The Resy Guide to Hot Dogs in New York

Can we even think about doing a hot dogs guide without including Mischa? Alex Stupak’s Midtown East spot brought this fine food back into the mainstream conversation with this perfectly snappy $29 sausage on a potato bun, served with chili and a delightful array of other condiments. Yes, it’s expensive (although, maybe it should be more so) but it’s definitely worth it for the delight of ordering a hot dog at a fancier place such as this.

Learn exactly how the sausage gets made over at Mischa here.

If there’s one thing we like to have, it’s options. Luckily for all of us, Emmett’s has a variety of hot dogs on the menu ranging from Chicago-style to flame-grilled Vienna beef. You can’t go wrong here with the classic, topped with diced white onions, “neon green” relish, celery salt, and yellow mustard. Don’t forget the fries and Diet Coke.

Our personal favorite of the original guard, Gray’s Papaya on West 72nd has been a classic for decades. You can’t beat the fresh, sweet papaya juice paired with one of their perfectly simple dogs, best eaten on the street as you rush to wherever you’re headed to next.

Walk-ins only.

The Germans know how to make a good sausage, and at Black Forest, they keep things traditional with grilled bratwurst served in a pretzel bun alongside their perfectly crisp shoestring fries. You can also forgo the bread and opt for the “Wurst Plate” (more like best plate, are we right?!) that comes with your choice of four sausages and four sides to match. Go adventurous with the weisswurst, a perfect blend of veal and pork.

You can enjoy these dogs in Jersey City or in Midtown, where the varieties seem endless. Go for the Banh Mine, a play on a banh mi, with pickled carrots and cucumbers, sriracha mayo, and jalapeno. Or indulge in the deep-fried and bacon wrapped Frydom Fighter served with crispy onions and special sauce. We don’t eat hot dogs for the nutritional value, OK?

More information on Kings of Kobe here.

Your choice here is simple: One hot dog, or two? Go for two (duh) with a side of sauerkraut, chili, or cheese, and grilled onions. Your double dogs come with fries, a market salad, or a choice of one of Westville’s many delightful vegetable options for a slightly healthier lunch. Try the artichoke hearts with Parmesan or the green peas with bacon and caramelized onions, and dig in.

The latest venture from beloved Brooklyn Sandwich shop Court Street Grocers — a faithful revival of the old Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop — knows how to do most things right. For the sake of this list, two of those things include their twin hot dogs, served on perfectly buttery grilled buns with sauerkraut and mustard, as well as the Plattsburgh chili dog with onions. Order a side of macaroni salad, and start with the matzo ball soup.

Walk-ins only.

One of our favorite speakeasies in the city also happens to be located behind the phone booth of one of our favorite hot dog spots. You can find Please Don’t Tell, open most nights until 2 a.m. and weekends until 3 a.m., at the back of Crif Dogs, blessedly serving up their delightful fare inside. Munch on your Everything Dog with scallions, cream cheese, and bagel seasoning, or your bacon-wrapped Tsunami with pineapple, pickles, and pepperoncini as you sip your handcrafted cocktails. And don’t forget a side of tater tots. Now, that’s class.

An aptly named “Hoyt” dog is on the menu at this superb Jewish comfort food spot on the street with the same name, served on a challah bun with relish and sauerkraut. While you’re here, don’t miss the classic poutine, potato latkes, or even tiny little “Hoyt” dogs in blankets. Wash it all down with an ice-cold Labatt beer.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably watched the last two seasons of “The Bear” and started craving some of that Chi-Town cuisine. That’s where Bobbi’s comes in: Their hot beef sandwiches are superb, and the hot dogs here are something special. Go for the Chicago Dog to commit to your cosplay, with mustard, diced onions, tomato wedges, relish, pickles, and peppers on a poppy-seed bun. Hot tip? They’ve got $2 off dogs on Wednesdays, cousin.

Walk-ins only.

If ever there were a Frenchified version of a glizzy, the saucisse en patisserie at Frenchette Bakery (from the same team behind Frenchette and Le Rock) would be it. Picture multiple layers of perfectly laminated, buttery pastry dough enveloping a snappy pork sausage topped with cheese, served with a side of Dijon. It’s not always on the menu, but if it is, be sure to grab it.

Walk-ins only.

We don’t make the rules. It’s just a scientific fact that a hot dog tastes better when eaten at a baseball game. For us, it doesn’t really matter who’s playing, so we’re happy as a clam at a Cyclones, Mets, or Yankees game, provided we have a perfectly ketchuped (or mustarded) dog in our hands and a cold beer served in a souvenir cup. Swing, batter, or whatever it is you say at baseball games. It’s time to eat.