Sauerkraut dog
Orange Julius, Fashion Place Mall
Meat: Combination chicken, beef and pork
Cooking method: Turned on grill
Price: $2.99
Marilyn: I love the flavor achieved by the combination of hot dog and sauerkraut, but then someone adds mustard, and suddenly the thing gets just a bit too wet for the bun. In the time it took to carry the hot dog to a table and take its picture, the bread was pretty well soaked. And I hate a soggy bun. The hot dog itself was either a little old or a little overcooked around the edges. Rating: THUMBS DOWN
Bob: Although I love hot dogs, I'm not a big kraut dog fan. The soggy bun and the rather tasteless frank left me cold. Rating: THUMBS DOWN
Corn dog
Hot Dog on a Stick, Fashion Place Mall
Meat: All turkey
Cooking method: Dipped in cornmeal batter and deep-fried in vegetable oil 3 minutes
Price: $2
Marilyn: The test of a good corn dog is whether the batter is cooked all the way through. This one was perfect. Brown and just a little crunchy on the outside and nothing drippy in the middle. Spiced up with only mustard (ketchup was also available), this was one of the best I've tasted. It reminded me of the county fair when I was a kid. Rating: THUMBS UP
Bob: To my way of thinking a hot dog needs to be served on a toasted bun and grilled. Hot dogs on a stick do neither. Although it wasn't my favorite, it was the only vendor in the food court with a continuous line. What does that say? Rating: OK
Footlong hot dog
Iceberg Drive-In, 3906 S. 900 East
Meat: All beef
Cooking method: Grilled
Price: $1.99
Marilyn: This hot dog had all the elements it should need to be great: cooked on the grill, sesame bun, pickle relish as well as ketchup and mustard. The meat was well-cooked and had a good flavor, and you do get more for your money with a footlong. But, once again, there was too much moisture for my taste. You overdo the condiments and you're bound to get, yep, another soggy bun. Rating: THUMBS DOWN
Bob: Soggy bun syndrome. The flavor of the bun and frank were there, but the combination of both mustard and ketchup were far more than the bun could take. Rating: THUMBS DOWN
Chicago kosher frank
Chicago Red Hots, 2233 Highland Drive
Meat: All beef
Cooking method: Boiled
Price: $1.19
Marilyn: This dog dish, so to speak, includes a very flavorful combination of toppings: tomatoes, onions, peppers, pickle relish and mustard. I especially like the taste of the unexpected whole peppers — yum! The hot dog itself is promised to be kosher and is produced by the Vienna company in Chicago (hence the name), but boiling a dog leaches out the flavor, though the order clerk here assured us boiling is the "natural" way to cook them. Rating: THUMBS UP
Bob: We were assured everything in this dog was imported and cooked exactly as they do in Chicago. While the condiments were especially tasty, the dog seemed a little tasteless and soggy. Rating: OK
Chili dog
Weinerschnitzel, 1438 S. State
Meat: All beef
Cooking method: Boiled
Price: 99¢
Marilyn: This and the chili-cheese dog are hot sellers, especially in winter, we were told. Surprisingly, given the addition of messy chili to the hot dog, the bun here remained chewy. But I'm simply not a fan of the mix of chili and wiener. It's just more than I can handle. I have to admit, though, in the quantity department you get your money's worth here. Rating: THUMBS DOWN
Bob: This is one of my favorite combinations. The chili presents a minor problem, but the extra spicy frank makes it well worth the mess. Great price to boot. Rating: THUMBS UP
Hot dog deluxe
Hires Big H, 425 S. 700 East
Meat: Beef and pork (Hygrade, produced in Utah)
Cooking method: Grilled (wiener and bun)
Price: $2.35
Marilyn: Finally. Somebody who knows how to cook a hot dog! As a teenager, I loved the local drive-in's hot dog, called the Round Dog, grilled and placed on a round bun that was also browned on the grill and crispy. No matter what you put on this one, it was delicious. Hires' version is much the same but with the very tasty addition of tomato, pickles, onion, lettuce, ketchup and mustard. Optional add-ons include bacon, cheese, mushrooms, ham or pastrami, but it's just lovely the way it's served. Rating: THUMBS UP
Bob: This has to be the best all-around dog in town. The dog had a great flavor, the bun was also grilled and the condiments were fresh and tasty. My only criticism is that it needed a little more dog. Maybe you could order it with two dogs. They also have a great chili dog with homemade chili. Rating: THUMBS UP
Half-pound giant
Costco, 1818 S. 300 West
Meat: All beef
Cooking method: Boiled; steamed bun
Price: $1.50 (includes medium soft drink)
Marilyn: This hot dog is literally "too much." Several people told us we just had to try this one. If you are interested in a whole lot of meat, this could be your favorite, but it wasn't mine. The steamed bun went soggy in a hurry, and it was also an odd yellow color. For quantity it must be rated at the top, but the flavor was way down on my list. We got another pitch here for boiling as the "natural" way to cook a hot dog, but I think the flavor goes down the drain with the water. Rating: THUMBS DOWN
Bob: We were told this is hot-dog heaven from a lot of people. Maybe they were thinking of the polish dog. Although the hot dog was large, the boiling seemed to have taken all the flavor out of it. Rating: THUMBS DOWN