Iconic Tail O’ the Pup Hot Dog Stand Returns to Life in May

It’s said that Los Angeles is rarely in touch with its roots enough to save the things that matter most, like architectural gems, park land, and historical monuments. Well at least once, we’re getting it right. Tail O’ the Pup, the iconic hot dog-shaped walk up stand that used to sit on La Cienega is once again coming back to life, with Curbed noting today that the reopening date in scheduled for May 1.

As previously noted, the guys behind Killer Shrimp in Marina del Rey — that would be Brett Doherty and Kevin Michaels — have wanted to bring Tail O’ the Pup back to life for a long time, and they’re letting Jay and Nicole Miller (Jay being the grandson of one of the original proprietors of the stand) run the thing.

Unfortunately, familiar faces looking to interact with the same ol’ hot dog cart as always might be in for a bit of a letdown; it seems the original Tail O’ the Pup simply wasn’t able to pass health code inspection anymore, even after an extensive remodel and renovation. The original stand, which stood for some 70 years, will likely have to remain housed in a Torrance warehouse (just as it has been for more than a decade now), but newcomers or those who aren’t obsessed with nostalgia likely won’t notice much of a difference at all when the newbie rolls out.

The menu is up for an overhaul as well, with increased prices (to be expected) and a few extras thrown in, like gourmet sausages. Want to get out and try it all for yourself? Target May 1 as the official opening date, with the stand dropped into the parking lot of Opening Ceremony, two blocks north of La Cienega and Beverly. And if all goes well, sometime soon after we may still see another Tail O’ the Pup invade The Bloc shopping complex in Downtown. For now, you’ll have to mark your calendars for the (sorta) original reopening in May — when it will be hot dog mania on La Cienega once again.