Hot Dog Independence Day in WeHo!!

It’s July 4th and WeHo is still home to some of the best independently owned burger and hot dog joints.  Today we decided to focus on the hot dogs!

While we planned the story below over a few weeks, a new dog will debut today at the WEHO GYM BAR: the Dodger Dog, boiled and grilled with all the fixins. It’s $7.99. So take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the crowd… Owner Jonathan Cottrell says he has been working with the executive chef of the Los Angeles Dodgers to get these dogs perfect!  Today is opening day!

Our journey began with LA Buns, the old-school corner stand located adjacent to the Santa Monica Car Wash. A 100% beef hot dog was hot, grilled, with yellow mustard and a choice of onions or relish on the basic dog. You get that picnic kind of feel at LA Buns. This time, the amusements were the homeless interruptions while we were eating.

A few doors away is Hollywood Burger. It’s a BlockParty staff favorite, so I opted in on the hot dog. Again, the only choice was yellow mustard and onions. It came split and grilled. It’s a Vienna Beef dog.

Tail of the Pup was the next stop on our hot dog of the week story. This was the most expensive hot dog in town, served with yellow mustard and onions. This dog has a thicker, rubbery skin than the others and a hickory kind of scent. We went back again this past week to give the pup a second chance, but they were closed in the middle of the day. I’m not sure this tail is wagging.

Walked over to Shake Shack because the pup was closed. It was just today 7/3 in the afternoon. But although hot dogs are on the menu, the staff said they were out of hot dogs. It was getting late, so I asked for a burger with onions, but they said they were out of onions.   No shaking here at the Shack.

Irv’s Burgers on Laurel was another stop on our hot dog journey. Irv’s dog was split, grilled, and had a good, clean taste. On the way out, I asked what brand of dog, and they replied Hebrew National. I was pleasantly surprised. Only yellow mustard with your choice of onions or relish, but the Irv’s hot dog was a pretty great dog.

Astro Burger offered the best-priced Astro dog in WEHO.  Astro Burger serves Hoffy brand dogs. Grilled medium well with a backyard barbecue bun and yellow mustard and onions. No sauerkraut available. It seems like onions have dethroned sauerkraut in the City of West Hollywood.

We had one last stop: Carney’s on Sunset. Carney’s Hot Dogs, the oldest and longest-serving WeHo favorite, with its trailer car down-to-earth aura. Walking up the ramp and into the trolley car feels like you left the big city. Lots of selections, but I went with the New Yorker. It came with mustard and sauerkraut and felt like being in an amusement park. Finally, I found the almost perfect hot dog. And they had brown mustard. Great atmosphere on the trailer or sitting just outside the Sunset Strip.

Well, time to get to GYM BAR WEHO, cause it’s root, root, root for the home team. If they don’t win, it’s a shame, for it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out at the old ball game!   Happy 4th everybody!