8 Worst Rated Southern American Street Food

This hot dog variety consists of a kosher beef sausage that is fried with bologna slices until golden brown and slightly crispy. The sausage is then wrapped in bologna and placed in a split bread bun with a dill pickle spear. The whole dish is additionally topped with a generous squirt of yellow mustard. Although the history of Baltimore-style hot dog is quite murky, some believe that it was invented during the Great Depression, when people added bologna slices to the hot dog in order to make it a fuller, heartier meal.Expand

Carolina-style hot dogs consist of hot dog sausages in a split bread roll. They are characterized by an established set of condiments including slaw, onions, and chili. The hot dogs are sometimes topped with mustard which either acts as a substitute for slaw or can be added as a fourth condiment. These hot dogs are quite popular due to the sweetness and crunch of slaw that is in contrast with a slight spiciness coming from mustard and chili. Nowadays, the term Carolina-style refers not only to hot dog condiments, but hamburger toppings as well.Expand

A corn dog consists of processed meat on a stick that is dipped in corn meal batter and deep-fried. It is a wildly popular snack (and hot dog variation) throughout the United States of America. Corn dogs are typically found at county fairs, carnivals, sports arenas, food courts in malls, and roadside eateries. This flavorful snack was first popularized by Neil Fletcher at the Texas State Fair in 1942, although the vendors at the Minnesota State Fair claim that they invented it in 1941 when it was known as a Pronto Pup. Today, corn dogs are often eaten with yellow mustard, pickles, sauerkraut, or mayonnaise, and there are numerous varieties of the snack throughout the world, namely in Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Convenient, simple, and hard to resist, corn dogs even has its own day, known as the National Corndog Day, occuring on the first Saturday of March Madness (basketball championship) every year.Expand

Slaw dog is a hot dog variety originating from West Virginia. It consists of a grilled or steamed hot dog, bread, chili (often called sauce), onions, and slaw. These soft and messy hot dogs are typically served in a sturdy paper boat or styrofoam containers. It is believed that the first slaw dog was created in the 1920s or 1930s at the Stopette Drive-in in Charleston. Keep in mind that ketchup, sauerkraut, and pickles are frowned upon, so don't ask for any additions when ordering authentic West Virginian slaw dogs.Expand

This Lone Star culinary treasure is quite simple – a tortilla stuffed with traditional breakfast ingredients, depending on personal preferences: processed yellow cheese, pork, and eggs are just some of the most common ingredients used in the preparation of breakfast tacos. However, there is a huge food fight regarding this taco variety, with Austin and San Antonio both claiming the dish as their own. It is speculated that breakfast tacos were a staple in San Antonio a long time ago, but locals used to simply call it breakfast, while Austin had given the dish its current name. With a dish so simple and delicious, shouldn’t we agree that breakfast tacos are simply and truly Texan?Expand

Frito pie is a cheap, hearty, and highly caloric dish consisting of chili, crunchy corn chips (especially the Fritos brand variety), cheese, and onions. It is a popular meal in Southern and Midwestern parts of the United States, and can be found at numerous state fairs and high school football games. Although it can be made in a casserole dish, unusually, it is most often prepared in a Fritos corn chip bag, with a number of toppings. The origins of the dish are yet unclear, but it is believed that it was invented in Mexico as a popular food at fiestas before it spread to the United States. Today, New Mexico and Texas both claim that Frito pie is their invention, always served cold and soggy. In his CNN show Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain scathingly described New Mexico's version of Frito pie as "warm crap in a bag" and "colostomy pie", so it is probably best to try the Texas-made version if presented with that kind of gastronomical dilemma.Expand

This hot dog variety is a street food staple in Washington D.C., made with a mildly smoked beef and pork sausage in a natural casing as the key ingredient. This sausage is thicker than the average hot dog sausage, the meat is ground more coarsely, and it has a spicy kick due to red pepper flakes that are dispersed throughout the meat. The sausage is placed on a split roll, then topped with chili, or sometimes with mustard and diced onions. There are numerous theories regarding the name of this hot dog – many people say that it's smoked halfway, some claim that it's cut in half when grilled, while others claim that the name is derived from the fact that the sausage is made with equal amounts of pork and beef. Regardless of the name, half-smoke remains a beloved street food item found at numerous hot dog carts in the city.Expand

Best described as something between a funnel cake and a tostada, puffy taco is a crispy, fried snack that was invented in San Antonio by brothers Ray and Henry Lopez. The dough for puffy taco consists of ground corn masa, water, and salt. The dough is pressed in a tortilla press, deep-fried, and then a spoon is pushed into the middle until the taco curls around it. The taco is then filled with ingredients such as carnitas or fried avocados. Eating a puffy taco is a messy deal, since it is believed that a true puffy taco should be greasy and falling apart.Expand