Ultimate Guide

Ultimate Hot Dog

By Jay Cridlin
Published June 28, 2007

	The only thing more remarkable than Mel's unique car out front is the hot dogs themselves. Try the slaw dog!
[Luis Santana | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT The full winner's list Every week for six months, tbt* asked its loyal readers to vote on their favorite bars, restaurants, personalities and attractions in Tampa Bay. And now we've compiled the winners into this collection of 25 ultimate choices.

Mel's Hot Dogs, Tampa

A film crew shooting a television pilot about mom and pop restaurants recently stopped by Mel's Hot Dogs at lunchtime. It would be hard to pick a better time and place to get footage. Every day, hungry workers come from as far away as downtown Tampa just for one of Mel's chili dogs, reuben dogs, bacon cheddar dogs, or Mel's piece de resistance, the slaw dog. The Vienna beef dogs, served on poppy seed buns, snap with each bite, from the Lite Mel (70 percent less fat!) to the Mighty Mel (it weighs a quarter pound!). There's a reason Mel's patrons have sent in photos of themselves in Mel's T-shirts from around the globe (you can find these pictures on the walls at Mel's) - the hot dogs are just that good. Mel's Hot Dogs: 4136 E Busch Blvd., Tampa, (813) 985-8000, www.melshotdogs.com.

How you voted

Mel's Hot Dogs, Tampa: 35%

Coney Island Grill, St. Petersburg: 25%

Skyline Chili, Clearwater/Clearwater Beach: 20%

Bruce's Chicago Dog and Grill House, Largo: 10%

Other: 10%

Legends Field, Tampa: 0%

[Last modified June 28, 2007, 14:19:59]