The NJ Hot Dog Index was designed in celebration of New Jersey’s greatest food. Although NYC is famous for Sabrett’s pushcarts and Chicago has its tomato-and-pickle topped beef franks, the Garden State has a wider breadth of styles and deeper history of franks than anywhere else in the country.

The index is split into 80 “tiles” which provide key information about each hot dog restaurant & item, just like elements in the periodic table. Information includes a high-detail photograph; shorthand symbol for the name of the restaurant as well as full name and year established; size of the frank and composition (b for beef, p for pork, etc.); indexed toppings; and brand.

The structure matters as well, and broadly mirrors the chemical periodic table. On the left, we start with two categories that are defined by how the frank is cooked:

• Rippers: deep-fried Thumann’s Orange Label franks, fried until the casing “rips”. Rutt’s Hutt in the Hydrogen position; arguably the most famous hot dog restaurant in the state if not country.
• Dirty Water Dogs: pushcart-style franks cooked in water, found all over the United States but a common sight in NJ as well.

To the right, the index then moves through six categories defined by toppings, “transitioning” from more-to-less-tomato-forward as they continue rightward:

• Chili Dogs: Hot dogs topped with chili (in New Jersey, hot dog chili rarely contains beans).
• Plainfield-style Texas Weiners: Griddled franks topped with mustard, onions, and a dry, meaty, and spicy chili.
• Passaic-style Texas Weiners: Fried franks topped with mustard, onions, and a sweet chili sauce.
• Hot Onions: A spicy topping that originated in Branch Brook Park in Newark, served atop pushcart style franks.
• Easton hot dogs: Found in Warren County NJ; pan-fried franks topped with mustard, onions, and a pickle spear.
• Italian hot dogs: In both Newark- and Trenton-styles, served with potatoes, peppers, onions.

The next group of categories shifts focus from toppings to the type of frank itself.: 

• Jumbo: quarter pound franks found down the Shore at famous places like Max’s and The Windmill.
• Wurst: Sausages, kielbasa, and wursts that have a Central European origin, found throughout the state but especially in Polish and German ethnic enclaves
• Farm: Hot dogs that use farm products. There has been a recent trend of local farms having custom franks made with their own high-quality, homegrown beef and pork.
• Deli: Kosher- and Kosher-style franks; all-beef, served with mustard, and typically served with a toasted bun.

Finally, two categories that are on their own, defined by how they are sold and how they don’t fit into any other category, respectively:

• Distributed dogs: Just like the halogen group of elements, these hot dogs are never alone in nature, they’re all part of a broader system of distribution: stadiums, wholesale stores, and malls. They are defined primarily by wide distribution.
• Haute Dogs: The noble gases of hot dogs, “haute” dogs are defined by wild toppings, unique meats like duck, or innovative ways of being cooked. They are unique and simply do not fit squarely into any other category.

The horizontal position is guided by how many years each restaurant has been open, providing a handy reference for the history of a style.

All photographs were taken on-site at each location.