A World War II Era Hot Dog Stand Is Back with Vegan Options

Last month, Angelenos celebrated the grand reopening of Tail O’ the Pup, the city’s beloved hot dog-shaped restaurant that has been slinging franks since 1946. For the first time since closing in 2005, Tail O’ the Pup is back with a newly revamped menu, and this time, the LA icon is slinging vegan hot dogs. 

Originally designed by architect Milton J. Black in 1939, the iconic restaurant is the city’s most famous example of mimetic architecture, a style of design that incorporates a building’s function into its visual elements. The landmark restaurant, restored by its new owner the 1933 Group, is shaped like its signature dish complete with buns, sausage, and a generous layer of mustard. 

The 1933 Group—best known for its careful, historic restorations of restaurants across LA including the barrel-shaped Idle Hour bar in North Hollywood—conducted extensive research to revitalize the menu at Tail O’ the Pup, including meeting with former employees for insight into reiterations of the original menu over time. 

Today, Tail O’ the Pup offers nine hot dog varieties alongside hamburgers, french fries, and dairy-based soft serve. Historic menu items such as the 1946 Pup (featuring a split and grilled sausage on a toasted bun topped with grilled onions and housemade mustard) and the 1976 Pup (a classic, fuss-free hot dog with ketchup and mustard) offer a taste of nostalgia. Newer varieties include the Chili Pup (topped with housemade chili, mustard, and raw onions), Cheezie Pup (made with dairy cheese and mustard), and the Chicago Pup (featuring raw onions, a dill pickle spear, diced tomatoes, sport peppers, sweet relish, mustard, and poppy seeds), among others. 

Courtesy of Tail O’ the Pup

While hot dogs at Tail O’ the Pup aren’t vegan as is, customers can opt for vegan franks made by Field Roast, plant-based chili, and dairy-free cheese for an additional upcharge of $1.50 for sausages and cheese and $2.00 for chili. For another $1.50, patrons can swap the standard bun for a gluten-free, vegan bun. Plant-based burgers also have a place on the menu at Tail O’ the Pup, where they’re topped with vegan cheese, grilled onions, tomato, butter lettuce, ketchup, and house mustard on a vegan bun.

Despite the city’s warm reception of this iconic institution, a few Angelenos have expressed discontent at the addition of vegan-friendly options, citing that they veer too far from the original menu, reports the WeHo Times. But for the 1933…