Birmingham Hot Dog, Gus's Hot Dogs (Alabama)

By Sara Ventiera

One of the oldest hot dog stands in a city that was once home to countless frank purveyors, Gus’s is the place to try the Birmingham hot dog developed by the city’s early Greek immigrants. Both the regular and the "special" dogs feature a half pork-half beef weenie charred on the 70-year-old grill and served in a steamed standard issue bun with yellow mustard, chopped white onion, sauerkraut and spice-scented special sauce that’s like a sweeter, tangier version of New York pushcart-style onions. The special, with the addition of ground beef, is city’s storied hot dog claim to fame, as owner Lee Pantazis sees it. "A small piece of history wedged in a bun covered in sauce," he says.