Fun fast food: Hot dogs at Wienerschnitzel

Larry Olmsted | Special for USA TODAY

The scene: From a single Los Angeles location in 1961, Wienerschnitzel has grown into what claims to be the world's largest purveyor of hot dogs, a boast that is believable mostly because hot dog chains have never enjoyed anything remotely like the success of their hamburger siblings, with Nathan's Famous the only other sizable competitor. Originally named Der Wienerschnitzel, the chain was known for its recognizable signature A-frame, pup tent-style buildings with mustard-yellow roofs, a handful of which still exist in Southern California. Today the company has grown to well over 300 locations in mostly more modern, boxy and generic fast food edifices. The brand spans ten states and oddly, Guam, a U.S. territory in the western Pacific. The chain has big presence across the Southwest but also sporadically in the Midwest, South and Pacific Northwest.

Family-owned Wienerschnitzel sells 120 million hot dogs annually, at bargain prices that are very low even by fast food standards, and brings a touch of hominess to the otherwise cookie cutter model with the vintage photos and "hot dog" colors used in its restaurants. The tables are still synthetic and the outlets designed for easy cleaning like McDonalds or Burger King, but the eye-catching yellow and red bench cushions playfully evoke the thing most guests come to eat, a dressed frank.

Reason to visit: Pretzel rolls, Junkyard Dog, Mini corn dogs.

The food: Compared to the big national fast food chains, there is a sense of a throwback to a more innocent time at Wienerschnitzel, a subtle Happy Days undercurrent. This ambiance, the cheap prices, and the many offbeat takes on the ways in which hot dogs can be dressed up are the main appeals. I wish the taste of the food was the reason to visit, because Wienerschnitzel is otherwise so likeable, but unfortunately it's just so-so. And it will be disappointing to those unfamiliar with the chain to learn that despite the name, they don't actually serve any kind of wienerschnitzel, the fried breaded meat cutlets popularized in Austria.

Hot dogs are the backbone of the menu, and every version is offered with a choice of the original pork and beef blend or a 100% beef version. The difference is not as dramatic as you might expect, but to me the beef is clearly the better option, not just a bit more flavorful, but also because it is thicker, meatier and tastes and feels more like a hot dog should. To further complicate things, each model is also available in a choice of three buns, regular, sesame seeded and pretzel, and given the white bread blandness of the first two, the pretzel roll is the single most standout item at Wienerschnitzel, the way I would go with any dog.

Once you pick your frank and roll, there are some eight to ten (by location) radically different hot dog choices, not counting the corn dog on a stick. The simple end of the spectrum includes the one-topping options: mustard dog, kraut dog or relish dog. The signatures are far more complex: chili cheese, Chicago (tomato slices, chopped onions, pickle spear, green relish, sport peppers, mustard and celery salt), Bacon Strip Street Dog (bacon, mayo, ketchup, mustard, grilled onions) and finally, the aptly named Junkyard Dog, with American cheese, mustard and grilled onions all topped with a heap of French fries and chili. (Visit a location in Utah, where pastrami-topped burgers are the state's favorite snack, and Wienerschnitzel gets on the bandwagon with a pastrami dog that is one of the tastier choices). Besides its sheer novelty, the Junkyard Dog tastes better than most of its peers because the crispy fries play the role of fried onion strings, adding a nice crunch factor to the otherwise sloppy, tender dog and roll. In general, since the dogs themselves are fairly bland, the best bet is to load up as many of the toppings you like as possible.

The menu also includes burgers topped in similar fashion, from chili to Junkyard, but the patty is pretty nebulous, though the toasted, slightly crisp roll gives it a small step up from its basic fast food siblings. There are regular skinny and curly fries, both with a nice crunchy texture, but the curly ones are not seasoned like they usually are elsewhere, and like many things on the menu, could use more flavor. Fries are also served topped with chili and cheese, and again, the rule here seems to be the more stuff on top, the better. The one notable and unusual offering is a bag of bite-sized mini corn dogs, not good per se so much as a welcome alternative to other fried apps like chicken nuggets or jalapeno poppers, and in their own way, strangely addictive, with a pronounced corn flavor in the shell.

The final part of Wienerschnitzel's unique equation is Tastee Freez, the chain's proprietary soft serve ice cream, and as a result it has a far bigger dessert menu than fast food burger places. Choices include cones, dipped cones, sundaes, banana splits, root beer floats and shakes. But again, the ice cream itself is unexceptional and the shakes taste no better than those at the national burger giants, which is to say, not worth the calories.

Pilgrimage-worthy?: No, but if you want a hot dog, that rules out McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King.

Rating: OK (Scale: Blah, OK, Mmmm, Yum!, OMG!)

Price: $ ($ cheap, $$ moderate, $$$ expensive)

Details: More than 300 restaurants with the most in California, and also Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington and Guam, wienerschnitzel.com

Larry Olmsted has been writing about food and travel for more than 15 years. An avid eater and cook, he has attended cooking classes in Italy, judged a barbecue contest and once dined with Julia Child. Follow him on Twitter, @TravelFoodGuy, and if there's a unique American eatery you think he should visit, send him an e-mail at travel@usatoday.com. Some of the venues reviewed by this column provided complimentary services.