It's a Doggy, Dog World

Fab Hot Dogs is one of best hot dog joints in LA

By REBECCA NIETO

Updated 8:02 PM PST, Tue, Jul 28, 2009

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One man's junk food is another man's passion. We all have our vices, but in the world of tasty quick pick-me-ups the hot dog is clearly a leader.

Walk the streets of downtown LA or keep an eye out at the sports arenas and you'll find a hot dog cart not far away. But where are the best dogs in town?

Well, I found a great joint.

It's called Fab Hot Dogs -- a non-traditional restaurant, yes, restaurant not stand tucked inside a small strip of other food and storefronts. It's easy to miss when you drive by, but not easy to forget.

Fab Hot Dogs is known best for the "Ripper" -- a crunchy, charred juicy deep fried dog. I prefer them grilled, but the ripper is tasty according to those who have tried them. It's a throw back to a Jersey styled dog.

The menu has something for just about anyone -- no matter where they were raised. There's the LA street dog -- a bacon-wrapped all-beef dog with grilled onions, peppers, jalapenos, tomatoes, mustard, mayo and ketchup.

Not doing anything for you? Then try the Carolina Slaw Dog with homemade chili, mustard and cole slaw. Or -- what about the Texas Burrito Dog? It has two dogs wrapped in a flour tortilla with bacon, chili, cheese, onions, and mustard and get this crumbled Fritos. Yeah, it's messy, really bad for you, but super, super tasty.

There's tons of other menu choices. And the dogs can be steamed, grilled or ripped! Beef, turkey, veggie -- and don't forget polish sausage hot!

Fab Hot Dogs is family owned and run. So you know they take special care in customer service and, of course, the food. Expect a small wait. The restaurant space is small, but the workers are quick on their feet, churning out one tasty hot dog after another.

The night I was there it was busy; all repeat customers except for us. The customers come from all walks of life with one agenda -- a great hot dog. Try it out.

There's more information on the Fab Hot Dog website and Yelp that gave 4.5 stars out of 5. It's located at 6747 Tampa Ave. just south of Vanowen in Reseda.

Happy eating!