The hot dog occupies a unique place in American cuisine, playing a central role in our very conception of summer. Hot dogs are found at Little League games and backyard cookouts, county fairs and Fourth of July picnics. They’ve been sold from pushcarts on city streets, grilled in suburban cul-de-sacs, and eaten in the stands at ballparks for more than a century.
Though often thought of as quintessentially American, the hot dog’s roots stretch back to the sausages brought to the United States by German immigrants in the 19th century. Early frankfurters were typically made from pork or a blend of pork and beef, while all-beef versions became popular through Jewish delicatessens and hot dog stands, particularly in New York. Over time, regional styles emerged, brands rose and fell, and the humble hot dog became a cultural icon. Americans now consume billions of them every year, yet most of us give surprisingly little thought to which hot dogs actually taste the best.
That seemed like a problem worth solving.
Methodology
The number of hot dog options available at the grocery store was almost overwhelming. Even among brands, there were often 5+ varieties to choose from. “Original” vs. all beef, regular length vs. bun length, no extra flavors vs. chili cheese. Surprisingly to me, many of today’s options — especially the budget dogs — actually list chicken and/or turkey as the main ingredients. (Spoiler: none of these were at the top of the rankings.)
I grabbed an assortment and ended up taste testing eight different nationally available hot dogs over the course of a couple different cookouts with friends. (My family may need a year to recover before we eat hot dogs again.)
If you’re in the Upper Midwest, Schweigert makes a great dog.
We also tested a few locally made hot dogs to see how they would stack up; two of them weren’t that good, but one would indeed have cracked the top three. That is to say: it’s very possible, but not a guarantee, that your local/regional hot dog brand is your best option. Do some testing of your own to be sure.
Our groups blind-tested each dog — I knew where each was on the grill, then cut them into quarters for tasting. The scoring rubric was not scientific, but we generally looked for overall taste (saltiness, savoriness, meatiness, etc.) and texture (Did it have some snap? Was it mushy?). Our first tastes of each were without buns or condiments, except a bit of ketchup.
With testing so many dogs, I wasn’t sure if the differences would be very noticeable. Would I remember the first one after testing ten more? Turns out, outside of a couple bland and unmemorable options, most were distinct enough to be able to tell the difference and form a fairly clear opinion on.
Without further ado, below are the results. You’ll first find quick reviews of the five dogs that didn’t make it to the winners’ circle, followed by our top three picks.
The Rest of the Field
Hebrew National
Hebrew National is best known for being a kosher hot dog (though its actual kosher merits, as of late, are debated within Jewish circles). As such, their frankfurters only contain beef and have no fillers or artificial flavors. They also use a unique spice blend that gives the hot dogs a distinct, almost peppery flavor. The flavor stood out from the crowd in our taste testing, but in a way that put it more in the middle of the pack rather than at the top. And the kids didn’t care for them much. They were fine overall, but I doubt I’ll be buying them again.
Sugardale
None of the adults in the taste test were impressed with the cheapest hot dog in the mix. Sugardale’s 8-pack of dogs is just $1.99, and it showed. The taste was bland and the texture was no different. Interestingly, though, all the kids enjoyed the Sugardales; the blandness might be a plus for the younger set.
Sugardale’s offering also had the distinction of being the worst-looking cooked product. It was the only hot dog that plumped too much and split, only to then shrivel and even separate from the casing a bit. Not appetizing. That said, if you’re buying just for kids, it may not be a bad option.
Nathan’s Famous
As the company that puts on the world’s foremost hot dog eating contest, you’d think they’d have some of the best dogs around. Plus they were one of the first to tout an all-beef wiener. The taste was indeed good — in the top half, for sure. But they were some of the smallest and skinniest links — better for eating in huge quantities, I guess. It would take 2–3 dogs to fill anyone up, which isn’t ideal.
Oscar Mayer Classic
Despite being one of the most recognizable brands in the world of processed meats, my expectations for Oscar Mayer’s classic dogs were rather low. And accurate, as it turns out. The texture was too squishy — you want the hot dog to have some snap and bite to it — and the flavor was basically non-existent. It didn’t taste like anything. Overall, it was just a bland, squishy tube of meat paste. Nobody wants that. If you’re buying Oscar Mayer hot dogs, definitely go with the all-beef variety (see below).
Bar S
Like Oscar Mayer, Bar S is another bestselling budget hot dog. The flavor was meh, the texture was mediocre, and this hot dog was totally unmemorable from start to finish. As I write this a week or two after testing, I have no sense of what this hot dog tasted like. With the other dogs on this list, I can pretty well remember the overall experience, but Bar S is just a blank screen. I can’t in good faith recommend this hot dog, especially with so many other better options on the table.
The Top Three Dogs
Though there were some general differences in opinion between 6 adult testers and 8 kid testers (ages 5–11), the three hot dogs below were universally well-regarded. The adults definitely preferred the all-beef options, while the kids were a little less picky overall.
Oscar Mayer Jumbo Beef
After the original Oscar Mayer was a disappointment, nobody in our taste test focus groups expected much out of OM’s all-beef version. To our pleasant surprise, it tasted like a completely different product — in the best way. The flavor was very good and the texture was just right, with a little bit of snap and no mushiness. An all-around great hot dog for all ages!
Kirkland
If you’re familiar with them, Costco’s hot dogs have a very distinct flavor. And they’re delicious. Even in a blind taste test, I could pick this one out pretty easily. The Kirkland all-beef dogs that you buy in the refrigerated section are the same ones that you get in the food court for $1.50. (If it tastes different at home, it’s because of the cooking method.) It was also one of the larger hot dogs we tested, which can make a big difference, especially when feeding adults. You can’t go wrong with Kirkland.
Ball Park Angus
Every adult in our taste test had some kind of long-held expectation of what a hot dog should taste like. Whether it came from childhood or college cookouts on the quad, it was there. Turns out, that Platonic ideal of a hot dog is a Ball Park. Created in the ‘50s for the Detroit Tigers, this plump, juicy, all-beef hot dog is the bestselling frankfurter in America — and for good reason. Before our taste test, it had been a long time since I had tried a Ball Park, but it will be my go-to from now on. It tastes exactly how a hot dog should taste, which is perhaps the highest compliment I can give.
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If the above reviews make it seem like I’m now a hot dog snob, rest assured that I’m indeed not. If there’s a cookout with hot dogs, I can pretty much guarantee I’ll eat one, even if it’s one of the bottom brands on this list. It’s not like anyone is digging through the trash to look at what brand is available or commenting on the particulars of a frankfurter’s flavor profile. Ultimately, hot dogs are more about the setting than anything else.
Plus, there are plenty of folks who argue that a hot dog is but a meaty vessel for condiments and toppings galore. If you need some ideas, check out our guide to 8 of the most popular regional hot dog styles.
