8 favorite hot dogs on Oahu

Everything from food court and supermarket picks to the fanciest dogs on the island

All the times the weather is hot, which has been just about the entirety of the pandemic so far in Hawaii, staffers at Frolic’s parent publication, Honolulu Magazine, are thinking about hot dogs. They’re not only a zesty comfort food you can eat on the go, they’re also easy to throw together at home, with or without grilling.

Here are their eight favorites across Oahu.

Redondo’s Aloha ‘Āina

$6.49 for 8 from Forage Hawai‘i

Redondo’s Aloha ‘Āina hot dogs are the only ones I know of made with local beef. Though they lack the snap and juiciness I usually prefer in my franks, I appreciate their dense meatiness, which holds up well to mapo tofu hot dogs (try it and be amazed) and that they’re made with local beef not treated with antibiotics and hormones. —Martha Cheng, dining editor

foragehawaii.com, @foragehawaii

All-Beef Hot Dog

$1.50 from Costco

The all-beef Costco hot dog is the stuff of dreams—I once walked from Downtown to Iwilei just to get one for lunch. For only $1.50, you get an extra-long dog (nothing is small at Costco) and a 20-ounce drink, plus a refill. Load that sucker up with ketchup, mustard and onions from a hand-crank machine for the best cheap eat around. You now have to be a member to order from the food court. —Katrina Valcourt, managing editor

Multiple locations, costco.com

Chicago Dog

$7.25 from Hank’s Haute Dogs

I can’t stop Hank’s Chi dawg! It’s got that bratty juicy pop when you bite into it; the sheer abundance of the briny brawny toppings shout “America! Land of immigrants!” Give me your poor, your huddled masses and I’ll send them to Hank’s. —Don Wallace, senior writer

The Chicago dog at Hank’s Haute Dogs: the snappy casing and toppings that include a whole pickle spear, green relish, tomato slices, pickled peppers and a sprinkle of celery salt. —MC

324 Coral St., (808) 532-4265, hankshautedogs.com, @hankshautedogs

Andadog

Price varies at the annual Okinawan Festival

The Okinawan answer to the traditional corn dog, only miles more delicious since it is a regular sausage coated and deep fried in andagi (an Okinawan doughnut) batter. I am not part Okinawan (or Japanese) but you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be at every annual Okinawan Festival for one of these magical creations. Plus it’s meat on a stick. And what Asian doesn’t love food on sticks?—Katie Kenny, digital editorial specialist

The Andouille

$13 from Butcher & Bird

I cheated a little by going with a hot dog’s fancy cousin, sausage. The andouille from Butcher & Bird delivers a spicy kick from the made-fresh sausage, topped with grilled onions and mustard on a soft bun, some tangy pickles on the side (and chips). It’s pricier than your average ballpark-style frank but worth a summer lunch splurge.—Robbie Dingeman, editor at large

324 Coral St., Suite 207 (upstairs at Salt at Our Kaka‘ako), (808) 762-8095, butcherandbirdhi.com, @butcherandbird

Customize your own

Starting at $6.70 from Hula Dog Hawai‘i

I’ve been buying hot dogs from this Waikīkī spot since it was still called “Puka Dog” (now, you can only find Puka Dog on Kaua‘i). Three reasons why it’s my favorite: 1) I don’t eat pork and it has both polish and veggie options; 2) the workers carve out a snug little hole in the bread for the dog, toast it and fill it with your choice of toppings for optimal flavor and minimal mess; and 3) they offer nontraditional toppings, such as star fruit relish and liliko‘i mustard. My sweet tooth tends to lean towards the banana relish and guava mustard.—Enjy El-Kadi, digital marketing specialist

2442 Kūhiō Ave., (808) 256-7008, huladog.com​

Frank’s franks New York style

Open Sat & Sun, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; some weekdays (check Instagram). Waimānalo, @franks_franks_nystyle

Johnsonville Hot Links

Price varies at each retailer

Discovered Johnsonville hot links a couple of months ago—ohh, those are good. Crunchy, spicy and real thick! You can pretty much get ’em anywhere, I think—Foodland, wherever. West Virginia slaw dogs are pretty great too—a hot dog (any kind) on a bun, covered in chili and coleslaw.—Elroy Garcia, copy editor

Multiple locations, johnsonville.com