I have been having Top Dog hot dogs here for *mumble* years, when La Val's was still around and before Blue Nile closed. Hot dogs are still a good value, and delicious. Also available late at night still. Russian mustard. NO ketchup.

The best hot dog I've ever had in my life!!!!! Great service as well. Had to squeeze in a visit every day of my trip to Berkeley.

Top Dog is absolutely the one of the top sausage/hot dog places I've been to. As a New Yorker, it's been Nathan's, those Papaya places (Gray's, Papaya Dog, and Papaya King,) and of yesteryear Nedick's. In college, I'd go to any time of day or night to Pittsburgh's Original (a.k.a. Dirty O's) in Oakland (PA) to get a chili cheese dog and a boat of fries. Certainly, Top Dog is the type of place college kids flock to, but if you're in Berkeley you don't need to be collage age to stop by this exceptional hole in the wall Top Dog for experiencing a fantastic "frankfurter" or one of their many types of sausage! WOW! Fair prices and served on a crusty French roll, Top Dog's sausages come in their classic 100% beef Frankfurter, Garlic (beef & pork), Hot Link (Louisiana style beef with 4 kinds of pepper), Smoked chicken apple, Italian Calabrese, Polish Kielbasa, German Bockwurst or Bratwurst, Lemon Chicken, Spicy Mango, or the Wienie (vegetarian). The toppings shelves provide complementary onions, relish, sauerkraut, ketchup and assorted mustards. Chili topping is extra and sold as a side. Top Dog sells also potato salad, but you can't get fries. (Hey, another dog would be a great substitute for a large fries!) I wanted to try their classic Top Dog Frankfurter and Bratwurst. So glad I did! They all grill right in front of you. Added kraut, onions, and mustard on both (Sweet mustard on the bratwurst.) The roll was fresh and crusty. Both delicious sausages snapped like they should! The flavors - amazin'! [Note - No seating. Only a tiny ledge and a nominal counter that I imagine always, as then, were obstructed by people waiting.] Top Dog is awesome! Wish I had one in NYC! Yeah, we have Nathan's and those different Papaya guys, but fuggetaboutit! I'd like a Top Dog! (Btw, a location of Artichoke Basille's Pizza, originally from our East Village, is next to it, but I find their slices are really geared for tourists and non-native New Yorkers. When in NYC, just go to Joe's! See my review.) From my understanding, Top Dog's owners are old and uncertain of its future beyond them, so make sure you enjoy this amazing while you can! Long live Top Dog!

Top dog is one of the last remaining places in old Berkeley. A literal shack that serves hot dogs and only hot dogs. A gruff cook. No seating. Perfect. Prices there have skyrocketed and I swear the dogs have shrunk. And it's not just the cold. Top Dog is still in the increasingly rare "I just need lunch for $5" categories. Dogs were $4.50 as of June 2024. You'll get just one dog and it may not fill you up but it'll knock some of your hunger off especially if you pile on the free onion/relish/sauerkraut toppings.

Delicious hole in the wall hot dog joint. From what I've seen on their website, there's a couple of these around, but my boyfriend took me here saying it's one of his favorite places and a nostalgic childhood spot for him. You can tell the locals and the sports ball enjoyers loves this place as lots of them were talking about a game/some game(s) that have either happened recently or have happened the day of. Despite the rainy weather, there was a line almost out the door and a huddled mass near the exit trying to enjoy their hot dogs afterwards. Even with the crowds the 2 workers, the one working the cashier, taking orders, and giving food to customers and the one working the grill worked very quickly. Around $4 a hot dog, it's not a bad deal considering they're dogs of different flavors, seasonings, and taste, much different from the average fair you'd get at an actual sports ball game or amusement park. We got the: 1) Calabrese: -This is an Italian style hot dog. -It's made from pork, paprika, chili, and fennel. -Nice strong fennel taste to the pork, absolutely delicious. 2) Hot Link: -This is Louisiana style. -It's made from beef and 4 kinds of peppers. -Actually a pretty decent spicy kick to it. I enjoyed this one a lot. 3) Mango with Jalapeno: -This one is made with chicken and as the name implies, mango and jalapeno. -Slight fruity taste to it, but you mostly taste the kick of the jalapeno. -Unique and tasty. Another winning point to Top Dog is the all you can scoop, squart, and eat self serve condiment bar. There's the standard relish, ketchup, and several kinds of mustards (the spicy one is really good!), sauerkraut, diced onions, etc. Open pretty dang late, affordable delicious hot dogs, 5 stars from me EZ.

Me and my BF were in Berkeley and we were hungry and wanted to get something quick to eat. A quick bite and we seen this place and decided to try a new hotdog place. When I walked it I was greeted right away and placed my order very quickly! I ordered us a chili hotdog. I really wish it came with cheddar cheese on top. I felt like that would've made the hotdog way better but unfortunately they don't have cheddar cheese. Overall the hotdog was really good just wished it had cheddar cheese on top that really would have topped it off! Definitely would come back whenever I'm craving a hotdog and I'm in B town I'd stop by here again!

I love this spot. I heard about this place and wanted to visit soon after. It was said that they are the best, and they were not lying. The hot dogs are a little small filled with lots of flavor. I ordered a bratwurst and chicken & apple. I also got a side of chili. Lots of veggies and no meat really. You should really know what you want by the time you get inside the door. This is the type of place that moves quickly since it is an establishment. There's no seating, so you'll have to expect to eat outside or in your car or even on the go. Once you get your order, you'll find the toppings on a counter. You can find onions, relish, sauerkraut, mustard, ketchup, and deli mustard.

I stopped here in a drunken stupor (as does everyone else) and still managed to snap a photo of the restaurant exterior for my self anticipated Yelp review. I ordered a BRATWURST and it was delicious! There's no seating inside so it's a to-go order thing but the wait is fairly quick. This place saved my life that night... and for a reasonable price! I'd definitely recommend for a Hot Dog in the area. They also have all beef hot dogs!