Are Wagyu Hot Dogs Worth Splurging On For Your Summer Barbecue?

Summer means barbecue season, time to rev up the grill and break out the burgers, hot dogs, and ribs for warm weather cookouts. Instead of grilling regular hot dogs, though, you may be tempted to try some of the expensive wagyu franks the internet seems so fond of lately. To find out if they're worth the extra cash, The Takeout spoke with Marissa Stevens, recipe developer and food blogger at Pinch and Swirl.

"Wagyu hot dogs definitely have a richer flavor and softer texture than regular all-beef dogs — they're fattier and feel more luxurious," Stevens told The Takeout. "But they don't have the same marbling you'd expect from a wagyu steak." She noted that most of them are made with American wagyu and said "the difference is mostly about branding and mouthfeel." American wagyu is a cross-breed of Japanese wagyu and another cattle breed (commonly Angus). It has less marbling than Japanese wagyu, but gets some of American cattle's robust beef flavor.

Are they worth it? Stevens said they can be "if you're curious or splurging." It also depends on what you do with them. "If you're eating one straight off the grill, you'll notice the richness. But in a bun with toppings? It's a smaller leap than the price suggests." Stevens said cooking method is more important for the "flavor and snap" she likes in a grilled hot dog — more so than the cattle breed. "A good-quality natural casing dog gives you plenty of satisfaction at a fraction of the price."

There are other skeptics of forking out extra money for wagyu hot dogs. Some online comments question the point of grinding wagyu for things like hot dogs or burgers (like those from a chain with just two items on the menu). Since the point of wagyu is the flavor and tenderness from its marbling, they argue that if it's being ground, you could just use regular beef and add more fat. Others say they've tried them and didn't notice a difference. Or they acknowledged they were good, but didn't think the price was worth it.

However, wagyu hot dogs have gotten some rave reviews from people who know food, with two brands in particular standing out. Food & Wine chose KC Cattle Company's wagyu hot dogs as the winner of its specialty hot dog taste test, enthusing that they tasted like steak. Snake River Farms' franks have gotten love from food reviews and chefs. Both use 100% American wagyu. Snake River's skin-on dogs have a signature blend of spices and are smoked with hard wood. A one-pound pack of five is $12. KC Cattle Company's hot dogs have an interesting ingredient list that includes pomegranate and citrus extracts, beet powder, and rosemary extract. They are $39.99 for two packs of eight.

If you decide it's worth trying wagyu dogs, have them with no toppings so you can fully taste their flavor. Save the unexpected topper for unique hot dogs and the coleslaw topping idea for regular franks.