# Hot dogs: what do you like on em **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 17, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379 "2012-06-17T00:07:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/61 "2012-06-17T22:01:43Z")
Apparently saying “I’m not calling you a douchebag, but you’re totally a retarded douchebag” is ok? ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/62 "2012-06-17T22:14:13Z")
Chili mustard and onions is best I can leave out the chili I could never eat one plain Pan fried and cut up into some pork and beans works too ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/63 "2012-06-17T22:22:55Z")
I don’t care for hot dogs, I’d much MUCH rather have Polish Sausage or Bratwurst, but if none were available, and I were really hungry and it was the only thing to eat… > [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > Mayo and mustard. This. Thank you for making me look not so weird. Chili and cheese would be good too. ---
**Author:** ![Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eugene_of_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/64 "2012-06-17T23:56:18Z")
mustard, onion, and relish or kraut and black pepper ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/65 "2012-06-18T00:06:45Z")
If I’m out and about- I’ll take everything except ketchup. At home I usually make them with mustard and pepperoncinis. I recently tried a hot dog with ketchup for the first time, and I didn’t really care for it. Ketchup is sweet, hot dogs are kind of sweet, and the bun is sweet. It was all too sweet and lacked the balancing acidity of mustard or the spiciness of peppers. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/66 "2012-06-18T05:57:40Z")
Cecil Adams re ketchup on hot dogs [Why is there no ketchup on a properly made hot dog? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/679/why-is-there-no-ketchup-on-a-properly-made-hot-dog) > [@](#): > > Paul, I know you don’t mean to act like an alfalfa-chewing barbarian, but this is like asking why Leonardo didn’t paint the Mona Lisa on black velvet. Ketchup is destructive of all that is right and just about a properly assembled hot dog (and we’re talking about a pure beef hot dog, not one of those things you could serve with dressing on Thanksgiving). > > Ketchup smothers the flavor of the hot dog because ketchup makers add sugar to their products. That takes the edge off the highly acidic tomatoes, but it takes the edge off everything else, too. > > \ > > People get pretty emotional over the ketchup question. Mel Plotsky opened our discussion by describing the condiment as a “catchall of garbage.” Over at crosstown rival Vienna Sausage, they refer to ketchup as the “K-word.” If you go into an authentic hot dog joint and ask for ketchup on your hot dog, the counterman will pause and look you in the eye. He may or may not say, “Ketchup?” with a tone of disbelief. But you may be certain what he’s thinking: “Behold this creature that walks like a man. It wants \*ketchup \*on its _hot dog_.” > > But hey, if you want ketchup, by all means get it. I trust you will all see the error of your ways. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/67 "2012-06-18T06:28:56Z")
I think this tread is illustrative of the New York-Chicago divide. To New Yorkers, hot dogs are junk food - something you buy off a cart in the street for $1.50. To Chicagoans, who apparently have nothing better to eat, they’re haute cuisine. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/68 "2012-06-18T11:51:36Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I think this tread is illustrative of the New York-Chicago divide. To New Yorkers, hot dogs are junk food - something you buy off a cart in the street for $1.50. To Chicagoans, who apparently have nothing better to eat, they’re haute cuisine. Exactly! Except for the part that’s completely wrong. Which is a lot. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/69 "2012-06-18T15:42:23Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I think this tread is illustrative of the New York-Chicago divide. To New Yorkers, hot dogs are junk food - something you buy off a cart in the street for $1.50. To Chicagoans, who apparently have nothing better to eat, they’re haute cuisine. I’m not entirely sure why you got that impression. New Yorkers, from my experience, also love to argue about low-brow food. Of course hot dogs are just considered fast food. However, hot dog carts are almost non-existant in Chicago since the 80s (or perhaps it was very early 90s), because of strict laws about street food. When I was a kid, you used to find them everywhere. Now, you only see a few pushcart vendors of any kind (mostly Mexican _paletas_ and _elotes_). I can’t remember the last time I’ve actually seen an honest-to-goodness hot dog cart. God, do I miss them… ETA: [Here’s the rules in Chicago](http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/chicago-street-food-trucks-philip-foss-troy-marcus-johnson-matt-maroni/Content?oid=1733152): > [@](#): > > Food trucks and pushcarts aren’t illegal in Chicago, but they’re heavily restricted. You can’t do any cooking, cutting, or food preparation of any kind on board: everything must be precooked and packaged in a licensed kitchen. You can’t stop anywhere for more than two hours, and you can’t sell anything after 10 PM. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/70 "2012-06-18T17:04:48Z")
If it’s grilled, nothing. If it’s not grilled, mustard and onions. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/71 "2012-06-18T17:14:02Z")
Well according to the [National Hot Dog & Sausage Council](http://www.hot-dog.org/ht/d/sp/i/38617/pid/38617): > [@](#): > > Don’t… > Use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18. > Mustard, relish, onions, cheese and chili are acceptable. And you know since they are a council and such it must be true. Mustard and onions for me. Also deep fried hot dogs are pretty killer. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/72 "2012-06-18T17:56:30Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Mustard and onions for me. **Also deep fried hot dogs are pretty killer**. Literally, most likely. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/73 "2012-06-18T18:05:11Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > And you know since they are a council and such it must be true. And they are not based in Chicago, either. (Washington, DC.) As for the deep fried dogs, are you talking about rippers? Those are pretty cool. And deep frying, while not the best thing in the world for you, does not absorb as much oil as you’d think, if it’s done properly. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/74 "2012-06-18T18:06:54Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m not entirely sure why you got that impression. New Yorkers, from my experience, also love to argue about low-brow food. Of course hot dogs are just considered fast food. New Yorkers like to argue about low-brow food - if something exists, New Yorkers like to argue about it - but they don’t get all snobby about it. Getting snobby about hot dogs is like eating pizza with a knife and fork. Tell a New Yorker not to put ketchup on a hot dog if he wants to, and he’ll tell you to go fuck yourself. That’s one reason why I love New York so much. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/75 "2012-06-18T18:10:14Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > New Yorkers like to argue about low-brow food - if something exists, New Yorkers like to argue about it - but they don’t get all snobby about it. Getting snobby about hot dogs is like eating pizza with a knife and fork. > > Tell a New Yorker not to put ketchup on a hot dog if he wants to, and he’ll tell you to go fuck yourself. That’s one reason why I love New York so much. You have got to be fucking kidding me. I’m not clear what point you are making here. From my perspective, New Yorkers are especially snobby about their food. Especially pizza. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/76 "2012-06-18T18:14:24Z")
Mustard and onion is the only way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/77 "2012-06-18T19:39:04Z")
I like them with perfect chilli. Oh, only I can make perfect chilli. and Vidalia onions ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/78 "2012-06-18T20:21:36Z")
Usually, nothing, but occasionally I will put chili (without beans) and cheese on them. Anybody else still eat good old-fashioned Beenie Weenie? (I use Bush’s “Vegetarian” beans, but I think they have sweetened the sauce in them lately.) ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/79 "2012-06-19T13:55:28Z")
I like a veggie dog topped with cole slaw and french fried onions. Delicious! ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379/80 "2012-06-19T15:59:01Z")
At the ballpark: Mustard\* Anywhere else: Chili and cheese. \*trick to a ballpark hotdog @ home is to get the mustard up to room temp, wrap the dog in wax paper to get the roll moist, too. mmmmmmmmmmmm… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-dogs-what-do-you-like-on-em/625379.md?page=5)