Your Guide to Finding the Best Hot Dogs in Birmingham
Introduction
As the summer heats up in Birmingham, so does our craving for that perfect hot dog—a quintessential American treat that bursts with memories of backyard barbecues, lake lunches, and poolside snacks. In this quest, we rounded up eight of the city’s most scrumptious hot dog joints, including long-standing Birmingham staples plus a few surprises you might not anticipate.
1. Paramount
Location: Downtown Birmingham, 200 20th St N
Daily Hours: 11AM-9PM
Paramount tops our list, a spot renowned for its high-quality burgers, hot dogs, and other American classics. Here, the mighty Smokewagon reigns supreme—a Niman Ranch hot dog smothered with smoked ham, cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce, slaw, and crispy jalapeños. Sounds delicious? Keep an eye out for Paramount’s soon-to-open second location in Homewood.
2. Pizza Grace
Location: Mercantile on Morris, 2212 Morris Ave Suite 105
Hours: Lunch 11:30AM-2PM | Dinner 5-9PM
This one might surprise you. Pizza Grace offers more than its eponymous pizza. Presenting the pizza dog, baked within Pizza Grace’s irresistible pizza dough, and customizable with a plethora of toppings. Unfortunately, it’s only available for lunch.
3. The Collins Bar
Location: 2nd Ave N, 2125 2nd Ave N
Hours: Monday-Saturday 4PM-12AM
The Collins Bar takes you on a journey through Birmingham’s history. Many years ago, Lyric Hot Dogs was founded in downtown Birmingham by Greek immigrant John Collins. His son later re-introduced the famous Lyric dog at The Collins Bar. You now have six Lyric dog varieties to pick from, including chili dog, slaw dog, and even a veggie dog.
4. Gus’s Hot Dogs
Location: 4th Ave N, 1915 4th Ave N
Hours: Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM | Saturday 10AM-4PM
Kicking it back to Birmingham history, Gus’s, an iconic hot dog stand, first opened its doors downtown in 1947. It is now a prime lunch spot, where you can grab a chili dog, a bag of Golden Flake potato chips, and a chilled Pepsi.
5. Back Forty Beer Company
Location: Avondale, 3201 1st Ave N
Hours: Monday + Wednesday 11AM-9PM | Thursday 11AM-10PM | Friday-Saturday 11AM-11PM | Sunday 11AM-8PM
Avondale’s Back Forty offers more than its signature craft beer. Their menu features gourmet pub foods that include the Back Forty hot dog—an all beef frank, loaded with cheese, beer mustard, onions, and relish.
6. The Standard
Location: The Pizitz + Vestavia Hills
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11AM-8PM
True to its name, The Standard is all about high-quality burgers and sandwiches. Your hot dog can be simplistically plain or drenched with their diverse toppings, such as pimiento cheese, beef sauce, pickled jalapeños, and more.
7. Tony’s Hot Dogs
Location: Pelham, 1922 Montgomery Hwy
Hours: Monday-Friday 5:30AM-3PM | Saturday 6:30AM-3PM
Pelham’s family-owned treasure, Tony’s Hot Dogs, is celebrating almost 30 years of serving up some of Birmingham’s best hot dogs—the proof being named Alabama’s best hot dogs by Big 7 Travel and Eat This, Not That.
8. Stephen’s Hotdog Wagon
Location and Hours: Check social media for the weekly location schedule and hours
Taking creativity to a new level, this hot dog food truck offers both classic hot dogs and unique toppings like potato salad, Cajun crab dip, Fritos, and more.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a traditional ketchup-and-mustard hot dog lover or open to adventurous toppings, Birmingham has a hot dog joint ready to serve up your perfect dog. Next time you’re in The Magic City, be sure to check out these top eight spots for the best hot dogs in town.
