This US Airport Reportedly Sells More Hot Dogs Than LAX And LaGuardia Combined

While airports often have upscale restaurants and world-renowned dining experiences, most people still tend to default to the speed and convenience of fast food when they need a bite to eat before their flight. It's definitely easier to grab a hot dog as you wander mile-long terminals to get to your boarding gate on time. And it would seem that passengers who fly out of Chicago's famed O'Hare International Airport are especially prone to taking that approach to pre-flight snacking — so much so that it dwarves the number of hot dogs eaten by visitors to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and New York City's LaGuardia Airport. Not just those two airports individually, either, but combined.

According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, O'Hare's hot dog output is six times more than the amount that comes out of LAX and LaGuardia put together. It is an oft-repeated statement, and one that multiple reputable news outlets have also shared over the years. The Chicago Department of Aviation – which governs Chicago's two major airports, O'Hare and Midway — also states that O'Hare's America's Dog location is the second-highest seller of hot dogs in all of the city, further lending credence to how much of a hot dog powerhouse O'Hare truly is.

Chicago isn't only a legendary food city because of hot dogs. From the city's iconic deep dish pizza to those dripping-wet Italian beef sandwiches, there are a number of dishes that are either exclusive to Chicago or are otherwise considered best enjoyed within the borders of the Windy City. All that being said, the authentic, Chicago-style hot dog is one of the foods most associated with the City of Big Shoulders – with Chicago locals (the writer of this very article being one of them) long espousing all the ways the city's version of the sausage is superior to the versions in any other region.

But what makes a Chicago-style hot dog? Most commonly, the dog itself is made by Vienna Beef, which has been part of Chicago since the 1893 World's Fair. It offers not only a distinctive flavor, but biting into its casing gives the sausage a signature snap that is unlike any other hot dog. A steamed poppy seed bun is a must, as is a mountain of veggies that contains diced onions, neon-green relish, sport peppers, and a pickle spear. And last but most certainly not least, mustard is the only acceptable condiment — ketchup shouldn't be on or anywhere near a Chicago dog.