Atlanta Hot Dogs (Sandy Springs, Marietta, Tucker: buy, closing, restaurant)

[arjay57]

It seems like we've discussed this before but I can't find the thread.

What are your nominations for the best hot dogs in our town?

I visited a new place the other day that merits a mention. It's Brandi’s World Famous Hot Dogs, up in Marietta. Man, their chili is smoking hot. Highly recommended.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/brandis-wor...ogs-marietta-2


How about some other suggestions? One can never have too many hot dog options in Atlanta.

[flamadiddle]

If you want a Chicago style Dog, there's BobbyG's in Milton, or Lucky Dog in Suwanee.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by flamadiddle

If you want a Chicago style Dog, there's BobbyG's in Milton, or Lucky Dog in Suwanee.

I have been to Bobby G's and like it.

Will have to check out the Luck Dog the next time I'm out that way.

I like Skip's Hot Dogs in Avondale Estates, too. Yum.

Somebody also turned me on to a little hole-in-the-wall named the Tucker Fountain. It's over on the side of a gas station but the food is terrific!

Tucker Fountain

[joey86]

I second the suggestion of BobbyG’s in Milton. Great Chicago dogs. I also enjoy their pizza, and their tamales.

I used to get Chicago dogs at Mike’s in Sandy Springs. They were great too, and I’ve gotten a buy one get one free deal there through Scoutmob.

Lee’s Bakery makes great banh mi, and they have one called a Lee dog, which I’ve never had but everything there is good so it’s worth a shot if you want something different.

There is a pop-up at PCM called The Helpful Hotdog that gives money to charity. Their food looks quality, but I haven’t been eating meat lately so I haven’t tried it. It’s at PCM so you can probably assume it’s a little pricey, but they are interesting hot dogs with topping that you don’t see everywhere.

One of the best hot dogs I’ve had was at Five Guys. Not a local specialty, and they are known for their burgers, but it was a great dog. I had it with bacon and cheese.

[arjay57]

Just ran across this article in Eater Atlanta.

They mention some of places we do, and a few others.

How are the dogs out at SunTrust Park? I still haven't had one.

Where to Eat Hot Dogs in Atlanta

[bryantm3]

i think there are three types of hot dogs. the bottom tier is cheap, generally they don't have their own recipe and this will usually be made of mechanically separated meat (if you don't know what this is, you can click here but don't say i didn't warn you) or even if it's 'all beef' it'll be made of ground parts of the cow that were so dirty they had to spray them with ammonia.

honestly i think that stuff should be banned but then again the ethics of eating meat in the first place is pretty questionable in the first place, so it's hard to point fingers.

anyway.... second tier is local mainstays aimed at the working class that have their own recipes. they make their own hot dogs but it's nothing fancy— it's still fast food. the focus is on the balance of spices in the hot dog, it has to be good enough to still taste amazing boiled or baked on a slice of white bread. the varsity in atlanta and the nu-way in macon, the beacon drive-in in spartanburg. this is my favorite category.

the next category is your more "knife and fork" hot dog that you see served at bars and some food trucks. it's big, you only need one or two. a lot of times they will split it down the middle and grill it. in this case the quality of the meat is good but it's not really about the hot dog itself, it's more about the toppings and the presentation.

we have *a lot* of that last category in atlanta. i just wish there were more independent fast food pop ups that did something more like the second category— low price, small hot dog on plain bread but custom made by the restaurant with a focus on getting the spices just right.


also thank you beretta for removing this from the varsity thread with surgical precision, lol. this needed its own thread.

[PeteATL41]

Sun Trust Park hot dogs are nothing special...typical ball park dogs.

[arjay57]

I'm still a fan of Zesto's foot long, with chili, slaw and onions.

I guess they are a franchise but they all have local ownership and a local vibe.

[Thulsa]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I'm still a fan of Zesto's foot long, with chili, slaw and onions.

I guess they are a franchise but they all have local ownership and a local vibe.

My wife and I drove up Ponce about an hour ago, and we found that we're both still heartbroken over the closing of that Zesto's. Yes, there are others, but the others aren't the one we want.

[Clayton white guy]

I am a native Atlantan, and I, along with many other natives, KNOW that THE Atlanta hotdog is the chili slaw dog at the Varsity.

I agree that the Zesto chain (a locatiion of which we had/ have in Forest Park as well as a couple of locations still along Moreland Avenue) should earn a honorable mention for their footlong.