Coney Island Hot Dog, Fort Wayne's Famous Coney Island (Indiana)

Coney Island Hot Dog, Fort Wayne's Famous Coney Island (Indiana)

A short drive from the Michigan and Ohio borders, Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney Island picks up where celebrated Coney traditions of Detroit and Cincinnati (sort of) stop. Owned and operated by the same family for more than a century, this lively eatery has worked its way into the city’s culinary fabric. It sells around a million hot dogs per year. Why the fuss? Its legendary dogs are just that good. Each frank is grilled and placed inside a steamed bun with mustard, hand-chopped onions and homemade Coney sauce that’s essentially Greek bolognese. The must-order is "three and a bottle," three dogs with all the fixings and a bottle of Coke.

Chicago Red Hot, Superdawg Drive-In (Illinois)

Chicago Red Hot, Superdawg Drive-In (Illinois)

The winking weenie couple atop this 1948 drive-in have been a beacon to Windy City hot dog lovers for more than half a century. This multigenerational icon is hailed as one of Chicago's top red hots. Here, proprietary beef hot dogs are served on steamed poppy seed buns and dragged through the garden with yellow mustard, sweet neon green relish, chopped white onion, a kosher dill pickle spear and hot sport peppers as is tradition in the Second City, but this real drive-in - complete with carhop service - also throws on a pickled green tomatoes, as well. Get 

yours with a side of crinkle cut fries and an old-fashioned Supermalt to wash it down.

Chicago Dogs

Chicago Dogs

Serve boiled hot dogs on poppy-seed buns with dill pickle and cucumber spears, sliced tomatoes, sweet pickle relish, pickled peppers, diced onion and yellow mustard. Sprinkle with celery salt.