Essie's Original Hot Dog Shop, Hot dog restaurant in Oakland, Pittsburgh, United States.
Essie's Original Hot Dog Shop was a restaurant on Forbes Avenue in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, serving hot dogs and large portions of french fries at low prices. It sat close to the University of Pittsburgh campus and kept a short, focused menu with no frills.
The restaurant opened in June 1960, founded by brothers Syd and Moe Simon in the same year the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series. It stayed in the same spot on Forbes Avenue for over five decades before eventually closing.
Known locally as 'The O' or 'The Dirty O', the place drew students, sports fans, and night owls who would line up late into the evening after games or nights out. The crowd and the noise were as much a part of the experience as the food itself.
The restaurant was in a walkable part of Oakland, easy to reach on foot from the university campus or nearby streets. It was set up for quick service, though lines could get long during busy evening hours.
In 2001, Gourmet Magazine listed its hot dogs among the top five in the entire country, drawing visitors from outside Pittsburgh who had read the review. For many, it was a surprise that a no-frills counter spot in a college neighborhood earned that kind of national attention.
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