We Dropped by Danny's Drive-In on National Hot Dog Day

Today, July 23, is National Hot Dog Day.

So it’s only natural our travels take us to Danny’s Drive-In, which has been serving up dogs in Stratford since 1935, according to employee Heather Smith.

Smith says Danny’s has 18 hot dog varieties on the menu. She says most people get the Devil Dog, which is topped with chili, cheddar, onions, jalapenos and bacon.

Smith’s favorite is the Chicago Dog, which has tomatoes, relish, pickles, onions and celery salt on it.

Why is it her favorite? “I don’t know,” Smith says. “It’s just so, so good. I’ve worked here for four years and I can still eat it.”

After Danny’s grills the dog, it goes in the deep fryer for a minute of two. Toppings come after the dog finds the bun, and never before.

Smith says it takes practice to know the perfect amount of chili and cheese without soaking the bun.

Also working at Danny’s Tuesday was Danielle Buckley and Elizabeth Bradford.

Buckley’s favorite hot dog offering at Danny’s is the classic New York Dog, which features an onion sauce made on the premises. Bradford doesn’t eat hot dogs.

In 2012, Americans spent more than $1.7 billion on hot dogs in supermarkets alone, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council.

Outside the aisles, baseball fans are expected to consume more than 20 million dogs in U.S. ballparks during the 2013 season, according to the council.