This Unexpectedly Awesome Buffalo Hot Dog Trail Will Have You Licking Your Lips

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Starting off a delicious trail like this with a long-time favorite eatery like Louie's is an absolute must. Cooking up hot dogs for nearly 70 years, Louie's fire-roasted hot dogs will come packed with unforgettable flavor. Featuring both foot-long and average-sized hot dogs, they offer the perfect sides and drinks to pair up with your dogs, like their milkshakes made with real ice cream and their freshly-made onion rings.

Out along the riverfront where you can easily work up quite a hunger while walking by the water, the Old Man River restaurant makes for a wonderful spot to fuel up on energy. Easy to spot with its flashy exterior, the large blue whale that you'll notice on the roof has been around for quite some time and has become a local landmark. At a quick glance, the list of hot dogs available on their menu looks never-ending - there's so many to choose from! Some choose to order their Poutine Weenie, Piggly Wiggle, or Big Foot dogs, while others will opt for dogs like their Slaw Dog, Frank n' Beans, or their Chicago Dog.

Just a quick walk down the road from the Old Man River restaurant, this is yet another eye-catching eatery that's impossible to resist. The seasonal restaurant stays open for a bit during the fall and is usually most crowded during the summers. Using regional favorite Sahlen's hot dogs, Mississippi Mudds' dogs are char-broiled, and a foot long that many choose to cover with chili, bacon, and cheese. Yum!

A Buffalo favorite that's transformed into quite the chain of restaurants over the years, a hot dog trail around the City of Good Neighbors would never be complete without a stop at Ted's Hot Dogs. At their Tonawanda location on Sheridan Drive, you'll see that things still feel like the good old days here. Take a look at the menu and, like most of the destinations on this trail, you'll see that you can choose to get a normal-sized hot dog or opt for a foot-long to make your day memorable. The dogs at Ted's are cooked over real hardwood charcoal and come in variations like their Veggie Dog and Corn Dog as well. At this point in the trip, I'll admit that my mouth is watering uncontrollably. So many delicious options!

While many residents around Buffalo may know Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs for their head-turning food trucks that you'll frequently find around the city, the tasty stand has recently opened up an actual restaurant! Right in Buffalo, of course, Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs can now be found on Kenmore Avenue at a location that was once a gas station. Talk about a transformation! Unlike some of the other stops on this trail, Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs has menu items that are far from what you're used to seeing. Frank's has everything from hot dogs topped with blueberry BBQ sauce to dogs swimming in bacon and caramelized onions that you'll wish you could devour by the masses.

Taking you down near Orchard Park, Taffy's is the neon-lit hot dog stand that always brings a smile to your face and pleases your taste buds. There's no denying that the dogs at Taffy's are downright delicious, but we'd also be crazy not to tell you that it's an absolute necessity to order a milkshake while you're here. The list of milkshake flavors is endless, and you'll wish you had the willpower to try all of them.

Last but not least, you can end your trip by eating hot dogs with a view of the water at Red Top Hot Dogs in Hamburg. With a wonderful view of Lake Erie, somehow you'll quickly find yourself more distracted by the amazing food coming out of this place than the scenery surrounding it. One of the other things that will grab your attention is how wonderful the service is here - everyone's so friendly! With affordable prices, great-tasting hot dogs, and a scenic destination, there's no better place to end this Hot Dog Trail than at Red Tops!