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Tail O' the Pup—the hot dog-shaped hot dog stand—is returning to LA

Michael Juliano
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Michael Juliano
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Who doesn't love drinks inside of Idle Hour's barrel-shaped building or perusing a dinosaur gift shop inside of a brontosaurus? Like Googie's more literal cousin, these unusually-themed buildings were constructed to catch motorists' attention. Typically referred to as novelty, programmatic or mimetic architecture, they've mostly disappeared from LA's streetscape, but one of its most iconic examples is returning.

Tail O’ the Pup, a 1946 hot dog stand in the shape of two buns and a wiener, will be opening a food truck down the street from its original location on La Cienega Boulevard. The truck will set up shop outside of Opening Ceremony, just across the street from Norms, starting August 25.

Tail O' the Pup

Photograph: Courtesy David Clark/LAPL

The mobile take on the classic stand will serve as a concept for several others planned to roll out across LA. The original hot dog-shaped stand, meanwhile, is wrapping up a refurbishment after going into storage 11 years ago. The renovated historic structure is set to arrive at the Bloc, the under-construction Downtown Macy's shopping center, sometime in early 2017.

Expect a mix of revived classic recipes like the Baseball Special (mustard, relish, onions), the Mexican Ole (chili, parmesan cheese, onions) and the Red Eye (tomato, mustard, relish, onions) as well as new concoctions like the Pastrami Dog (pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, mustard), the Nacho Dog (guacamole, cheddar cheese, Pico de Gallo) and the Italian (red bell peppers, pepperoncini, diced onions, tomato, shredded lettuce, Italian dressing).

Despite being a pop culture mainstay, the stand has had a bit of a rocky history. It was sold in the 1970s to Eddie Blake and moved onto San Vicente Boulevard in the 1980s, following a public outcry over a construction project that would have shuttered the stand. In 2005, it sealed up its buns for good until Jay Miller—Blake's grandson—and his wife Nicole partnered with restaurateurs (and Hamburger Hamlet revivalists) Kevin Michaels and Brett Doherty for a relaunch.

You can find the Tail O’ the Pup truck at 451 N La Cienega Blvd everyday from 11am to 10pm beginning August 25.

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