Pink’s is the ultimate hot dog stand. They have been around since 1939 and are a landmark in Hollywood. The biggest difference between Pink’s and your normal hotdog stand is that Pink’s piles on the toppings; nacho cheese, mushrooms, olives, guacamole, you name it they probably have it.

This was the busiest hot dog stand that I’ve ever been to. We got in line at nine o’clock at night on a weekday and were in line for an hour. During our wait I think I changed my mind on what I wanted to order once every ten minutes, probably because everything sounded so good.

I finally decided to get the Planet Hollywood Dog which included: a polish Sausage, grilled mushrooms, onions, bacon and cheese. My fiancé and I also decided to get the spicy polish dog thinking it would be fairly mild. To our surprise spicy in this case actually meant mouth burning and perspiring spicy, my mouth was so on fire that I couldn’t even finish mine. To relieve the burning sensation we had to go out for ice cream afterwards. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything quite that spicy before.

The hotdogs themselves were a little disappointing. The bun was a normal hotdog bun that fell apart first thing, the mushrooms were from a can, the bacon was good but it was in long strips and the cheese was a nacho cheese that saturated the bun. The building was a small hole in the wall that offered limited seating and the dining room was covered with photographs of famous Hollywood stars who all wrote something nice on their photo about Pink’s.

After seeing Pink’s on the Food Network my fiancé decided that this was one place we had to visit on our trip. I’m glad that we had the opportunity to try Pink’s but I won’t ever wait in any long lines again to have one of their hotdogs.

In a city known for it's $50 lunches and here today, gone tomorrow trendy restaurants, one Los Angeles institution still stands strong - Pinks on La Brea Avenue.

Pink's opened on this corner in 1939 as a hot-dog pushcart by Paul Pink and has grown into an LA landmark. You can't miss it; driving down La Brea, the bright-pink sign will direct you to the spot, but the long line will also let you know that you have found this famous spot.

Pink's open at 9am and stays open until 2am on weekdays and 3am on weekends, and the line never dies down. The average wait time to get up to the front of the line is 1 hour.

Maybe there is a little bit of hype involved with the desire to have a Pink's dog. The truth be told, LA does not have the wide variety of hot-dog stands that places like New York or Chicago have. Also, there is a frenzy in LA to have something that someone else has, so the longer the lines are here, the more the others folks crave it, and they too join the line.

Once up in front of the line, you have a choice of hot dogs, hamburger, and tamales. The dogs all come with famous names and can be loaded with chili, bacon, sauerkraut, or avocado. The last time I had a Pink's, I had the Martha Stewart. It was a 10-inch dog with avocado, sauerkraut, tomatoes, bacon, and sour cream. Now, how Martha's name got attached to this dog, I have no idea! It was good, but very sloppy, messy, and impossible to eat.

Most of the burgers and dogs here are a bit overloaded. We laughed as we watched the next table, all French students, struggle and wrestle with burgers that were piled so full, everything would spill out the opposite side at the first bite. The frustration and mess just grew at every bite.

You can eat indoors or in the small courtyard in the back. The walls inside are graced with stars who have eaten here. In the past, I have personally seen Rosie O’Donnell, Adam Sandler, Britney Spears, and Chris Rock all chowing down at Pink's. The walls prove that almost anyone who is anyone in Hollywood has tried a Pink's Hot Dog!

Parking is a nightmare. There are a few places in La Brea. The last time I was here, I parked around the corner and got a ticket.

So, is it worth it? Long line, tickets, few places to sit: I guess it is. The burgers and dogs are good. I may have had better dogs in Chicago and New York, but this is LA, and hype counts for a lot! The longer the line, the more folks will just have to have one. So, next time you come to LA, get in line and order a Pink's - you never know who you will be sharing the line with!

This Hollywood icon is always crowded, and with good reason. For those of us who only eat hot dogs when we go to Costco, it's easy to think of the simple frankfurter as a kid's meal or something to eat because all you have in your wallet is food stamps. But the 50 people in line in front of us begged to differ.

Pink's has a small parking lot, or you can park on any of the small side streets around. If you're with friends, drop them off as soon as you're near to get in line, because you are going to wait… boy, are you going to wait. We were there at 3pm in a pretty good L.A. rain and still had to wait 35 minutes in line to order food. The smells of chili and hot dogs whip you into a frenzy of Pavlovian salivation, a secret technique they surely must use to heighten the experience.

When we finally got to the counter to order, we had time to memorize the menu with its bewildering array of options. Who knew you can fit two hot dogs in one bun (the Today Show Dog)? There's even a crazy option with three hot dogs in a tortilla (Three Dog Night). At the last minute I saw somebody ordering a Spicy Polish dog (with onions; mustard; and, of course, chili for $3.45), and that made up my mind. My friends ordered the Rosie O'Donnell (mustard; onions; sauerkraut; and, of course, chili for $3.50) and the Pastrami Reuben Dog (mustard, pastrami, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut - no chili - for $5).

Another tip is to, when you're in line and about 10 minutes from the front, send a friend to go claim a table. If you wait, you'll be eating your dog standing up. The table friend will have flashbacks of Elaine in Seinfeld saving seats at the movies, but it will be worth the extra trouble to fully enjoy your dogs.

You can see them make all the food. There are no visible secrets here. They steam Hoffy franks; use a pretty normal-looking chili; and have a small, standard fast-food grill. So why does everything taste so good? The Spicy Polish dog was unbelievable - juicy, surprisingly spicy, and an unexpectedly good blend of two strong tastes, chili and the sausage. The fries are seasoned just right; I recommend getting them without the extra chili and cheese, though that's good, too. The onion rings aren't the best ever, but they'll do. Washed down with a black-cherry soda, I couldn't believe this meal lived up to the hype and was worth the wait.

We considered getting back in line for another go, but were a little too full and still had miles to go on our journey.

Pinks is the quintessential LA spot. Everyone knows where and what it is, and everyone has been there to eat one of their famous dogs.

Because of its touristy status, lines can get VERY long. And when I say VERY long, I am not exaggerating. I have been there when the line stretched back 2 blocks. They are THAT good, but if you don't have an hour to kill, you may want to choose a less likely time than the lunch hour or from 5 to 7pm to grab a snack.

With over 30 types of hotdogs offered, including turkey and veggie dogs, you will have a hard time narrowing it down. But I say choose the wildest one. How often will you get to eat a fajita dog?

Try the Martha Stewart dog – a 10-inch stretch dog with mustard, relish, onions, chopped tomatoes, and sauerkraut topped with bacon and sour cream for $5. Or the Today Show dog - two hot dogs in one bun with mustard, onions, chili, cheese, and guacamole for $5.25.

Anyway you order it, you are sure to enjoy your California hotdog. And yes, we tend to put avocado on everything!

You HAVE to eat here--it's required when in L.A. to eat at Pinks. Everyone from Basketball players to news anchors to rock stars to actresses and actors, have all graced this sidewalk. There’s a wall of fame inside and you can even purchase a Pink’s shirt or cap. There's a small patio for dining as well as a couple tables inside the back of the restaurant. Pink’s is on the Northwest corner of Melrose and La Brea, next to a flower shop. Just look for the crowd.

Founded in 1939 by Paul Pink, it was originally just a hot dog cart, but in 1946 Paul had enough money saved to build a permanent counter. It’s been in the exact same spot from day one.

We always end up here when we’re in town. There's always at least an hour long line down the street, and this day was no exception. Some people wonder why on earth would you stand in line for an hour to get a freakin' hot dog, but it’s worth the wait. Options for dogs have names like The Ozzy Osbourne Dog (with nacho cheese, guacamole, and grilled onions on a spicy Polish dog) and the Martha Stewart Dog (a 10" stretch dog with mustard, relish, onions, chopped tomatoes, and sauerkraut, topped with bacon and sour cream), the Guadalajara dog with relish, onions, tomatoes and topped with sauerkraut or you can make up your own. I had a 12" jalapeno dog with guac, sour cream, and onions. OUT OF THIS WORLD! This place has THE BEST chili cheese fries in the country! The line and the wait stink, but it's all about the food. Try it--like I said, this place is an institution.

Hours are from 9:30am to 2am Sunday thru Thursday and till 3am of Fridays and Saturdays--and yes, the line is still long at 1 in the morning!