The 5 Most Over-The-Top Hot Dogs Guy Fieri Has Eaten On Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives

Food Network's mega-popular show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" (DDD) isn't necessarily about showcasing outrageous foods. In fact, the essence of the program involves host Guy Fieri putting the spotlight on small, often family-run eateries across the country. Still, there have been plenty of over-the-top dishes on the show over its 50+ seasons in the form of sky-high hamburgers, overflowing fries, and immense breakfasts. Part of the appeal of "DDD" is that Fieri zeros in on approachable dishes, the kinds that many Americans might enjoy. For example, he's been known to highlight hot dogs, and some of them have been incredibly unique.

When we scouted for the most over-the-top dogs on "DDD," we found that not all of the standouts were overflowing in size. In fact, the ones from Super Duper Weenie, Senate Pub, Perfectly Frank's, and The Butcher and the Bar could be eaten without toppings spilling all over the place (the exception is the one from Hillbilly Hot Dogs, which you could easily split between a few people). What makes these dogs special ranges from the creative combination of toppings to the attention to detail with which they're constructed — one of these restaurants made its hot dogs from scratch. Collectively, they easily win tickets to  Flavortown, Fieri's famed concept, which has its own TikTok account.

It wasn't enough to spotlight Super Duper Weenie in Fairfield, Connecticut, once on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," so Guy Fieri went back to the famed hot dog joint a second time on his show. During both episodes, the New Englander dog received plenty of airtime. On his first visit, Fieri was left asking (after taking a huge bite), "Where has that been all my life?" (via YouTube). The New Englander dog is built on a toasted bun and features a split and griddled wiener, crispy bacon strips, sauerkraut, spicy brown mustard, house-made sweet relish, and chopped onions.

Owner Gary Zemola bought the first rendition of Super Duper Weenie — a food truck — in 1992 and built a loyal customer base. Seven years later, he opened a storefront for the business and retained the personal touches that made his food memorable: house-made condiments made from local ingredients, like the sweet relish that comes on the New Englander. Today, Super Duper Weenie serves up around 2,000 hot dogs every week, maintains five food trucks, and has expanded into a catering operation.

On the "DDD" episode titled "One Street Wonders," Guy Fieri stopped by Senate Pub in Cincinnati, Ohio, to try a hot dog that customers loved. The restaurant's Korean hot dog was a blend of exciting flavors from Korea on an all-American hot dog. A locally made bun and hot dog created the base of this stunning handheld, which was topped with shredded, house-braised beef short ribs, homemade kimchi, harissa aioli, pickled sliced cucumbers, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Fieri noted the combination of salty, sweet, and tangy sensations, calling the dog "a flavor kaleidoscope" (via YouTube).

Senate Pub opened in 2009 and had a good run, no doubt fueled in part by its exposure on "DDD," but it appears the eatery is no longer open. It looked like Senate Pub had a lot of fun over the years creating over-the-top hot dogs. Aside from the Korean dog, there was the Spuds Mackenzie dog topped with duck fat fries, bacon, pickled jalapeños, cheese sauce, sour cream, and chives. A special called Nightmare on Abigail Street came with an octopus tentacle, spiced lamb sausage, and hummus. We'd have loved to see Fieri try that!

The ginormous hot dog Guy Fieri ate at Hillbilly Hot Dogs in Lesage, West Virginia, is the epitome of outrageous food. The Homewrecker dog clocks in at a full 3 pounds when all is said and done, so you might want to order this beast with a couple of friends to share. Of course, Fieri dove into his solo, leaving his face a mess of toppings. This dog is built with a 15-inch, 1-pound, all-beef, deep-fried frank, piled with a full 2 pounds of toppings that include jalapeños, habanero sauce, coleslaw, sautéed peppers and onions, nacho cheese, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and shredded cheese. Perhaps the biggest shocker is that this isn't even the largest dog on the menu. The Original Widowmaker dog features a 30-inch frankfurter!

Dozens of hot dogs with all kinds of toppings and creative names make this kitschy joint one of the best places to get a hot dog in the United States. A great feature about the Homewrecker is that you can choose your style of Hillbilly dog, and the eatery will turn it into a giant version. So, if you have an unshakeable appetite but are in the mood for the Buckeye Dog, which comes with chili, mustard, and coleslaw, just order it Homewrecker-sized. If you can finish the Homewrecker in under 12 minutes, you'll go home with a free Hillbilly Hot Dogs t-shirt.

When Guy Fieri visited Perfectly Frank's in Summerville, South Carolina, he could have ordered the hot dog that came with a French toast bun, peanut butter, and bananas — which would have been outrageous. Instead, Fieri opted for the Frank Cuda, named after owner Perry Cuda's father. To create the namesake menu item, Cuda fried a Nathan's Famous hot dog and layered it with scratch-made beef chili, cheese sauce, crispy deep-fried bacon, crispy onions, and a cool, homemade blue cheese coleslaw. Fieri called it "A righteous dog," praising the playful combination of flavors, temperatures, and textures (via YouTube).

Perry Cuda was a star quarterback who played football for the University of Alabama until an injury took him out of the game. Shortly after, he ventured into the restaurant industry, opening Perfectly Frank's in 2007. Sadly, the restaurant suffered damage after Hurricane Matthew made landfall in South Carolina in October 2016, and by April 2017, it closed permanently.

By its most basic description, the homemade hot dog with mustard and sauerkraut that Guy Fieri tried at The Butcher and the Bar in Boynton Beach, Florida, doesn't seem like anything spectacular. Yet as Chef Logan Gates prepared the dog with Fieri looking on, "DDD" viewers could see it was anything but ordinary. The hot dog and everything on it was crafted in-house. Gates made hot dogs from scratch using hand-cut strips of beef chuck that were seasoned, triple-ground, and run through a food processor to form a paste, which was then squeezed into sausage casings.

While the hot dogs were in the smoker, Gates prepared the mustard using blanched mustard seeds, vinegar, water, and spices. He then demonstrated how he made the restaurant's sauerkraut, noting that it ferments for at least 10 days before it's used. To prepare the hot dog, the wiener was steamed and placed on a bun (funnily enough, the origin of the bun was never explained) with the mustard and warm kraut. Fieri's reaction: "The only thing I don't like about this, chef, is nothing," adding that he wanted to be entombed with the mustard and eat the kraut by the gallon (via YouTube).

Although it's now closed, The Butcher and the Bar served many dishes, not just hot dogs, and prided itself on a farm-to-table menu. The eatery showed that nose-to-tail cooking knows no limitations — it can apply to making outstanding hot dogs, too.