Hotdog at Royal Albert Hotel
Photograph: Anna Kucera
Photograph: Anna Kucera

The best hot dogs in Sydney

Do you like yours topped with foie gras or coated in grated halloumi?

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Sydney’s gone hot dog mad, but not all dogs are created equal. First thre's the sausage to consider. Is it a cheese-stuffed kransky? A gourmet sausage? a classic frank? And the bread should never be overlooked – you want soft and yielding to absorb the sauces and pin the cheese and onions in place. Condiments are the final piece of the puzzle. Perhaps you want a classic ketchup and mustard combo, or do you prefer to go off piste with relishes, aiolis and hot sauces. There are so many elements that make a great hot dog, and these ones are our favourites.

  • Surry Hills
El Loco
El Loco

Best for: Tequila-fuelled fun in a bun

Hot diggidy – the hot dogs here come covered in a layer of finely grated haloumi cheese. Plus these hunger-busting dawgs boast a fresh salsa that 
is so fine it’s more of a sauce, along with big chunks of crunchy, pickled jalapeños for heat, mild mustard and mayonnaise. And there’s so much of that cheese that they resemble a snow-capped mesa. It’s not so small you need a second one and not so big you feel ill after eating – just right.

  • Sydney
Chanoma
Chanoma

Best for: Adventurous fried-sausage fans

The menu here is hot dogs and green tea a thousand ways. The Chanoma dog comes in at just under a fiver and lets you choose one of three sausages – Slovenian kransky, German bratwurst or Spanish chorizo. The kransky is slightly longer than the soft white bun, which means no empty bread, but the sweet curry cabbage isn’t quite an equal substitute for pickles. You can add your own sauce, but fair warning: it’s hot English, not American mustard – so go a little easy.
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  • Surry Hills
When a hot dog and a craft brew is all your heart desires then it’s time to cannonball down the slopes of Surry Hills to the Royal Albert Hotel. Our bartender admits that the kitchen won’t even tell him where they source their amazing cheese kranskies. The sausage is super-juicy with the cheese incorporated inside to rich up the meat, rather than the stuffed-crust situation you’re imagining. Approach with caution if you don’t want to spray your date with the first bite. The chilli ‘Fat Albert’ dog comes dressed in spiced tomato sauce and mustard with slices of pickled onion across the ridge and a serve of crinkle-cut fries on the side for only $10.
  • Sydney
Stitch Bar
Stitch Bar

Best for: Lining your belly before ordering more cocktails

The CBD basement bar is a go-to for fun-times party cocktails, but even without those killer drinks the hot dogs would be enough reason to get subterranean. They’ve got 
four on offer from the outrageous duck, truffle and foie gras number to the French Poodle (with brie!) to the more straight-shooting spicy pork with avocado and tomato salsa. The best bit? They all come with curly fries. That’s plenty of cause to stick around Wynyard on a Friday night.
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  • Sydney
Rockpool Bar & Grill
Rockpool Bar & Grill

Best for: Business lunching, street-food-style

This is a hot dog you’ll want to put lipstick on for. Rockpool Bar and Grill has always been famous for its burgers, but did you know Neil Perry and team also do quite the dawg? A soft, sweet brioche roll holds a rich and spicy chorizo sausage that’s showered in fried shallots. A side of green hot sauce turns out to pack a real punch, too. The cocktails here are magnificent, but if this is a lunchtime visit, try a house-made creamy soda, or pineapple and ginger.
  • Sydney
Snag Stand
Snag Stand

Best for: A quick CBD fix

Don't let the queue outside Snag Stand in Westfield Sydney deter you – they bust out 16 different hot dogs, including a vegetarian option, with surprising speed. Their American classic isn’t pulling any punches. You get a frankfurter with a subtle smoky flavour and a satisfying snap to the skin. The sausage is slightly shorter than the bright-yellow brioche roll and, while the tomato sauce, onions, sweet relish and cheese combo is spot on, we want more of all four.
 
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  • Woolloomooloo
Harry's Cafe de Wheels
Harry's Cafe de Wheels

Best for: A 3am fixer upper

It's technically the next day, you’ve had a skinful and you forgot to eat dinner. Your salvation can be found at this late-night purveyor of booze food with harbour views. Live large and go for the dog with the lot, the Hot Dog de Wheels. The soft white bun comes lined with mushy peas, chilli con carne, crunchy onions, a Viennese frankfurter, a squiggle of cheese sauce that tastes like Kraft Singles and a squirt of hot, zingy chilli sauce on top.

Need more meat? We feel you...

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