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Crif Dogs
Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz

The best cheap hot dogs in NYC

A perfect frankfurter doesn’t need to be pricey—these best cheap hot dogs in NYC are delicious proof

Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner
Written by
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner
&
Time Out contributors
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There’s perhaps nothing more New York tasting than a cheap hot dog plucked right off a street cart for a single dollar—rivaling the satisfaction of dollar slices—but sometimes you want your hot dog experience to be a bit more, well, tasty. While most of the city’s best cheap burgers still clock in at more than $10 each, just a few bucks buys you some of the best hot dogs in NYC.

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best cheap eats in NYC

Best cheap hot dogs in NYC

  • Restaurants
  • Hot dogs
  • Upper East Side
  • price 1 of 4

Tubesteaks-and tropical-quaff purveyors are aplenty in this city, but the King is the original, an Upper East Side mainstay since the 1930s. Amidst the multicolored tiles and neon signs, find hickory-smoked hot dogs and milky papaya juice in a variety of combinations: The $5 “original” consists of two franks crowned with kraut, onions or relish alongside a 16oz sipper; or double down for a “Grand Slam,” which gets you two specialty dogs (chili-and-cheddar, coleslaw-and-pickle), a papaya drink and curly fries for $9.99.

  • Restaurants
  • Hot dogs
  • Coney Island
  • price 1 of 4

Tourists and tube-steak zealots make the trek to this Brooklyn landmark for a taste of hot-dog history. Established in 1916, the former 5¢ stand still does a roaring trade. The bun is flimsy, but in the end, it's just a vehicle for the chain-spawning wiener, which has a tight casing that gives way to a juicy interior. $3.99.

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  • Restaurants
  • Hamburgers
  • Flatiron
  • price 1 of 4

Danny Meyer's fast-food joint brings Gothamites a taste of the Midwest with this Chicago-style snack. The Vienna beef dog is split and griddled on a flattop, then nestled in a pillowy potato bun. It comes fully loaded with toppings, such as pickled green sport peppers and relish from Lower East Side pickle-maker Rick's Picks. $4.29.

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  • Restaurants
  • Hot dogs
  • East Village
  • price 1 of 4

While the Spicy Redneck and egg-topped Good Morning Dog both have their loyal fan bases, Crif Dogs’ most unique frank creation should not be overlooked: A peanut butter– spread bun is lined with crushed potato chips and pickle slices, and filled with a bacon-wrapped dog.

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  • Restaurants
  • Delis
  • Boerum Hill
  • price 1 of 4

This nouveau Jewish deli is best known for bringing Montreal-style smoked meat to the city, but it also makes its mark on a New York classic with its from-scratch hot dog. Each component is made in-house, from the griddled all-beef frank to the tangy sauerkraut and thick, poppy-seed–studded bun. Hot dog $8, combo $11.

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  • Restaurants
  • Hot dogs
  • Queens
  • price 1 of 4

Since 1959, Queens lunchers have been lining up for the old-school franks at this food truck outside St. John Cemetery. Get the boiled natural-casing Sabrett on a steamed bun with homemade spiced and sauted onions or punchy sauerkraut, and wash it down with a soda, in flavors like black cherry and cream, from 140-year-old White Rock. $3.

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  • Restaurants
  • Upper West Side
  • price 1 of 4

Though it’s nearly doubled in price since the combo debuted after the 2008 recession (it’s now $5.95), this double hot dog and drink deal is still a bargain—and a tasty one at that. Get two franks topped with kraut and a side cup of papaya juice, all to scarf down at the counter before you move on with your (hopefully healthier) day.

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