When was the last time you took a bite of something and realized it just may be the best thing you’ve ever eaten? Perhaps it’s a memory of a flavor that was so game-changing you can still practically taste it if you close your eyes and concentrate. Or perhaps you have to dig back in your mind a little bit to come up with an answer. Either way, this is basically the experience Chowhound had when ranking every Wienerschnitzel hot dog. While most of the dogs on the list were tasty (even the last-place dog was deemed “not bad”), we declared that the king of the bunch, Wienerschnitzel’s chili dog, “might be the best-tasting item on planet Earth.”

The chili dog comes on a fresh, steamed bun topped with Wienerschnitzel’s signature chili sauce. Choose from a selection of hot dogs: World Famous Original, premium beef, or Polish. (Chowhound opted for the World Famous Original when judging the selection.) There are any number of ways to make a chili dog at home, starting with your favorite grocery store hot dog and brand of chili sauce, but the combination of Wienerschnitzel’s hot dogs with its branded chili is something special. In fact, throughout the ranking, we frequently commented on just how tasty Wienerschnitzel’s hot dogs are — even its plain-Jane version, a condiment-free hot dog on a steamed bun, was ranked sixth out of 11 contenders. The chili was praised for being tangy and slightly sweet, with a smoother rather than chunky texture.

Read more: 12 Fast Food Burgers, Ranked

Chili sauce beyond the chili dog

Wienerschnitzel prides itself on its chili dog — and its “secret-recipe chili” in general — so it’s not too surprising that it came out on top. (In fact, keep an eye out for Wienerschnitzel’s “Wiener Wednesday” specials featuring four chili dogs for just $4!) In addition to the signature chili dog, Wienerschnitzel also serves a chili cheese dog, with the addition of a slice of American cheese. This came in fourth in our ranking, simply because the cheese didn’t really add much. The chili sauce can also be enjoyed on Wienerschnitzel’s “Junkyard Dog,” a much more complex affair topped with French fries, cheese, mustard, and grilled onions in addition to the chili sauce. The Junkyard Dog was just behind the chili cheese dog in our ranking. And — if you want to veer away from the hot dog category and just explore the chili sauce — Wienerschnitzel also offers chili cheeseburgers, chili cheese fries, and even a chili cheese fries burrito.

If you try a Wienerschnitzel chili dog after reading this and become a newly minted fan, the good news is that you can buy cans of the chili in-store. The bad news is that Wienerschnitzel is, as of this writing, only located in 13 of the 50 United States (although its website promises hungry consumers that it will be showing up more and more). But for now, if you’re outside of those lucky 13 states, you may have to plan a road trip in order to experience this hot dog nirvana for yourself.

Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we’re helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google.

Read the original article on Chowhound.