Legendary Tail O' The Pup Hot Dog Stand Returns to La Cienega Once Again

Good news for nostalgia fans, as LA Magazine reports that the long-dormant Tail O’ the Pup hot dog stand will indeed return to life after all.

For those not in the know, the iconic stand, which is shaped like a full-on hot dog, has been a part of the food fabric of Los Angeles since it was founded in 1946. Only in 2005 did the stand cease to serve its signature dogs on La Cienega and Beverly, and the whole thing has been sort of in limbo ever since. The family behind the legacy brand, the Blakes, even offered to sell the whole operation — stand, recipes, trademark — in one big swoop, and rumored buyers included Rick Caruso of The Grove fame.

Well, not so fast, as it now seems that there’s a bright future ahead for the stand. Not only is the 17-foot long Pup stand coming back to La Cienega sometime in 2016, but there are also plans to introduce another one inside the forthcoming megacomplex The Bloc in Downtown. Talk about sticking it to Caruso.

Apparently the Blake family has partnered with the Killer Shrimp owners Kevin Michaels and Brett Doherty to bring the whole thing back to life. It’s a fine rebirth for one of the city’s (until now) tucked away former culinary gems, and could help to further anchor La Cienega’s growing status as a safe haven for beautiful old bits of food nostalgia in Los Angeles.