Top Dog

This should be probably one of my favorite places to go get good hotdogs for really cheap prices and the best one to be honest I went to the other spot in Berkeley as well and it’s the same. I always love to get lemon chicken mango chicken original one these are always my go to place definitely recommend

If you live in the Bay Area (especially east bay), Top Dog is no longer a foreign word/location for you. It’s our go-to place when it comes to hot links or sausages other than…Costco, although you can’t compare them side by side. Top dog sausages are juicy, meaty, and full of flavors. It might take you a few minutes to decide which to order whenever you come here, but trust me…they’re so good!

This place is legit, an Anthony Bordain approved hot dog place. You wont find Lacto-fermented radishes and Avocado slices on these dogs. Meat, mustard, relish. Good stuff. Great for post beer healing. There are some libertarian cartoons strewn about. Whatever its a hotdog place Love the sugar cane soda

Good food and great prices. I really liked that their soda was all with cane sugar. Got the root beer and the garlic hot dog with grilled onions and it was awesome. Will be coming back to try some of their other options 😎

The chicken apple sausage was inedible, the casing was like thick plastic that I nearly choked on. The place is dirty and there is some insanely loud music going on upstairs. More than the customers who can come and go, I feel worst for employees working shifts. Won't be eating there again.

Dogs were great at a reasonable price. People on here complaining about the ambiance...not sure what you're expecting. You walked into an old school hot dog establishment. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the dogs. Will come again

You can depend on Top Dog for an authentic hot dog. We paid $6.50 for a meal that included a fountain drink and chips - very generous and a great selection of chips and different dogs. The best part? You can doctor it up yourself with kraut, chopped onions, relish, and several types of mustard. It was an enjoyable spot to stop off during our walk in Oakland.

Really enjoy all kinds of dogs here since I was at Berkeley about 40 years ago. It’s inexpensive and tasty, and, most importantly, it still do. Two thumbs up!

I was in the area and decided to stop into Top Dog. I got their Bockwurst sausage again! The service was friendly and efficient. After a few minutes, the sausage was hot and ready. You have a good selection of condiments from sweet & spocy mustard, deli mustard, yellow mustard, ketchup, diced onions, relish, and warmed sauerkraut! Yum.

I was reading in the local news, that the iconic hot dog place of like 100 years, Kaspers Hot Dogs, has closed. Now, I read that this iconic Oakland Top Dog location is closing soon, due to a dispute with the new landlord. I figured I better get over her quick before it closes for good. https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/berkeley-top-dog-closing-oakland-location-21102867.php My Oakland guide, who grew up as a child in this Lakeshore Area, tells me of the old days here right at this location where the Top Dog is. It used to be a restaurant called Edy's and they had the best lime freezes. His mother used to take him here in the 1960's! I can't believe that was over 60 years ago! This Top Dog has been here for a long time, around 21 years. The little alley way that has an entrance to the Top Dog, now goes to Trader Joes, but he tells me that used to be a Lucky grocery store before. The parking structure wasn't there either. My guide is a long time Top Dog fan, from the original Berkeley locations. He even made friends with the girl cook at the north Berkeley location and ended up getting free hot dogs! He says the prices sure have gone up since the 70's ... a Kielbasa was just 70 cents! That's $4.50 now! This location runs like most locations, you just tell the cook what you want and the sausages are already cooked or cooking on the flat top grill. The buns get heated there too and then you have condiments to add. I've been a fan of Top Dog, more the Berkeley location, but it's sad to see this location close. Soon, it will just be the original Berkeley location open at the south campus.

I got two dogs and a fountain drink for $10. I heard this location may be closing so I came to try it out. $10 for lunch is awesome!! The dogs were delicious! I'd hate to see reasonably priced restaurants leaving the community. It's definitely worth a try. Street parking is horrible!!

Yummy hotdogs with all beef option. Sometimes they don't get toppings right but over all really good

Dropped in to this East Bay eatery whilst running errands in the Lakeshore neighbothood. It was a while since I had a Hot Dog and TD filled that urge. I had gotten a Hot/sweet mustard and Saurkraut. The other was a plain mustard and onion relish. You can garnish your own Dog once it's ready. Soda fountain was down for the count when I visited, but I'm more of a water fountain guy. The Dogs were good and 2 of them hit the spot. Staff was friendly and the place was clean. Craving a quick snack and on the run; it's the perfect place for an in and out grab and go

Fantastic to find a *real* hot dog place. Fat sausages, perfectly grilled, the right crispiness and char and snap as you bite in. Dress the dogs yourself with three kinds of mustard, ketchup, relish, and onions, or ask for bacon on top for extra. The buns were perfectly toasted and crispy, soft on the inside but not sponge and not gluing your mouth shut. 10/10. Hope this place sticks around.

Top Dog has always provided excellent products. Their hot dogs are literally impossible to come by other than an actual location. I never been here before, but was familiar with the one in downtown Berkeley. What I can say is that the staff is friendly, food is as good as it's always been and the environment is pleasant. I do hope to return here sometime soon and I'm glad to be able to say that this is a great location. If you're like me and our fan of their hotdog, but are further away from Berkeley, this is a great location to stop by. 4/5.

ALWAYS love Top Dog! Every time I'm in NorCal, I gotta stop by at least one of them and this one, at least of the 2 that I've gone to, has the most seating and I do enjoy that. Affordable hot dogs, lots of delicious weiners, self serve condiment area (not crowded which is a plus), and super quick service. The only issue was that some of the hot dog links were already sold out by the end of the night, so keep that in mind. Some of my favorite to get at Top Dog are their Louisiana hot link (made with 4 different types of peppers) and actually gives you a good kick (goes great with the hot mustard and sauerkraut too) and for the second hot dog, I usually let my boyfriend choose (or third or fourth depending on how hungry that we are). For this particular night, we got their standard Polish Kielbasa (can never go wrong with that). All hot dogs come with a bun too! Quick delicious dogs!

Very good hot dogs here, and one of the rare Bay Area institutions that's 1.) still around and 2.) doesn't rip off its customers. Not too long of a wait for your dogs once you order. Limited seating inside and the seats and tables were kind of filthy, but it's a nice place to sit and watch people go by on a warm day (after you brush off other people's crumbs and mess). Went with the mango habanero and loved it. Not overly sweet and had a great kick of heat. Went well with a couple lines of mustard, and the bun was soft with just the right amount of crisp. My only complaint is that these dogs are kind of small, which is saying a lot given that I'm not a huge eater. But at only a few bucks each, you won't be breaking the bank to order a second.

Full of flies. Maybe it is just fly season, but it was awful. The flies were in a swarm and were flying around in the seating area and right outside the door. Seating is plentiful. Which is great as we wanted to eat in. They really try to keep the place clean. A staff member was using goo gone to clean the soda machine while we were there. The dog was delicious. I got the original dog. The dog is grilled and the bun is heated up on the grill. Next time I want to to try the garlic dog. They have specialty local sodas. A really great selection. They taste like standard sodas. Other than the flies it's a great place to stop for a dog.

Best hot dogs in the Bay Area the quality and flavor is amazing and the sourdough roll they use instead of a hot dog bun is what sets it apart from the competition.

It's Top Dog enough said best hot dogs in the bay, but this location decides to close almost half an hour before it's supposed to 6pm closing shouldn't be locking the door at 5:30 but oh well still fire hot dogs though.

Just a simple tried and true dogs and sausages with good buns. For something quick to eat you cant go wrong.

I was so happy to find a place that had hot links I've be craving one for a while haha but to be honest I don't understand the hype but don't get me wrong it's not bad food. I like that it's made fresh to order and also very affordable. The bun is sourdough bread and really thick which is not my favorite but if you love that kind of bread you'll love it. Nice staff

Nothing better than buying dogs to cook later at home. They even come with buns! The staff are always friendly.

Where can you go to experience an economical and convenient meal that won't break the bank? They've been around for decades in the Berkeley storefront not as long here in Oakland. Top Dog is the place. If you're having or attending a BBQ buy some cold dogs and buns here for a real reasonable price to go! The service has always been good. It helps to be a real people person to work here. It's a quaint shop here. They also have t-shirts and caps for sale. Gotta love them. If you travel don't be surprised if someone recognizes your garb and casually walks up to you to express their appreciation.

Top Dog rocks obviously but some may not know- 6 cold dogs with buns are just $14. Caspers & ball park buns at a supermarket are at least a couple bucks more, & as good as Caspers is you can mix & match any top dog offerings w their superior, unique buns for a couple bucks less. Plenty of condiment containers & kraut to take with. Card payment only

If you need a hot dog, this is the place! Choices & prices are still pretty good too!!

My son and I stopped in to get a dog and for me to reminisce about old times to him. The worker behind the counter, Martin, was a friendly soul. Very friendly and provided outstanding service. My son got the regular Top Dog Frankfurter and I had the bratwurst. Both were great. I think my first time in a Top Dog was probably 45 years ago in Berkeley. Martin says Top Dog is still owned by the original husband and wife owners. Food is still great and with great employees like Martin, we will continue to come back!

This place is so gourmet I have to give it my Yelp Elite 5-Star gold seal of approval that I reserve usually only for Michelin starred and James Beard award winning restaurants that I enjoy. Seriously Top Dog is that local weinery that everyone has in their part of the country and I have been going since my high school days. It is one of the only places that I go to just because I am within a one mile radius. At roughly $4 for a Top Dog you get a long dog on a sesame bun and you are once again transformed back to the days of tie-dye, peace and love. Oh I also recommend the Bird Dog, the Hot Link, the Bratwurst, Lemon Chicken, etc. and don't forget their spicy Russian mustard

Just happened to walk into this place and thought I'd try a dog. I ordered the Louisiana hot link. They serve it no frills with a delicious toasted bun and the link. There were onions, relish, mustard and various other condiments available to trim your own. The dog and the bun were very good. The price was crazy reasonable, the atmosphere was decent, and the place was very clean. I will definitely be back.

This place has the top-notch hotdogs, I come here all the time, and this is the rare place where you can get a nice lunch for under 10 bucks.. They also have a bunch of good sausages, but they call it top dog for a reason - so I recommend getting top dogs.+1 also for the good variety of mustard and a nice big tureen of sauerkraut. Just the way I like it.

Did you know you can get dogs to go? It comes out to about half the cost, and is sold in sixes, and comes with fresh buns too (which they will tell you is made fresh and will last for a couple of days). The downside with ordering raw like this is you have to buy it in sixes, per flavor (for example, 6 mango jalapeno, 6 bratwursts, etc), no mix and match. Great for BBQs and parties! My usual go-tos are the hot link and kielbasa, despite getting them both mixed up all the time when I take them home. They are both great tasting and looks too similar. I was informed that the hot links is more red, solid colored after cooking and the kielbasa has speckles of black dots...but when I grill it myself, somehow I still can't discern the two. This is especially important if you're bringing these to a party and you happen to have folks that can't eat spicy food. Actually maybe it's best that I refrain from grilling duties. On the flip side, if you want to dine in, the place isn't all that clean nor inviting. It's as if you need to get this ordered on the go, or eat-in quickly and gtfo. On the plus side, they do make a pretty mean dog. All of the flavors are delicious, and charred perfectly...and the bun is toasted very well, every time. They also have condiments: sauerkraut, mustard, Russian mustard (strong horseradish taste, I wouldn't put too much...), ketchup, relish, and fresh chopped onions. Bacon and grilled onions cost extra.

Sooooooooo love TOP DOG!!! Whenever I touch down in the Bay I gotta have my hot link with grilled and raw onions, mustard and a little relish. The bread is outta this world and makes the dog complete.

Martín was super helpful! I wanted top dog but also wanted to save my appetite for dinner which was waiting for me at home lol. So I decided to get some dogs to-go for the first time! It was great lol you can choose any 6 dogs (mix and match allowed!!) and it comes with the buns. Martín very thoroughly reviewed each one and I took a video so I could remember which ones I was cooking later lol. I loved being able to have a variety so I can finally decide from the comfort of my home which dog is my top dog lol. The buns, I was warned, are fresh (made that day)! So freeze or consume within 3-4 days. Overall I had a really chill and pleasant top dog buying experience! Support this local fave!!! They have multiple locations as well.

Food was good and service was good Dogs are not allowed in restaurants!!! You are not entitled!!!

Love this place I don't mind the 30 minute drive when I can to come get a good dog! Even better experience when Mario is back there cooking em up! He is very helpful and made the trip here worth it! Thanks Mario!!

Jacob with the good vibes knows how make a great hot dog!!! The bun is always warm and always smells good once you walk in

First time at this location and once every ten years is about right. Did I imagine the hot dogs being 50% bigger and half the price way back when? Nostalgia does wonders. Nice snack but nothing to drive miles for.

For some reason, Top Dog always knows how to serve you a burnt hotdog. They should be brown, but not crusty burnt, and if they are, they shouldn't serve them to you. This second location where I've had this happen.

Visiting our daughter and family, I pass by here everyday while taking my daily walk. Finally decided to stop in and grab a hotdog. I had the garlic dog. Maybe the best hotdog I've ever had. Snappy skin, great taste, and a unique crusty bun. Gonna have to change my walk time to earlier in the morning when they're not open, or I'll be tempted to stop every day!

Shared the top dog frankfurter, hhhot link, and lemon chicken with a fellow hot dog lover last night and it was a delicious meal. Really appreciate the all beef options and chicken options! It's a simple place, quick and good service, and great topping options. They also have prepackaged ice cream and a soda fountain. Would definitely return for a snack during future Trader Joe's visits!

Hot dog hot dog hot diggity dog! Prices are good the dogs are delicious bread soft and delightful. Prices are splendid! I love Top dog they have a very nice variety. Under five dollars now let's make go by and visit especially if you hungry for a good ole fashioned hot dog moderately priced

Making a hot dog is not rocket science - so I am happy to find this place that makes good hot dogs and has a variety of other protein (links/sausages) to add to your bun. The staff there was extremely nice but a little disoriented since they asked me twice what I ordered I got the mango jalapeno and it was pretty good.

I'm not a big hot dog lover but I like the kielbasa and Top Dog franks from this hole in the wall. They have to-go food to cook at home which are great for parties. Parking: in the garage or outside lot by Trader Joe's. *Donuts too! Colonial Donuts on the same block has a good assortment and the staff are very courteous. Their Apple fritter is dangerously delicious.

Food was great customer service even better thanks for the quick bit. It' was a great tasting dog highly recommend

I stopped by for a small bite here the other day. They now only take order in the back door in the ally to the right. The staff that handles the order and money was separate guy from the cook, and he wear both gloves and face mask, which I am really appreciated of. I usually do not like when the same guy who handle my food also handle the dirty cash. I had a lemon chicken and a bockwurst dog ($8). Both were good, but I think I like the bockwurst more, better texture and flavor as well i guess. The lemon chicken was a bit chunky in texture, I think they chopped the meat to small piece instead of blending it, it wasn't noticeably lemonly as it sound either. overall it was a good and light snack. Wish I did ask for some grill onion.

This just one of my favorite spots, only reason I don't go to the one in Berkeley cuz they don't give out the free card ‍

Best Top Dogs dogs available in Oakland, plus The Cooks are funny & great at their position! Parking available everyday, which is Rara Avis in the East Bay

Great unassuming hot dog spot. The top dog and hot link are both great, full of flavor and with a snapping casing that lets you know it's the real deal. The guy working the counter/grill was awesome, courteous and pleasant to chit chat with.

Grew up eating Top Dog at their SJ location and was stoked to see they had a location in Oakland when I moved up here last year. Just as good as their locations in Berkeley. They've got a simple formula that needs no fixing: quick, no frills, reasonably priced and a good sausage selection with all the proper feeeeiiiixings. Love this place.

Disgusting dirty this place is. There was so many flies and 20 hotdogs not even fresh just laying on the grill for how long it was there food. Rude customer service. I really don't review places but I had time today and wanted everybody to know this place is disgusting with millions of flies just flying in the restaurant

I love how it's a nice spot to grab a quick bite. Fast service. The hotdogs are delicious. There's varieties of options you can add to it. What I loved the most from Top Dog was their potato salad. It stayed fresh and was well made. The prices are reasonable.

Cheap. Quick. Open at decent hours. Has lots of hot dog/sausage options. Sells It's-Its. Great spot if you want a snack or want to eat on the go. For some reason they also have cheesecake.

Quick in and out food if yah want some fast. Bratwurst is my favorite can't find another hot dog spot that doing that

A local feel but extremely friendly!!! I had the Top Dog frank and also made things easier for myself by adding the necessary fixings because that hits the spot foreal.

Best customer service!! Came in right before closing and the gentleman in charge took amazing care of us!! Top tier customer service, definitely coming back felt like at home!!

Wherever I travel, when the subject of hot dogs comes up, I brag about this place. Great dogs, great value, sharp, competent people behind the counter. Long live Top Dog.

Will always be my favorite top hot dog purveyor! I grew up in Berkeley eating these since high school and passed the deliciousness to my two children. I moved out of state since but always always bring some back to Atlanta with every visit - buns and all! I even get requests from other former bay area folks when they know I'm making a trip back. Yes, I carried all those buns on the plane!