We’re celebrating National Hot Dog Day reminiscing our visit to Pink’s Hot Dogs! It’s definitely worthy of your culinary Bucket List.

Hollywood has a ‘must-see’ list too large to cover in a few days, but no visit would be complete without a stop at one of the most famous hot dog stands in the country.

What started as a wheeled pushcart during the height of the Great Depression in 1939, turned into a Hollywood landmark.   Noted, not only for its large variety of great ‘dogs’ but for its famous clientele, Pinks still sits at its original location of Melrose and La Brea.  Founded by Paul & Betty Pink, what began as a cart eventually became a small building, constructed in 1946 in the same spot the wagon occupied. They boast that the stand has remained essentially unchanged since then.

We stopped by on our trip down the Pacific Coast Highway to see what all the fuss was about.  With a menu of over 70 items,  you have your choice of toppings for your dog or burger.  From the original chili dog (mustard, chili & onions) or the Nacho chili cheese dog to their specialty items, named after some of their celebrity guests, you’re sure to find a combination of flavors you like.  Maybe you’d like the Ozzy Spicy dog or the Rosie O’Donnell Long Island dog or if you’re a more into cultural events, perhaps the L.A. Philharmonic Conductor Gustavo Dudamel dog is more your style (Try saying THAT three times, fast).
Whichever you prefer, you’ll find your order is ready before you know it and the toppings will be lava-like, flowing generously down the sides of your dog.  Plan on grabbing a knife and fork, unless you’ve had the foresight to bring a bib or change of clothes.  When you’re done devouring that monster dog, talk to some of the people there.  We did and found out that almost all have their favorites.  Most customers had tried a variety of dogs but had one particular order they loved most.

One young man told us he’d tried every dog on the menu. People travel from all over the country to taste this famous dog.

We met vacationers, people from southern California and some young surfers who’d driven all the way from Santa Barbara just to bring their friend to try her first Pink’s hotdog.  We found out even the girls bragged about how many hot dogs they’d eaten at Pinks.  According to them the best place to head after hitting the waves was right here.  The staff claims it’s not unusual to see a Rolls Royce or Limo at the curb to pick up an order for the passenger but all this notoriety hasn’t gone to the heads of those who work there.  They’ll go out of their way to make sure you have a great experience.  We were no exception, they welcomed us with open arms, er..buns.