Feltman’s Kitchen

Fun Fact: Charles Feltman, a German immigrant and namesake of this East Village outpost, invented the hot dog in 1867. His business grew from a cart-on-wheels to a proper restaurant in Coney Island, but shuttered its doors in 1954. Enter owner Michael Quinn, a Coney Island historian and frankfurter connoisseur, who with his younger brother Joe breathed new life into the dormant brand in 2016. Their rejuvenated set-up adheres to the all-natural, filler-free original recipe, earning Best Hot Dog nods from both Gothamist and New York magazine. And, in the name of tradition, there's also a seasonal Coney Island stand in Luna Park near where the original existed.