The Best Fast Food Chili Cheese Dog Isn't From Dairy Queen Or Sonic

A lousy chili dog can make you seriously question your life choices, but at their best, it's hard to imagine anything more satisfying. Whoever thought to bring together the quintessentially American hot dog with spicy, gloriously sloppy chili deserves a place in history. When all those components are of high quality, the combined results are spectacular. Despite what you may think, the very best fast food chili cheese dogs can be found not at Dairy Queen or Sonic, but Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers.

In Tasting Table's recent ranking of fast food chili dogs, our critic put Freddy's abundantly slathered offering in the number one spot, narrowly beating Swensons' gourmet-style Coney. "I have to give the award to Freddy's for crafting the most quintessential chili cheese dog, yet one that also has some unique elements," we wrote.

Freddy's all-beef hot dog from Vienna Beef (the same brand of hot dogs Shake Shack uses) equals Swensons' in flavor, while its superlative smokiness makes it taste like it's straight from the grill. "You'll find what I would refer to as a comfort food chili," we said, "with heartier bits of beef and heavy notes of onion, tomato, and savory, earthy spices." The plentiful blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese won praise, but the stand-out factor was the bun. Compared to most store-bought hot dog buns, our critic found Freddy's bread to be more substantial, buttery, and similar to Texas Toast. At $7.29, Freddy's was the most expensive chili cheese dog reviewed, but we found it "worth the messy hands and the larger dent in your wallet."

Our critic's enthusiasm for Freddy's chili cheese dog was mirrored on social media. Multiple commenters also praised the distinctive toasted bun and accepted the hot dog's messiness. Writing on the r/hotdogs subreddit, one customer wrote: "If you want that messy, perfectly saucy chili dog vibe without the prep, freddy's chili dogs hit the same energy." Another Redditor proclaimed: "Freddys' chili cheese dog is always my go to! messy but the absolute best." 

While the chili cheese dog is satisfyingly hefty as is, the fast food chain offers a plethora of further toppings. Depending on which Freddy's location you go to, you can top your dog with various other cheeses, grilled or raw onions, pickles, fire-roasted jalapeños, lettuce, tomato, portobello mushroom, and sauerkraut, plus an impressive array of condiments. It would therefore take a brave (or very hungry) customer to order a Freddy's chili cheese dog "with everything."

Beyond its comfort-food like quality, little is known about Freddy's chili, save that it is made specially for the franchise. If you find yourself unable to secure a chili cheese dog from Freddy's but would like to try making one (or more) at home, make sure to consult what we consider the best hot dog chili recipe.