Pinks: Those Famous LA Dogs

Traveling or living in LA, there’s almost no doubt that you’ve heard about Pink’s Hot Dog stand on La Brea and Melrose.  It’s famous for two things: its ridiculous hour long waits and their delicious hot dogs.

This is the typical scene on a Saturday night just past midnight.  Don’t be fooled by the photo, the line is wrapped and it goes around the store.  Unfortunately they only take one order at a time, so it moves pretty slowly, giving everyone plenty of time to figure out what they want from their pink folded menus.  The line is much longer during the day on a weekend, as it’s filled with tourists.  If you’re looking to avoid the line completely, in my experience the only time you can go is a ten in the morn when they are just opening their stores.  What are you waiting for exactly?  Well….

BAM!  These are no ordinary hot dogs on their menu.  Most on the menu are either spicy, topped with chili, cheese, bacon, or guacamole.  Sometimes it’s all of the above and more.  Pictured here is a jalapeno stretch dog topped with taco fixings, PASTRAMI, and BACON!  My fave happens to be the Ozzy spicy polish dog, topped with guacamole, nacho cheese, and onions.  There are over 40 different variations of hot dogs and many more possible combinations on their menu.

Pinks has been a Hollywood legend since 1939.  Since then it has served many adoring celebrities fans whose photos line the walls on the inside of the restaurant.  Here’s a link to find many of the celeb customers Pinks has had over the years.  I wonder if they had to stand in line to get some??

When it comes to the LA experience, this is a must have.  Although it’s good, there’s no way I would try to eat this more often than I have to when showing out-of-town friends around.  I don’t think my heart could take it, ha.

Pink’s Hot Dog
709 N La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038