By Gary Bennett
As modest and pedestrian as they may be, hot dogs are still an undisputed workhorse of American cuisine. They even had their own day this week.
National Hot Dog Day is celebrated each year on the third Wednesday of July — July 15 this year — and marks the peak of National Hot Dog Month, a broader celebration honoring the iconic American food. Be on the lookout for specials all month long.
Hamburgers actually dominate hot dogs by about three to one in total U.S. consumption. You only need to scan the menus of fast food and fast-casual restaurants to see this must be so. Hot dogs are almost nowhere to be found. But hot dogs partially make up for it in supermarket sales, outperforming ground beef by about two to one.
What hot dogs lack in pizzazz and restaurant popularity, they more than make up for with steadiness and staying power. They seem to be everywhere. They turn up at outdoor barbecues, baseball games, kids’ lunches, as a last-minute dinner for adults and even in a few popular Frederick eateries you might not expect.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
You may realize “hot dog” is a nickname for this unassuming meaty treat, but do you know where the name actually comes from? The answer is a mix of 19th-century immigrant history and dark humor.
In the 1800s, German immigrants introduced thin, elongated pork and beef sausages to New York. Because the long, slender sausages resembled the German dachshund breed, sellers and consumers jokingly called them “dachshund sausages.” Over time, the literal translation was shortened to “dogs.”
On a more mischievous note, widespread public skepticism regarding the meat content of this newfangled food bubbled up shortly after its introduction in America. Rumors circulated that unscrupulous butchers were using dog meat in their sausage casings. College students of the day sarcastically referred to the carts selling the sausages as “dog wagons” and the food inside as “hot dogs.” For better or worse, the name stuck.
SO, WHAT’S IN A HOT DOG ANYWAY?
Most of us are aware that hot dogs are highly processed and not too good for us. It is a misconception, however, that a hot dog is simply ground-up fatty meat shoved into a casing. The truth can be a little more ominous and may involve the term “mechanically separated meat.”
Spoiler alert! If you wish to enjoy your tasty, meaty treats without thinking too much about them, you may not want to read the following paragraph.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says mechanically separated meat is “a paste-like and batter-like meat product” made by forcing bones with attached edible meat through a sieve or similar device. In other words, the final product has a paste-like consistency and cake-batter form.
Can’t say I didn’t warn you.
Most hot dogs are made from beef, pork, chicken or turkey, and sometimes a combination of two or three, as the main ingredient, followed by salt and water. Some brands also add a combination of corn syrup, sugar, dextrose, mustard, flavorings and colorings, garlic juice, sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrite.
Brands vary widely in how many of these items are in their hot dogs, so be sure to read labels carefully. For example, Hebrew National franks list only two ingredients — kosher beef and water — but taste a little too beefy for me. Kirkland Dinner Franks, which are served at Costco for $1.50, are very tasty but made up of a murderer’s row of ingredients: beef, water, dextrose, salt, spices, sodium lactate, garlic, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, paprika and extractives and sodium nitrite.
WHERE TO FIND THE BEST HOT DOGS
For some reason, the main hot dog chains have avoided Frederick. For a short time, we had Windy City Red Hots, but they lasted only a few years on Carroll Creek.
The most famous hot dog chain is Nathan’s. They operate globally and feature a hard, almost crunchy casing enclosing a tasty beef frank. Nathan’s dogs are definitely on the small side, so they are popular on the hot dog-eating contest circuit. Other top hot dog chains include Wienerschnitzel, Portillo’s, Dog Haus and The Original Hot Dog Factory. None have called Frederick home.
Even so, there is no shortage of tasty wieners in Frederick. No, I’m not talking about local politicians. Hot dogs can be found on the menus of many local, fast-casual restaurants.
Here is a list of the top hot dogs in Frederick according to my taste. As with most things, tastiness is in the mouth of the beholder. I have tried all these hot dogs over the last month. I have to admit that I never ate an entire dog, opting for just a bite or two of each. I didn’t want to be like Morgan Spurlock, who gained over 50 pounds by eating only McDonald’s for a month.
This is not an exhaustive list in the least. For example, I did not include any hot dogs found at gas stations or food trucks.
1. Maxwell’s
This fun restaurant on Patrick Street features the Frederick Dog with a beef-and-pork combo, sauerkraut, mustard and diced onions for $9 and a footlong Chicago Dog that is all-beef and served with all the trimmings, including diced tomatoes, for $14. The presentation is wonderful and the taste is top-notch. I prefer the beef-and-pork combo taste to all-beef or all-pork.
2. Beef ‘n Buns ‘n Paradise
This Frederick favorite serves up jumbo all-beef dogs, plain for $6.99 or loaded with chili, nacho cheese, sauerkraut and mustard for $7.49. There’s also a Chicago Dog or a Hawg Dog, with pork barbecue added, for $8.49. I really liked the latter. These franks are tasty and juicy and have a great internal texture.
3. North Market Pop Shop
Their all-beef hot dog can be customized with the largest selection of toppings I’ve seen: all the usuals plus sriracha mayo, sweet pickle relish, hot deli relish, sauerkraut, pickle slices, Old Bay, bacon bits or jalapenos. The price is just $3.99. The dog is on the small side but very tasty and juicy.
4. Pretzel & Pizza Creations
The 2025 winner of Frederick’s best hot dog features a well-grilled dog wrapped in a chewy, salty pretzel. I can see how this would be a Frederick favorite, but if you’re not a big pretzel fan like me, their hot dog can be just a little too much to handle at one sitting. A plain, wrapped dog costs $7.50.
5. Boxcar Burgers
The Brunswick location serves a superbly fresh, all-beef, Maryland-made hot dog sourced from Roseda Farm. If you like to buy local, it doesn’t get much better than this. The dog is served on a warm bun with a good choice of toppings, including candied jalapenos and bacon jam, for $4.50.
6. Five Guys
For a chain known for its hamburgers, Five Guys spends an admirable amount of time on its all-beef hot dogs. They are split lengthwise and grilled to a caramelized consistency on a toasted bun. All imaginable toppings are available. Prices range from $7.50 to $11.
7. Bollinger’s Restaurant
This Thurmont restaurant’s quarter-pound, all-beef dog is served with chips. Toppings include cheese, sauerkraut, bacon, onions, green pepper, pickles or hot pepper relish for $8.24. The dog is silky smooth inside, with a beefy savoriness that calls for a bit of ketchup to bring some sweetness.
8. Costco
Even without a Costco membership, you can finagle your way into the food court and order up the famous $1.50 lunch special of a quarter-pound Kirkland Signature dinner frank with a soda. The dog is tasty, but since I now know how packed with preservatives the Kirkland dog is and because the frank is much larger than the bun, giving it too much of a meaty taste for me, I have it well down my list and would not recommend it.
9. Oh K-Dog
This new offering within H Mart on the Golden Mile offers Korean street food, including deep-fried rice cake hot dogs and corn dogs. There is a little too much breading for me surrounding a dog inside with an off-putting gray color. The taste was bland. Prices range from $3.99 to $7.49.
10. Harry Grove Stadium
Naturally, you’ll need to buy a ticket to a game to get one of their all-beef Dugout Dogs with sauerkraut, chili or cheese, or the Keyote Dog with crab mac and cheese. Prices start at $6.50. The dog was a little dry and the taste was only OK, but it naturally benefits from baseball ambiance and tradition.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
7th Street Café, Airway’s Inn, Anchor Bar, Birdies Bar & Grill at X-Golf Frederick, Black Hog BBQ, Bushwaller’s, Glory Days Grill, Little Red Barn Ice Cream Café, Masser Toll House Inn, Mountain View Diner, Sonic, South Market Sandwich Shop and Watson’s Carry Out.
Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.