From Korean-style to vegan, get your National Hot Dog Day fix at these Columbus-area joints
Do you like to make your hot dog spicy with jalapeño peppers? Or add onions and cheese? Maybe you just like to keep it simple with ketchup and mustard.
Whichever way you like your dog, appreciation for the grilled or steamed sausage takes place Wednesday — National Hot Dog Day.
The celebration of was created in 1991 by the North American Meat Institute. It was promoted and organized by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council after they were created by the institute in 1994, according to an article in the Fremont News Messenger.
The day coincides with the Annual Hot Dog Lunch at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., which also is sponsored by the North American Meat Institute. The lunch, which has taken place for decades, is a large hot dog picnic attended by lawmakers, administration officials and Capitol Hill staff.
Here in Columbus, celebrate the day by visiting a favorite hot dog restaurant. Here are five options to consider:
Myungrang Hotdogs: Korean hot dog restaurant opens in Short North
Weenie Wonder: Old-school hot dog shop joins restaurant roster in Dublin's Bridge Park
Dirty Frank's Hot Dog Palace
Serving wieners since 2009, the hot dog shop has its flagship location in Downtown Columbus at 248 S. 4th Street, as well as a location inside the Hollywood Casino on the West Side. Dirty Frank's is known for its variety of beef, vegetarian and vegan dogs.
Customers can get menu items such as the "Dog From Hell" — which consists of spicy giardiniera, pepper flakes and cream cheese — or a Chicago-style dog with tomatoes, onions, peppers, relish, mustard and dill pickle.
Myungrang Hotdogs
If you want your hot dog served a little differently, check out Myungrang. Located at 850 N. High Street, the Korean-style corn dog restaurant specializes in fermented rice flour battered Korean corn dogs, a staple in South Korea's street food scene.
The corn dogs, ranging from $4 to $8, are sometimes filled with mozzarella or rice cake, covered in fried panko batter and sometimes topped with ingredients like cubed potatoes or jalapeno cheese peppers. The corn dogs can be paired with condiments ranging from cheese mustard to sweet and hot chili, honey butter powder, sugar and parmesan seasoning.
One item on the menu includes the Squid Ink & Mozzarella Hot Dog, which is dipped in a crispy batter made of squid ink, with the bottom of the sausage sliced so that, once cooked, it resembles squid tentacles.
Dad's Coneys and Wraps
The Clintonville restaurant, located at 128 Graceland Blvd. inside the Graceland Shopping Center, specializes in all-beef coney dogs and wraps, as well as 10-inch burritos that come in several varieties, such as chicken and cheese. Other items on the menu include tater tots and fries and a veggie dog for those who don't want a standard hot dog.
Weenie Wonder
Opening earlier this year, Weenie Wonder offers an old school dining experience. The eatery, located at 6562 Riverside Drive in Dublin's Bridge Park, specializes in hot dogs and milkshakes.
The menu offers seven signature hot dog styles and one build-you-own selection, as well as four sides that double as potential hot dog toppings. There's also chocolate, vanilla and strawberry milkshakes.
Weenie Wonder is the latest venture for Rise Brands, which also owns and operates Pins Mechanical Co., 16-bit Bar + Arcade and No Soliciting Bar, according to a March Dispatch article.
Zobra's Diner
While Zorba's Diner may been known for its classic breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, burgers and dinner entrees, the restaurant near Bexley also has hot dogs.
Located at 3415 E. Broad St. in the Broadmoor Center, the eatery serves pork and all-beef hot dogs with natural casings that come from a purveyor in Detroit, as does the coney sauce.
Micah Walker is the Dispatch trending reporter. Reach her at mwalker@dispatch.com or 740-251-7199. Follow her on Twitter @micah_walker701.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: National Hot Dog Day: Restaurants around Columbus to try
