All New England Books
The Ultimate American Hot Dog Tour: 10 Iconic Stands You Must Visit
The Ultimate American Hot Dog Tour: 10 Iconic Stands You Must Visit
Jim Wright
13 August 2025
The hot dog is a
cornerstone of American cuisine, a simple and perfect food that tells a story
about the city or region it's served in. For any true food lover, a journey to
the nation's most iconic hot dog joints is an essential pilgrimage. This is not
a world of fleeting trends, but one of time-honored recipes, fierce local pride,
and multi-generational loyalty. From New York's classic franks to Denver's
exotic game sausages, this guide, based on deep research
into America's most celebrated establishments, will take you on a tour of the
must-try hot dogs that define our culinary landscape.
1.
Nathan's Famous (Coney Island, New York)
A true
American legend, Nathan's Famous is the undisputed champion of
classic hot dogs. Since 1916, this Coney Island institution has been serving
its world-famous all-beef frankfurters, known for their perfect snap and
incredible flavor. A visit to the original location is a rite of passage,
especially when paired with their classic crinkle-cut fries. It's the benchmark
against which all other classic hot dogs are measured.
2. Olneyville New York
System (Providence, Rhode Island)
A trip
to Rhode Island isn't complete without trying its unique culinary creation: the
"hot wiener." And the undisputed king is the Olneyville New
York System, a James Beard Award-winning "America's Classic."
Here, small, snappy wieners are placed in a steamed bun and loaded "all
the way" with mustard, a signature seasoned meat sauce, chopped onions,
and a dash of celery salt. It’s a truly iconic and delicious taste of Rhode
Island culture.
3. The
Weiner's Circle (Chicago, Illinois)
If
you're looking for a classic Chicago-style char dog with a side of famous
attitude, The Weiner's Circle is a must-visit. This late-night
institution is legendary for two things: its perfectly grilled hot dogs
"dragged through the garden" with all the traditional Chicago
toppings (mustard, onions, relish, tomato, pickle, sport peppers, and celery
salt) and its hilariously surly staff who engage in comedic, expletive-laden
banter with customers.
4. Hot Dog Tommy's (Cape
May, New Jersey)
A true
Jersey Shore destination, Hot Dog Tommy's is famous for its
upbeat vibe, creative gourmet toppings, and the legendary long lines that prove
its popularity. This seasonal, upbeat food shop serves up high-quality hot dogs
with both classic and one-of-a-kind toppings and even offers excellent vegan
versions. It's a perfect, satisfying bite in a historic shore town.
5.
Hillbilly Hot Dogs (Lesage, West Virginia)
For a
truly unique and over-the-top experience, a pilgrimage to Hillbilly Hot
Dogs is essential. Housed in two repurposed school buses, this
roadside shack in Lesage, West Virginia, offers a dizzying menu of creative hot
dogs. Their most famous creation
is
the "Homewrecker," a massive 15-inch, 1-pound weenie
piled high with jalapeños, peppers, onions, nacho cheese, chili sauce, and
more.
6. Biker Jim's Gourmet
Dogs (Denver, Colorado)
Biker
Jim's takes the concept of a hot dog to a whole new level
with its focus on exotic game sausages. This is the place to try something
you've never had before, from reindeer and rattlesnake to wild
boar and elk jalapeño cheddar. Topped with creative condiments like their
signature cream cheese and caramelized onions, it’s a one-of-a-kind gourmet
experience.
7.
Nu-Way Weiners (Macon, Georgia)
A
Southern institution since 1916, Nu-Way Weiners is famous for
its classic, bright red hot dogs. The signature style is a wiener on a steamed
bun topped with a unique chili sauce and often a line of mustard. It’s a taste
of history that has been a beloved Georgia tradition for over a century.
8. American Coney Island
(Detroit, Michigan)
Located
in the heart of Detroit, American Coney Island is one of the
originators of the iconic "Coney dog." This classic features a
natural casing hot dog on a steamed bun, smothered in an all-meat, beanless
chili, and topped with mustard and chopped onions. A visit here is a taste of a
legendary Michigan tradition.
9. Papaya King (New
York, New York)
A New
York City classic, Papaya King is the originator of the
"recession special": two delicious hot dogs and a tropical fruit
drink for an incredibly low price. Their frankfurters have a fantastic snap,
and the most popular way to order them is with mustard and sauerkraut. It's a
simple, perfect, and quintessentially New York experience.
10. Bert's Hot Dog Shop
(Burgettstown, PA)
R.I. Food Fights to celebrate wieners, hot dogs, and more beginning September 1st
R.I. Food Fights
to celebrate wieners, hot dogs, and more beginning September 1st
Be part of the fun
and choose the region’s best dogs
Wieners, Hot Dogs,
Saugys, whatever you call them, they’re a Little Rhody favorite.
Rhode Island is
known for its culinary scene, but hot dogs are an often overlooked menu item.
With so many popular wiener spots around the area, including Sam’s New York
Systems, Wally’s Wieners Providence, and Baba’s Original New York System Rhode
Island is at the center of the Wiener-verse.
This September, RI
Food Fights kicks off WIENER FEST, a contest inviting locals to sample dozens
of the state’s best wieners and help choose a winner, one bite at a time.
The concept is
simple and irresistible. Participating wiener joints offer one free hot dog to
anyone with a coupon from RI Food Fights. The coupons come bundled in a single
book, known as the Passport, which is mailed directly to participants. For
under $30, you can purchase a Passport and begin your summer/fall wiener tour.
This year features more than 20 participating establishments.
With a Passport in
hand, participants have the entire month of September to visit restaurants,
food trucks, and hot dog stands across Rhode Island and taste everything the
state has to offer. Along the way,
voters help decide which spot earns the coveted title of Best Wiener in RI.
Wiener joints span
from Woonsocket to Westerly, making the competition a showcase of local
businesses and a celebration of the state’s diverse and creative hot dog scene.
Passports are on sale here, and organizers expect them to sell out quickly.
Visit EventBrite.com to purchase yours and get ready to enjoy. Click here for
more information on RI Food Fights.
Reader’s Digest says this dish defines comfort in Rhode Island. Do you agree?
Rin Velasco
USA TODAY NETWORK - New England
Comfort food means a lot of different things to people in Rhode Island.
The Ocean State has a lot of local eats that just hit the special spot. Foods like johnnycakes, pizza strips, and doughboys from Iggy's mean so much more than just satisfying your hunger. Eating them can feel like home.
As part of Reader's Digest's America the Tasty 2025: Comfort Food from Every State list, the publication said that one Rhode Island dish in particular signals that type of comfort more than anything else.
"See if you agree with your state’s pick … or find a new personal favorite on this list," Reader's Digest said.
Here's what Reader's Digest picked as Rhode Island's top comfort food.
Reader's Digest says stuffies are Rhode Island's top comfort food
Reader's Digest chose stuffies as Rhode Island's number one comfort food because of how the making of the savory treats can bring Ocean State families together.
Here's what Reader's Digest said about it: "Rhode Islanders make this coastal comfort a family affair, harvesting fresh quahog clams, then stuffing them with a delectable filling of briny steamed clams, smoked Portuguese sausage and seasoned bread crumbs. A simple squeeze of lemon takes them over the top."
What are stuffies
Stuffies are the regional name for Rhode Island baked stuffed quahog clams and are a state tradition, the Visit Rhode Island website said.
"A quahog (pronounced kwa-hog) is a hard clam, available year-round in Rhode Island waters and harvested to make favorite dishes such as clam chowder and stuffies," the website said. "Quahogs are inherently nutritious—high in selenium, zinc, iron, magnesium, and B vitamins."
Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@gannett.com.
The airport stuffie
The
airport Stuffie
WARWICK, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island Commerce is working on
a new campaign that would put installations of life-sized “stuffies” in
airports across the country.
Stuffies, also known as baked stuffed clams, are a Rhode
Island staple.
The goal of these installations is to get people curious
about Rhode Island and hopefully draw more people to the state.
Travelers at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport
have mixed reviews on whether or not a stuffie would draw people into the Ocean
State. Some people said yes, but many people said something else would better
represent Rhode Island.
“What would you think if you saw a giant stuffed claim in
the airport?” asked ABC 6’s Alyssa Azzara.
“SpongeBob lives here, I don’t know,” said one traveler.
“Would it make you want to come to Rhode Island?” asked
Azzara.
“I think so…because it looks good,” said another traveler.
“I don’t think they would come to Rhode Island for that,”
said a third traveler.
Some people say no way to the stuffie, but one traveler
that spoke with ABC 6 thinks it’ll peak people’s curiosity.
The whole idea of these life-sized installations is to get
people’s attention.
“The goal is to make them say, ‘Well, what is that?’ And
when they say what is that, we have achieved part one of of goal, which is to
get their attention and make them curious,”‘ said Anika Kimble-Huntley, chief
marketing officer at Rhode Island Commerce.
Some travelers think Rhode Island Commerce could have
picked something different to better represent the state.
“If Rhode Island had a great coastline, or water, or
mansions to visit, maybe if I saw that I’d be more interested, a quahog…
probably not,” said a traveler from Rhode Island.
Kimble-Huntley said they want to draw people in with
something they may not know about, have travelers talk with ambassadors about
it, and then hopefully they’ll visit the Ocean State.
“If we’re able to drive food tourism to restaurants who
probably need the help selling stuffies then there’s an economic impact to
that, then think about the trickle down affect, now you have the shellfish
fisherman.. Maybe they’ll be a greater demand for quahog,” explained
Kimble-Huntley.
Kimble-Huntley said they’re also looking at doing events
and marketing around the stuffies as well as looking at putting a Newport
mansion installation in airports.
The stuffie installations are a part of a $4.5 million air
service marketing program.
Officials hope to have the stuffie in airports in June.
.
Rhode islands favorites
RHODE ISLAND FOODS
Stuffies
Served in the shell, stuffies
are baked stuffed clams with lots of breading and butter. This Rhode Island
food is so iconic that a seven-foot version of it is being placed in airports
around the country to attract visitors to the Ocean State.
Clam Cakes
A deep-fried fritter made with
chopped clams, clam juice and a flour base. They have a similar consistency to
a hush puppy after they're fried and are more cakey than say a crab cake.
RI-style Calamari
Take a basic calamari appetizer
(batter and fried squid) and toss it in butter, garlic and hot peppers, and you
get Rhode Island-style calamari. The dish is the official state appetizer.
RI Clam Chowder
A lighter take on clam chowder
than the New England or Manhattan versions, Rhode Island clam chowder skips the
cream and the tomatoes giving it a clear broth.
Lobster Roll
Sure, Maine gets a lot of
credit for their lobster rolls, but Rhode Island's are every bit as good. As a
state, we're not picky about if they're warm or cold. We just like them with an
ocean view.
New York System Wiener
We know, it says New York in
the name, but we promise this is a Rhode Island thing. The weiners – which are
a mix of beef, pork and veal – come in a natural casing that makes a 20-foot
rope that the restaurants has to cut to size by hand. Once in the bun, it's
covered in a spicy sauce that includes onions and ground meat.
Grinder
If you're really from Rhode
Island, you'll pronounce it "grindah" and forget about the r. This
Rhode Island favorite is a sandwich made with Italian cold cuts, pickles and
other vegetables put on a grinder roll. You can mix up the cold cuts, but they
have to stay in the salumi family.
Dynamite
A Woonsocket classic, the
dynamite sandwich is a type of sloppy joe-like sandwich served in a torpedo
roll with a spicy sauce often made in batches large enough to feed a crowd.
Pizza Strips
Also called a party pizza, red
strips or a bakery pizza, a pizza strip is a rectangular strip of pizza, served
on a crust that would be best described as focaccia, topped with tomato sauce
and often a dusting of grated Romano cheese. It’s served at room temperature.
Johnnycakes
Similar to a pancake, the main
difference is Johnnycakes are made with stone-ground cornmeal. A staple at May
Breakfasts across the state, they're very easy to make.
Pepper biscuits
An Italian treat, a pepper
biscuit is a simple biscuit flavored with fennel and pepper rolled out into a
log before being twisted into a round. The crunchy snack pairs well with a
glass of wine.
Zeppole
A treat traditionally served on
St. Joseph's Day, zeppole resembles a flattened cream puff, filled with cream
and topped with more cream and a cherry. Traditional ones are filled with
pastry cream. Others are made with ricotta cheese, chocolate cream or whipped
cream and fruit.
Coffee Milk
For those who didn’t grow up
drinking coffee milk from cartons in elementary school, coffee milk is exactly
what it sounds like: milk mixed with a sweet coffee syrup. The drink was
invented in Rhode Island, sometime in the 1930s.
Del's Lemonade
Never drink it with a straw!
Del's Lemonade is a frozen lemonade with roots in European fruit ices.
Perfectly refreshing on a summer beach day, lemon is the classic flavor but the
brand offers many others.
Doughboys
Awfully close to the fried
dough you might find at any old state fair, but better because of their
smaller, more manageable pillow shape. Cover these in sugar and cinnamon for
maximum happiness.
Scientists, lawmakers, and those who make their living from Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay are teaming up to hunt for the reason why quahogs appear to be on the decline.
Scientists, lawmakers, and those who make their living from Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay are teaming up to hunt for the reason why quahogs appear to be on the decline.
Quahogs have a long history in the state. The shells of the
large, hard-shelled clam were used by the indigenous Narragansett people as
wampum. The clam itself is a staple of clam chowders and in 1987, the Rhode
Island Legislature designated the quahog the official “Rhode Island State
Shell.”
On Tuesday, a special Rhode Island legislative commission
held a hearing to study the reduced catch. The commission is looking at a range
of possible factors that may be contributing to a loss of the signature
shellfish, from oxygen deficiency to changing aquatic life and climate change.
Quahogs — also known as little necks or cherry stones or
chowder clams — are filter feeders drawing nutrients out of water columns. They
don’t move much other than the first 2 to 3 weeks of their lives when they are
larvae, according to Conor McManus, of the Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management.
Quahogs will traditionally start spawning in mid-June first
in coves along Narragansett Bay and progress through the season. A second large
spawning can occur in July.
There was a peak in the harvest of quahogs in the 1950s
before the dredging of the clams was banned. There was a second peak in the
1980s reflecting an improvement in water quality in the upper bay.
“Since then, we’ve seen a dramatic decline,” McManus said.
There’s also been a decline in the number of people trying
to harvest quahogs from historical highs of more than 1,000 people down to
about 400 people a decade or so ago, and now down to 150 to 200 people, he
said.
McManus said the hunt for an answer to the quahog decline
is complex. As an example, he pointed to events that might cause a drop in
oxygen in the water.
Typically, those hypoxia events are seen as a negative for
organisms, but there is also a competing theory that such episodes could help
quahogs because it might force away potential predators.
“Over the course of a quahog’s life there is a lot of
uncertainty,” he said.
Jim Boyd, a shellfisherman, said that less than half the
number of quahogs is being harvested from Narragansett Bay compared to a decade
ago and he and others who rely on quahogs need answers.
To the industry, it’s pretty clear that while there
may be many factors for the drop, the primary driver is the reduction in
nutrients needed for quahogs to thrive, he said.
“We really need the department and the universities to
focus on this question for us because this industry is taking a significant hit
over the last decade and our concern is that this is going to continue in the
coming years,” Boyd said. “We’re seeing this slow, methodical decline in the
abundance of quahogs throughout the bay.”
Other states along the Atlantic coast have also experienced
declines in both quahogs as well as also oysters, bay scallops and soft-shell
clams, according to McManus.
Quahogs feed on plankton. That also makes them key to the
environment since plankton feeds on nitrates, which water treatment plants
can’t filter out, making quahogs a natural source for filtering impurities out
of the water, as well as being a sought-after food.
Rhode Island clear-broth clam chowder
Rhode Island clear-broth clam chowder
Rhode Island clear-broth clam chowder offers taste of
the sea, Native tradition
'The original chowder' was made with quahogs before arrival
of colonists, cows and cream
Creamy white New England clam chowder is the most
famous.
Blood-splatter red Manhattan clam chowder is the most
reviled.
Yet salty clear-broth Rhode Island clam chowder "is
the original chowder," says Jamie Coelho, editor-in-chief of Rhode Island
Monthly magazine.
"The indigenous tribes of Rhode Island gathered
quahogs to eat, long before the colonists arrived, and used them to make
chowder."
There’s a pretty good reason that Native Americans didn’t
make creamy chowder.
Rhode Island clam chowder
Rhode Island clam chowder is a clear-broth chowder made
with hard-shell clams, known as quahogs, fresh herbs and potatoes. (Anne
Cusack/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
They didn’t have cows.
The animals are not native to North America.
They arrived in the Americas only with European settlers
after the Columbus explorations. Indigenous people had no domesticated
livestock. Dairy was not common in their diet.
Clear-broth Rhode Island clam chowder is no less delicious
than its more common creamy counterpart.
It’s certainly healthier.
Instead of cream, Rhode Island-style chowder is made with
clam broth — which is nothing more than salty ocean water — but often stretched
with seafood or chicken stock or beer.
Meaty Rhode Island quahogs are the star of the stew.
Quahogs are large hard-shell clams with dense, flavorful meat. The
shellfish grow abundantly in the Ocean State.
The species is found across coastal North America.
The word quahog comes from the Ocean State’s native Narragansett people — also
the name of a beautiful seaside town with world-class seafood.
Rhode Island clam chowder typically includes fresh herbs
such as dill, while potatoes are common.
Coelho cites Sherry Pocknett, the chef-owner of Sly Fox Den
Too, in Charlestown, as the state's best repository of its indigenous cuisine.
A member of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, she won the
prestigious 2023 James Beard Award as Best Chef in the Northeast.
"Quahog chowder," Pocknett told Coelho in an
interview last year, "is a Mashpee Wampanoag recipe made with quahog
clams, potatoes, onions and ground black peppercorn in a broth."
Quahog remains an iconic Rhode Island culinary and cultural
idiom.
Quahog, Rhode Island is the name of the fictional town
featured in the animated sitcom "Family Guy."
"The indigenous tribes of Rhode Island gathered
quahogs to eat, long before the colonists arrived, and used them to make
chowder."
Rhode Island's clear-broth chowder reflects the state’s
deep and close connection with the ocean and its prized quahogs.
In Rhode Island, a hunt is on for the reason for dropping
numbers of the signature quahog clam
Explaining the ‘stuffie,’ a uniquely Rhode Island food that’s trying to attract tourists
Explaining the ‘stuffie,’ a
uniquely Rhode Island food that’s trying to attract tourists
The
stuffed quahog is part of Rhode Island's latest campaign to draw in new
visitors. But what exactly is a stuffie?
Massachusetts is known for its
seafood. More specifically, clam chowder, fried clams, and oysters, and the
food is just one of the reasons why millions of visitors come to the Bay State
every year.
But what about the rest of New
England? Like, Rhode Island, for example? Also known for its seafood scene, a
food that might come to mind is calamari, the state appetizer that’s tossed
with hot peppers.
Instead of capitalizing on that dish’s
reputation, the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation is using a food in its recent
campaign that is uniquely Rhode Island.
The “stuffie.”
In an attempt to draw in visitors to
Rhode Island, the agency responsible for statewide economic development created
a campaign starring a whopping 200-pound version of the stuffed quahog. It’s
made of styrofoam, and it sits on a large plate next to an 8-foot-tall bottle
of hot sauce. The agency had two of them made by local company Lance
Industries.
The stuffie, which is making its way
around parts of the country that offer flights to and from Providence, has been
subject to some online criticism by the agency’s strongest detractors — Rhode
Islanders themselves.
“We have a great culinary scene and
having a giant baby pooh on a clam is not going to bring in more tourists,” one
commenter said below a Boston Globe article.
When it comes to looks alone, these
oven-baked clams aren’t the most attractive plate of food, though Stephen
Bucolo, president of Anthony’s Seafood in Middletown, thinks they make up for
it in taste.
His business, which includes a
restaurant, a seafood market, and wholesale, sells plenty of stuffies (though
they sell a lot more of their calamari appetizer). Often they’re asked to
explain what a stuffie is.
“Outside of Rhode Island, very few
people know what they are,” he said. “When they ask, we say stuffed quahog, and
then they ask what a quahog is.”
Anika Kimble-Huntley, the chief
marketing officer of the Rhode Island Commerce, said that’s part of the point
of the campaign. They want people in their target markets — Los Angeles,
Detroit, Atlanta, and Baltimore — to ask about the stuffie. And they are, she
added.
“I think it’s great that people are
talking about it,” Kimble-Huntley said. “We want people to talk about it.
That’s really what the goal is, to create buzz and to raise awareness of the
unique cuisine in Rhode Island.”
Kimble-Huntley said they have
ambassadors on site to explain the beloved stuffie to passersby and to pump
them up about a potential Rhode Island trip. There’s also a video screen next
to the stuffie that shows people how they’re made, from clamming to cooking.
So, what is a stuffie?
Outside of the boundaries of the
country’s smallest state, stuffed quahogs really aren’t a widely-known (or
eaten) food. They show up on some menus in southeastern Massachusetts, mostly
near waters where quahogs are found (like Buzzards Bay), which is the clam used
when making a “stuffie.”
But quahogs are found in abundance in
Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. Shellfish culture is important in Rhode
Island, its industry worth hundreds of millions, and recreationally people
enjoy clamming.
They also, obviously, really enjoy
eating the catches.
Bucolo sells nearly 600 stuffies a
week during peak summer season, he said. It helps that his stuffies were
advertised on “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives;” it also doesn’t hurt that not
many people serve them.
But when they are on the menu, they’re
usually always a different take on the stuffie.
“The reason it’s so beloved here is
that every family makes it their own way,” Kimble-Huntley said.
Aside from the quahogs, the recipes
usually call for peppers, onions, the Portuguese sausage chourico, a breading,
and reserved clam juice. You can opt for a different kind of sausage — or not
use one at all, and people use various breadings to put in their stuffie dish,
like sourdough, Portuguese sweet bread, bread crumbs, or croutons.
Bucolo, who uses his grandmother’s
recipe, puts the latter in his stuffies.
After the clams are steamed, chopped,
and mixed in with the other ingredients, you bake it all together. Many serve
it with hot sauce drizzled on top, but you can also use melted butter in the
same way.
Bucolo said the dish is really popular
during the summer months, an appetizer of choice for a football game watch
party, and it pairs well with an ice-cold beer.
Now back to this giant stuffie. There
is actually a chance for some Bay Staters to view the stuffie (or, as one
Reddit user called it, a “creature from Star Trek”) in person at this year’s
Big E in West Springfield.
Kimble-Huntley said the stuffie will
be stationed in front of the Rhode Island Building.
The second stuffie is currently being
driven around Michigan and Ohio, attempting to entice residents there to visit
Rhode Island via Detroit’s airport.
The stuffie will eventually journey to
Los Angeles, where it will join another Rhode Island-specific installation of a
Newport mansion, as well as Atlanta and Baltimore