When it comes to Tucson’s signature dishes, the Sonoran hot dog fights for the title. Originating from Hermosillo, Mexico, the Sonoran hot dog features a slightly sweet bun, bacon-wrapped frank, pinto beans, onions, tomato, green salsa, mustard, and mayonnaise. Some places steam the bun, some toast them; some added melted cheese or garlic powder.
While we can’t objectively decide on the best Sonoran dogs in Tucson, here are some of our favorites along with the ones with the most fierce local followings.
This Guide is part of a series that honors Tucson as the home of America’s Best Mexican Food.
Aqui Con El Nene’s Flowing Wells location offers a casual, open-air dining experience. The eatery features a food truck setup with a fan-cooled, semi-al fresco eating tent alongside an air-conditioned dining area.
Their take on the Sonoran hot dog stands out as a local favorite, chipilón-style with cheese melted onto the bread. Other customer favorites include the carne asada tacos, papanchas (stuffed baked potatoes), and the Taco Yaqui, which features two tortillas with a roasted green chile stuffed with carne asada, mushrooms, and melty cheese.
BK Carne Asada & Hot Dogs buzzes with energy casual space with colorful chairs and wood tables. A salsa bar offers guests fresh salsas and garnishes. The patio is decorated with sports banners and string lights, while the nearby giant anthropomorphic hot dog stares menacingly.
The restaurant is famous for its Sonoran hot dogs and carne asada tacos. Other popular picks include the caramelos, vampiros, and a secretly solid bean burrito.
The restaurant is renowned for its Sonoran hot dogs, a regional specialty that has garnered national acclaim, including a James Beard Foundation “America’s Classics” award in 2018. These hot dogs feature a bacon-wrapped frankfurter nestled in a slightly sweet steamed bun, topped with pinto beans, onions, tomatoes, mustard, mayonnaise, and jalapeño salsa. To double up on dogs within one bun, order the Sammy Dog.
El Kora Hot Dogs offers a no-frills, open-air dining next to their cart with folding tables on concrete tiles under a blue canopy. The food cart is parked on a dirt lot along a rural roadside, giving the experience a true street-food vibe.
Their dogs include a Torito, which is a bacon-wrapped jalapeno peppers stuffed with cheese.
El Manantial offers a classic Tucson food truck experience with a covered outdoor seating area featuring blue tables and white folding chairs.
Open 9 a.m.-11 p.m. daily, they’re a dependable spot for late evening grilled carne asada and a Sonoran dog with a steamed bun and bacon-wrapped Torito. You can even order a platter of Toritos as a side.
Parked outside of Henry’s Market, El Perro Loco serves out of its food cart lit with string lights and a couple of small tables
Their Super Chipilones Sonoran hot dog feature buns toasted with a generous amount of garlic powder for a more savory bite. If you want to skip the bun, you can order the hot dog ingredients over Tostitos, El Azteca Fritos, or french fries.
El Sinaloense at 1526 N. Alvernon Way offers a relaxed, open-air dining setup under a sturdy metal canopy with picnic-style benches and gravel flooring.
This location in particular earned one of the most loyal Sonoran hot dog followings in town with what many consider to be an ideal ratio of individual components.
Unlike other popular Sonoran hot dog spot is in Tucson, Hot Dogs La Reyna has a brick-and-mortar space with indoor seating. Folding tables and chairs give it a relaxed vibe, while bright yellow walls and a black-and-white checkered floor add a pop of personality. Despite the indoor luxury, they still managed to keep their impressively affordable prices. Just remember to bring cash.
They toast their Sonoran hot dog buns for a little extra texture. The toppings also lean towards the more generous side.
A dependable late evening option midtown, food truck Karamelo King now offers indoor seating in the former piñata store.
For a small upcharge, get your Sonoran hot dog bun toasted with melted cheese inside. But save room for the namesake Karamelo — a quesadilla with chopped carne asada.
La Carreta del Rorro features a bright green canopy adorned with vintage license plates. Picnic tables and folding chairs fill the space with a salsa bar and drink refrigerators along the wall.
They spread the mayo over the tomatoes rather drizzling it over, leading to more even distribution. To further break outside the norm, pay a little extra to add some crumbly, salty chorizo on top.
Los Ponchos Hot Dogs offers the standard Sonoran hot dog setup with folding tables and chairs under a large canopy. Even though it’s located by the busy intersection of Campbell and Fort Lowell, it’s worth making the turn into the lot.
They toast their buns and go a little light on the beans, which some people heavily prefer. Also, they offer a quesadilla version of the Sonoran dog.
Super Hot Dogs Obregon offers a modest setup next to the cart with about three tables.
Their Sonoran hot dogs are on the saucier side and come in a few variations. Order it Chipilon if you want cheese. The Regular dog uses a mixed meat frank, the Especial dog uses a beef frank, and the Jumbo dog uses a larger beef frank.
