Pink's Hot Dogs
| Pink's Hot Dogs |
The front of Pink's Hot Dogs |
| Restaurant information |
| Established |
1939 (Current location 1946) |
| Dress code |
Casual |
| Street address |
709 North La Brea Avenue |
| City |
Hollywood district of the city of Los Angeles |
| State |
California |
| Postal code/ZIP |
90038 |
| Country |
United States |
| Website |
Official Website |
Pink's Hot Dogs is a landmark hot dog restaurant in the Hollywood district of the city of Los Angeles.
History
Pink's was founded by Paul and Betty Pink in 1939 as a pushcart near the corner of La Brea and Melrose.[1] The Great Depression was still having an impact on the country, and money was scarce. People could purchase a chili dog made with Betty's own chili recipe accompanied by mustard and onions on a steamed bun for 10 cents each. As business grew, thanks to Betty's chili and the custom-made Hoffy-brand hot dogs with their natural casings, so did Pink's. The family built the current building in 1946 at 709 North La Brea.
Today
Pink's has named several newer menu items after Hollywood celebrities, some of whom can be seen at the restaurant.[2] There are many signed celebrity photographs hanging on the walls inside; some celebrities have signed more than one photo. The celebrity-named hot dogs are often versions actually ordered by the person in question, such as the "Martha Stewart Dog" with mustard, relish, onions, chopped tomatoes, sauerkraut, bacon, and sour cream. Another is the "Rosie O'Donnell Long Island Dog", which is a 10" dog topped with mustard, onions, chili and sauerkraut. The "Huell Howser Dog" is a standard chili dog with two of the regular hot dogs on a single bun while the "Ozzy Spicy Dog" named for Ozzy Osbourne features a Polish sausage, nacho cheese, American cheese, grilled onions, guacamole and chopped tomatoes.[3]
A smaller selection of hamburgers are available, and desserts are a choice of coconut or marble cake.
There is usually a long line of customers in front despite the lack of parking in the area. The often slow-moving line is viewed by some as part of the attraction at Pink's, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when the stand becomes packed with club and concert goers.
Pink's has its own parking-lot attendant, even though parking is free.[2] According to the menu, Pink's original signature chili dog in stretched, 10"/25cm form remains the stand's top seller.
In September 2009, a location opened on the Las Vegas Strip at the Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino.
In April 2010, another location open in Universal CityWalk [on the second level, across from the movie theaters] Introducing "The Betty White Naked Dog" (no condiments or toppings).
Pink's hot dogs are also sold at amusement parks, including Knott's Berry Farm in Southern California, and starting in 2011, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, the first Pink's location east of Las Vegas. [4] Both parks are owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.
In popular culture
- Pink's is shown during a scene from season 1 of Entourage.
- Pink's is mentioned in Thomas Pynchon's 2009 novel Inherent Vice (pgs. 155, 312).
- On CBS' 1991 late night game show, Personals, contestants could win a date to Pink's if they were not successful in winning more glamorous destinations.
- Featured in David Lynch's 2001 film, Mulholland Drive.
- The restaurant was featured in a 2001 stunt on the television show Jackass when Brad Pitt was "kidnapped" outside while waiting in line, to the horror of onlookers.
- The restaurant has also been featured in a TV commercial for the 2007 Volvo S80, as the couple in the ad race to Pink's for a late-night meal before closing time.
- Pink's Hot Dogs is featured in the 2008 video game Midnight Club: Los Angeles.
- The restaurant was featured in Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay. Bobby Flay won the throwdown.
- On the FX series Nip/Tuck, characters Sean McNamara and Christian Troy are shown eating Pink's hot dogs in the premiere episode of the fifth season.
- In "Comin' To Your City", the 2005 single by country music group Big & Rich, they claim that "LA has the freaks and Pink's and fifteen-dollar drinks".
- The Harlan Ellison short story "Prince Myshkin and Hold the Relish" features a friendly debate on Dostoevsky and The Idiot between the narrator and a vendor at Pink's.
- In an episode of Hell's Kitchen, the teams were both treated to a meal from Pink's Hot Dogs.
- The opening credits of the short lived sitcom Joey featured Pink's, which is shown when Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) drives by in a convertible.
- Singer-songwriter James Taylor has cited Pink's as the inspiration for his song "Chili Dog"; on his 2007 album One Man Band, he notes, "[The chili dog] was my favourite foodstuff for a time, until I realised that it wasn't a food, it was a drug."
- In episode 18 of the anime series Toaru Majutsu no Index, Touma and Misaka are seen eating hotdogs near a stand with a sign that says Pinks, and a second sign that's clipped by the screen, but ends in "ogs".
- Pink's is featured briefly in the opening sequence of the 1986 Eddie Murphy film The Golden Child.
- Emily Osment paid a visit to this location for a tour of her home town of Los Angeles as seen on the Hannah Montana: The Movie DVD.
- In Season 2 of 90210, Annie and Jasper paid a visit to this location to get some food.
- In the opening credits of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Craig Ferguson is briefly shown singing from the roof of Pink's.
- In Season 3 Episode 10 of The L Word, Pink's is featured as the location for Jenny, Max, Tim and his wife to eat lunch together. This is where most of their scenes take place in the show.
- Featured on Post-It note and in background shot in The Smashing Pumpkins video "Perfect".
- In the 2nd episode of Korean reality television series f(x)'s Koalla (Hangul: f(x)의 코알라), K-pop girl group f(x) paid a visit to this location to eat some foods, and offered their autographed photo.[5]
- Pinks is also seen in the 1972 film "Hickey and Boggs" with Bill Cosby and Robert Culp.
- Pinks was featured in a photo shoot for Americas Next Top Model All Stars.
- In The Muppets, the 3 main characters, Gary (Jason Segel), Mary Amy Adams, and Walter (performed by Peter Linz) stop at Pink's and buy some dogs while trying to find Kermit the Frog.
References
External links