It’s big. It’s bold. It’s beefy. It can be a bit of a mess. Why should Cleveland’s signature hot dog be any different than Cleveland itself?
The Polish Boy is a loaded-up melting pot of a dog with Eastern European and African American roots. As heavy-duty and all-American as its hometown, it’s part of a patchwork of regional hot dog styles and favorite local brands that fill the national map.
And along with Chicago dogs, Cincinnati cheese coneys, West Virginia slaw dogs and others, it has become a Columbus thing, too.
Hot dogs were “invented” in the United States after people started serving German-style sausages in buns. They’re an enduring staple of baseball games, forever linked with America’s national pastime. And they’re a democratic food that just about everyone can afford to enjoy.
Need evidence? Attend a Tuesday night home game when the Columbus Clippers host Dime-A-Dog Nights, one of the city’s most cherished summer traditions.
But hot dogs are also American because of their adaptability, reflecting the ingenuity and diversity that give the country such a rich culinary tapestry.
“[Hot dogs] came over with European immigrants,” said Eric Mittenthall, president of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, part of The Meat Institute in Arlington, Virginia. “Americans like to make things their own and as hot dogs came in … and spread around the country, they became their own in different communities around the country and truly an all-American food.”
Regional hot dog toppings, from celery salt in Chicago to jalapenos in the Southwest, tell distinct stories of a place. The heavy German influence in 19th century Columbus brought about local brands of hot dogs and sausages, but no distinct local set of toppings developed.
That means in this part of the United States of Hot Dogs, we enjoy them all.
What is a Polish Boy?
The ways a Polish Boy is put together can vary, but its components always include kielbasa — the Polish part — topped with French fries, barbecue sauce and coleslaw. In need of a sturdy platform, it’s usually served on a hoagie roll.
“Every region has its specialties,” celebrity chef and Cleveland native Michael Symon said once on an episode of “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” the Food Network program that ran from 2009 to 2022. “But you know what? They can have all those sandwiches, because in Cleveland, we have the Polish Boy. Nothing tops it.”
Loops in Columbus, along with many places in Cleveland, pop the kielbasa in the deep fryer, which gives it more snap. The fries are cut thick and fried a little crispier so they remain crunchy after their barbecue bath.
According to Symon, the coleslaw should be vinegar-based but with a hint of mayonnaise; his recipe calls for champagne vinegar, mustard, mayo, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. But creamy slaw isn’t verboten, and the barbecue sauce can vary in spice and tang.
Where did the Polish Boy come from?
Its origins have never quite been pinned down, but sources including Destination Cleveland, the city’s tourism agency, credit Virgil Whitmore Sr., a local barbecue restaurant owner, with making the Polish Boy popular. Folks in Cleveland don’t enforce a strict code on their signature dog the way Chicagoans adhere to a longstanding no-ketchup rule.
It’s not what goes on the hot dog but the way it’s eaten that sets true Clevelanders apart.
“If it takes you more than five bites to eat a Polish Boy, you’re not from Cleveland,” Symon said on the Food Network program.
What are Ohio’s other hot dog styles?
Central Ohio is a point of convergence for hot dog styles from across the state.
Cincinnati cheese coneys: Cincinnati’s famous chili, a Greek style that includes cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and clove, is also what makes its coney dogs a signature local style. At Skyline Chili locations across the country and countless regional restaurants in and around Cincinnati, the coneys come on a steamed bun with diced onion and mustard. Cheese coneys come with cheddar, too.
West Virginia slaw dogs: Popular across Appalachia on both sides of the Ohio-West Virginia border, the slaw dog is topped with meatless chili, diced onions, creamy coleslaw and mustard.
Toledo and Tony Packo’s: Hungarian hot dogs aren’t a ubiquitous style across northwestern Ohio, but they’ve brought fame to Toledo over the years through an iconic local restaurant called Tony Packo’s. Its signature dog is made with a kielbasa-like Hungarian sausage and topped with a meaty sauce, onions and mustard. Packo’s original location is still in operation, its walls coved with hot dog buns autographed by visiting celebrities.
Columbus and Schmidt’s: Although a national website recently called it one of Ohio’s hidden gems, there is nothing hidden about Schmidt’s. The family of J. Fred Schmidt has been making sausage since 1886 in German Village, and Schmidt’s Restaurant und Sausage Haus opened in 1967. The Bahama Mama is Schmidt’s spiciest sausage, and its most popular.
Places to try a Polish Boy
Loops: The Columbus eatery gets its name and a good chunk of its menu and décor from Chicago, but that city’s famous hot dog looks puny next to Cleveland’s culinary contribution. Details: 1629 Northwest Blvd., Columbus; 614-670-8808; loopsgoodfood.com
Dirty Franks: It’s called the Cleveland Rocks at the hot dog restaurant with six Columbus locations, but make no mistake, it’s a Polish Boy. Details: The original Dirty Franks is at 248 S. 4th St. in Columbus; 614-824-4673; dirtyfranks.com
Mabel’s BBQ: Chef Symon’s Cleveland restaurant has created its own version: a Polish Girl that subs chopped pork for the Polish Boy’s fries. Details: 2050 E. 4th St., Cleveland; 216-417-8823; mabelsbbqcle.com
Whitmore’s Bar-B-Q: The home of what most agree is the closest you can get to Cleveland’s original Polish Boy has been closed since a fire in March, but its owners plan to reopen after repairs. Details: 20209 Harvard Ave., Warrensville Heights; 216-752-3960; whitmoresbarbq.com
Follow Dispatch dining reporter Bob Vitale on Instagram at @dispatchdining. You can reach him directly at rvitale@dispatch.com.
Jennifer Borresen contributed the interactive graphic to this story. She is a graphic journalist at USA TODAY, specializing in explanatory graphics and illustrations in various fields, including politics, science, weather and entertainment.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Polish Boy takes its place among all-American hot dog styles
Reporting by Bob Vitale and Jennifer Borresen, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Bob Vitale and Jennifer Borresen, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
