Why the Icelandic Hot Dog Is One of Europe’s Most Beloved Street Foods

Iceland’s jaw-dropping northern lights and thermal baths have long captured the imagination of travelers. Another such local icon is much humbler: the Icelandic hot dog.

“I showed up completely blind to the Icelandic hot dog, but like many, stumbled into them quickly and was smitten at first bite,” says Pete Grebowski, whose quest to enjoy the vacation treat back home led to the 2024 launch of his food cart, Gunnar’s Icelandic Hot Dogs, in Maine. “A little while after my trip, I decided to see about getting some shipped back to the States and quickly learned that access was restricted.” 

Gunnar’s is one of the only places in the United States to get an Icelandic hot dog. But what makes it so special?

What’s an Icelandic-style hot dog?

An Icelandic hot dog’s uniqueness begins with its frank, called a pylsa (or pylsur, if you grab more than one). It blends locally sourced beef, pork, and lamb in a natural casing, so each bite is snappy. 

The lamb lends its signature rich, subtle gaminess, which helps the pylsa stand up to the copious toppings that come with the standard order of eina með öllu (one with everything) on a steamed bun.

“They layer these hot dogs with three distinct sauces, including a ketchup sweetened with apples, an Icelandic remoulade similar to a blend of relish and mayonnaise, and their iconic pylsusinnep, a mustard so distinct it can’t really be compared to anything else out there,” says Grebowski. 

Pylsusinnep has been described as a sweet mustard with hints of peanut butter. “Round these sauces out with a combination of raw and crispy onions called cronions, and there you have it…the best hot dog in the world,” he says.

You can customize your pylsa, but that might raise an eyebrow. Bill Clinton infamously asked for his pylsa with just mustard during a 2004 visit. The unorthodox order is still known as a “Clinton.”

Where to find an Icelandic hot dog in Iceland

Icelandic hot dogs are among the rare breed of delicacies whose origins can be traced to a single source. 

“The stand most people mean when they say ‘the’ Icelandic hot dog is Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, by the harbor [in Reykjavik],” says Álfheiður Richter, a member of the customer experience team for the tour company Wake Up Reykjavík.

The creator of the Icelandic hot dog, Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, which translates to “the town’s best hot dogs,” was founded in 1937 by Jón Sveinsson. “[It’s] genuinely a cultural landmark, not just a tourist thing,” says Richter. 

Originating on the street Austurstræti before the move to its current home on Tryggvagata, “it’s the first fast food place in Iceland and was also the first opportunity for the working class back in the day to go ‘out to eat,’” Richter says, “so they would dress up and go for a meal which wasn’t cooked at home without going bankrupt.”

As fast food brands tend to do, Bæjarins has expanded significantly over the decades. It now has locations throughout Reykjavik, at Keflavík International Airport, and near the tourist attraction Caves of Hella. That’s good news for fans. 

“Locals really do line up for it. However, most of us now go to their other branches all over, since tourists tend to make a big line there every day,” says Richter.

Even Wake Up Reykjavik tours don’t get to skip the line. “The original stand gets absolutely mobbed, up to 2,000 visitors a day in peak tourist season, so there’s really no queue-jumping to be had, for us or anyone else,” she says. 

Instead, guides give vouchers for visitors to come back later in their trip, “which works out perfectly, because an Icelandic hot dog tastes about 10 times better after a couple of beers anyway,” Richter says.

Nowadays, Bæjarins is by no means the only hot dog haven in town. “I’ve also got to give a shout out to Vikinga Pylsur, another great stand near the famous Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavik,” says Grebowski. “Those guys are doing a combination of pylsur and absolutely killer pulled lamb sandwiches.”

Icelandic hot dogs are also served typically in gas stations, where they’re not a sad compromise to consume at your own risk, but a delight. “Personally, I prefer the gas station hot dogs, as they are grilled and not boiled,” says Richter.

Gas station hot dogs are convenient for travelers who plan a road trip around Iceland, and were part of the inspiration for Grebowski to launch Gunnar’s.  

“Most of my hot dog consumption came from any number of sleepy towns with top-notch gas station food service, keeping me nourished on my travels throughout the country,” he says.

Where to find an Icelandic hot dog in the United States

Icelandic hot dogs are tough to find in the U.S., which Grebowski says is due in part to a USDA ban on imports of Icelandic beef and pork. These limitations have inspired a couple of American restaurants to make their own franks.

Kramarczuk’s, a Ukrainian restaurant, bakery, and deli in Minneapolis named a 2013 America’s Classic by the James Beard Foundation, uses a recipe that includes pork, lamb, and beef in a natural sheep casing, seasoned with garlic and MSG and lightly smoked. The restaurant serves the hot dogs with all the fixings and sells its wieners Icelandic-style online.

For Gunnar’s, Grebowski also developed his recipe with pork, beef, and lamb in a natural casing, made by W.A. Bean & Sons, a historic butcher shop and wholesaler in Bangor, Maine. He’s built a following at music festivals, breweries, and, in particular, Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, Maine, where he serves the franks during games for the popular pro soccer team Portland Hearts of Pine. 

“I certainly won’t try to claim they are an exact replica of the pylsa, but they are a damn good hot dog made with my best guess on the recipe and ratios,” he says. 

Grebowski plans to roll out sales of his pylsa via his website soon, and he hopes to expand the reach of Gunnar’s carts to places like Boston.

He also makes his sauces from scratch. Grebowski says that his only real deviation from the typical Icelandic style is the vessel in which they’re served. He uses New England’s traditional split-top bun, which offers flat sides perfect for griddling.

“Being from Maine, we decided to lean into the cultural fusion and swap the steamed bun for the iconic Maine lobster roll bun, the buttered and griddled brioche,” he says.