I made the ultimate hot dog pilgrimage.
Nathan's, Coney Island.
Joey Chestnut ate 70.5 hot dogs at the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Later that same day, I ate two and felt very full. Yes, it’s true — this July Fourth I made the trek out to Coney Island to get Nathan’s at the original location on Surf Ave.
Well, technically I was there to lounge on the beach and picnic with my friends and watch fireworks, but the details are unimportant.
Nathan’s Famous
Coney Island
The original Nathan’s on Surf Avenue near the Coney Island.
Price: $$
What it’s good for: A nostalgic stop along the boardwalk after you’re worn out from splashing and swimming in the nearby ocean.
Nathan’s Famous is, well, famous. For good reason! The hot dog itself was the textbook example of a fantastic all-beef hot dog. For that alone, it deserves a high ranking.
Here’s where things get tricky: I’ve had the best hot dog already. It makes it harder to focus solely on the dog itself. Nathan’s doesn’t come close to Katz’s as far as quality, and it's more expensive.
But first, let’s set the scene. The weather is perfect, the sun is high in the sky, Nathan’s Famous on Surf Avenue advertises that it is the original location all across the building. It feels like stepping into a movie scene. There’s salt in the air, everyone is dancing, and not to wax poetic about how lovely of a day I had at the beach, but families flocked to the beach, people swam and danced and played music and had picnics (yes, I had a picnic! Focaccia sandwiches, thank you, Deepti).
There’s an intimidatingly long line at Nathan’s, right next door to Pete’s Clam Stop and Williams Candy Shop, both serving up classic beach fare in old-fashioned digs. Luckily for us, there’s a hot dog express menu, and we’re ordering from it. It wasn’t long before I was sitting on the ground with a classic hot dog drizzled with mustard and another with jalapeño, cheese, onion, and bacon.
I mention all of this, because it’s important.
Because going to the original Nathan’s was never about the hot dog. It’s about the atmosphere. It’s the fact that it is Nathan’s Famous on Surf Avenue. That’s why you go.
So, they deserve some credit for delivering on what you’re there for. The experience is what matters, and the experience was stellar.
As for the hot dog…
It had a decent snap and a meaty taste. It was a solid hot dog, and the bun was fine but nothing special — just that slightly dry bun you associate with grilling in the backyard. They had a few options for toppings. I got one hot dog plain and drizzled a bit of mustard from the self-serve condiment station, but complimentary toppings also include raw or grilled onions as well as saurkraut.
I particularly enjoyed the jalapeño, bacon, and cheese hot dog. The cheese helped with the dry bun, and the bacon bits were perfectly crisp. The raw onions I added gave it the perfect amount of contrast from an otherwise very heavy, rich set of toppings. The jalapeño was sliced razor-thin, and it gave just the amount of bite I was looking for.
It wasn’t expensive necessarily, but it cost more than I generally want to pay for a plain hot dog at $5.99 before tax. The jalapeño, bacon, and cheese dog was $7.99. The sides were especially pricey — my friend’s onion rings cost $7.99, and I’m sorry but I’m from Texas and charging that much for an average portion of onion rings is highway robbery.
If you’re not new to the newsletter, you know I don’t shy away from spending far too much on this hot dog journey from unique options that are priced accordingly to trying the sides and even getting a cocktail. So far, every hot dog I’ve had has been an outing with a friend, so I don’t mind paying a little extra and am happy to tip heavily (skewing my spreadsheet on the prices at these places).
There have been very few times that I felt what I got was overpriced. I mean, come on, it’s New York real estate, but I felt the cost was too high if you're going for the meal, even if it’s less than what I’ve spent at most other spots I’ve reviewed. It is very much just a hot dog — not that that’s a disqualifying factor. Again, my number one pick I had with nothing but a good mustard.
Still, for the experience? I won’t be too harsh. I wasn’t really there for the hot dog. I was there to laugh with my friends and eat a hot dog before heading back down to the boardwalk.
Just don’t count on it feeling like a bargain lunch.
What else I tried:
I tried one of my friend’s onion rings. It was good.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Watch the review
This was not my first time in the ocean, but it was my first time swimming in it. I’ve been shrieking about going to the beach for weeks, and unfortunately the day at the beach did not sate my hunger. It only increased my desire to beach more. That’s even with my back tender from a sunburn as I sit here writing.
(Yes, I wore sunscreen. I wear sun screen literally every day and applied it liberally on Friday. I decided to swim. While waiting to dry off to reapply I fell asleep in the sun. Sue me. Yes, I am drinking plenty of water. Yes, I have aloe.)
If you’re in New York and want to go to the beach, I’m probably down. My friends can only commit to so many beach days, and I want this to be the vibe all summer long. This summer is all about swimming in the ocean, reading in the sun (yes, I’m trying to read one book every day right now. I’m sort of managing), and spending time with my friends.
And congratulations to Joey Chestnut.
The Full Rankings
Check out the full sheet of hot dog rankings and scores.