This Southern Hot Dog Style Puts Slaw In The Spotlight

Of all the different hot dog styles, only a few have achieved true national prominence: The Chicago dog probably ranks at the top of the list, while Detroit-style coney dogs are also known outside of Motown and states other than Arizona are learning the delights of Sonoran-style hot dogs. Other regional styles, however, are worthy of notice, including two coleslaw-topped dogs that are popular in two adjoining states, Georgia and North Carolina.

Georgia seems to have two styles of slaw dogs, one of which is ornamented with nothing more than coleslaw and either yellow mustard or chopped Vidalia onions (or perhaps both). The other, more elaborate Atlanta style, embellishes the dogs with coleslaw and chili, a combination that occurs again in the Carolina chili slaw dog. (The chili, in both cases, tends to be of the bean-free variety.) It seems likely that both of these southern slaw dogs had similar roots rather than having evolved separately yet simultaneously. While we'll admit to speculating here, as hot dog historians have yet to pinpoint any definitive reason, it may be that the original reason that brought hot dogs and coleslaw together (with or without chili) is the fact that both are inexpensive but make for a filling and fairly flavorful combo.

The slaw dog isn't just a southern specialty as it's embraced by two states (also contiguous) that fall into that nebulous territory where the Mid-Atlantic meets the Midwest: West Virginia and Ohio. The first of these has embraced the slaw dog to such an extent that it simply goes by the name West Virginia hot dog. It, too, is made with no-bean chili as well as some type of coleslaw, but also includes both yellow mustard and chopped onions. So celebrated is the West Virginia dog in its home state that the city of Huntington has been hosting an annual festival in its honor since 2005.

In Cleveland, nearly 300 miles to the north of Huntington (and a long, long way from Atlanta), yet another iteration of the slaw dog has evolved. That city's Polish Boy is made with kielbasa, of course, but the toppings are where things really start to get interesting: french fries, barbecue sauce, and coleslaw.

Philadelphia, too, has a sometime slaw dog variant of its own We say "sometime" because, while the slaw is an optional add-on for the Philadelphia dog, it does help to hide the real surprise inside: Not only do you get a hot dog in your hot dog bun, as could be expected, but you also get a fishcake. Well, fish does go well with coleslaw, so using it as a topping on this twofer makes sense to us.