Hot Dogs in Miami [10/2/09 Update]

11/6/2008 UPDATE:

Franktitude has closed the Doral restaurant that I visited, leaving the downtown Miami restaurant as the only one surviving of the original four locations. Also, the salmon hot dog made famous on the Hot Dogs in America (?) TV show has evidently been removed from the menu.

MiamiDon, Excellent hot dog report. I don't know how I missed it before. Thanks for keeping it fresh.

NEVER HAD A GOOD DOG ANYWHERE IN MIAMI THATS WHY I HEAD TO BROWARD AT WWW.HOTDOGHEAVEN.COM FOR MY FIX

The website for Hot Dog Heaven shows them to be in Orlando. Isn't Broward County in South Florida?

HOT DOG HEAVEN LOCATIONS

Hot Dog Heaven
5355 E. Colonial Dr.
Orlando, Fl 32807
1/4 Mile West of Hwy. 436
(407) 282-5746
Hours
MONDAY - FRIDAY 11-6
SATURDAY/SUNDAY 11-5

I GOOFED WRONG WEBSITE, YES THEY ARE A MILE EAST OF 95 ON SUNRISE BLVD JUST EAST OF ANDREWS ON NORTH SIDE OF STREET, JUST LOOK FOR YELLOW AND RED BLDG WITH VIENNA ALL OVER IT

Hot Dog Heaven is excellent. Alas, I haven't been back since Maryland got crushed by Florida some years ago in the Orange Bowl, but the Chicago hot dog ans the Italian beef was as good as anything in the Windy City.

And it's location near the giant flee market (with movie theatre AND a circus)is a plus. Anyone in/near Ft Lauderdale, Hollywood or even Miami would do well to make the trip to Hot Dog Heaven.

Link from hollyeats added.

http://www.hollyeats.com/HotDogHeaven.htm

Hall of Fame Hot Dogs has the same Vienna Beef package (dogs, rolls, relish, packaged Italian Beef, etc.) as Hot Dog Heaven, so I don't think that I will be making the 100 mile round trip up there to Ft. Lauderdale any time soon. If I am in the area, though, I will probably make a stop.

Four pages of postings about Miami hot dogs and none of you old timers bothered to mention Fun Fair on the 79th st. causway?

Those of you who gave Big City Dogs in Fort Lauderdale an unfavorable review should give it another try.  It has a new owner from Brooklyn and has been in the business for many years, running a successful shop in NY before turning it over to his brothers and buying this FL shop.

I recently moved to Ft. Lauderdale and just tried BCD for the first time (along with my bf from NJ who knows a good hot dog when he finds it).  I had the "New York", with brown mustard, red onion sauce, and sauerkraut.  I also tried the "West Virginia", with chili and slaw.  Both were deee-lish.  My bf had the "Jersey Ripper", a bacon-wrapped deep fried dog topped with cheese.  He also had the "New York Italian Sausage" sandwich, served San Gennaro style.  He said they both were top notch and plans to go back for more.  We also shared a side of onion rings, which were tasty.  A guy in line behind us also recommended the Philly cheese steak sandwich.

Never went there before the change in management, so I have no basis for comparison, but seems like it would be worth a second try for those who haven't been there recently.

thunderandlightning


Those of you who gave Big City Dogs in Fort Lauderdale an unfavorable review should give it another try.  It has a new owner from Brooklyn and has been in the business for many years, running a successful shop in NY before turning it over to his brothers and buying this FL shop.

I recently moved to Ft. Lauderdale and just tried BCD for the first time (along with my bf from NJ who knows a good hot dog when he finds it).  I had the "New York", with brown mustard, red onion sauce, and sauerkraut.  I also tried the "West Virginia", with chili and slaw.  Both were deee-lish.  My bf had the "Jersey Ripper", a bacon-wrapped deep fried dog topped with cheese.  He also had the "New York Italian Sausage" sandwich, served San Gennaro style.  He said they both were top notch and plans to go back for more.  We also shared a side of onion rings, which were tasty.  A guy in line behind us also recommended the Philly cheese steak sandwich.

Never went there before the change in management, so I have no basis for comparison, but seems like it would be worth a second try for those who haven't been there recently.

 
HMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!  Only one post with great review of place with bad rap that thunder never went to before-----sounds
kinda related if ya know what I mean.....................
 
Russ

I finally found the reference to Big City Dogs.

Just back from 5 days in Fort Lauderdale area. Will post in more detail when I have a chance, but I had Chicago style dogs at the following:

Taste of Chicago - Margate
Fat Lou's - Hallandale
Hot Dog Heaven - Fort Lauderdale
Big City Dogs - Fort Lauderdale (the worst)
Hot Dog Central - Plantation (the best)

Thanks for the update.

phatphil


FORT LAUDERDALE AREA

FAT LOU'S HALLANDALE BCH BLVD JUST WEST OF 95
HOT DOG HEAVEN SUNRISE BLVD AND ANDREWS AVE
HOT DIGGITY DOG ON GRIFFIN RD A MILE WEST OF 95 NORTH SIDE
TASTE OF CHICAGO 1500 BLOCK NORTH STATE ROAD 7 (441)MARGATE EAST SIDE STRIP MALL
MIKE CHICAGO DOGS PUBLIX PLAZA 9300 BLOCK WEST COMMERCIAL BLVD SUNRISE FL.

THOSE ARE MY LUNCH STOPS WHEN IM NEAR ONE

How do you rate Hot Dog Heaven?  They are the company I'm looking to compete with.  Hence the name Dante's Devil Dogs for my stand...once I get it up and running.

I noticed the menu prices on the Hot Dog Heaven website are different than the photo taken inside the Hot Dog Heaven...

I liked Big City Dogs too. Definitely better than Hot Dog Heaven. No indoor seating, though, and the hours are a little bizarre. They also have fresh ground burgers which are quite tasty.

Taste of Chicago (Margate) is out of business.

I'm the one who's been critical of Big City Dogs in the past.  Poster by the name of PocoDinero was always shilling for the place.  Now supposedly there are new owners and once again the shilling has started.  Too bad I'm just reading this thread.  I was in Fort Lauderdale for a week that overlapped March 14th, and had I known about the new owners, I would've stopped one more time.

Sorry to hear Taste of Chicago is out of business. I liked their dogs, and wanted to try their Italian Beef which looked good last year.  I did manage an IB at Fat Lou's this trip though, and it was excellent.  Sweet peppers were great.  Long list of dogs to try too, although I passed on them this time.

Folks have expressed interest in Franktitude since it was on the Hot Dog Show.  Here is an update.
 
Owner Ari Wurmann opened four locations in 2007, I believe.  By last summer, three of them had closed, leaving only the downtown Miami location, which is basically only open for lunch, and is closed on Sundays.  Plus, you will likely have to pay $5+ to park in a lot on weekdays.
 
In 2008 he opened one in the Dolphin Mall, which is about five miles west of the MIA airport. 
 
I went to the Dolphin Mall location this week, to see if it would be any better than my experience a year ago at the now-closed Doral location.
 
Franktitude Dolphin Mall:

 
 
This is a fairly new and lively mall, and was quite busy midday on a weekday.  Unlike the Doral spot I visited last year, which had two bored employees working, this one had four employees who were quite busy.
 
All-Beef Hot Dog with Mustard

 
I first had an beef hot dog with mustard.  I wanted brown mustard, but I was slow on the uptake, and didn't realize when they were up to my order, and the worker grabbed the yellow mustard and did the Franktitude signature application of a huge amount of mustard. (I wiped most of it off with a knapkin) 
 
This was actually pretty good.  It was a decent-sized, medium-spiced hot dog cooked on a roller grill.  It was mildly browned/colored from the grill, so I guess that they keep the heat cranked up.  The rolls are kept in a steam drawer, and they must have changed suppliers, as it was above average, with what I think is an egg-wash glaze.
 
The fries, although fresh from the fryer (unlike last year at the Doral location), were pretty lame and boring examples of thin, frozen fries.
 
I went back the next day and ordered a foot-long with spicy mustard (their code-word for brown), with sauerkraut, and sweet potatoe french fries.
 
Foot-long & Sweet Potatoe Fries:

 
 
This one had a pretty good roll, too.  The sauerkraut was cold, which bugs me, but I guess some like it that way.  The dog was fine.  I liked the sweet potatoe fries.  I've never had them before, so I have no basis for comparison, but they were crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and had a good sweet-potatoe flavor.
 
I now consider Franktitude as "acceptable", with the caveat to be very specific as to what you want.  Seven hot dog joints have closed in the last 18 months in this county, so my choices are limited around town.  Both this location and the downtown one have access problems, to my mind.  Downtown, there is no free parking, and here one has to park in the mall parking lot and walk about a quarter mile through the mall (which is fine, I guess, for shopping mall fans).  I don't know about downtown, but the prices are a bit high in the no-doubt high-rent mall.  The foot-long sweet potatoe combo was $9.62, and the ordinary combo was $6.94.
 
One last note:  I had stated in another thread that they discontinued the salmon hot dog.  If they did, it is back again.  It may have been a quirk on the web site, or maybe they had supplier troubles?  I'm going to get brave and try one soon.

 
Franktitude Dolphin Mall
11401 NW 12th Street
Miami, FL 33172
305-594-6624
http://www.franktitude.com/
 
The Dolphin Mall is right next to the Florida Turnpike Exit #27.  From SR836 (Dolphin Expressway) westbound, take the exit for the Turnpike northbound, and immediately get off on exit #27, NW 12th Street.  Once parked, go in the main mall entrance, go straight ahead all the way to the end, and then turn left.
 

At the Blue Marlin Fish House, they also sell foot-long hot dogs.
 
Blue Marlin Fish House

 
 
I ordered a chili dog, and added some of the delicious, house-made cole slaw to it.  Here is the result.
 
Blue Marlin Fish House Chili-Slaw Dog:

 
This was good.  The kosher-style dog is grilled, the bun is OK, and the housemade chili is good.  The downside (for me) is that the chili has BEANS.  I'd still order another.
 
Blue Marlin Fish House
2500 NE 163rd St
North Miami Bch, FL 33160
(305) 957-8822

This is in the West entrance to the Oleta River State Park.
 
 

Not a bad looking dog...ditto on the beans!!

That's a great looking dog.

MD - Isn't this near the Melting Pot on the other side of the street?  I know that park entrance..Is this place new?

The hot dog looks good...You know, after the Coney Island place closed down on 163rd/167th, good hot dogs took a hit in So. FL. 

This looks good though. 

Hey, go back out of the park and head west on 163rd back up to Biscayne..Turn left and head south on Biscayne..about 40 blocks.  You'll see Steve's Pizza on the left.  (It's an inside joke folks)  

Baah Ben:  This isn't that far down.  There are two entrances to Oleta River State Park.  The main one is a NE 34th Ave.  This one is about 250 yards east of US-1, and just leads to a dock and the building in the photo, which houses some sort of information center and the snack-bar/restaurant.

By the way, I don't remember where, but I just read something very complimentary about Steve's pizza.  I have to go up that way today, and maybe a slice is in the offing!

A neighborhood bistro near to my house had an "off-the-menu" 1/2-pound Kobe beef hot dog on the menu, and I decided to try it.  I've always wondered about Kobe beef hot dogs.
 
Here it is, in all its beefy glory:

 
 
It was perfectly char-grilled, and was served with house-made potato chips, grainy country-style mustard and a little relish of sauteed onions with turmeric and vinegar.  It all was quite good, with a medium-spicy taste and a great snap, and juicy beefy,  taste.  The roll couldn't quite stand up to the monster hot dog (I know, refined folks would eat it with a fork and knife).  A 1/2-pounder like this is the equivalent of three 6/1 hot dogs, or four 8/1 hot dogs.  I went back and had one a second time, and enjoyed it just as much.  If my waistline could take it, I would have one of these at least once a month.
 
$12.95 as shown in the photo.
 
Cooper's Resto
16701 South Dixie Hwy
Palmetto Bay, FL 33156
305-234-1444

Boy, that Kobe beef dog looks good. Now, if you could just convince the owner to get a larger bun, it would be nirvana!

Does anyone in Miami sell Vienna Hot Dogs?  Since I moved, it is too far for me to drive up to Broward to get my "fix."  I know it is worth the trip to Hot Dog Heaven but, I can not do it all of the time.

Try Fat Lou's on Hallandale Beach Blvd.

pocodinero


Does anyone in Miami sell Vienna Hot Dogs?  Since I moved, it is too far for me to drive up to Broward to get my "fix."  I know it is worth the trip to Hot Dog Heaven but, I can not do it all of the time.

I missed this post.  Poco, Hall of Fame Hot Dogs uses Vienna Beef hot dogs.  The info is up-thread.  There's also a place in Coconut Grove that I haven't been to yet that has "Chicago" in the name, that I believe uses Vienna also.  It's on Commodore Plaza, which is only a couple of hundred yards long.

FYI, the original Franktitude, in downtown Miami, which was featured on The Hot Dog Show, has closed.  I believe that the only remaining place is the one in the Dolphin Mall, which is at the junction of the Florida Turnpike and the Dolphin Expressway.