This well-loved Minneapolis bar slings inventive cocktails, as well as low-ABV and non-alcoholic drinks, but also deals in some seriously good hot dogs — with a fusion twist. Try the Meteor dog with tangy kimchi mayo and crispy onions; the classic Frank dog with relish, mustard, and sauerkraut; and the Musubio dog with hoisin mayo, pineapple, and togarashi green onions. Its brick walls, Art Deco-style black-and-white floors, and frequent entertainment lineup make it a must-stop in the Cities.

It’s hard to deny some “Damn Good Dogs,” and this northeast Minneapolis fixture features a whole menu section devoted to dogs built with imported Chicago ingredients. Order the Uncle Franky dog with mustard, relish raw onion, and ketchup “because this is Minneapolis.” Or go city hopping with a Coney Island chili dog, the Chicago dog, the Carolina slaw dog, or the Wall Street dog, which, “tastes like a million bucks,” per the menu.

At this creative “vegan” butchery in northeast Minneapolis, diners can choose between an Italian sausage, bacon brat, beer brat, or sriracha brat — all meat-free, of course. Top a beer brat with fried onions and dijon mustard for the full experience. 

This Korean hot dog specialist, which has locations across the U.S., offers a deeply satisfying on-a-stick experience with battered and fried hot dogs that can be wrapped in cheese, injected with squid ink, swathed with crunchy potatoes, and more. Rice cakes and mozzarella cheese sticks are also available to fry, for vegetarians who want the hot dog experience without the jumbo beef frank.

St. Paul’s quintessential Chicago-style spot offers its fair share of wings, fries, burgers, and Italian beef sandwiches, but the hot dog-hungry come for its Vienna beef or Polish dogs, topped with chili and cheese or the iconic Chicago accoutrement: yellow mustard, neon-green sweet pickle relish, chopped white onion, tomato slices, sport peppers, celery salt, and a dill pickle spear (all housed in a springy poppy seed bun, of course).

With locations in Lowertown, Uptown, and downtown, this American restaurant and beer bar is best known for its “Danger Dog” — a frank wrapped in double-smoked bacon, then deep fried, and topped with sriracha mayo and fried onions. Other classics include the Lowertown mac and cheese dog or the Berliner hot dog to go along with in-state beers or Belgian brews.

No hot dog topping is off limits at LITT Pinball Bar in south Minneapolis, where the pinball games get competitive and the dogs are made from scratch. Craving smoked onions, gruyere, and bacon on your dog? Got it. What about kimchi, kewpie mayo, and sesame seeds? Got it. LITT offers 10 specialty dogs, including the option to sub in a vegan brat. If diners are still stuck on what to order, there’s a build-your-own option.

This St. Paul beer garden offers some of the Cities’ most creative sausages to put between buns, like a Juicy Lucy brat stuffed with provolone and pepperoncini, a mac-and-cheese-stuffed brat, a lamb gyro link, and a wild boar sausage punched up with blueberries and merlot. Vegan brats from the Herbivorous Butcher are also available; for the kids, mini corn dogs and hot dog meals may satisfy.