CINCINNATI — July 20 marks National Hot Dog Day. Whether you prefer enjoying them in a ballpark while watching the Reds or around the pool at a family barbecue, hots dogs are an American classic. Here are the top nine places around the Tri-State where you can enjoy a hot dog to celebrate the day:
Senate
Senate — helmed by chef Daniel Wright — has been slinging gourmet hot dogs in Blue Ash since 2017. Prior to the Blue Ash location, Wright also ran a Senate location in Over-the-Rhine, which opened in 2010, among his other restaurants and eateries. The restaurant offers a range of fancy hot dogs, including a Trailer Park dog (topped with bacon, American cheese, coleslaw and crushed Grippos) to a Lindsay Lohan dog (topped with goat cheese, caramelized onions, bacon, arugula and balsamic). There’s also always a hot dog of the day to enjoy as well.
Lucky Dog OTR
Nestled on Main Street in OTR, Lucky Dog OTR is the perfect spot to stop in for a quick hot dog. The restaurant serves up traditional Cincinnati-style chili dogs, but also can prepare a Lucky Dog, which is an all-beef hot dog served on a steamed bun with your choice of toppings. Other than more traditional hot dogs, customers can also ask for a hot mett with a Queen City Sausage.
The Root Beer Stand
Though it’s obviously known for its root beer, The Root Beer Stand in Sharonville originally opened as an A&W Root Beer Stand in 1957. In 1982, the A&W branding expired but the stand still serves up root beer and hot dogs. Customers can opt for normal hot dogs, chili dogs or the stand’s famous Timmy Dog, which is a footlong with chili, cheese, onions, mustard, hot sauce, ketchup, relish, slaw and kraut.
Cincinnati-chili Eateries
We love our chili in Cincinnati, and nothing goes better with it than a hot dog, bun and cheese to make a chili dog or coney. Skyline Chili and Gold Star Chili are the obvious go-tos for coneys, but there’s also smaller eateries like Dixie Chili and Price Hill Chili that serve up a quality coney.
Hofbrauhaus
Bringing it back to the classic wursts of Germany, Hofbrauhaus in Newport has an array of traditional German “hot dogs” you can enjoy — though they won’t be enjoyed in buns but rather on a plate with sauerkraut. Customers can also wash their wursts down with a traditional German beer such as Dunkel or Hefeweizen for an authentic Bavarian experience.
Mr. Gene’s Dog House
With over 60 years of dog gone fun, Mr. Gene’s Dog House offers a simple but tasty variety of hot dogs for customers. You can opt between a chili dog, chili cheese mett, slaw dog, reuben dog, chicago dog or an Italian sausage sandwich. The nice thing is no matter your choice, all of Mr. Gene’s hot dogs ring in at $4.25 per hot dog, making for a cheap and yummy meal.
Putz’s Creamy Whip
Serving up both hot dogs and creamy whip, Putz’s Creamy Whip has been a mainstay in the Tri-State area since the Depression-era. The classic creamy whip shop is known for its ice cream, but it also serves up delectable footlongs, hot dogs, coneys and more for its customers. With all of its hot dog options under $5, Putz’s is a great stop for those trying to save a buck or two — and it’s also a great place for families as well.
Chicago Gyros & Dogs
There’s something so perfect about a Chicago dog, and while other eateries on this list offer them, none seem to match to Chicago Gyros & Dogs. The restaurant has more than 10 different hot dog options, but all of them have an all-beef Vienna hot dog and poppy seed bun base. Customers can also make their hot dogs into a combo with fries and a drink for an additional $4.50.
Eli’s BBQ
There’s nothing more classic than two all-beef hot dogs, and that’s exactly what Eli’s BBQ is serving up for its customers. For $7, the tasty franks come with sauce, cole slaw and pork crispins to top of the hot dogs. For those that aren’t feeling up to the all-beef hot dogs, Eli’s also has barbecue options, including ribs, wings and pulled pork.