In the Bay Area, you can find a great hot dog on the menu anywhere from a fine dining restaurant to a food cart outside a Giants’ game. We have sausages made from lamb, pork, beef, chicken, vegetables, and more. Not to mention unique toppings like kimchi, mango chutney, beer cheese, and chili. Here are our favorite spots to grab a hot dog in the Bay. Looking for more Bay Area food guides? Check out our burger guide!
Best Fancy Hot Dog: The Progress
The “Prog Dog” started as a limited, off-menu item. It’s a double-smoked pork hot dog stuffed into a grilled milk bun and topped with kimchi and bonito-rosemary aioli.The best part? You can now order it for takeout and enjoy it whenever.
Best Extra-Loaded Hot Dog: Rosamunde
This is the place to try a San Francisco-style hot dog. Sausage choices include grass-fed beef, elk cheddar jalapeño, bacon-wrapped, Moroccan lamb, and beyond meat. You get to choose from two classic toppings like sauerkraut, grilled onions, hot peppers, relish, and jalapeño slaw. If you’re really trying to go all in, add one of the special toppings — spice beef chili, mango chutney, or house beer cheese.
Best Chicago Hot Dog: Hayz Dog
A hot dog lover’s paradise with a handful of fun takes. It’s been crowned as one of the best places to get a Chicago-style hot dog by the SF Chronicle. They also offer a hot dog topped with elote toppings and another dressed with kimchi relish and kewpie mayo. For dessert, get a hot dog-adjacent nutella smore.
Best German-style Sausage: Wursthall
This San Mateo German brewery and sausage restaurant is all about its unique fusions. They have wursts inspired by al pastor, pesto chicken, choripan, porchetta, hot Italian, and pastrami. What really takes their dogs to the next level is their bacon and sesame kraut. Wash it all down with a premium lager.
Best Chili Cheese Dog: Gott’s Roadside
Although they’re best known for their burgers, they serve a killer hot dog made with a Niman Ranch Fearless Frank. Their “Works Dog” is loaded with the classics — ketchup, mustard, mayo, diced red onion, sweet relish, dill pickles, sauerkraut, and tomatoes. You can also get a chili cheese dog topped with house-made chili.
Best Classic Hot Dog:Trick Dog
This stylish restaurant and bar is known for its Mission Dog offered in both meat and veggie versions. The OG is a butterflied all-beef hot dog topped with bacon, fire-roasted jalapeño spread, sauteed onion, mustard, and doggie sauce. The veggie version is made using a Field Roast vegetarian frankfurter.
Best Outdoors Hot Dog: Annie’s Hot Dogs
If you’re going fly fishing at Golden Gate Park, you’re going to want to grab a hot dog at this stand beforehand. Choose between a New York-style beef frankfurter, a quarter-pound jumbo hot dog, a hot link, or chicken apple sausage. There’s also a gourmet vegan dog made with “Tofurky” Italian sausage.
