| Pink's Hot Dogs | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1939 |
| Street address | Fairfax District |
| City | Los Angeles |
| State | California |
| Country | United States |
Pink's Hot Dogs is a landmark hot dog restaurant in the Fairfax District of the city of Los Angeles. It is on North La Brea Avenue, across the street from the Hollywood district on the east. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
Pink's was founded by Paul and Betty Pink in 1939 as a pushcart near the corner of La Brea and Melrose. [7] The Great Depression was still having an impact on the country and money was scarce. People could purchase a chili dog made with Betty's chili recipe accompanied by mustard and onions on a steamed bun for ten cents each. As the business grew, thanks to Betty's chili and the custom-made Hoffy-brand hot dogs, with their natural sausage casings, so did Pink's. The family built the current building in 1946 at 709 North La Brea Avenue in the Fairfax District.
Pink's has named several newer menu items after Hollywood celebrities, some of whom can be seen at the restaurant. [8] Numerous signed celebrity photographs are hanging on the walls inside; some celebrities have signed more than one photo. The celebrity-named hot dogs are often versions ordered by the person in question, such as the "Martha Stewart Dog" with mustard, relish, onions, chopped tomatoes, sauerkraut, bacon, and sour cream. Another is the "Rosie O'Donnell Long Island Dog", which is a 10" dog topped with mustard, onions, chili, and sauerkraut. The "Huell Howser Dog" is a standard chili dog with two of the regular hot dogs on a single bun while the "Ozzy Spicy Dog" named for Ozzy Osbourne features a Polish sausage, nacho cheese, American cheese, grilled onions, guacamole and chopped tomatoes. [9]
A smaller selection of hamburgers are available, and desserts are a choice of coconut or marble cake.
There is usually a long line of customers in front despite the lack of parking in the area. The often slow-moving line is viewed by some as part of the attraction at Pink's, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when the stand becomes packed with club and concertgoers.
Pink's has a parking lot attendant, even though parking is free. [8] According to the menu, Pink's original signature chili dog, with a measure of ten inches (25.4 centimeters), remains the stand's top seller.
During the Los Angeles Dodgers' World Series run against the Houston Astros in 2017, the restaurant changed its name to Blue's and repainted its pink and white facade for the first time in 78 years, making it blue and white and featuring Dodger logos and player names on the windows. [10] They also challenged Good Dog Houston, a Texas-based hot dog stand, to a friendly bet. The winner would give out 250 free hot dogs courtesy of the losing city’s hot dog stand. [11] The Astros won the series. The restaurant named itself Blue’s again when the Dodgers made it to the World Series in 2018 and 2020.
In mid-March 2020, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as with other restaurants, its locations indefinitely shut down indoor dine-ins. Pink's flagship location closed between mid-March to mid-August 2020 and shut down again from January 4 to February 2021.
In September 2009, a location opened on the Las Vegas Strip at the Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino.
In April 2010, another location opened in Universal CityWalk [on the second level, across from the movie theaters] and introduced "The Betty White Naked Dog" (no condiments or toppings). In November 2010, a location opened at Harrah's Rincon in Valley Center. It was closed in 2018 and replaced with a Smashburger.
On June 10, 2016, Pink's opened their first international location at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines. [12]
In October 2016, Pink's opened an additional location at the Del Amo Fashion Center food court in Torrance, California. [13]
On February 22, 2019, Pink's opened their first East Coast location at the King of Prussia shopping mall in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. [14]
Pink's hot dogs have also been sold at amusement parks—from 2011 to 2018 at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, the first Pink's location east of Las Vegas, and since 2014 at Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut.
There are also locations inside the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the Forum, and the T-Mobile Arena. In June 2018, locations opened at Brea Mall and the Camarillo Premium Outlets.
A hot dog is a dish consisting of a grilled, steamed, or boiled sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener or a frankfurter. The names of these sausages commonly refer to their assembled dish. Hot dog preparation and condiments vary worldwide. Typical condiments include mustard, ketchup, relish, onions in tomato sauce, and cheese sauce. Other toppings include sauerkraut, diced onions, jalapeños, chili, grated cheese, coleslaw, bacon and olives. Hot dog variants include the corn dog and pigs in a blanket. The hot dog's cultural traditions include the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest and the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.
The Coney I-Lander restaurants are a regional chain based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their signature dish is a small slow-grilled hot dog topped with chili, onions, and mustard, sitting in a steamed bun. The restaurants also serve small tamales, and spaghetti topped with the same chili used on the coneys. The name of the restaurant is derived from Coney Island, the early-1900s amusement park and vacation destination in New York City.
A chili dog is a hot dog served in a bun and topped with a meat sauce, such as chili con carne. Additional toppings may include cheese, onions, and mustard. The style has multiple regional variations in the United States, many calling for specific and unique sauce ingredients, types of hot dogs, or types of buns and referred to regionally under region-specific names.
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A hot dog stand is a business that sells hot dogs, usually from an external counter. Hot dog stands can be located on a public thoroughfare, near a sports stadium, in a shopping mall, or at a fair. They are often found on the streets of major American cities. According to one report, some hot dog stands are paying up to $80,000 in rent for prime locations in Manhattan.
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