Which Columbia area restaurant is your favorite for hot dogs? Vote in our poll
As the weather warms and summer nears, the dog days are nearly upon us.
Hot dog days, that is.
The hot dog has long been an American culinary staple, particularly in the warmer months, when cookouts proliferate in backyards and on patios, with whisps of smoke rising from grills and mustard, relish and more being layered onto the franks.
Meanwhile, restaurants across Columbia and the Midlands — from hole-in-the-wall gas stations to greasy spoons to high-end eateries — have hot dogs on the menu, and now we want to know which one is your favorite. Newspaper staffers have selected 16 places from across the region for The State’s 2025 Hot Dog Poll.
As ever, let’s set some ground rules. We kept this poll to locally owned places or small chains, rather than include the larger national chains. Also, this is a list of brick-and-mortar restaurants. (Sorry, food truck and hot dog cart fans.)
And to be absolutely certain, this is not an exhaustive, comprehensive list of every restaurant in the Midlands that serves a hot dog. Rather, it is simply a sampling of some of the many places in the area that offer them, chosen by newspaper staffers.
You have until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, to vote in the poll below. The restaurants are listed in alphabetical order.
So vote early and vote often. And go ahead and put a little extra chili on that dog.
This story was originally published May 8, 2025 at 11:45 AM.
