Hot Dog Etiquette
I’ve never been much of a hot dog afficionado, but in my youth I suppose I consumed my share. And, as a kid growing up in south Florida, I learned to garnish them with ketchup and mustard. No kraut, no pickle relish, no onions, not even chili. Just ketchup and mustard. And I liked ‘em that way! But when I joined the Air Force, I discovered that people from different parts of the country preferred all manner of garnishment on their dawgs. But I stayed true to my roots, although I learned to incorporate pickle relish and enjoy an occasional chili dog.
My wife, on the other hand, is from Chicago, and if you know anything about Chicagoans, you know they take their hot dogs seriously. In fact, the Chicago metropolitan area boasts more hot dog restaurants than McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger Kings combined!
The “Chicago Style” hot dog got its start from street cart hot dog vendors during the hard times of the Great Depression. Money was scarce, but business was booming for these entrepreneurs who offered a delicious hot meal on a bun for only a 
nickel. They’d start with a Vienna Beef hot dog, nestle it in a steamed poppyseed bun and cover it with a wonderful combination of toppings: yellow mustard, bright green relish, fresh chopped onions, juicy red tomato wedges, a kosher-style pickle spear, a couple of spicy sport peppers and finally, a dash of celery salt. This unique hot dog creation with a “salad on top” and its memorable interplay of hot and cold, crisp and soft, sharp and smooth, became America’s original fast food and a true Chicago institution.
Regular readers may be asking themselves why I’m writing about hot dogs when Dawn and I are freshly minted, card-carrying vegetarians. Well, while grocery shopping over the weekend, we picked up a package of veggie-dogs and a pack of whole wheat buns. I don’t know, a quasi-dog sounded worth a try. And, without thinking, I asked if we needed ketchup and mustard.
“Ketchup?” my wife asked as if I’d said something shocking. “You don’t put ketchup on a hot dog!”
“Well, I do,” I said defensively.
“No you don’t,” she said, moving on.” No one puts ketchup on a hot dog.”
That got me wondering if I’d been committing a blatant technical foul all these years, so I did some research and came across the following not-so-serious hot dog etiquette courtesy of the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council:
Don’t…
Put hot dog toppings between the hot dog and the bun. Always “dress the dog,” not the bun.
Condiments should be applied in the following order: wet condiments like mustard and chili are applied first, followed by chunky condiments like relish, onions and sauerkraut, followed by shredded cheese, followed by spices, like celery salt or pepper.
Do…
Serve sesame seed, poppy seed and plain buns with hot dogs. Sun-dried tomato buns or basil buns are considered gauche with franks.
Don’t…
Use a cloth napkin to wipe your mouth when eating a hot dog. Paper is always preferable.
Do…
Eat hot dogs on buns with your hands. Utensils should not touch hot dogs on buns.
Do…
Use paper plates to serve hot dogs. Every day dishes are acceptable; china is a no-no.
Don’t…
Take more than five bites to finish a hot dog. For foot-long wiener, seven bites are acceptable.
Don’t…
Leave bits of bun on your plate. Eat it all.
Don’t…
Fresh herbs on the same plate with hot dogs over-do the presentation.
Don’t…
Use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18. Mustard, relish, onions, cheese and chili are acceptable.
Do…
Condiments remaining on the fingers after eating a hot dog should be licked away, not washed.
Do…
Use multi-colored toothpicks to serve cocktail wieners. Cocktail forks are in poor taste.
Don’t…
Send a thank you note following a hot dog barbecue. It would not be in keeping with the unpretentious nature of hot dogs.
Don’t…
Bring wine to a hot dog barbecue. Beer, soda, lemonade and iced tea are preferable.
Don’t…
Ever think there is a wrong time to serve hot dogs.
I suppose I should have remembered that Dawn’s uncle Bud used to own a couple hot dog stands in downtown Chicago, so I guess she knows a thing or two about the subject. What did I learn from all this? Never argue with a gal from Chicago about things Chicago. And never put ketchup on a hot dog!
Doug
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Reader Comments (23)
What an interesting and funny article! Hope you write about how the veggie hot dogs turn out :D
Another interesting post with a nice balance of history and humor. I always enjoy your writing, especially when your tongue is placed so deliberately in cheek. Have any of your articles been published in print form? If not, I think you would find a receptive audience.
Shame on you! You actually put ketchup on your hot dogs? You are lucky you weren't roasted on a spit! It is a good thing your wife has put you on the right path before harm befell you!
Sacrilege! Happy to see you have put this in your past. Let us not speak of it again!
Super article! Glad Dawn showed you the way.
My favorite has always been the classic chili dog. Have it with chili fries for a delectable feast fit for a king!
How do you get your mouth around that thing? It looks way too big to eat without spilling.
Hey, I will be in Chicago next week on business. Can anyone recommend where I might go to experience Chicago's best hot dog?
I am too much a gentleman to touch that ;)
Orson, check out Superdawg Drive-In at 6363 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, at the corner of Devon and Nagle. You eat in your car and get served by car hops! (They also offer some picnic tables if the weather is nice and their web site says they have a "cozy, indoor dining room" although I never noticed it.) Great dawgs and pretty good fries. www.superdawg.com
The one I am most familiar with is Byron's on Irving Park just west of Sheridan and 3 blocks north of Wrigley...and it has parking! This is the classic Vienna dog, with the trademark northside bright florescent green relish. The ingredient choice for me is mustard, cheese (no chili), onion, relish, tomato and sport peppers. Hope this helps. Enjoy your visit!
My personal choice:
Morrie Omally's on the southside for the grilled Chicago-style dogs before a Sox game.
Morrie Omally's
3501 S. Union
Chicago (Bridgeport)
Everyone has their own favorites, but you could always go right to the source and visit the lunch room at the Vienna factory on Elston Ave. just north of Fullerton.
Mark
Impossible question, Orson, to which there are no right or wrong answers. Chicago has the most, and the best, hot dog purveyors per capita on the planet.
However, my personal favorite is the ever-popular Gene's and Jude's, 10 minutes south of O'Hare on River Road, just north of Grand Avenue (and the BP/Mickey D's on the corner).
Red hots, tamales, fries, Pepsi (no Coke), mustard, relish, onions and sport peppers. That's the extent of the menu, unchanged since 1951. If you want ketchup you'll have to swipe it from the McDonald's next door.
Katrina, believe it or not, it looks bigger than it really is and holding it with both hands minimizes spilling. Some people put a napkin around it but with a little practice you shouldn't need one.
Don't tell me anyone can eat one of these Chicago styles in 5 bites.
I agree completely. Gene's and Jude's. Before I moved here it was the first place I'd eat whenever I was in town. DO NOT ASK FOR KETCHUP.
All I can say is it's a good thing you and your wife weren't grocery shopping in Chicago. Admitting that you use ketchup on hot dogs might get you strung up (or worse) in some parts of town. Lucky for you your wife showed you the way! NEVER mention the K word and hot dog in the same sentence.
A couple of you guys have your minds in the gutter! Shame on you!
For those interested in Chicago-style hot dogs, Bob Schwartz's book Never Put Ketchup on a Hot Dog explains it all.
Schwartz has been an executive at Vienna Beef in Chicago for almost 40 years and writes not only about hot dogs, but a "long list of hot dog stands located in Chicago, city and suburban, as well as stands located around the country...Everyone who grew up eating hot dogs at those stands, especially in their own neighborhoods, remembers the one rule about putting condiments on a Chicago-style wiener - never put ketchup on a hot dog."
Sounds like a good read. I may find a copy myself!
Doug
If any of you Chicago types visit L.A. and miss your dawgs, here's some good news.
The Stand
1700 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA
The Stand's Chicago-style is $3.95, more money than anyone should pay for a hot dog. But that doesn't really matter in this case because it's worth it. The ingredients are fresh, the size is right and most of all it tastes great. If you are in town, try one. With the first bite you will be able to tell the difference between a regular hot dog and that of a champion and you will feel like you never left home.
There's also a Stand in Century City (2000 Ave. of the Stars, right behind CAA). I haven't tried it yet but if it's as good as the Stand in Encino, you will enjoy another great hot dog experience.
Nice article, there’s another SoCal place that deserves a mention, as they are almost exclusively a Chicago style fast food spot (with the Vienna Beef Sign, and 80’s Bearz memorabilia), and they serve a good Chicago dog (minus the valley vanilla):
The Sausage Stop
5362 E Slauson Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90040 (In Commerce, where Slauson crosses the 710)
Great info! I’m jumping on the G5 Executive and touching down in LA to grab The Stands Chicago style dog.