Hot Dog on a Stick Launches Food Truck in San Diego

SoCal original Hot Dog on a Stick, a staple of shopping center food courts that evokes heavy nostalgia for many of us who grew up in the area, is going mobile with a food truck — the first of its kind of the brand — that should be hitting the streets of San Diego County next week.

Its roots date all the way back to 1946, when Hot Dog on a Stick was founded by Dave Barham. And though the mall branch of the company was sold in 2014, his son Gary, granddaughter Courtney, and their family continue to oversee Hot Dog on a Stick’s presence at fairs and festivals around the region.

Courtney Barham, who was born and raised in Encinitas, tells Eater that the idea for the food truck developed during the pandemic when events were on pause. Designed to help the company to be able to reach and service more of the San Diego community, the truck will start by operating in coastal North County neighborhoods where it’ll make stops at local breweries and American Legion halls; its ongoing schedule will be announced and updated on its social media channels.

Barham says they’ll serve the iconic, streamlined menu of made-to-order hot dogs on a stick, fries, and “hand-stomped” lemonade and are planning for daily specials like other types of cheese fillings for its cheese on a stick.