Local Voices

How Drunk Do You Have to Be to Put a Tamale on a Hot Dog?

Take a gander at America's No. 1 hot dog, made right here in Chicago.

If you're grilling out this weekend, maybe you'll be inspired by the top dogs on this America's Best Hot Dogs list to get creative with your hot dogs.

There are several Chicago-style hot dogs in the top 50 as decreed by TheDailyMeal.com, but the No. 1 Hot Dog in America, The Mighty Dog at Fat Johnnie's Famous Red Hots on the South Side, is anything but your typical Chicago-style dog.

"A hot dog and tamale on a bun with chili and cheese. Sounds like a monster, right? You’re right to be scared, it’s a mess. You want tomato, sport peppers, relish, and pickles on that? You bet you do. Soft steamed bun, moist tamale, fresh snap of the dog, chili, cheese, and a slice of cucumber sliced on the bias — it’s one of the best hot dogs you’ll ever have," says TheDailyMeal.com.

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Last year, DNAInfo's Mark Konkol went on a Chicago hot dog crawl and asked the inevitable question about the Mighty Dog: "How drunk was you when you came up with the idea to put a hot dog on a tamale?"

The answer?

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"We were pretty drunk."



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