Battle of the Philly Hot Dogs: Underdogs vs. Hot Diggity

First post below. Update 8/27/12: We went back to Underdogs recently to try their sausage sandwiches as a late night snack. Despite underwhelming us with hot dogs the first time, the sausages were pretty darn good. Kristy loved The Chihuahua, with soft, smokey chorizo grilled just right and topped with sauteed onions, chipotle mayo and crumbled queso blanco. The onions were not overpowering and the well-planned mayo/queso combo coated every bite, just like you'd expect from a good cheesesteak. Bradd would recommend The 9th Streeter with spicy italian sausage, sauteed peppers and onions. We both agreed that the fries were just as great as on our first trip.

The 9th Streeter

The Chihuahua

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Could an artisanal hot dog war be heating up in Philly?

Philly Eater presented this idea in a recent post after the opening of Underdogs at 17th and Sansom St. In the opposite corner is Hot Diggity, which opened at 6th and South St. last June.

Both are jumping on the new, gourmet hot dog trend that is riding the coattails of fancy burgers and pizza. As "haute dog" joints, they focus on fresh, quality dogs with chef-inspired toppings.

You can count us on Team Hot Diggity if we have to declare allegiances in this match up.

A quick look at the tale of the tape (dog and bun) showcases the main differences in preparation. Hot Diggity grills their long, thin Sabrett dogs, while Underdogs serves a thicker, boiled Dietz & Watson. The grilled Sabrett packed the flavor of a traditional NYC-style dog without overwhelming the other ingredients, and was just crispy enough to make you long for summertime barbecues. Meanwhile, the plump Dietz & Watson was served to us lukewarm and seemed more processed. Ballpark-style, in truth.

When it comes to the bun, Hot Diggity uses toasted rolls from Liscio’s while Underdogs goes for untoasted from Cacia's. Again, we appreciated the warm, toasted bread at Hot Diggity much more. Both of these style elements are really based on preference, so perhaps yours is different, but they are important details to know before you go to either joint.