Every Wienerschnitzel Hot Dogs, Ranked Worst To Best

Americans are eating more hot dogs than ever before and this is great news for Wienerschnitzel, a very unique fast food chain. Sure, there are fast food chains with hot dogs on the menu, but here, they're the main event. Founded in Southern California in 1961, Wienerschnitzel is the largest hot dog chain in the world, and sells more than 120 million of its famous hot dogs per year. There's no doubt about it: if you're looking for a cheap and delicious hot dog, this is the fast food chain to hit up.

But which of the chain's 11 specialty hot dogs reigns supreme over the others? We were set on finding out, but we had to do so in a fair way — meaning all hot dogs would be ordered as they come, with the same type of frank on each. Wienerschnitzel offers three types of hot dog options: World Famous Original, Premium Beef, or Polish. We went with World Famous Original, other than several plant-based options. Now, let's review some hot dogs — here are all 11 hot dogs from Wienerschnitzel, ranked worst to best.

Coming in last is the Barbeque Veggie Dog, one of three non-meat hot dog options at Wienerschnitzel. It's made up of a plant-based hot dog inside of a steamed bun and topped with barbecue sauce, a pickle spear, and chopped onions. This hot dog isn't bad, it's just the worst of the bunch flavor-wise. First of all, it's much too sweet. Actually, "sweet" is the main adjective I'd use to describe this one, which doesn't quite fit for a hot dog.

The veggie dog is good, but it doesn't quite work with the toppings. It's just not savory enough to compete with that overwhelming sweetness of the pickle and barbecue sauce. The onions help a little, but they also sort of feel out of place. The whole situation feels like something anyone could make at home with a hot dog from the grocery store (not a compliment). The conflicting ingredients make for a somewhat boring experience, and there are better hot dogs on the menu. If Wienerschnitzel was inexplicably out of every other hot dog it sells, I'd order this.

Unfortunately, the second of three plant-based hot dogs comes in at number 10. The Backyard Veggie Dog is the plant-based version (sort of) of another Wienerschnitzel hot dog, the Junkyard Dog, but it seems to be having an identity crisis. Topped with a slice of cheese, tomatoes, a pickle spear, ketchup, and mustard, this veggie dog wants to be edgy, like its meat-based sibling. It has Chicago Dog vibes, but not as flavorful. This hot dog is like, "Hey, check out all these ingredients on me, aren't I totally crazy?" And you're like, um, sure, man, I guess.

But you're lying to yourself (and to the hot dog you're talking to for some reason). Those are very normal ingredients, and they're also kind of boring when assembled together. The mustard and ketchup taste weird on top of the slice of cheese. The pickle adds an unwelcome sweetness that just sort of sits apart from the rest. The plant-based hot dog is good, but it disappears in the mix of bland ingredients. It beats the Barbeque Veggie Dog because it's slightly more pleasant to eat, but not by much.

The BBQ Bacon Dog is one meaty dog. This hot dog is topped with barbeque sauce, a strip of bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and grilled onions. First of all, the sauce actually works here, unlike its plant-based counterpart, the Barbeque Veggie Dog. This is due to a few reasons.

One, the World Famous Original hot dog is packed with flavor — it's savory and salty enough to not get overpowered by the sweetness of the barbeque sauce. The strip of bacon helps with this and adds an extra meatiness that one would expect when biting into something BBQ-themed. Two, the other ingredients (grilled onions, shredded cheese) only add to the flavor — and are complementary to a BBQ dish. As much as this hot dog works, it's still not my favorite — but the fact that it's all the way down at number nine shows how good Wienerschnitzel's hot dogs are.

Perhaps you like your Wienerschnitzel hot dog simple, and, in that case, meet the Mustard Dog. It is the second simplest hot dog on the menu, with just mustard as the condiment atop that World Famous Original hot dog in a bun. The simplicity of it is appreciated as it lets the deliciousness of the hot dog shine. And as good as it is (and it is very good), it's also slightly unremarkable compared to many of the other options at Wienerschnitzel.

Somehow, adding only mustard to a Wienerschnitzel hot dog doesn't add enough flavor to justify putting anything on it at all. I eat this and think, "I wish it didn't have mustard on it, though." Now don't get me wrong, I normally love mustard on a hot dog. But if it's not going to be an interesting array of complementary ingredients on top, I'd rather take the hot dog plain. It's either many toppings or no toppings, if you ask me. So even though it's tasty, when compared to its siblings, it lands at a humble number eight.

The Chicago Veggie Dog is, hands down, the best plant-based option at Wienerschnitzel. As someone who loves plant-based meat, I found it to be extremely tasty. And while it's a good substitute for non-meat eaters, it still lands at number seven. This is simply because Wienerschnitzel's veggie dogs can't compete with their actual hot dogs — it's just not even close.

The Wienerschnitzel veggie dog doesn't try to mimic its World Famous Original hot dog; it's a totally different experience. That said, it's still a good menu item overall, but it's the toppings that really make the Chicago Veggie Dog. It's piled with chopped onions, tomatoes, a pickle spear, relish sport peppers, yellow mustard, and celery salt. The freshness and crispness of every topping make it so flavorful and delightfully spicy. Although you are well aware that you're eating a plant-based hot dog, it doesn't matter as much because of all the other flavors.

You don't get much simpler than this — the Plain Dog is just a hot dog in a fresh, steamed bun. I expected this to be at the bottom of the list just because it seemed kind of boring, but I was wrong: this hot dog is special in a very specific way. Sure, there's nothing on it, but that's why it's so good.

Adding just one topping (like the Mustard Dog) is distracting with Wienerschnitzel hot dogs. The hot dog itself is just that good, so if you're going to add anything, it better be impressive. It's reminiscent of one of Jimmy John's plain slim sandwiches, made of just meat and cheese without any other toppings. There's something comforting about eating a sandwich (or hot dog) that is just meat and bread. It's simple: good bun, good hot dog, no complaints.

The Junkyard Dog truly has it all — no, but seriously, Wienerschnitzel describes it as being topped with "everything but the kitchen sink." Piled atop this hot dog are French fries, a slice of cheese, grilled onions, and Wienerschnitzel's very own world-famous chili sauce. I was expecting this hot dog to be overwhelming because of the fries, but actually, they're the reason it's so special.

The thing with this hot dog is that it's innovative — it's sort of two items in one. It's a tasty hot dog with chili and fries on top, but it's also a hot dog with a small order of loaded fries that just happens to be on top. It's like ordering a hot dog with a very small order of chili cheese fries. You can eat it as is, or you can take the fries off and swirl them around in the chili and other toppings. That's two items in one, which is a deal. Also, this hot dog is actually beautiful. It looks like a work of art.

The Chili Cheese Dog is topped with a slice of cheese and Wienerschnitzel's world-famous chili sauce, made from a secret recipe. It's understandable that it's called "world famous" — it might just be the best chili ever. It's so good you'll want to buy a few cans of it, which you can do at Wienerschnitzel locations. The reason it comes in at number four, however, is the cheese — it just doesn't need it.

Don't get me wrong, the cheese is good. It's just that the chili is better. It adds a decadence to the hot dog that isn't there in the regular chili dog. It's richer and heavier. Despite this, it's still probably the fourth-best thing I have ever tasted in my lifetime, the other three being the next three additions on this list. If you're a chili cheese dog fan, eating this will make you float to heaven. 

The Kraut Dog is on the simpler side as far as Wienerschnitzel hot dogs go — it's got a little bit of mustard and a whole pile of sauerkraut. Seriously, there is so much sauerkraut on the Kraut Dog and every ounce of it is welcome. The sauerkraut at Wienerschnitzel is honestly so good, it might actually be the best I've ever tasted. It's tangy, but not too much, and has just the right amount of sweetness without being overpowering. It mixes with the bit of mustard to form the perfect concoction.

This hot dog is very special to me — sauerkraut and mustard have always been my go-to toppings for a hot dog, ever since I was little. Because of this, it's without a doubt my personal favorite option at Wienerschnitzel. However, it's in the number three spot because, although it's my favorite, I must be discerning – there are two technically better dogs at Wienerschnitzel, rankings-wise.

Wienerschnitzel's Chicago Dog is loaded with chopped onions, tomato, sport peppers, mustard, a pickle spear, and sprinkled with celery salt. It's a classic Chicago treat and is perfectly executed here. Every single ingredient piled onto this hot dog is totally fresh, crisp, and flavorful. There is a satisfying crunch to every bite. It's spicy, salty, and sweet, but balanced so none of these traits overpowers the others. Even if you accidentally eat a whole pepper in one bite, the steamed bun comes to the rescue, soaking up the spice.

The World Famous Original hot dog is the perfect match for all of these toppings, as it's also packed with flavor. This is where the Chicago Veggie Dog went wrong: as good as all the toppings and bun are, the actual hot dog really makes the whole experience. One bite and you're in hot dog heaven — it's a singular taste that is unmatched (well, almost).

Please welcome the king of the Wienerschnitzel menu, the Chili Dog. It's a pretty simple item: a hot dog in a steamed bun and a whole bunch of Wienerschnitzel-branded chili on top. And, friends, this might be the best-tasting item on planet Earth. I am not joking or being cute. This is the perfect chili dog. It doesn't need cheese — the World Famous hot dog, steamed bun, and chili is all that's needed.

The chili is not chunky at all, but more like a thick sauce with finely ground meat mixed in. It's perfectly mild, with just the right amount of tang and a slight sweetness. It doesn't taste heavy or wreak havoc on sensitive stomachs (I should know, I have one). This is one of the instances at Wienerschnitzel where simplicity reigns supreme. Long live the Wienerschnitzel Chili Dog — if you pick one up, you should probably also grab a can of that chili to take home. You will want it.

I tried each of these hot dogs one right after the other and ranked them by overall taste, experience, and ingredient compatibility. Each hot dog was ordered as is without any modifications, with the same type of hot dog and bun (World Famous original and steamed, respectively). Corn dogs were not included in this list; only beef and veggie hot dogs.