yup, I second that!

Hot dogs belong on golf courses and at baseball parks. No grass? No dog. Simple.

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Hmm, will astro turf do -- as in miniature golf course, covered ballpark, and my patio (with a Weber and beer-cooler)?

And Ikea dogs are the only possible exception to the above rule. They make me nostalgic for Hot Dog Day at elementary school. One taste and you can detect that you are eating the cheapest foodstuff known to mankind. Even at a buck I gaurantee the have a profit margin on raw materials that would make the operators at Lift blush. Serving buckets of sand and gravel would have a higher food cost than Ikea dogs. And for that I love them.

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I second that as well -- and add further that it's also an opportunity to test how many bad dogs I can stuff myself with. Kinda a dry-run for the annual hotdog eating contest.

By the way, anyone know where I can get a decent Chicago Dog (no, Kaplan's doesn't quite cut it)?

[Keith Talent]

Aparently, and I am hesitant to post this, as it sounds too good to be true, and I don't want to get your hopes up but Target has teamed up with a native Chicago hot dog operator for thier stores. Bellingham here I come! Add the super secret taco wagon on Guide Meridian I was tipped off about by a real live Mexican and a road trip is overdue.

[Keith Talent]

Link to newspaper story about Target hot dogs.

Link to E-gullet Media thread about Target Hot Dogs.

[Macha]

Good hot dogs are entirely situational. It's neither the weiner nor the condiments that make a good dog, but the environment and situation you eat it in.

And beside, the best hot dogs in the city are found at golf courses, no question what so ever. A bad golf course hot dog is ten times better than one of those dirty street cart dogs cooked by some marginal workforce participant with a drinking problem and a lack of understanding why fingers should remain outside of nostrils. Besides, (and I can't beleive I even have to explain such basic fundementals to a group of food enthusiasts,)  a hotdog with out a beer is like Arnie without his delete button, Neil without hangar steak or Maw without sexual puns.

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It is situational, I was one of those Veggie people for 8 years and I took myself on a trip to NY. I had to see everything and was always starving because " Really" "I can see the empire state building, it can't be that far to walk” Hotdog stands saved me from starving and saved my wallet too. They were quite good, but nothing like the pretzels with mustard... Sorry off topic I don't think many people would seek out hotdogs other than ballgames which give you the 3 condiment options..... Golf courses??? You mean the little sandwich shops halfway through the course?? See: " Ball game hotdogs above" Thanks but I’ll stick to the vendors with the olives and mayo, pickles etc........ that may or may not keep their fingers outside their nostrils yuk

[nondual1]

Link to newspaper story about Target hot dogs.

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"Target stores will begin selling Vienna's Chicago-style hot dog--complete with a steamed bun, mustard, relish, onion, tomato wedges, a kosher pickle spear, peppers and a dash of celery salt. "

Yes... yes... YES!!!!!

Hit me with that, please!!!!!

[John]

Unfortunately the Vienna hot dog served at Target is NOT the same as the one served at Chicago hot dog joints. It is specially formulated and made for a roller grill. I had one this past Sunday and found it mediocre. Similar to a 7-11 hot dog.

[rockdoggydog]

Mr Tube Steak, (insert snickering smilie here), okay not really. If you make it down here to Seattle, there are a number of street vendors outside of Safeco Field with excellent dogs as well as Matt's a mini chain around town with many locations to serve you to satisfy a Chicago dog craving as well as Italian Beefs. We also have Diggity Dog, man oh man. By the way, what about Costco? No one likes Costco? Or, do they not serve good Kosher dogs in Vancouver?

Rocky

[BonVivant]

oh mannnnnnnnn.......how i miss street corner hotdogs in YVR! never thought i'd miss something like that. here in netherlands they don't know how to make hotdogs or even burger or hotdog rolls/buns! once i tried to get the ingredients from the supermarket to make me a hotdog snack, but couldn't find any real hotdog buns/rolls. had to walk around the place and put everything back on the shelf :(

[Daddy-A]

By the way, what about Costco?  No one likes Costco?  Or, do they not serve good Kosher dogs in Vancouver?

The Costco's up here used to serve the Hebrew National dogs at their food counters. After the "mad cow" thing, transborder shipping of tube-steak seemed to be forbidden, which always struck me as odd since I thought it was the Americans who didn't want Canadian meat, and not the other way around.

I LOVED Hebrew National dogs! Good snap, nice taste. The dogs they use now are just kinda ... acceptable.

A.