Philly Hot Dog Joint Ranks #1 in State

The service is perfunctory on a good day, the vibe is pre-gentrification Fishtown, and the crowd is as down-by-the-docks as it gets around here these days. In other words, Johnny’s Hots is the perfect place to introduce the unsuspecting to the very best kind of Philadelphia, the no-bullshit kind, starring a reliable cast of characters that can be found lining up at strange hours, as early as five o’clock in the morning. After years of attrition, this is also one of the last best places in Philadelphia for one of the city’s more under-appreciated meals: the long hot (a sausage/dog combo type deal), topped with a cod and potato fish cake, and a bright, crispy pepper hash made with cabbage and apple cider vinegar, flecked with red peppers for color. Don’t fight it—just eat it. This was meant to be.