A few days ago, Burger King announced that it was entering the hot dog business. Of course, hot dogs on a fast food menu are not a new thing.
Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s, Checkers/Rally’s, and SONIC are national chains with hot dogs on their menus. I remember eating a hot dog at McDonald’s in Las Vegas in the late 1990s!
It’s not new to them; they had hot dogs on the menu back in the day. You have to remember that Burger King has been around since 1953.
This time around, there are two hot dogs on the menu: a classic with ketchup, mustard, onions, and relish and another with chili cheese. The launch date is February 23rd, 2016, but my buddy Dro texted me this morning to let me know that he had spotted them for sale at the Burger King in Downtown Miami five days early.
I knew that meant the corporate Burger King restaurant near my home (a block from Burger King Headquarters) must have them available. I pass this location every day, and lo and behold, the signs were up, so I was in business.
Since my preferred method of cooking a dog is on a chargrill, I was excited. The hot dogs are all beef and made by Oscar Mayer.
As an expert in late-night eats, I know my way around a 7-Eleven wiener. They fall into the same category, plus Burger King chargrills these fellas, so they’re better.
Both come packaged with the same sleeve around a hot dog-sized paper basket. I was sure I’d love the chili cheese dog, but the opposite happened. I ended up on the classic grilled dog bandwagon.
Classic Burger King Hot Dog
- I liked the combination of ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions; I had never had it before. I’m not much of a regular relish guy.
- The crispy hot dog exterior’s flavor shined through the toppings.
- It tastes just like something you’d grill in your backyard.
- You can’t beat the $1.99 price.
Burger King Chili Cheese Hot Dog
- I liked that the cheese had melted on its own, and it didn’t appear to have visited the microwave (which bothers me immensely).
- The chili overpowered the hot dog taste, which seemed lost; a little flavor balance would help this fella out.
- While the chili is okay, it could use some livening up; maybe adding some mustard, onions, or jalapeños will do the trick.
- Again, you can’t beat the $1.99 price.
So there you have it; Burger King‘s menu includes hot dogs again. It’ll be interesting to see if they roll out any other toppings.
Does Burger King Still Sell Hot Dogs?
Unfortunately, Burger King’s Grilled Dogs are no longer on the menu. They were available only for about six months in early 2016.