Top Dog
Hot dog restaurant · Telegraph Avenue ·
Quick-serve sausages including specialties & veggie options
Quick-serve sausages including specialties & veggie options
"Late nights and hot dogs just go together. We don’t make the rules. This kind-of-a-dive hot dog institution near the UC Berkeley campus (it’s been around since the ‘60s and is open until 2am) is a rite of passage for Cal students, or anyone motivated by the greased-up, meaty aroma of blistering kielbasa, hot links, brats, and franks. Order at the counter with cash in hand ($5 credit card minimum and most dogs are $4.50), wait outside for the dog (and, likely, be chatted up by a local who “remembers coming here back when…”), and then slather on the mustard and fresh onions." - julia chen 1, lani conway
"To Cal students and Berkeley locals alike, Top Dog is the stuff of legend. For nearly 60 years, this no-frills joint has served the hot dog faithful, offering 11 different sausages grilled on their signature flat top. Go for a snappy, kosher all-beef “Top Dog Frankfurter,” a Louisiana-style hot link (described on the menu as “h-h-hottt”), or the popular garlic Frankfurter — made of three-fourths beef, one-fourth pork, and a whole lot of fresh garlic. Go nuts at the condiment station — it’s self-serve — and take your time. They’re open until 3 a.m. on the weekends." - Lena Park
"“I love a challenge and friendly competition - especially when it’s over something as time-consuming and stupid as Fantasy Football. Full disclosure: I’ve made the playoffs in my league for the last three years, and take great pride in this fact. My life as a casual Fantasy Football player is also why I find this comedy series about adult friends who’ll lie, cheat, and sacrifice the well-being of their children to win wildly entertaining. One running joke involves Jason Mantzoukas randomly pulling hot dogs out of his pocket (don’t ask). So, naturally, I’ll pair this with the excellent hot link or the kielbasa from Top Dog. The stand near the Cal campus serves it on a warm sesame-seed bun and tops it with sauerkraut and mustard.” -LC" - julia chen 1, lani conway
"I learned that Davie has worked at Top Dog, where he watched Gordon in action during many Coliseum outings and eventually became friends with him — experience that helped prepare him to take up the hot dog vendor mantle." - Lena Park
"Late nights and hot dogs just go together. We don’t make the rules. This kind-of-a-dive hot dog institution near the UC Berkeley campus (it’s been around since the ‘60s and is open until 3am), is a rite of passage for Cal students, or anyone motivated by the greased-up, meaty aroma of blistering kielbasa, hot links, brats, and franks. Order at the counter with cash in hand ($5 credit card minimum and most dogs are $4.50), wait outside for the dog (and, likely, be chatted up by a local who “remembers coming here back when…”), and then slather on the mustard and fresh onions. photo credit: Virginia Mae Rollison" - Lani Conway