This NC Hot Dog Joint Ranked Among America’s Best

Independence Day is special, and not just because it’s America’s birthday. It’s of the few days of the year where it’s OK — nay, encouraged — to be a kid again and stuff your face with more meat and buns than your stomach can possibly handle.

But the Fourth of July holiday is also a day when self-proclaimed “grill master” Uncle Benny decides it’s a good idea to cook 75 sausages at the same time — and ends up undercooking exactly all of them — while repeating the Oscar Mayer weiner song because, in his eyes, it “never gets old.”

Sound familiar?

Luckily, a the good folks over at The Daily Meal say North Carolina is actually home to one of America’s 75 best hot dog joints. So if you’re like the many others anticipating a less-than-edible sausage, why not treat yourself to a real dog.

Here’s the best hot dog joint in North Carolina, how it ranks and where you can find them, according to the report:

• J.S. Pulliam Barbeque, Winston-Salem, NC. National rank: 50th

Says The Daily Meal: “Well, it's called a barbeque place, but what most people seem to rave about here isn't the 'que, it's the dogs — and any place that's able to advertise ‘Hot Dogs Since 1910’ has got to be doing something right. These wieners are a fearsome dark red in color, nicely spiced, and bursting with juices. The buns are buttered and toasted, which adds a nice level of texture and flavor. Add chili and slaw (and mustard and onions, if you want it ‘all the way’) and you've got what Reader's Digest once called ‘the best hot dogs in the South.’ To make them really good, throw on a dose of Big Ed's Extremely Hot BBQ Sauce.”

Chicago, where hot dogs are a religion, dominated the list with 11 mentions — the most of any city — including two in the top 10. But the king of the wieners is Katz’s Deli in New York City’s Lower East Side neighborhood.

“Made especially for the restaurant by Sabrett, these garlicky, natural-casing, jumbo-size all-beef dogs spend such a long time on the flat-top grill that the outside gets a nice char and snaps when you bite into it,” the authors note. “A smear of mustard is all that’s needed, but a little sauerkraut or stewed onions certainly won’t hurt. It’s a perfect hot dog, from a perfect deli.”

Where do you go for the best hot dog? Tell us about it in the comment section!

Patch Editor Dan Hampton contributed.

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