Pink's Hollywood

What’s in this wiener? Millions.

Pink’s has been putting hot dogs into the hands of Angelenos since before most of us were born and the Pepto-colored chili dog stand on the corner of La Brea and Melrose is nowhere near stopping the tradition.

The 24-hour stand is no bigger or fancier than it was at the start in 1939. OK, the Richfield gasoline station is gone but now there are picnic tables in the back and some chic cafes on the corner instead. And Pink’s just packs ‘em in, lines of people waiting 45 minutes to an hour to finally put in their order for a chili dog, with or without a smear of raw onions and cheese, up from a dime to $3.10.

The menu cascades from thirteen types of dogs to burgers eleven ways, pastrami three ways to multi choices in fries, nachos and just about anything else that can be cooked in grease and slathered in sauce. The “Pink” in Pinks hails from the family that started it and owned it all these years but the famed stomach settling stuff not-so-remotely recalls similar hues for good reason. As tasty as these oil-doused delicacies are they can be rough on the tummy.

The stand has been busy in recent years spreading its prized chili dog all over Los Angeles and Las Vegas (there are even Pink’s to be found at Terminal 1 at LAX and at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas), but it is the Pink’s original on La Brea Avenue in Hollywood that gets the celebs and the crowds. Sean Penn famously proposed to Madonna over a dripping dog. Jay Leno comes often to quench his chili dog jones during his legendary Jay Walks on Melrose featured on the Tonight Show.

Because of its proximity to the film studios (Paramount is right down the street on Melrose), as well as the chic shops to sprout up on La Brea and Melrose Avenues over the past decade, Pink’s is in the thick of it for walkers, talkers, actors, amblers and workers in this film industry town. You simply don’t go to Hollywood without stopping at Pink’s. Vegans are welcomed. Try the Patt Morrison (LA Times columnist) Baja Veggie Dog topped w/fresh guacamole, chopped tomatoes and chopped onions for $3.45 and complement it with a wad of perfectly thin fries covered in chili and smothered in cheese ($3.80).

- by Lark Ellen Gould, Los Angeles Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Lark Ellen Gould

Lark Ellen Gould has penned seven books on Las Vegas and Los Angeles as a veteran news and travel writer. Her work appears in the L.A. Times, Elite Traveler, Travel Agent Magazine and other national forums. She lived in Boston for many years, earning her masters degree and then traveling the globe for stories. Today she lives in LA and still travels the world on assignment while filling the pages of her travel site: www.wheredaily.com, along the way.