Willies Grill - Chili Cheese Dog

Willie’s Grille - 929 S Victory Blvd. Burbank, CA 91502 (Alameda and Victory)

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I kind of made a mistake when ordering my chili dog. I went with the ¼ lb. Jumbo Dog, while unknowingly neglected the fact that there was a ½ lb Big Willie Dog for a dollar more, even though there is a giant sign outside that says ‘Big Willie Dog, Biggest Dog in the West’. The jumbo chili dog was fine. It was a splitter dog fried up on the griddle topped with a pretty decent chili. The problem was the roll was just too big for the dog. If you read my Willie’s Grill Pastrami Sandwich review, you will know that they’ve got a good roll. However the jumbo dog is just too small for it. Next time I’m gonna have to go with the Big Willie Dog.

Tommy's - Chili Cheese Dog

Original Tommy's - 1900 Lincoln Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405

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When I first moved to L.A. I used to hang out at a friends apartment in Korea Town and we would often go the original Tommy’s on Beverly. Since then, I’ve had Tommy’s Burgers in Burbank, and breakfast burritos in Canoga Park. While I got my Tommy’s dog from the location in Santa Monica, the first bite took me back to when I was hanging out on Beverly and Rampart. Tommy’s is thee authority when it comes to chili cheese dogs in Los Angeles. The chili is not your standard hearty pot of chili that perhaps Mom or Dad cooks up. Tommy’s chili is of the condiment style variety. Imitators fail in making the condiment style chili and instead render a watery flavorless mess. Tommy’s chili is smooth, rich, think, and is truly addictive. Pile this on a snap-cased dog with cheese, pickles, onions, and a tomato slice, and you have yourself pure perfection.

Thoma's - Chili Cheese Dog

Thoma’s - 249 Lincoln Blvd. Venice, CA 90291 (Lincoln and Rose)

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Thoma’s had a big dog and good for the price of $2.89, The dog had a decent snap to it, and the chili was extremely greasy to boot. The pickles were a nice touch and added flavor, a cool contrast and more sodium. All was well, but the cheese was lost in the mix. It’s not going to blow your mind but it is much better than the burger that I had from here. If you are dining in be sure to bring a handful of quarters for some sweet early 90’s Neo Geo arcade action. Be cautious of hooligan teenagers, they love video games like bears love honey.