This Georgia Hot Dog Is So Messy Some People Eat It With A Spoon
There are plenty of ways to enjoy a hot dog. Whether you love them slathered in hot meaty chili or prefer them plain with a picturesque drizzle of mustard, there's no wrong customization for a plump and juicy frank. (Although, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council does say that putting ketchup on a hot dog is a childish faux pas.) So varied are the ways to eat this all-American treat that many parts of the country have their own regional hot dogs, with proud locals calling their style the best there is.
From Michigan's classic Coney Island frankfurter, blanketed in chili and onions, to the deep-fried crunch of a Newark Italian dog stuffed into crusty bread with peppers and potatoes (via RoadFood), many hot dogs are messy and hard to eat on the go. But what if there were a hot dog so sloppy that you couldn't even grab it with your hands? So drippy that it required utensils? Well, there is, and it's called the Scrambled Dog: a gloriously slapdash dish born inside a little Georgia pharmacy, according to First We Feast.
The Scrambled Dog is swimming in chili
The Scrambled Dog hails from the city of Columbus in Georgia, where the dish is a local delicacy (via First We Feast). The messy delight transcends the idea of what a hot dog is expected to be. Instead of starting with a whole frank, the dog begins with chopped-up red wieners on a pillowy soft bun, which is then drenched in chili, pickle slices, diced onions, and a generous layer of oyster crackers for some necessary crunch. Some diners like to add relish, cheese, or sour cream. Due to its sheer ladlefuls of meat and chili, it's required that this meal be dug into with a fork or spoon, and maybe even a knife.
The origins of this deliciously messy dog, according to Wide Open Eats, can be traced back to the humble Dinglewood Pharmacy, which has been serving old-school diner fare to locals for more than 100 years. Staff cook Lieutenant Charles Stevens perfected the recipe in 1949, and it quickly became a favorite — so popular that it was sent to Jimmy Carter's White House and weddings in Saudi Arabia and Italy, reports the Ledger-Enquirer. The MLB even gave the specialty the number-one spot on its list of the weirdest regional hot dogs — in jest and admiration, of course. Decades later, the pharmacy still sells around 600 Scrambled Dogs a week, so make a trip to Columbus and wash yours down with an ice-cold milkshake.