St. Louis, MOHot Dogs

St. Louis Magazine calls Steve's the city's most publicized local hot dog emporium, with a robust selection of standard dogs plus creative one offs and collaborations. Sauce's profile explains where those come from: founder Steve Ewing, frontman of The Urge, started with a cart by the Mississippi in 2009 wanting to elevate the experience of eating a hot dog, and now runs collaborations with other local kitchens, among them a BLT dog piled with Crown Candy Kitchen bacon.

St. Louis Magazine says the components of a bona fide Chicago dog, no deviations please, are near perfect at this Overland institution. Sauce reports the stand has been serving since 1977, is run by Ian O'Leary with his mother Mary and stepdad Craig Smith, and pours so many Vienna beef dogs that the brand put it in its Hall of Fame. Order the Woofie Dog, on a poppyseed bun with mustard, pickle spear, relish, tomato, onion, sport pepper and celery salt.

St. Louis Magazine's hot dog guide says steamed dogs, brats, hot links and more than two hundred condiments are the hallmarks at this O'Fallon counter. Sauce counted the same selection, more than two hundred mustards and hot sauces, and reported they come free with a purchase, which is the point of the visit: wasabi mustard, chili dog flavored mustard, lime Cholula and whatever else is out that day. Order a steamed dog or a hot link, then work your way along the condiment list.