What makes a good Seattle Dog ? Who came up with put cream cheese on ‘em ? And where can you find a good one ? We ’re about to answer all those questions – and show you some beautiful pictures of the tasty dogs in The Town while we ’re at it . So without further ado , here ’s the definitive template to Seattle ’s signature red-hot dog …
Approximately two decade ago , street vendors started putting an confessedly unusual , but delightful , factor on the hot dogs they were selling to people leaving the bars in what was Seattle ’s hottest nightlife region at the fourth dimension , Pioneer Square . It establish to be incredibly popular and , when paired with grilled onion , shortly became known as the Seattle Dog .
According toSeattle Weekly , the idea for the iconic dog came from the Square ’s bagel vendors , who began sell live hound bialys – or bagel dogs – with cream cheese in the recent ‘ 90 . Today , you may still line up Seattle Dogs near Pioneer on game years , when a heap of tie-up set up outside Safeco and CenturyLink Fields .
Bradley Foster/Thrillist
One of the more successful vender is Al ’s Gourmet Sausage , go by Al Griffin . Al is happy to narrate you about how much love life people show his dogs , but he shies away from let the cat out of the bag about the fact that – according to his wife – he was one of the first people to start putting ointment cheese on them 21 geezerhood ago .
He was convinced it would cultivate when he saw a customer pull a package of Philadelphia cream tall mallow out of his pocket and put it on a weenie he ’d just buy . It ’s probably not a coincidence that since then , he ’s gone from running a recent - night - eats stand to building a full - fledged sausage imperium , include a food motortruck and multiple stand post up at events around the metropolis .
Unlike other city ( Detroit , Atlanta , etc . ) , hot dogs are still very much a street solid food in Seattle . And with the death of Po Dogs , there are only fistful of brick - and - mortar dapple – like Taxi Dogs , a sales booth across from Pike Place Market ; and an out - of - the - style shop class in Tangletown holler Diggity Dog – that are still do them up .
Bradley Foster/Thrillist
Diggity Dog sells regional weenie from around the state , include Detroit - way Coneys , Chicago Dogs , and this one from Atlanta top out with chile and coleslaw . But guess what their No . 1 seller is ?
… not the Seattle Dog . Actually , it ’s a frankfurter topped with their house - made kimchi ( this is Seattle after all ) . However , the Seattle Dog ( above ) is a very close-fitting second .
This shortage of lasting red-hot andiron spots mean the best place to retrieve a click of any kind is outside one of your favorite bars in Belltown or on Capitol Hill … which makes sense , because there ’s nothing better after catching a show at Neumos . So once you make your exit , find a tie-up , set up a frank , and make certain you get it with cream cheese and onion . It ’s quintessentially Seattle , and it ’s undeniably scrumptious .
Bradley Foster/Thrillist
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Bradley Foster/Thrillist
Bradley Foster/Thrillist
Bradley Foster/Thrillist