Got that dog in you? Charlotte does — and it’s more than just a summer fling
Food is a serious thing.
Here in Charlotte, we’ve seen thoughtful reporting on how food and beverage tariffs could affect our local economy and restaurant scene. We’ve seen how a restaurant can save a historic building. And how mission-driven chefs can garner national recognition.
But sometimes — unexpectedly and refreshingly — we are reminded of food’s complete and utter whimsy. Its ability to spark a swarm of joy.
That’s why I’m writing about the hot dog today.
And maybe that’s why the Queen City is riding a serious hot dog wave, be it because of summer or Knights games or a general hot-dog consciousness bubbling up in the zeitgeist. The hot dog is the new hot girl food, and Charlotte is at the forefront.
Queen City hot dogs
The Queen City’s hot dog revival isn’t just a reflection of a national trend. It’s specifically Charlotte and her businesses fueling it.
This year’s PGA Championship officials in Charlotte estimated selling 90,000 hot dogs — enough to stretch nearly twice around Quail Hollow.
Gleezy dogs, a Charlotte company, were placed in the premium clubhouses at the championship. Clark’s Snack Bar just opened with fresh frankfurters. New Dawg in Town has opened with Caribbean-style dogs like Jerk Chicken and Oxtail.
Goldie’s will host a “Big Weiner Weekend” this week, with a hot dog eating contest, wheel of Weiner, a Weiner toss and of course, a weiner dog meet-up. Substrate will collaborate with Hello Uncle for a glizzy pop-up, featuring a Szechuan chili dog and more at this natural wine bar.
Team Rose Bread launched a never-before-eaten 100% sourdough hot dog bun. The Chop Shop Butchery dry-ages and smokes a clean, pasture-raised beef frank.
And to top it off, when JJ’s Red Hots announced its restaurant closure, the Charlotte upheaval was momentous. The line snaked out the door until its final day.
The dogs found at these joints evoke the feel of the OG hot dog — nostalgic, childlike, unpretentious — but often, with a fresh take or form.
Hot dogs elicit emotions
“Hot dogs are childhood. They’re baseball, nostalgia, summer, NYC street food and America all wrapped up together in foil,” said Doug Rose, co-owner of Team Rose Bread.
On average, Americans collectively eat about 818 hot dogs every second, from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
These local businesses are tapping into this steady demand for the nostalgic dog and actively creating more demand with hyper-niche offerings.
One brand doing that is Gleezy, a premium, almost exclusive-feeling hot dog.
The team behind Gleezy, a Charlotte-based startup that created the “official hot dog of golf,” saw an opportunity to leverage customers’ existing affinity for the hot dog and take it up a notch.
They launched a 100% double-smoked beef brisket hot dog for sports stadiums, arenas and golf clubs.
Since October 2024, Gleezy has expanded to 30 states and 55 cities. Its rise isn’t just about flavor — it’s about turning hot-dog consumption into a full-fledged experience, with customized activations in sports venues across the country.
The Gleezy dog gets a sleek setup and cart to match the specific vibe of the sports venue, from the PGA’s Hoag Classic at Newport Beach Country Club to Gastonia’s own Ghost Peppers CaroMont Health Park stadium.
Alongside a product, the company created an experience of slathering the branded Carolina Dog Sauce atop a dog at a high-stakes sports game. In its fun, personable form, the Gleezy elicits emotion and incites action — the type of action that sells out the Spring 2025 Gleezy merch hats in less than an hour.
“I would say every business, but sports in general, the emphasis is on experience, experience, experience,” said Bryce Rech, the founder of Gleezy. “Food is always a part of that equation.”
Make it fancy
Just outside of Charlotte, dogs are getting a gourmet culinary makeover, expanding beyond affordability and convenience, and being reimagined as artisanal and cult-ish.
For example, I recently visited Durham to try Pushcart, a craft hot dog bar with entirely local ingredients.
The line buzzed with anticipation. Dogs were downed in the blink of an eye. With candied jalapeños, hoisin banh mi toppings, or kimchi and scallions atop pillowy buns, these hot dogs pushed the culinary boundaries of a classic dog.
More extravagant hot dog towers, selling for $50 or more, are trending in Charleston and Durham, like the wiener towers at Lamar’s Sporting Club.
And after following along with the recent Met Gala in New York, I noticed lavish “Haute Dog Cart” outside of The Mark Hotel, which is an upscale, five-star hot dog cart outside of an upscale, five-star luxury hotel.
In short, hot dogs — from casual to fancy — are popping-up around and beyond Charlotte.
It’s not just a summer fling
It’s tempting to call this a warm-weather trend, but Charlotte’s hot dog love is a year-round affair. At Goldie’s in Lower South End, the Big Weiner Cart — a cart selling foot-long dogs at this bar — is a hit year-round.
Owner Tyler Hager said the hot dog is “an easy handheld food that appeals to the masses. You can hold a hot dog in one hand and a cold drink in the other while grooving to our live music … the fun doesn’t have to stop for you to refuel.”
Additionally, a hot dog is relatively affordable food, which may be an additional reason people are turning to it for more than just a backyard barbecue. Former hot girl foods have been the tinned fish, a briny martini or a Caesar salad and fries — each of which will go for $10 or so more than a friendly dog, which ranges from $1.50 to $10 a link.
Convenience meets personalization
Hager points to the convenience factor, but there’s also the tantalizing diversity of toppings and styles that make the dog a personal experience, enacting some sort of creative culinary agency.
“There are a million different ways to top a hot dog,” Hager said. You can have it fully loaded with chili, slaw, onions and the works, or keep it simple. It’s personal.
As Gleezy founder Bryce Rech puts it, hot dogs appeal to everyone from age 3 to 85. It’s a universal food with nearly infinite variations.
Spyros Dermatas, the vice president and co-owner of Nu-Way Weiners, a Georgia hot dog company established in 1916, points to the dog’s regional diversity.
“It can be grilled, boiled, barbecued, baked. And, just as importantly, it takes on so many different forms from coast to coast and from North to South,” Dermatas said. “We have the Coney Island chili dog, the Southern slaw dog, the garden-style Chicago dog, and the Kansas City dog.”
No matter where you’re from or how you top, slather or grill, Charlotte’s got you. Here are a few spots in the Queen City showcasing the rise of the dog:
Clark’s Snack Bar
Location: 3001 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Instagram: @clarkssnackbar_clt
From the same owners of The Good Wurst Company comes Clark’s Snack Bar, a red, white and blue retro shack. Rotating franks, housemade bagels and pastrami loaded up each and every way.
The Chop Shop Butchery
Location: 2820 Selwyn Ave #160, Charlotte, NC 28209
Instagram: @chopshopbutcheryclt
This hyper-local butcher dry-ages all of its meat and works with farmers who practice sustainable agriculture: no antibiotics, growth hormones and no artificial ingredients. Dogs included.
Comet Grill
Location: 2224 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28203
Instagram: @cometgrill
Comet Grill, a watering hole in Dilworth, whips up two-per-order Carolina dogs, doused in beef chili, mustard, onion and slaw.
Costco
Location: Multiple locations
Instagram: @costco
Costco’s all-beef hot dog — the one sold in the mini food-court — has cost $1.50 since 1985. It’s enormous in a brioche bun, too.
Gleezy venues
Location: Multiple locations
Instagram: @gleezydog
Locally, “I think it’s changing the perception of what a hot dog should be at a sporting event,” Rech said of Gleezy.
Gleezy dogs can be found at:
Boardwalk Billy’s
Bojangles Coliseum
Charlotte Country Club
Carmel Country Club
Cedarwood Country Club
Intown Golf Club
Longview Country Club
Pine Island Golf Club
Platform Sports
Quail Hollow Club
Reid’s, The Sporting Gent
Goldie’s
Location: 3601 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28209
Instagram: @goldiestclt
Don’t miss Goldie’s second annual Big Wiener weekend, starting Friday, June 6. This Lower South End bar is hosting hot dog tosses, hot dog eating contests and a wiener dog meetup. If you can’t make that, check out Goldie’s Big Wiener hot dog cart.
Hot Dog Depot
Location: 218 Albright Rd, Rock Hill, SC 29730
Location: 106 Clebourne St #101, Fort Mill, SC 29715
Instagram: @hot.dog.depot
Try a variety of regional dogs, from a Hot Honey Brat to Rock Hill frank, at this Rock Hill joint. A new location recently opened in Fort Mill, as well.
Nathan’s Famous
Location: 1818 Bagwell Cir, Rock Hill, SC 29732
Location: 5404 New Fashion Way, Charlotte, NC 28278
Instagram: @originalnathans
Nathan’s Famous is an iconic fast-food restaurant chain in the Charlotte Premium Outlets and Rock Hill.
New Dawg in Town
Location: 5101 Graham St., Charlotte NC
Instagram: @anewdawgintown
This new Caribbean hot dog cart combines a NYC favorite with the owners’ Caribbean background and love of hip-hop culture. Expect a jerk chicken and an oxtail dog. It’ll be set up outside Zippy’s Ice starting May 31.
Team Rose Bread
Location: Online
Instagram: @teamrosebread
You may not be able to get the dog at Team Rose Bread, but you can get the bun. And a dog with no bun would be sad. Team Rose Bread knows this well — Doug and Kaitlin Rose spent over a year developing a 100% sourdough potato bun recipe.
They sold out in one sweep, Doug said.
“Our perspective is not that we are elevating a simple food, but simply using clean ingredients so we can enjoy as many dogs as possible this summer and feel good doing it,” Doug said.
Rose said the taste and texture rivals any bun from the grocery store, minus the preservatives, seed oils and refined sugars. I joined the Roses for dinner one night, sitting at their dinner table with them and their children. We shared stories over not one, but two dogs. The bun was pull-apart soft, with a golden crisp on top, fresh out of the oven.
So, whether you’re grabbing a $1.50 Costco classic or devouring a dry-aged frank from a local butcher, know the dog days are far from over. They’re just getting started.
This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
