On July 4, Americans will consume 150 million hot dogs, according to hot-dog.org. And, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, we generally inhale a whopping 7 billion dogs.
Atlanta, especially, is hungry for them, ranking among the top 10 U.S. cities for consumption of hot dogs and sausages in 2022, according to Nielsen Co.
Here are a few ideas on where you can fill up on hot dogs, sausages and brats in the metro area this summer. Whether you want an all-beef wiener or a vegan rendition, classic toppings or creative add-ons, there’s a frank to feed your cravings.
Credit: Paula Pontes
Credit: Paula Pontes
Skip’s Chicago Dogs
Founded in 1979 by Chicago transplant Leo Shababy and his son, Leo “Skip” Shababy Jr., Skip’s is the place for a proper Chicago-style hot dog, and is a favorite among kids and cops alike.
A sign on the counter explains how Skip’s fashions a Vienna beef frank on a steamed poppy seed bun. To “drag it through the garden,” toppings are added in the following order: mild yellow mustard; sweet, tangy, electric green relish; chopped onion; two tomato wedges; a kosher pickle spear; two sport peppers and a dash of celery salt.
There’s also the Maxwell Street Polish, a grilled beef sausage topped with mustard and grilled peppers on a poppy seed bun. Green sport peppers are 40 cents extra. Get ‘em. That’s part of what makes it a Maxwell Street.
Combo meals ($8.25-$12.57) come with a drink and fries, but the $1.25 upcharge for terrifically crispy, beer-battered onion rings is worth it.
And, if you’re following the FX hit comedy series “The Bear,” featuring an elite chef who returns to Chicago to run his family’s beef-sandwich shop, you’d do well to order one of those at Skip’s. Make it dipped — and with hot peppers.
Grab a seat at one of the booths and let Skip’s put you in a Windy City state of mind.
48 N. Avondale Road, Avondale Estates. 404-292-6703, skipschicagodogs.com
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
Credit: Ligaya Figueras
DBA Barbecue
DBA is an Atlanta barbecue mainstay, but it also offers a half-dozen hot dogs, each featuring a quarter-pound Nathan’s beef frankfurter on your choice of poppy seed or brioche bun.
A best bet is the signature DBA dog, whose toppings of pimento cheese, bacon bits, cooling coleslaw and crunchy fried onions make it a tasty ode to the South. The Mac Daddy, meanwhile, is a seriously loaded dog, piled with pulled pork and mac and cheese, plus a squirt of sweet, house-made barbecue sauce. Another unique option is the stew dog, served with a ladleful of Brunswick stew. All dogs ($9-$13) come with a side of Zapps potato chips or impressively crisp french fries.
Enjoy your dog at DBA’s original location in Virginia-Highland or its newly opened outlet in the old Greater Good BBQ spot near Chastain Park.
1190 N. Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta and 4441 Roswell Road NE, Atlanta. 404-249-5000, dbabarbecue.com
Credit: Paula Pontes
Credit: Paula Pontes
Love at Wurst Sight
This gourmet wurstery-on-wheels offers a variety of grilled sausages and hot dogs, as well as Philly cheesesteaks and burgers.
The clear wiener winner is the Polish sausage, topped with grilled onions and peppers. But you’ll also find bratwurst, vegan sausage made with Beyond meat, and a foot-long, half-pound Black Angus beef dog that you can douse with cheese and/or chili for an extra $1.
Solo sausages and dogs are $9-$14. Plates, which come with a side of shoestring fries and kraut, or sweet German potato salad, are $11-$16. A side table is crammed with all the condiments imaginable, so you can doctor a naked dog to your liking.
This food truck really gets around, making stops as far south as Senoia and Fayetteville, and north to Commerce. The truck’s whereabouts are posted weekly on Instagram (@loveatwurstsight) and Facebook (LoveAtWurstSight).
404-405-7466, loveatwurstsight.com
Credit: Court
Credit: Court
Farm Burger
Regional chain Farm Burger is known for its 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef burgers, but sustainable dogs are on the menu, too. This summer has seen the addition of the spicy cheddarwurst ($9.50). A jalapeno cheddarwurst from local butcher Spotted Trotter, it is topped with jalapeno mustard, chili ketchup, bacon and spicy garlic pickles.
Make it a meal with an order of other menu newbies, such as Greek feta fries; the health-minded summer farm salad (lettuce, arugula, strawberries, cucumbers, radishes, ricotta and garlic-herb vinaigrette); or the summer superfood salad (kale, toasted farro, pickled fennel, toasted almonds, cucumbers, hearts of palm, feta and artichoke-lemon dressing), made with ingredients grown on nearby farms.
Multiple locations, farmburger.com
Credit: Paula Pontes
Credit: Paula Pontes
NFA Burger
Although beloved for its burgers, this counter-service restaurant inside a gas station also has a couple of substantive dogs on the menu.
The Southsider ($8) features a plump one-third-pound Vienna beef Polish sausage, while the quarter-pound Jersey dog ($6) is Angus beef. Diced pickles, mustard and “sassy sauce” — a slightly spicier, sweeter version of the special sauce used on NFA’s burgers — are freebie toppings, but you can fuel up with more — such as jalapenos, raw or grilled onions, cheese, bacon, Hatch green chiles and turkey chili — for an additional 75 cents to $1.75 per add-on.
And it’s not a real NFA Burger experience unless you scarf down your fare at the picnic tables out back.
Inside a Chevron gas station, 5465 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. 404-666-2874, nfaburger.com
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