Restaurant Review - Cupid's

I'm a fan of a good hot dog, and in particular, a good chili dog.  Today I'll be telling you about my current favorite spot for chili dogs:  Cupid's. 

Cupid's Hot Dogs is a  small chain of hot dogs stands in the Los Angeles county.   They started out as Walsh's Hot Dogs in 1946, owned and operated by Richard and Bernice Walsh.  Soon after opening, Robert changed the name to Cupid's Hot Dogs, naming the stand after his wife Bernice, who was nicknamed Cupid.  The family operated three stands until the son, Robert Jr. took over.   He added a fourth location and began franchising Cupid's across Southern CA.   Now there are only three Cupid's left, with a fourth rumored to be opening soon.  The specialty is the chili dog. 

Because of the franchising, it is said across the internet that the quality of Cupid's varies from one location to the other.   However it is agreed that the Nothridge location is the one truest to the original Cupid's with the original chili recipe in use.   So, naturally, that is the one I visited.   Cupid's Northridge is a small stand, with only a few outdoor tables for seating.  I ordered the chili hot dog and a lemonade - no fries here!   They do sell chips, but I can buy a bag of Lay's anyplace.  I was here for the chili dog.

Here is a picture of the chilidog I received:

Here is the same chili dog 15 seconds later:

This is, hands down, one of my favorites.  The hot dog is the old-school variety, with a skin that snaps when you bite it.   The chili itself is an odd neon orange color that doesn't show so well in the photo, but trust me, it is ORANGE.   However, it's an all-beef chili that compliments the dog perfectly.   The buns are steamed and are the final ingredient to this tasty dog.  

Now, I admit, Cupid's isn't perfect.  If you are looking for a Chicago hot dog, you may find Cupid's lacking in condiments.   If you looking for chili fries, well, you may have to settle for Frito Pie.  But if you want a good chili dog, plain and simple, you can't do much better than Cupid's.   Plus, the chili dog itself was only three dollars.   I ended up eating nine dollar's worth.

I have yet to try the other Cupid's hot dog stands to see how they measure up...   I hate to tempt fate.  Why ruin a good thing?   However, to satisfy my curiosity , I will visit the other Cupid's in the coming months and report back.