Create a gourmet hot dog bar for your next summer party.
Summer entertaining brings together some of my favorite things – sunshine, laughter, ice-cold refreshing drinks, and of course delicious food.
Everything tastes better when it’s cooked on a grill, wouldn’t you agree?! Hot dogs are a classic summer staple and an easy way to feed a crowd. So gather your friends, fire up the grill, and follow these tips for creating a delicious Hot Dog Bar for easy summer entertaining!
Easy Summer Entertaining Ideas
As we always say, entertaining doesn’t have to be complicated or over-the-top fancy to be memorable.
The most important part of entertaining is making sure your guests have an extraordinary experience. Which is we love this party idea, you don’t have to stress about party planning, instead you can kick back, relax, and enjoy creating memories with your guests.
Hot dogs are universally popular and one of the easiest things to serve at a party. And with Ball Park Park’s Finest hot dogs, it doesn’t take much to show off your grilling and entertaining expertise!
All you need to add are some tasty toppings, a savory side dish, and an ice-cold refreshing drink to wash it all down.
Hot Dog Bar Topping Ideas
Your Hot Dog Bar wouldn’t be complete without an array of toppings. When you use gourmet hot dogs you don’t need much to make them taste great, but guest will love customizing their dogs with flavorful and even unexpected toppings.
Of course, you’ll want to make sure you have the must-have classics like ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions, but spice things up with a few unexpected additions like jalapenos, pico de gallo, bacon, Monterrey jack cheese, and avocado for a Texas twist on your hot dog.
First things first: the dogs. Fire up the grill and make them to order for guests. Serve them in colorful and easy-to-hold hot dog trays. We found these fun polka dot trays at Michaels along with some of the other paper goods we used to turn our hot dog bar into a creative display perfect for our backyard BBQ.
Load em’ up. Let guest top their dogs with their favorite toppings. Consider printing out a menu with suggestions for creative hot dog recipes like Tex-Mex Dogs, Chicago-style Hot Dogs, and BLT Dogs.
The Perfect Side Dishes for Hot Dog Bar
While the grill is nice and hot go ahead and make this savory side dish, Mexican Style Street Corn. Trust us, your guests are going to LOVE it! It’s the perfect combination of smoky, savory, and sweet goodness all delivered right to your mouth in one tasty bite.
Ice-cold lemonade and classic Coca-Cola are just what your guest will need to wash it all down. Nothing beats an ice-cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer afternoon and sipping it from these dressed-up vintage milk bottles makes it even sweeter.
See there’s nothing to it, you can host a hot dog bar party this weekend and soak up your favorite parts of summer.
This looks amazing! I am pinning so I don’t forget all the great ideas!
Where did you get the basket you show in the picture with chips in it? Love this idea!
Hi Joanne, I found those baskets at Michaels a few years ago, but I bet you could find something similar at any craft or hobby store.
Where did you get the blue polka dot hot dog trays? I cannot find them anywhere online! Thanks!
Hi Savanna, I found those trays at Michaels a few years ago. Party City carries similar ones in red, and you can sometimes find them on Etsy.