Sure, Philly’s got some sweet hot dog joints, but not many that serve beer. And in these free-range, locavore days, hot dogs are such a guilty pleasure that it often takes, oh, 30 beers to drown your better judgement and eat one.
As fate would have it, the two bars best defined by a beer-dog combo are located just a stone’s throw from each other. (And if you don’t think they’re guilty enough, good luck trying to find a photo of either dog online.) One is members-only and one is lung cancer waiting to happen, but when you’re drunk enough to start knocking back miscellaneous pig parts in a bun, none of that matters.
McGlinchey’s (259 S. 15th St.): Home of the dollar chili dog. Regular hot dogs are 75 cents and used to be even cheaper. Given the surly service and thick blanket of human exhaust (your puny smoking ban has no power here, Mister Nutter!), ordering food might not seem like the best idea. But after a handful of cheap-ass pitchers and your best-ever game of sit-down Ms. Pac-Man, you owe yourself a hot dripping chili dog. Put some Beat Happening or Screaming Trees (off that one ancient Sub Pop comp) on the jukebox and you may never leave.
The Pen & Pencil (1522 Latimer St.): We’ve had mustard stains of our coats for whole winters thanks to this dangerous combination of after-hours bar and self-service hot dog station. Factor in a crowd of borderline-alcoholic journalists (the P&P began as a members-only club for journos before opening its doors to the service industry in an act of utter desperation) and haughty off-the-clock wait staff, and this place often feels like a leering nightmare the next morning. But man, those hot dogs. Simply pull them from the purgatory of hot water and dress them up however you like. In that witching hour between 2 and 3am, a warm hot dog can be the anchor that keeps you from drifting towards the coke parties in those cramped unisex bathrooms. Just remember: You have to either be a member, be with a member, or be able to talk your way in.
And the winner: P&P is mighty tempting, but between the chili option and open-door policy, McGlinchey’s is the better bet.
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