Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich? It's the Debate That May Never End

Renee Hanlon

February 20, 2023 at 12:30 PM·6 min read

There is a strong case(ing) for each side.

There is a big, ongoing debate happening that you may not even know about. It's a controversial subject that is hard to get people to agree on. In fact, no matter how you slice it, the feelings for both sides are extreme. Differing opinions just don't cut the mustard. Some may relish the thought of being right, but can anyone really be certain? We must get down to the bottom of it: Is a hot dog a sandwich?

To really know if a hot dog is a sandwich or not, it's important to understand the definition of a sandwich. If a hot dog meets the criteria, then it's safe to say that it is, in fact, a sandwich. If not, well, then a hot dog is just a hot dog—but could still also be called a frankfurter or wiener.

In an attempt to settle the debate of whether or not a hog dog is a sandwich, we've focused on the definition of a sandwich as well as the origin of both the hot dog and the sandwich. Hope you're not hungry while reading!

What Is the Definition of a Sandwich?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the official definition of a sandwich is, "an item of food consisting of two pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or other filling between them, eaten as a light meal".

This definition is pretty clear but it does raise some other questions.

Is a Hot Dog Bun Considered Bread?

A hot dog bun is made the exact same way that you make a French roll that is used to make a Philly Cheesesteak—it's just a scaled-down version of any of the larger sub-buns.

Bread is usually baked in a loaf that is then sliced and served to several people. A bun is a single-serving baked good. The recipes may be identical, but the shape and size determine the difference.

Based on these facts, it's safe to say that no matter how you slice it, a hot dog bun is considered bread. This leads to the question of filling.

Is a Hot Dog a Meat, Cheese or Other Filling?

Technically, a hot dog is made of meat (and a lot of other stuff). Therefore, it does fit the filling requirement for a sandwich with an emphasis on other.

Is a Hot Dog Eaten as a Light Meal?

Most would answer this question as yes. Since one hot dog does have the potential of filling someone lightly, it does seem to meet the requirement of a sandwich.

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Why Do Some Say That a Hot Dog Is Not a Sandwich?

One argument against a hot dog being a sandwich is that a bun is one piece of bread cut in half, instead of two slices of bread. However, many sandwiches are used in the same way—cutting bread in half—like at Subway or cutting into a hoagie roll.

Another reason is that some people don't consider a hot dog a meal. It is felt that a hot dog fits in more with the snack or junk food category. When you think of hanging out at the ballpark, the foods that come to mind to munch on are hot dogs, popcorn, chips and other snacks.

Ball Park Brand/unsplash

Who Came up With the Hot Dog?

The meat of the hot dog originally started in Europe. There are actually two locations that claim to have invented the first hot dog—Frankfurt, Germany and Vienna, Austria—and there is as much debate over who was the first to invent the hot dog as there is with a hot dog being a sandwich or not.

Frankfurt claims that they have proof of being the first in 1487 because of the common name of "frankfurter" for the hot dog. They even had a huge celebration in 1987, honoring the 500th anniversary of the hot dog.

However, Vienna also has a good case. It's where the term "wiener" or "wienerwurst" came from. The wiener was brought to the U.S. in 1893 and was sold at the World's Fair in Chicago.

It wasn't until these frankfurters or wieners were sold from carts in Coney Island that the official hot dog, as we know it, was born, thanks to Charles Feltman in 1867. Interestingly, the addition of the bun was due to a request from customers to add a sandwich to his rolling cart. That's when he put the wieners on a roll and called them "red hots," but not sandwiches. Why didn't he just call it a pork sandwich?

The sandwich had already been invented in 1762 by John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. It is said that he was playing cards and did not want to leave the gaming table to eat. So, he asked for his roast beef to be placed between two slices of bread so he could eat it easily with his hands. It would seem fitting that this new hot dog could be called a sandwich as well—but it wasn't.

When Did the Hot Dog Get Its Name?

In the mid-1800s, German immigrants to the United States began selling variations of their sausages. One particular variety that was thin and long was reminiscent of the dachshund dog breed. Because of the look, the German's called these "dachshund sausages."

Then in 1901, New York Journal cartoonist Tad Dorgan supposedly created a drawing of a dachshund in a bun with the caption "hot dog!" From then on, red hots became hot dogs and the term stuck.

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