Canada's Hot Dog Game Is Weak Compared To The US & Here Are The Best Fast Food Wieners
Hot diggity dog. 🌭
Someone holding a 7-Eleven hotdog. Right: A meal from Sonic Drive-In.
Wake up, everyone! It's July 19, National Hot Dog Day, which means that for 24 hours, you can celebrate the joys and wonders of that glorious little tube of meat known as the hot dog.
But, if you live in Canada, you might not realize that you actually do not have a whole lot of options when it comes to finding a hot dog.
Sure, if you live in a big city, you probably pass by a few hot dog carts on your morning commute, but still, those are often only relegated to the downtown core of a given city.
What about those who want to waltz into a local chain restaurant and feel that satisfying snap of the casing between your teeth?
Well, Canadians only have a few options, it seems, and those options are pale compared to the cornucopia of hot doggery you can get down south in the United States.
Canada looks like a pretty sad place when ranked by the availability of hot dogs across the country. While, yes, you can go into every grocery store in the country and buy a pack, having one prepared with special toppings and by a professional will beat a homemade dog nine times out of 10, at least when you measure the quality.
Here are some places to consider checking out to celebrate National Hot Dog Day.
Where to get a hot dog in Canada?
Getting a hot dog in Canada is surprisingly hard, at least when you look at our options for national chains.
If you're craving a hot dog, you don't have a whole lot of choice, but of the options you do have, you are luckily not going to be spending a lot of money at all.
One of Canada's biggest hot dog chains, which might not be immediately apparent, is Costco. And one of the reasons why it's among the top is, of course, the many locations, but it's hard to deny that their popularity stems from the fact that their hot dogs are just so dang cheap.
How can you beat $1.50 for a hot dog? That might legitimately be cheaper than buying a pack and cooking them yourself!
If you're looking for ease of access, there's honestly a really good chance that you live within a 5-kilometre radius of a 7-Eleven, another one of Canada's fine purveyors of hot dogs.
The prices will vary depending on location, but you can expect to be paying around $3.99 for one of their standard all-beef hot dogs, with prices fluctuating depending on the exact wiener you choose.
After that, things start to dwindle.
There are often no hot dogs available at chains across Canada.
They can be found at some Dairy Queen locations, but they're not a part of the national menu. A&W used to serve an iconic Whistledog. However, that is off the permanent menu and has only resurfaced for a limited time here and there.
Canadian fast food is a hot dog desert!
Where to get a hot dog in the United States?
They call America "The Land of Opportunity," and if they meant places to get hot dogs, it really does live up to its name.
Of course, the United States has endless varieties and regionally specific hot dogs, per hot-dog.org. From the famous Chicago Dog topped with onions, relish, peppers and more to the Coney Dog, which is topped with onions and a meat sauce, and the many more across nearly all states.
Some of the most unique include the Minneapolis-style hot dog, which is covered in tater tots, casserole and ketchup on top of the long beef, made from Caribou that is sold in Alaska.
Not to mention the bright "red rockets" you can get in Maine.
Besides those local delicacies, the U.S. has its fair share of hot dog chain restaurants to enjoy.
According to Franchise Chatter, the top hot dog-focused chain in the U.S. is Sonic Drive-In. And they have a wide variety of toppings such as chilli cheese, the classic All-American and more. There are over 3,500 locations and there's a good chance one is within driving distance of you, even if you live in Canada.
Another popular hot dog joint is Wienerschnitzel, with 321 locations across the United States. This location has a massive menu of 12 different hot dog varieties, with names like "Junkyard Dog," "Texas BBQ Dog," and more.
According to their website, you will be paying about US$3.79 to $4.99 depending on the type of hotdog you get.
And according to EatThis, you can get hot dogs at regular old fast food joints like Five Guys, A&W, Dairy Queen, Shake Shack, Portillos, Nathan's Famous and Checkers/Rally's.
Hot diggity dog America! You might be convincing some hot dog-focused Canadians to apply for a visa to do a full hot dog tour. Talk about Manifest Destiny!
So, America has us beat in another food-related thing. And you know what? That's okay.
They are the best in the game when it comes to hot dogs, it seems. It makes us think about ways to catch up with a nation that's far along in the world of hot dogs.
Maybe Canada needs its own Canuck version of Joey Chestnut, the star competitive eater who has come out on top of the Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest many times, to kickstart scientific research in this field.
Or maybe Canadians need to start getting weirder with it. Start finding some strange and more Canadian toppings for our dogs. Maple syrup? Maybe even poutine?
Either way, Canada desperately needs more options for hot dogs outside of the local street meat vendors — as much as we love them, of course.
Don't you wish you could just jump in your car, bike, or public transit and know you're going to a place brimming with hot dog options?
Of course, city folk have some options on that front, but it's not entirely fair for those without the benefit of a metropolitan area.
Either way, we wish you a happy hot dog day, Canada!