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A chili dog (yes, that's a bean you spy) and onion rings at The Refinery, 702 W. Dallas.
Syd Kearney : 29-95
James Coney Island cheese/chili coney is better than a hot dog.from a restaurant. The next best is at Minute Maid. After that, at a back yard cookout.
A JCI chili cheese dog is like low quality bologna drizzled in yellow snot and packed in a piece of drywall. The JCI love in Houston is nothing but nostalgia, if they changed the name and had to open a new store without the history no one would go there.
Although I hate to admit it, I think you are right about the appeal of JCI being nostalgic. It's definitely not the food quality.
ah, come on, ye infidels. A good old JCI dog with chili and steamed minced onions and sharp yellow mustard on a steamed bun is a beautiful thing. Nostalgia is just part of it. Every once in awhile I just need one. Ot maybe two, one of them with that reprehensible cheese-food swizzled on.
Right on, Allison. Add a bowl of no bean chili with onions and crackers, too.
I actually think the chili isn't bad for a hot dog condiment, and the tater tots are good there too. But the basic premise of their whole existence, the actual hot dog sucks donkey balls. Come to think of it that may be what it's made of.
JCI is more that just a hot dog, it's HOUSTON's Hot Dog. The wiener is least favorite part of the JCI dog, it's the soft fresh bun, the historic chili, squirt cheese, and those minced onions. Years ago you could buy the minced onions by the container and chili by the frozen brick at the stores. But you could never match the soft buns, that somehow have this "bowl" effect that keeps all the runny toppings INSIDE the bun. In this day of trying to "gourmet" everything, it's nice to find a "plain old hot dog" still available, rather than an "organic, grass fed, homogenized, imported, dry-aged wiener between two gluten free, organic, wheat free, whole grained, brick oven cooked BUNS.
JCI chili cheese coneys are not very good, but try their chili, no beans, with cheese and onions. That's pretty good as are there cheeseburgers, fries and baked potatoes.
I love JCI. I've had chili & cheese coneys in every major city in the united states and most of europe and i have to say that JCI is the best, hands down. 2 all the way with a bowl of chili, man i could eat that every day.........
James Coney Island? Minute Maid Park? Are you inebriated most of the time? The "cheese" they serve at JCI looks and tastes like yellow Elmer's glue. Whatever it is ... it's not cheese. If James Coney Island suddenly somehow lost their name, they would be out of business in 60 days. A step down from that are the over-priced hot dogs at Minute Maid.
No i'm not inebriated, just realistic. Based on sales only ,over the years, I would say JCI is by far the most successful purveyor of hot dogs in the history of Houston. They would not be successful if their product was not loved by the masses.
LOL, you eat glue. :D
they have tried expansion in other cities without success, but it is a houston institution - i go for a bowl of chili, no beans, with cheese (shredded) and onions...ummmm
I'm sorry but JCI chili dogs are absolute, unadulterated *slop*. I'll never forgot my first trip there. I ordered two chili dogs. Everything was looking okay and then she says,"You want cheese on those?" Thinking that that sounded like a good idea, I told her yes. My jaw dropped open as I wondered to myself just what the f*** is that yellow goo she is squirting on my food?
I LOVE HOTDOGS! Sure miss Franks from back in the day, they had the BEST Chicago Dog!
Beans do not belong anywhere near chili. Where do the owners of Refinery hail from?
Agree wholeheartedly! A chili dog with BEANS? Not in my city.
Oh - and James Coney Island? Three all the way, please.
I miss the old downtown location, with its schoolhouse desk-style eating stations.
Our office group has to lunch regularly at Laurenzo's on Washington so the guys can have their enormous Wagyu hotdog, served only at lunch.
James Coney Island, wow. SMH. They might've been ok wayyyyyyyy back when, but not NOW! YUCK.
i think Minute Maid park is missing the boat on commisioning a custom made "signature" Texas size dog.
This is the Hot Dog of legends....a Dog that wiould shake our world.
MM Park...Hold a contest! Let the best Dog win....and for Gods sake, have it MADE IN TEXAS!
I wouldn't feed James Coney Island to a dog. Their food is horrible.
Recette Hot Dogs
Goode Company Taqueria has quietly produced some of the best in town for years, using Boars Head all beef natural casing dogs. No trendy toppings, just real quality and you won't find a bean in the chili. Certainly belongs on any top ten list.
Here is a thought. Sinca most of you know that James Coney Island sucks why dont you start your own hot dog joint and we can all tell you that you suck as well. Beans have been in chili since the beginning of chili. If you dont like it keep driving and get out of the drive thru and make it easier for those of us who enjoy it. You people remind me of my wife. I could buy you a brand new Mercedes and you would bitch about the color. Get a life
I agree JCI does have some rank dogs but the new former dogs made to order on a grilled bun is awesome!
Chicago Italian Beef near Cavalcade and Airline is the best Chicago style hot dog (and also Pizza and Italian Beef) that I've been able to find anywhere in Houston. I drive 26 miles there every couple of weeks just to get 2 hot dogs and fries...it's pretty good and about $8.
Here is there website www.chicagopizzaanditalianbeef.com
Only downside is they have some Astros/Houston sports pictures/posters, but not too many - mostly Chicago Stuff. :)
Chicago Italian Beef near Cavalcade and Airline is the best Chicago style hot dog (and also Pizza and Italian Beef) that I've been able to find anywhere in Houston. I drive 26 miles there every couple of weeks just to get 2 hot dogs and fries...it's pretty good and about $8.
Here is there website www.chicagopizzaanditalianbeef.com
Only downside is they have some Astros/Houston sports pictures/posters, but not too many - mostly Chicago Stuff. :)
Two unlikely candidates for good and cheap hot dogs: First are the Valero full service gas stations. They run a special 2 dogs and a 32 oz coke for $3. What a deal. You have the choice of a good sized hot dog, hot link or sausage dog. They have chopped onions, relish and Earl Campell's Special Hot Sauce. Wow! The only drawback is that the quality and availability varies by gas station location; some stations are great, many are not.
Another place for a good basic dog is Sams Club. For #1.70 you can get a Nathan's Famous Polish dog and 32 oz coke. Ask at the order counter for some sauerkraut in the individual packs. For condiments douse the dog with relish, chopped onion and mustard. Eating there is non-atmospheric so take it to the car and listen to some music, Micheal Berry or the High Tech Texan.
Haven't tried Costco. Anybody comment on their dogs?
I'm afraid of the message I'd be sending if I'm eating a big hot dog while listening to Michael Berry, lol.
The Sam's club dogs are not bad though I agree. Much better than JCI for sure.
That elicited a big LOL!
Sam's club is my vote for best dog.
Alamo draft house has a good one, but it is only on the special menu not all the time.
Costco Hotdogs are awesome.
Hot dogs by Harlan. Dairy Ashford and Westhiemer. The best place for dogs. Just ask the police that are always in there.
is that the place that's been there for years? I thought it had closed down. If I remember, they had really great hot dogs..
They have been out of business for at least 10 years, a place called Mexico Deli is there now. They had a decent Chicago dog, but generally their dogs were bland and expenive...I mean, it's a hot dog. Of course, some foodie will capitalize on that food genre sooner or later if it hasn't happened already...they've already tried to take over the hamburger market.
JCI once was the million dollar wennie
James Coney Island hands down even though some locations don't live up to the original sometimes you get one that tastes like it did in the good ole days!
Good Dog food truck.
JCI....Ah....JCI. There's just something about that cheese gun they use that screams high quality.
Nothing better than a Houstonian while fatting out on the couch on a Sunday watching football.
Mystery meat, mustard, chili, cheese, and onions.....and some delaware punch for a maroon mustache...come on guys, you know it doesn't get any better than that.
LOL...maroon mustache?!, I gotta get me one of THOSE!!!, too funny.
If you are not from New Jersey, you don't know hot dogs.
I have some frozen Sabrett's dogs delivered every once in awhile. Really hard to beat unless you have a German butcher shop nearby that can make frankfurters. I don't think you have to be from Jersey but if you taste one from that region you'll learn what a good dog is.
I'm from Jersey and Sabrett's are the best. I occasionally can find them around town. And I do go out of my way for Chicago Italian Beef. Excellent food.
If you are not from the Northeast, you don't know hot dogs. JCI is terrible. Ever have a foot long dog on a New England butter toasted split top roll/bun? The split top bun makes the dog.
Does that Greek jimmy papadakis still own JCI or is it that Indian dude
Happy Fatz in the 3500 block of White Oak has some crazy good hot dog concoctions.
When I was 11 (in 1970) I remember having the most awesome hot dog ever purchased from a cart while waiting for the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Great mustard. Had another one on the way back from another cart, but it was a huge disappointment. At the time, we were living outside of Baltimore in an apartment in Columbia, Maryland. There was a guy upstairs from us who had a hot dog cart for use in Baltimore or D.C. and he paid us to store the cart on our patio (he might not have officially paid us, but me and my friends made out like bandits swiping dogs and soda from the cart!) Those were the days.
For a basic hotdog without chili, Costco. Hot dog and drink $1.50
What, no Happy Fatz on this list?!? They have amazing hotdogs, but my personal favorite is the Baron von Rachet on a pretzel bun wih spicy mustard and sauerkraut!!
The dogs from the Koagie Hots food truck (semi?-regular evenings outside Boon Docks on Westheimer, just west of Montrose) are AWESOME... and try the Kimchi fries.
If you really want to stuff yourself get one of their cheesesteaks (Korean style) that are to DIE for!!!