El Sinaloense 3

12th Ave. & Oklahoma, Tucson, AZ -

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Posted By Michael Stern on 11/1/2009 6:37:00 AM

Sonora is north of the Mexican state of Sinaloa, after which this little trailer is named, but the frankfurter you'll get here is a classic Sonoran hot dog: wrapped in bacon and grilled, the all-beef dog sucks in porky flavor to become nearly lascivious. The line-up of condiments is immutable: chopped tomatoes, grilled onions, yellow mustard, a green ribbon of hot jalapeno sauce, and a luxurious web of mayonnaise. On the side, as with every Sonoran hot dog, you get a roasted guero pepper, which is like a light-skinned jalapeno.

What's different about El Sinaloense is the bun. It is the same capacious, fluffy roll that holds all of Tucson's best dogs (easily, two at a time if you're really hungry), but instead using it simply fresh, El Sinaloense grills it. A certain degree of fluffiness is sacrificed, but in its stead you get a bun with crusty-rich patches all around the outside (a distant cousin of the grilled split-top typical of New England). The bun, combined with onions that are cooked soft and caramel sweet, makes this the most unctuous possible Sonoran hot dog. The accompanying guero pepper looks like others, but delivers little heat. Instead its thick walls pack bright, fruity vegetable essence that is welcome contrast to the porky-beefy-oily nature of a bacon-wrapped hot dog.

Dining accommodations consist of a few seats at folding tables under a tent behind the cart where the hot dogs are made. There are other El Sinaloenses around Tucson (based on this one's name, we'd guess at least two). El Sinaloense 3 parks in a lot on 12th Avenue just up the road from Oklahoma St.

Scorecard

Overall: One of the Best - Worth a Trip

Sonoran Hot Dog

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"Of all the wild wieners around America, the Sonoran hot dog just may be the craziest, so dolled up you cannot see it in this photo. It's a beef dog wrapped in bacon and smothered in condiments that vary from four-alarm hot to mayo-cool. The big, soft bun, made in local Mexican bakeries, is essential. The traditional garnish is a roasted guero pepper."
Michael Stern

"Tucson is rich with carts that specialize in the 'hot dog estilo Sonora.' Nearly all have a little covered area where you can escape from the blazing sun or frequent, short-lasting deluges."
Michael Stern

"My lack of Spanish and the proprietor's lack of English made it impossible to talk at length about the history and cultural significance of the Sonoran hot dog, but he did manage to make it clear to me that this location is where he is every day."
Michael Stern