Forget the bright pink Vienna, white roll and cheap ketchup – these gourmet dogs are a whole different breed. Topped with anything from zingy kimchi, sriracha and miso to sauerkraut, mustard and tomato sauce, this street food snack is making a hip comeback with some insanely delicious combinations. Here’s where to get your gourmet dog fix around Mzansi.

A gourmet hot dog with all the works at The House of Machines. Photo supplied.

• Joburg
• Pretoria
• Durban
• Cape Town
• Winelands

Johannesburg

Craft (Parkhurst)

Craft seems to be the place where bigger is always better, from decadent, over-the-top freak shakes to foot-long hot dogs. You heard right: A foot-long frankfurter is served in a wood-fired, crunchy roll, topped with sweetcorn and chakalaka, and served with a side of smoked-bacon-and-apple slaw. Take a friend along for this one because you’ll need help finishing it.

A cheesy hot dog at Craft in Parkhurst. Photo supplied.

Great Dane (Braamfontein)

If squeaking some takkie in the heart of Joburg while eating a great hotdog is your thing, then Great Dane has you covered. Aside from bringing all the best DJs to the yard, GD has built up some serious gourmet hotdog street cred over the last few years. If you like yours with a twist, the Rottweiler is for you: a sausage smeared with German mustard and topped with emmenthal cheese and mixed vegetable pickle. If you like some spice, ask for The Hunter, which boasts chilli paste, mature cheese sauce, caramalised onions and sliced jalapeños – extra napkins will be required for this one. All are served with hand-cut fries.

The hot dog selection at Great Dane. Photo supplied.

The National Eatery and Speakeasy (Parktown North)

Smoked food has a starring role on the menu at this food gem in the heart of Parktown North. Meats are smoked on the premises in their beloved smoker, hotdog sausages included. The National clearly takes the art of the hotdog seriously, serving up acorn-fed, free-range pork sausages that sit pretty in a brioche bun, with onion rings and chips. Choose between the American, with mustard-barbecue sauce and homemade ketchup; the European, with braised sauerkraut and mustard-mayo; and the Asian, with kimchi.

Stuff Café (Maboneng)

Gourmet hotdogs and malted milkshakes are what Stuff Café is all about. Sitting pretty in the heart of Maboneng, the space has been constructed from second-hand shipping containers. For the standard option, foot-long bockwursts are stuffed with nacho cheese, wrapped in bacon and placed in a bun. Then you can get creative with the toppings, with everything from mac ’n cheese to pastrami or eggs of all sorts. Wash it down with caramel popcorn and toasted sesame caramel milkshakes.

A gourmet dog topped with cheese at Stuff Café. Photo supplied.

Pretoria

+27 Café (Hatfield)

Although hot dogs are not a standard on the menu at this café, there’s often a Harvest Thrift Fair outside the shop, where you can indulge in two hot dog options. These are served either with beetroot aioli and braised red onion or homemade chakalaka and mustard mayo.

The outside area at +27 Café. Photo supplied.

Afro-boer (Die Wilgers)

Never one to disappoint, Afro-boer has a boerie dog featuring a 200g pure ground-beef sausage (from Groenkloof Butchery) that’s pan fried and served on sourdough with homemade mushroom-and-pepper chakalaka, topped with a creamy horseradish sauce and served with a salad. For all-day enjoyment, the Cheddar Corn Bang Bang is just the ticket. Homemade cheddar cornbread wedges are topped with rocket, fried halloumi slices and pork bangers, and are finished off with homemade tomato chilli jam.

Capital Craft (Centurion)

With a new store recently opened in Centurion and the CBD establishment functioning as a pop-up venue (for the moment) this ever expanding brand offers a Capital Dog, which consists of a German sausage with mayo, pickle relish, cocktail tomatoes, gherkins and homemade sauerkraut.

A hot dog with onion rings at Capital Craft. Photo supplied.

Fumo (Groenkloof)

The newly renovated Fumo sells an Italian-inspired sausage roll, the Summer Dog. A homemade pork salsiccia with fennel seeds and smoked mozzarella is served inside a panino made with pizza dough with onion mayo, pancetta and grilled zucchini.

tashas (Brooklyn)

The ever-expanding tashas brand (there are various international shops opening at the end of the year, and a new one opening in Menlyn in September) offers a 200g traditional boerewors roll. This classic combination includes tomato-and-onion bredie, rocket, grilled onions, oven-roasted tomatoes and mustard mayo, and is served with fries.

Tribeca (Brooklyn)

This trendy all-day eatery serves three different Cowboy Hotdogs, each accompanied by fries or onion rings. Choose from the Chicago Dog, made with a frankfurter, red onion, fresh tomato, dill pickles and homemade sweet mustard; the Bacon and Egg dog, made with a frankfurter, spicy cheese sauce and crispy bacon bits; and the Standard Dog, made with a grilled frank topped with mustard and ketchup.

Lucky Rodrigo. Photo supplied.

Lucky Rodrigo (Lynnwood)

A hangout for the trendy and edgy, Lucky Rodrigo is often jam-packed from front door to back wall. They offer four hot dogs: the classic, pepperoni, Dirty Dog and mini corndogs. The classic comes with tomato sauce and mustard; the pepperoni with said sausage, pickled caponata and mozzarella; the Dirty Dog with a foot-long sausage, bacon, lettuce, onion, prego sauce, cheddar cheese and onion rings; and the six mini corndogs with mustard and Asian sweet-chilli sauce.

Durban

031 Bar and Restaurant (Morningside)

This distillery restaurant has crafty cocktails and a street-food menu with some spicy sausage additions. The Asian worsrol is a flavour explosion: A homemade roll is filled with spicy boerewors, fiery Korean ketchup and wasabi mayo, and comes topped with deep-fried ginger, crispy umami seaweed and sesame seeds (R70). Alternatively, there’s the Coney Island chilli dog. This roll is filled with a beef sausage, Coney Island chilli sauce, mature boerenkaas, sour cream and coriander pesto, and comes topped with crispy shallots (R90).

The gourmet dogs at 031 Bar & Restaurant. Photo supplied.

Surf Riders Food Shack (Addington Beach)

This surfer-style restaurant is a winner after a surf or a long walk on the promenade. The gourmet dog section on the menu features viennas free of hormones and artificial flavourants, which are steamed and then grilled for a crispy bite. Order yours basic with chopped greens, house mayo and real mustard (R52); topped with gouda, cheese sauce and slow-cooked onions (R56); or wrapped in bacon with piccalilli slow-cooked onions and cheese sauce (R64). Be sure to add a side of cheese-sauce-smothered fries and a craft beer.

The piccalilli-topped burger at Surf Riders. Photo supplied.

Three Monkeys Coffee Bar (Glenwood)

This comfy coffee shop offers locals some laid-back café eats, including build-your-own gourmet hot dogs. The smoked viennas (R18) can be served in either a standard soft white roll or a cheese-crusted one for R8. The range of toppings from which to choose includes caramelised onions, avo, cream cheese, horseradish, capers, piquant peppers and balsamic reduction.

An onion-topped hot dog at Three Monkeys in Glenwood. Photo supplied.

Cape Town

Bardough by Jason (City Bowl)

Baker Jason Lilley has given the old hot dog a major makeover. Made with his signature brioche rolls and filled with artisanal sausages and toppings like white-truffle mayo, basil pesto and beer-battered baby onions, these dogs are hot indeed. Options might include the Number Juan with bacon, tomato salsa, and smoked jalapeño cream-cheese mayo; the Prawn Dog with a Thai prawn velouté; the Dawgzilla with octopus and chorizo; or the French-dip Dawg with braised brisket and fontina cheese (R55 to R75).

A photo posted by CaptainBreadZA (@bardough_by_jason) on Aug 20, 2016 at 3:16am PDT

Clarke’s Bar & Dining Room (City Bowl)

The US-inspired offering at Bree Street’s trendy diner includes the famous Rooster Dog. It comes loaded up with a German-style sausage, kimchi, sriracha, miso mayo and a crunch of toasted peanuts (R45).

The rooster dog at Clarke’s. Photo supplied.

Franky’s Diner (Sea Point)

The Atlantic Seaboard’s nostalgic diner is open 24 hours a day for all your fast food needs. Order a classic milkshake and bite into a beef footlong served in a soft roll in three different styles. There’s the Classic, with fried onions and dill pickles; the Cheese ‘n Chilli version, with jalapeño peppers, grated cheddar and barbecue sauce; and the Sloppy Dog that’s topped with barbecue ground beef, cheese sauce and crispy bacon bits. All are served with curly fries, onion rings and coleslaw and range from R67 to R105.

The House of Machines (City Bowl)

This edgy bikeshop-slash-bar has a gourmet hot dog menu with four options. The Labrador comprises a soft white roll with a classic grilled Vienna, sauerkraut, cheese, mustard, and tomato sauce. For those looking for a little something extra, tuck in to the Chi-Wawa, with a vienna, housemade guacamole, mature cheddar cheese, and sriracha. There’s also the Bulldog, which is served with bacon jam, mature cheddar and tangy mayo.

One of the hot dogs at The House of Machines. Photo supplied.

Jerry’s Burger Bar (Blouberg, Gardens, Sea Point, Willowbridge)

In addition to its stellar burgers, the Jerry’s team also cooks up some juicy hot dogs to pair with those craft beers. The classic snappy 10-inch dog is grilled and served with fries. Flavours include the Good Dog, a classic with mustard and sweet onion; the Hot Dog, with jalapeños and melted Jack cheese, and the Junk Yard Dog that’s wrapped in bacon, topped with avo and cheddar, and served with onion relish and pickles. Dogs range from R65 to R88.

Mondiall Burger Bar (V&A Waterfront)

This burger hatch also serves up some delicious dogs. The free-range pork viennas are served with the chef’s flavours of the day. Look out for options like the Sloppy Dog with coleslaw, Chilli Dog with fried mushrooms, Relish Dog with tomato relish, and the Breakfast Dog with grilled onions. They go for R65 each and are served with sauerkraut, cheese and pickles.

The Power and The Glory (Tamboerskloof)

Mostly serving as a hipster hub for buzzing after-work drinks, P&G has a few hot dogs from which to choose for those late-night snackers. There’s the classic option, a frankfurter in a crisp, buttered roll topped with gherkins, tomato sauce and mustard, or the Dog Con Carne, which is topped with sour cream and coriander.

Weinhaus + Biergarten (City Bowl)

This beer garden serves the perfect accompaniments to craft brews. Hot dogs are made with top-quality emmenthal and pork sausages and a toasted hot dog bun. They’re then drizzled in the trinity of mustard, tomato sauce and mayo and served with pickles on the side. If you want to forgo the bread, try one of the killer grilled wursts served up with German mustard and a bowl of sauerkraut.

The gourmet dogs at Tjing Tjing Torii. Photo by Claire Gunn.

Tjing Tjing Torii (City Bowl)

This stylish spot situated between Dear Me and Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar serves up contemporary Asian fare dishes with a twist. Hot dog fans can get their fix here with these Asian-inspired offerings. The Pork Atsui Dog comprises a soft white bread roll filled with a flavoursome sausage made of pork, miso and ginger, topped with kimchi, creamy kewpie mayo and nori. The Beef Atsui option boasts teriyaki beef sausage, sticky soy and crispy onions.

A hot dog at Café Racer in Somerset West. Photo supplied.

Winelands

The Café Racer (Somerset West)

This bike-themed spot in Somerset West offers all-day breakfasts, and gourmet burgers and dogs. The dedicated hot dog menu has six options, all served on toasted panini with fries and tempura broccoli. Try the Ton Up Boys version with poached knackwurst sausage, sauerkraut, mustard and gouda; the Ace Racers with poached bockwurst sausage, feta and basil oil; and the Powderpuffs with grilled cabanossi, sweet mustard popcorn and cream cheese. There’s even an option for poultry fans, a crumbed and deep-fried chicken sausage served with requeijão cremoso (a loose ricotta cheese), minted salsa and avocado. The dogs range in price from R85 to R90.

Who serves your favourite gourmet hot dog? Tell us about your discoveries in the comments below.