Few things say summer quite like a hot dog. According to the Washington, D.C.-based National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans consume 7 billion hot dogs during hot dog season, which the Council defines as Memorial Day through Labor Day. And the biggest single day for hot dogs is July 4, when Americans eat 150 million dogs.
Charleston restaurants offer a robust mix of hot dog options, from the classic to the corn dog. Check out one of these locations (in alphabetical order) to fill your hot dog quota.
James Island’s Bar George always has a selection of hot dogs on the menu, each one as delicious as the last. The Greek Dog features beef chili, shallot and Dijon mustard while the Slaw Dog is topped with Rampch (a ramp-Ranch dressing) and spring onion. Grab one of its dogs along with selections from the raw bar to ring all the bells. More: bar-georgechs.com
Calhoun Street’s Brown Dog Deli offers two hot dog options – a chili cheese dog with chili, cheddar, yellow mustard and chopped white onion as well as the all-American dog with ketchup, relish, yellow mustard and chopped white onion. Both hit the spot and there is no shame in ordering one of each. More: browndogdeli.com
Burbage’s Grocery is a neighborhood grocery store that offers everything from deli items to local products to prepared foods. A neighborhood favorite since 1946, this family owned store offers several hot dog options, including an all-beef dog with the traditional topping options like chili. More: Facebook
Halls Chophouse’s hot dog is a four-ounce Allen Brothers prime beef steak served with pepper relish and parmesan-truffle french fries. At its King Street restaurant, it is available on the bar menu and during Saturday lunch. At the Nexton location, the dog is available on the bar menu and during lunch daily. More: hallschophouse.com
Jack’s Cosmic Dogs has been serving a full range of hot dogs since the original location opened in 2000. Now located in Mount Pleasant, you can get everything from the Classic Cosmic Dog which has blue cheese coleslaw and Jack’s Cosmic Mustard to the vegetarian Vegeroid Dog. More: jackscosmicdogs.com
Folly Beach’s Lost Dog Cafe serves the Good Dog, Good Dog, a classic Boar’s Head all beef hot dog with options to add on cheese, onions, sauerkraut or relish. Few things complement a hot dog quite like salt water and sand. More: lostdogfollybeach.com
Mount Pleasant’s Not Just Franks is located adjacent to the Ace Hardware store on U.S. Highway 17 North. It feels like a nostalgic snack bar and it serves hot dogs, sausage dogs and bratwurst with all the traditional toppings as well as options like hot chow-chow and a red onion sauce. More: notjustfranks.com
Summerville’s Puma’s Italian Ice & Hot Dog Shack has one of the most extensive hot dog menus in town. The Hot Potato is served with onions, jalapeños, banana peppers, potato sticks and garlic parmesan dressing while the Tony Soprano has ricotta, marinara sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Wash down your dog with one of its floats or shakes before having an Italian ice dessert. More: pumasice.com
Another great option if you’re heading to Folly Beach and have a hankering for a dog is Rita’s Seaside Grille. The Steak Dog is a four-ounce Allen Brother prime hot dog served on an Amoroso bun alongside seasoned fries. More: ritasseasidegrille.com
Mount Pleasant’s Skoogie’s serves Chicago-style hot dogs from a no-frills counter. From a Polish sausage dog to a more traditional Chicago dog with celery salt, it’s hard to go wrong when making a selection here. More: Facebook
Seol Ah’s is a food truck, pop-up and mobile caterer that specializes in Korean corn dogs and street foods. Lynn Hobart, the owner and founder, decided to open Seol Ah’s to satiate the cravings she had for Korea’s specialty corndogs. The menu has a classic, a hot Cheeto, a ramen, a potato and an elote and rotating flavors like Italian parmesan, rainbow Pride and Fruity Peebles. More: seolahs.com
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