The big dog dance: Two Albuquerque joints in the running to vie for America’s best hot dog title

As the biggest basketball tournament of the year tips off, a pair of Duke City hot dog joints are gearing up for a championship run of their own.

The64 — an interactive online platform that hosts bracket-style competitive voting tournaments in categories spanning food, lifestyle, business, education and culture — is launching a national competition in search of America’s best hot dog. The competition begins next week and two Albuquerque spots are in the running.

Starting March 26, Urban Hotdog Co. and Clowndog Hot Dog Parlor will go bun-to-bun against 62 popular hot dog eateries across the country, according to a news release. The crown will go to the hot dog spot that makes it through an 18-day tournament with six rounds of voting. The outcome will be solely in the hands of the public.

“Every region thinks their hot dog is the one,” said Justin Woo, founder of The64, in a statement. “Chicago is absolutely certain about it. So is New York. So is the guy who’s been driving 20 minutes to the same place since he was a kid. We built this tournament to settle that argument publicly, one matchup at a time.”

Urban Hotdog Co. and Clowndog Hot Dog Parlor are New Mexico’s only players in The64’s big dog dance.

Matt Bernabe, owner of Urban Hotdog Co., was aware that his gourmet hot dog business had been nominated for the competition but didn’t know it had been selected when the Journal reached out on Wednesday.

“It’s pretty exciting to say the least,” Bernabe said. “I’ve been doing this for 14 years … and I’ve read about the cool hot dog spots in Chicago and visited them in New York and even Hawaii, so it’s just an honor to be in the running for something like that.”

Bernabe created Urban Hotdog Co. in 2012, inspired by the gourmet hot dog culture he’d experienced in other cities. He observed a variety of gourmet burger places opening up in Albuquerque around that time and saw an opportunity to do something different.

Today, the restaurant has two brick-and-mortar locations and two food trucks. Bernabe said Urban Hotdog Co.’s franks reflect the nostalgia of the American hot dog experience but “(dressed) up a little bit.”

Some of the eatery’s signature dogs are the “Elote Dog” — a bacon-wrapped, deep-fried hot dog with flame-roasted corn, hot sauce, homemade red chile lime crema, cotija, chili powder and cilantro — and “Relleno,” which includes Panko-crusted dog bites topped with chile con queso and chopped green chile. The latter was featured on the Cooking Channel.

For Clowndog Hot Dog Parlor — a circus-themed eatery with one location in Nob Hill — the classic dogs are largely popular but it’s the “Tattooed Lady” and “Elote Dog” that often steal the show. The former, which has been featured in national cookbooks, comes with chopped bacon, flame-roasted jalapeno salsa, Fruit Loops, grape jelly and mustard, while the latter comes with cilantro corn relish, bacon, cotija cheese crumbles, spicy elote dust and mayo.

Owner Rich Bartel opened the spot in 2021, adorning it with circus paraphernalia and creating a menu that offers circus-inspired dogs like the “Strongman” with spinach and build-your-own options with more than 50 toppings to choose from.

Bartel said he and his team are “honored to be selected” to compete in The64’s best hot dog competition.

“It feels good every time our efforts get recognized,” Bartel said. “We hope to be voted the top dog in the country.”

Bernabe also hopes Urban Hotdog takes the top spotl, adding the restaurant has some playful campaigning in the works for the voting period.

“But more than anything, we’re just excited to represent Albuquerque,” Bernabe said. “We have some amazing food here — not just in Albuquerque but New Mexico. So to be able to highlight a little bit of that and hopefully make it to the next step on a national level is just such an honor.”

While New Mexico might be seen as an underdog in the world of hot dogs, Bernabe said he’s confident that Albuquerque delivers some of the best in the nation and is home to some Cinderella contenders ready to surprise.

Kylie Garcia covers retail and real estate for the Journal. You can reach her at kgarcia@abqjournal.com.