A famous Arizona hot dog was named among the best in the nation — again. But this one's better
Andi Berlin
El Güero Canelo's bacon-wrapped Sonoran dog has made national news once again. The Tucson favorite is included on a list of the 10 Best Hot Dogs in the USA by Travel Magazine.
The article, which was shared with me recently, clocks the famous Sonoran hot dog joint in at No. 7 on a list that includes other big names like Jimmy's Red Hots in Chicago and Crif Dogs in New York, which the article states is "frankly the best."
The short blurb on El Güero starts out with a dubious claim: "Walk into any restaurant in Arizona serving hot dogs and they will have a Sonoran-style hot dog on the menu," and then goes on to say El Güero's is the best.
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The southside taqueria was thrust into the limelight in 2018 when it received a coveted James Beard Award in the America's Classics category for timeless restaurants. It was a special moment for Arizonans and lovers of casual Sonoran food, which often goes unnoticed by major award organizations.
In fact, Güero's patriarch, Daniel Contreras, told me the day he received the award that he hadn't even heard of James Beard until the organization called him that morning.
I'm generally skeptical of listicles, which are often produced from simple internet searches rather than the author actually tasting the foods they're writing about, and this recent one got me thinking about Sonoran dogs and why El Güero always gets the recognition.
I chalk it up to the simple fact that judges and national food writers vote for and write about the places they've been to. El Güero has a very Google-able 30-year history, plus a former location in Phoenix. Tucson is a little less accessible than Arizona's capital, and tends to be underrepresented in national media.
Ask a local about Sonoran dogs
For those of us who live in the Grand Canyon State, we have the home field advantage. We know that when it comes to Sonoran food, a national list will always fall short of a local one. And down in Tucson, the dogs in question are basically birthright.
Originally from the Sonoran capital of Hermosillo, a Sonoran dog is a bacon-wrapped hot dog topped with beans, mustard, mayo, onions, green salsa and tomatoes. I can tell you, with the authority of a hot dog judge, that El Güero is but one vendor in a spicy sea of excellent Sonoran hot dogs. And while I have lot of respect for the history and flavor of this Arizona classic, most Tucsonans would agree with me when I say that there are better options in town.
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Equally popular in Tucson, but not known on the national scale, is Güero's longtime competitor BK Carne Asada. They set up across the street from El Güero in 1994 and went on to best them in the Travel Channel show "Food Wars" in 2010.
In all honesty, I think the rivaling dogs are practically indistinguishable from each other. Both have an approachable, fluffy bun and similar ratios of mustard, mayo, green salsa and beans atop a medium-sized, bacon-wrapped wiener. They are good. Great even. But still not the best.
The best Sonoran dog in Tucson
I've eaten my share of Sonoran hot dogs in my professional life, and after judging a citywide Sonoran hot dog contest in 2010, I've had the same favorite vendor for more than a decade.
The Ruiz Hot Dogs cart on the northwest corner of South Sixth Avenue and 22nd Street is on another level. It's not that the ingredients are any different, they're just more flavorful and work together a bit better than other dogos around town. Plus, their hot dog, the chipilon, is toasted bun-and-all on the grill before it's served, adding crispness and an intensified squish of all the savory, spicy pork fillings. After having tasted most, if not all of the Sonoran dogs in Tucson, they're the ones I recommend to locals and visitors.
Wondering where to go for the best Sonoran hot dogs in the Valley? I'm on the case. Look out for a definitive guide later this year. For now, I can confidently say that Ruiz Hot Dogs are worth the drive.
I have to say it: I might get banned from Tucson, but I don't love Eegee's
Ruiz Hot Dogs
Where: 1140 S. Sixth Ave., Tucson.
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
Price: $3.50 for a chipilon hot dog.
Details: 520-406-1649
Reach reporter Andi Berlin at amberlin@azcentral.com or 602-444-8533. Follow her on Facebook @andiberlin, Instagram @andiberlin or Twitter @andiberlin.