I actually want to go back to this one. Like... now.

Santa Salsa, Bushwick.

The Santa Salsa and Perro con Todo from Santa Salsa in Bushwick.

Texas summers tricked me into thinking I like the weather colder than I actually do. New York taught me that much. The weather is nice, and I am back in my social butterfly era, which is good because hot dogs are best shared with company.

Thank you to my friends for making the trip to Santa Salsa for me. I’m having a wonderful weekend. As of writing this Saturday evening, I’ve spent Friday with friends in Chinatown, stopped by Radio Bakery with my roommates and went to get hot dogs before we go out dancing tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll be thrilled to spend my day at dance class, working out, and making the trip to Staten Island for a seafood boil and drinks with friends.

Too much good food perhaps but never too much time with friends.

Santa Salsa

Bushwick

Venezuelan street food spot serving hot dogs, burgers, yuca fries, and more.
Price: $
What it’s good for: A topping heavy hot dog, unique vegan options, and dragging all of my friends further into Brooklyn forever and ever.

A classic bun, a solid hot dog that delivers essentially what you expect when you get an all-beef dog. It isn’t snappy but has a good meaty bite, tastes like the kind of hot dog your dad picks up from the grocery store and says this is a solid hot dog.

Santa Salsa has seven different hot dogs on their menu, including some of the most genuinely intriguing vegan menu items I’ve seen at a non-vegan restaurant, let alone at a bar, that would be appealing to most people regardless of dietary restrictions. Personally, I’m eager to try the Zambo.

Besides that, they have an array of cocktails, burgers, sandwiches, and more Venezuelan street food specialties.

I tried their Perro con Todo, dubbed the best hot dog in NYC by the Village Voice. It comes with a beef dog, onions, cabbage, crushed potato chips, cheddar cheese, ketchup, mustard, and Santa Salsa.

The potato chips added the perfect textural contrast that the hot dog needed, and the toppings meld perfectly but, as a downside, struggle to stand out among the crowded flavor profile. This was good for me — I wanted to try the most popular hot dogs without alteration and I didn’t mind the ketchup, a topping that normally puts me off of a dish.

Even better was their signature Santa Salsa hot dog. A beef dog with avocado, fried white cheese, bacon, onions, cabbage, chips, ketchup, mustard, Guasacaca & Santa Salsa.

Mine either didn’t have avocado, or it disappeared into the background of this hot dog. The fried cheese was good enough to want to eat on its own, especially topped with Guasacaca which rose above the noise. The Guasacaca was really what tied all of the disparate elements together to elevate this one, with most of the other toppings blending into each other unless you paid particularly close attention to the individual elements. If I had to make a recommendation from the two I tried, it would be the Santa Salsa without a doubt.

If you’re keen on a busy hot dog bursting with flavor, this is the spot for you. Even better, the menu has plenty to offer everyone, with lots of vegan-friendly options that feel distinct instead of like a menu afterthought.

It isn’t the cheapest hot dog on the market, but there’s several options hovering around $6, and the toppings are enough to make the price feel justified. Soon enough, I’ll have to head back for a tipsy hot dog and appetizer. I’m sure I’ll be singing its praises with a cocktail in my hand at this bar conveniently close to the DeKalb L stop.

What else I tried:

In pursuit of trying the top two hot dogs, I opted not to get anything else on the menu, but I have to go back soon to try their cocktails and other amazing options.

Rating: ★★★.75☆

Watch the review

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Happy to say this is the first place in my (still very new) journey that I actively want to return to soon. To keep up with more of my food outings, add me on Beli.

Thank you to everyone for supporting my hot dog dreams. I have a list of my first 49 spots to try, but I’m always looking spots to try so drop recommendations. I promise I’ll head out of Brooklyn for one sooner rather than later. Have you been to Santa Salsa? What did you think?

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The Full Rankings

Check out the full sheet of hot dog rankings and scores.