Buffalo is home to several gourmet hot dog restaurants. But there is one that stands out above the rest. After hearing about it for years, I have finally treated myself to Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs.

Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs is one of those businesses that first started as a food truck. Brothers Paul and Frank Tripis started Franks in 2013. Known for making nitrate free hot dogs following their own recipe, they were popular enough to open a restaurant a few years later. In Jun 2018, the restaurant opened on Kenmore Avenue.

The Menu

The menu has three types of hot dogs: OG Franks, Innovative Franks, and Bacon Franks. I assume the OG Franks consists of the original set of hot dogs their food truck offered. They are: Standard, a basic hot dog with ketchup mustard, relish (hot chili relish, though) and onions; Frank Bruni, which has sauerkraut; Hells Kitchen, which is similar but with New York City onion sauce; and a Chili Dog.

The Innovative section has the Modern Chicago, Frank Mi (a variation on the Vietnamese Bon Mi sandwich), Impractical Joker (featuring cheddar cheese and a special sauce), and Violet Beauregard (Blueberry BBQ sauce with cheddar cheese).The bacon section is self explanatory. It has two options: Hogtied and Proud Mary. I describe the Proud Mary in more detail below.

In addition to hot dogs, Franks also has burgers, chicken sandwiches, and near and dear to my heart the “DC Half Smoke Sausage”. This is a smoked sausage sandwich, half beef and half pork, inspired by the half smokes served at DC’s iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl. During Lent, they serve fish fries. Their fried fish is considered among the best in Buffalo. There is also a specials board, where there are popup offerings. There were none the day I was there, but items offered in the past include pastrami, tortilla soup, pork melt, and a Buffalo Chicken sandwich.

The Hot Dog

I very much wanted to try their hot dogs, and focused my attention on them. It was a tough choice, but ultimately I settled on The Proud Mary. From the bacon section of the menu, it features a hot dog wrapped in bacon, caramelized onions, and a Tijuana cream sauce. It was the caramelized onions that sold me on it; I find they add great depth of flavor to any dish. This hot dog was no exception.

I also ordered a side of sweet potato fries. The fries were good, but not exceptional. But they are served with a cinnamon honey butter, which is phenomenal. A perfect accompaniment to the fries.

Ambience

Franks has the look and feel of a fast food restaurant, but the quality is certainly a cut above that. Items are made to order and that alone makes them better than a fast food place. Ordering is similar though. You place your order at the counter and pick it up when it is ready. Franks does both take out and dine it: there is plenty of space for it. While I was there, I saw a good mix of people both doing take out and dining in. They do a good business in both. Many people order ahead online. Their web site is very well organized and ordering is quick and simple.

Final Thoughts

I had high expectations going into Franks Gourmet Hot Dogs, and they met them. Freshly cooked hot dogs, made with pasture raised pork and beef and topped with fresh ingredients? I can see why they have such dedicated and loyal customers.