Top Dog is an institution in Berkeley and in the East Bay. I'm not sure if this is the first location, but it's one of the most popular on Durant within walking distance of the U.C. Berkeley campus. I've never had a dog there I didn't like but my favorite is the hot link or bratwurst. I enjoy ketchup and relish on my hot dogs, but at Top Dog I pile the sauerkrat as well as the hot mustard. Hot dogs there are now $4.25-$4.50. The staff are nice there and they tend to turn around orders pretty quickly. There isn't space inside to eat, but there's a plenty of space outside to eat in the area by campus. I enjoy going there, it also makes me feel young.

Top Dog was always a good time as a student and I'm glad to see this place is still thriving. There's nothing more refreshing than a nice crispy bun and a delicious hot dog to go with it. We bought four hot dogs and shared between three people (kielbasa, hot link, chicken and apple, and garlic frankfurter). There's no seating inside, this is more of a buy and eat as you go kind of deal. The workers are always super nice and they put condiments out next to the shop on game day to accommodate the inflow of people. This is a must to try while you're in Berkeley!

This spot is simple, straightforward, and delicious. While many associate hotdogs with sporting events or late-night food, this place proves they can be much more. Topdog offers a variety of options, from Hot Link and Garlic Frank to Kielbasa and more. Each comes on a crispy French roll, with a self-serve condiment station offering ketchup, various mustards, sauerkraut, and raw onions. Aside from hotdogs, they also sell chips and soda--keeping it simple and to the point. The hotdogs are grilled fresh when you order and are tasty, usually gone in just three bites. Since the place is small, people tend to wait outside until their food is ready. The people who run this spot have been around for quite some time, and I've always had friendly interactions with them.

I've been coming here my entire life and love the food. The hot dogs and sausages are always super delicious with lots of flavor. The buns have a nice crusty exterior while the bread itself is soft which creates a nice textural difference. I'm a big fan of the condiment section which is self-service and features ketchup, relish, onions, sauerkraut, and a few types of mustard. During my last visit, the worker was strange to say the least; he made a weird, semi-vulgar joke to our party and used profanity multiple times. Honestly, it made me feel a bit uncomfortable and I thought it was very unprofessional. Fortunately, nothing like this has happened during any of my previous visits so I'm hoping it's just an isolated incident.

Top dog is always a good go to choice when in the area or treating the top dogs in your life. Went here on a Sunday night and the streets had lots of people! It will be best to find parking on a different street. I got the garlic frankfurt and it was delicious. The hot dog was juicy and had a hint of garlic! For $5 it wasnt bad at all!

Came here again after 3 years. The food was amazing as always. I got the hot links and my boyfriend got the the garlic Frankfurt ? Haha the service was fast and quick. The place is super small but honestly the quality of the meat was amazing .

Top Dog is absolutely the one of the top sausage/hot dog places I've been to. As a New Yorker, it's been Nathan's, those Papaya places (Gray's, Papaya Dog, and Papaya King,) and of yesteryear Nedick's. In college, I'd go to any time of day or night to Pittsburgh's Original (a.k.a. Dirty O's) in Oakland (PA) to get a chili cheese dog and a boat of fries. Certainly, Top Dog is the type of place college kids flock to, but if you're in Berkeley you don't need to be collage age to stop by this exceptional hole in the wall Top Dog for experiencing a fantastic "frankfurter" or one of their many types of sausage! WOW! Fair prices and served on a crusty French roll, Top Dog's sausages come in their classic 100% beef Frankfurter, Garlic (beef & pork), Hot Link (Louisiana style beef with 4 kinds of pepper), Smoked chicken apple, Italian Calabrese, Polish Kielbasa, German Bockwurst or Bratwurst, Lemon Chicken, Spicy Mango, or the Wienie (vegetarian). The toppings shelves provide complementary onions, relish, sauerkraut, ketchup and assorted mustards. Chili topping is extra and sold as a side. Top Dog sells also potato salad, but you can't get fries. (Hey, another dog would be a great substitute for a large fries!) I wanted to try their classic Top Dog Frankfurter and Bratwurst. So glad I did! They all grill right in front of you. Added kraut, onions, and mustard on both (Sweet mustard on the bratwurst.) The roll was fresh and crusty. Both delicious sausages snapped like they should! The flavors - amazin'! [Note - No seating. Only a tiny ledge and a nominal counter that I imagine always, as then, were obstructed by people waiting.] Top Dog is awesome! Wish I had one in NYC! Yeah, we have Nathan's and those different Papaya guys, but fuggetaboutit! I'd like a Top Dog! (Btw, a location of Artichoke Basille's Pizza, originally from our East Village, is next to it, but I find their slices are really geared for tourists and non-native New Yorkers. When in NYC, just go to Joe's! See my review.) From my understanding, Top Dog's owners are old and uncertain of its future beyond them, so make sure you enjoy this amazing while you can! Long live Top Dog!

Delicious hole in the wall hot dog joint. From what I've seen on their website, there's a couple of these around, but my boyfriend took me here saying it's one of his favorite places and a nostalgic childhood spot for him. You can tell the locals and the sports ball enjoyers loves this place as lots of them were talking about a game/some game(s) that have either happened recently or have happened the day of. Despite the rainy weather, there was a line almost out the door and a huddled mass near the exit trying to enjoy their hot dogs afterwards. Even with the crowds the 2 workers, the one working the cashier, taking orders, and giving food to customers and the one working the grill worked very quickly. Around $4 a hot dog, it's not a bad deal considering they're dogs of different flavors, seasonings, and taste, much different from the average fair you'd get at an actual sports ball game or amusement park. We got the: 1) Calabrese: -This is an Italian style hot dog. -It's made from pork, paprika, chili, and fennel. -Nice strong fennel taste to the pork, absolutely delicious. 2) Hot Link: -This is Louisiana style. -It's made from beef and 4 kinds of peppers. -Actually a pretty decent spicy kick to it. I enjoyed this one a lot. 3) Mango with Jalapeno: -This one is made with chicken and as the name implies, mango and jalapeno. -Slight fruity taste to it, but you mostly taste the kick of the jalapeno. -Unique and tasty. Another winning point to Top Dog is the all you can scoop, squart, and eat self serve condiment bar. There's the standard relish, ketchup, and several kinds of mustards (the spicy one is really good!), sauerkraut, diced onions, etc. Open pretty dang late, affordable delicious hot dogs, 5 stars from me EZ.

Me and my BF were in Berkeley and we were hungry and wanted to get something quick to eat. A quick bite and we seen this place and decided to try a new hotdog place. When I walked it I was greeted right away and placed my order very quickly! I ordered us a chili hotdog. I really wish it came with cheddar cheese on top. I felt like that would've made the hotdog way better but unfortunately they don't have cheddar cheese. Overall the hotdog was really good just wished it had cheddar cheese on top that really would have topped it off! Definitely would come back whenever I'm craving a hotdog and I'm in B town I'd stop by here again!