Carney's Restaurant
Hamburger restaurant · Crescent
8351 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Highlights
Iconic traincar serving chili dogs, burgers, and fries
Iconic traincar serving chili dogs, burgers, and fries
"Carney’s might look like a stop on the TMZ bus tour, but locals love it just as much. This iconic train car on the Sunset Strip has mastered the messy chili cheese dog, grills a solid cheeseburger (to which you can add chili, naturally), and has fresh-dipped frozen chocolate bananas. Go for a dose of nostalgia, or just to soak up whatever the bartender at Whiskey a Go Go was pouring." - brant cox, cathy park, sylvio martins, jess basser sanders
"Carney’s is a tourist attraction that’s equally beloved by locals, especially after too many vodka sodas at Whiskey a Go Go. For the past 50 years, this yellow rail car has been parked on the Sunset Strip serving a chili cheese dog that still reigns supreme. The steamed all-beef dog comes from Koegel's, the meat in the smoky chili is so finely minced it practically fuses into the cheese, and the diced onion and thick tomato slices cut through the richness. It’s a gloopy, drippy mess like every chili dog, but Carney’s somehow makes it taste elegant." - garrett snyder, sylvio martins, brant cox, cathy park, andrew ryce
"Sure, it’s right in the midst of a busy touristy stretch of West Hollywood. But there’s something about enjoying an old-fashioned chili dog on a Pacific Railroad passenger train right on Sunset Boulevard. Carney’s offers guests just that, slinging hot dogs out of a bright-yellow rail car since 1975. Those in the know will order a spicy Polish dog with grilled sauerkraut and spicy mustard; others may branch out with more irreverent options like the mango-salsa-topped Hawaiian dog or chicken apple sausage with an equally tropical slaw. A side of chili fries (or the decadent, pickle-topped train wreck fries) never hurts." - Eater Staff
"Carney’s is the rare LA tourist attraction that’s just as beloved by locals, especially after a show and a few vodka sodas at the Whiskey a Go Go. For the past 50 or so years, this yellow rail car—which has an identical twin parked in Studio City—has sat on the Sunset Strip like a historical relic, with a menu that is twice as long as it needs to be (sorry, no one wants pasta salad from Carney’s). The must-orders here are the classic burger or the Carney’s dog, both smothered in their signature chili and shredded cheese, then topped with a thick slice of tomato, pickles, and raw onion. They’re gloopy but glorious, and especially delicious when eaten in one of the nostalgic rail car booths. Add a frozen chocolate-dipped banana for dessert—when was the last time you had one of those? photo credit: Jessie Clapp Food Rundown Carney’s Hot Dog Like every chili cheese dog ever, the one at Carney’s is a gloopy mess. But it’s also a delicious, flavorful, balanced gloopy mess. The ground beef in the smoky chili is so fine it melds into the cheese, and the raw onion, tangy pickles, and thick tomato slices cut through the richness. It’s Carney’s most famous item for a reason. If you’re feeling daring (and not worried about heartburn), swap the snappy standard frankfurter for a Red Eye, their spicy polish sausage. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Chili Cheeseburger Save for the slightly dry bun, this is a solid cheeseburger. As with the hot dog, the bright and crunchy stuff like pickles and tomato keep the chili cheese one-two punch in check. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Train Wreck Fries An improved version of In-N-Out’s animal-style fries and a must-order for the table. The straight-cut fries stay crisp under their cap of melted cheese and grilled onions, and we love the thousand island sauce perked up with extra relish. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Chocolate-Dipped Banana A two-ingredient dessert that’s prepared in front of you at the counter. No matter how many times you order one, seeing the frozen chocolate shell form in a millisecond is always satisfying. photo credit: Jessie Clapp" - Sylvio Martins
"Chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo may now be better known for their Jon and Vinny’s Italian mini-chain, but the original carnivore’s dream is still a destination for diners willing to push the boundaries of their comfort zones. Dishes like anchovy and sage fritti, chicken liver toast, and roasted bone marrow may have many kids running for a hot dog, but the small plate servings mean that you and a date can sample all sorts of unique meat preparations." - Robert Spuhler
