Ordering a Dodger Dog is a ritual. Customers queue up in one of two lines—one for grilled dogs and the other for classic steamed. They inch ever closer to the counter where stadium workers dole out foot-long franks that stretch far beyond the confines of steamed buns. Finally they head over to the condiment stations to load up on mustard, ketchup, chopped onions, or relish.
Dodger stadium’s divide-and-conquer approach is the product of years of experience. Many estimate that the millions of Dodger Dogs sold each baseball season outrank sales of any other frank in the league. But once foodies have had their fill of the gargantuan Dodger dogs at the stadium, or even purchased at local markets, they’ve only just begun exploring the diverse hot-dog scene in Los Angeles.
Take the Korean-style franks of Seoul Sausage Co.. They’re a bit harder to track down than a ballpark frank. Without a food truck or retail space to call home, these succulent, grilled delicacies crop up at street fairs and catered events all over LA, where their inventive cooks offer up a kalbi-flavored sausage topped with tangy kimchi relish, and a spicy pork sausage crowned with apple-cabbage slaw.
For a taste of the increasingly hard to find LA street dog, enthusiasts can hunt them down at Skooby’s, where decadently bacon-wrapped franks nestle into fresh buns delivered by a local bakery.
Perhaps the crowning glory of LA’s hot-dog inner circle is the chilidog, which local favorite The Hat has been slinging since 1951. Pink’s, on La Brea and Melrose since 1939, is now practically a regular set piece on TV shows and movies set in LA for its addictive dogs and cheerful, familiar sign. Their ode to the chilidog is a love letter to its loyal patrons written with all-beef franks slathered in chili, mustard, and onions.
Elsewhere in the city, more progressive—even avant-garde—culinary sensibilities shape the future of the humble hot dog. At Let’s Be Frank, nitrate- and hormone-free dogs are made fresh from grass-fed beef and layered with toppings and veggies sourced from local farms. At The Stand, diners can customize their low-fat turkey dogs or chicken-apple sausage with quintessentially Californian toppings including avocado and corn salsa. At Vicious Dogs, the whimsical 8-bit-inspired art of cook Stacey Hughes colors the walls. The eatery’s Thanksgiving turkey dogs arrive smothered in all the trimmings—stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce. Adventurous patrons can even go off the menu and try their hand at topping Stacey by building their own creations, including Latin-inspired, deep-fried doggie flautas.
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Restaurants in Malibu
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Coogie's Beach Cafe
Contemporary American Cuisine at Coogie's Beach Cafe (44% Off). Two Options Available.
Pesto-infused burgers, white truffle mac ‘n’ cheese, and turkey pot pie served in a spacious dining room beneath a central skylight
Eastern Malibu
$25 $14
Select Local Merchants
Using predominantly organic and local ingredients, Coogie's Beach Cafe puts a distinctly Californian spin on traditional American comfort food—a natural combination to fill its traveler-friendly oceanside perch just off the Pacific Coast Highway. Chefs fete early birds with breakfast treats such as blueberry pancakes topped with maple-glazed granola and serve a spicy bayou scramble alongside zucchini muffins. Lunch and dinner find organic greens and wild arugula admiring the brawn of Angus beef, filet mignon, and herb-roasted free-range chicken. The menu is broad enough to harbor options for vegetarians (garden veggie tacos), the gluten-averse (quinoa pasta), and kids (sesame-crusted chicken fingers). House-made desserts include Granny Smith apple pie.
The bar sends forth a fountain of fruit smoothies, fresh-squeeze juices, homemade lemonade, and organic hot teas, depending on the season. When sea breezes are favorable, diners relax on a palm-shaded patio; otherwise, they munch beneath a big central skylight and weathered wooden surfboards, safely hiding out from vengeful waves.
23755 Malibu Rd
Malibu,
CA
US
When it comes to making a positive first impression, the Sunset Restaurant doesn?t dawdle: it greets guests with a sprawling view of the Pacific horizon. Located on a secluded chunk of Zuma Beach, and just a few steps or somersaults away from the ocean, the restaurant continues to stun patrons throughout their visits by surrounding tables with equally stunning coastal views. In Sunset?s pristine, white dining room, large windows look out onto the beach while dates and groups sit down to plates of seafood pasta, grilled filet mignon, and wild langostinos flown in from New Zealand. Away from its casual dining spaces, the facility also boasts elegantly decorated bars and private event rooms for hosting special occasions, including weddings.
6800 Westward Beach Rd
Malibu,
CA
US
American Luxury Limousine's large fleet has been transporting people to special and everyday occasions—be it a college shindig or a business meeting—for more than 27 years. Professional drivers chauffeur bridal parties in style, pulling up to weddings in shiny stretch Hummers, party buses, and Lincoln Town Cars. They also offer leisurely wine tours of the Santa Monica Mountains to acquaint oenophiles with local varietals, and they host bachelorette parties to put an appropriately epic period on the end of a bride’s single life.
3201 Retreat Ct
Malibu,
CA
US
The Santa Monica mountains rise from the undulating greens of the Malibu Golf Club, clinking glasses punctuating the silence as wine lovers sample local vintages at Malibu & Vine Outdoor Wine Bar. Tables dot the grassy expanse, allowing guests to bask in the sunlight as the bar’s wine stewards pour out samples or full glasses of locally grown vintages from Saddlerock and Semler. On the weekends, the bar invites in musical artists to strum throughout the afternoon hours, making the late lunches more relaxing than watching a complicated computer sink into a swamp.
901 Encinal Canyon Rd
Malibu,
CA
US
Howdy Sylvano Kabrins has a particular affinity for fresh, healthy Mexican food—in fact, he credits himself with launching the "Fresh-Mex" movement. Inspired by the two years he spent living with a peasant family in Mexico during college, Howdy founded his first Mexican restaurant in 1979. La Salsa, as it was called, soon blossomed into a 100-restaurant franchise, due in no small part to the fresh, light twist it put on a cuisine that was known at the time for being heavy and greasy. 16 years later, he opened Howdy's Taqueria, and his culinary imagination has only become more creative since.
At the taqueria, vegetables sourced from local organic farms—including Howdy's own ranch in Ojai—combine with deft recipes to create flavorful food brimming with macronutrients. The result is a selection of well-balanced dishes such as protein-packed Cross Fit bowls and the Rainbow Kale salad, which mingles kale and quinoa superfoods with heart-healthy beets and protein-rich sunflower seeds. Seafood is also a big draw, as lettuce-cup tacos filled with seared ahi tuna and Scottish salmon with quinoa share menu space with a multitude of fish tacos and burritos. Howdy's wife provides the chicken-soup recipe, which uses organic, free-range chicken in a dish that resembles italian wedding soup, and there's also a variety of sushi rolls available. But the food isn't all that's wholesome—the restaurant itself also embraces a casual and friendly ambiance, surrounding patrons with earthenware tiles and stout wooden chairs.
3835 Cross Creek Rd
Malibu,
CA
US
When you’re in love, few things are more beautiful than your mate. One exception may be a panoramic view of the Pacific. During brunch at Geoffrey’s Malibu, every seat offers an eyeful of ocean. The menu is just as impressive, with items such as herb-crusted salmon and sautéed sea scallops in a pomegranate reduction.
27400 Pacific Coast Hwy
Malibu,
CA
US
