The Difference Between Nathan's Famous And Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs

Hot dogs are as American as apple pie. A hallmark of ball games and fairgrounds, they're cheap, tasty, and have a tremendous amount of versatility — for example, did you know that hot dogs can make a flavorful pizza topping? Two of the biggest hot dog brands out there are Nathan's Famous and Oscar Mayer. And while both these immigrant-founded companies have been slinging sausages to consumers for over a century, each brand has its unique history and background as well as a slightly different product. 

What are the differences? There are some variations in the exact size and nutritional content between their hot dogs, as well as in their selection. Nathan's offers only beef franks, while Oscar Mayer has beef franks, "Classic Wieners" (which include a blend of chicken, turkey, and pork), and straight turkey franks. Read on for a more detailed breakdown of these two major players in the hot dog game. 

Nathan's was founded by a Polish immigrant named Nathan Handwerker who opened a hot dog stand at Coney Island in 1916, eventually expanding to multiple locations around New York. A staple of New York quick service dining, Nathan's became well known for its hot dog eating contest which it continues to hold each year. 

Today, Nathan's Famous is one of the best fast food hotdog chains around, as well as a brand of frankfurters you can buy at the grocery store. Looking at its store stock, it has a variety of hot dogs available, including hot and spicy franks, quarter pound franks, cheese-filled franks, and ones made with natural casings. The brand also offers other hot dog adjacent products such as frozen snacks, condiments, and pickles. 

Its grass-fed beef franks come in packages of five. Each sausage is 56 grams and contains 180 calories, 6 grams of protein, and 500 milligrams of sodium. 

Oscar Mayer can trace its history to the man of the same name, a German immigrant who opened his own butcher shop in 1883. Over the years, Oscar Mayer became an iconic brand, thanks in large part to the distinctive yellow band on its product, the whimsical Wienermobile, and a catchy jingle that opined, "If I were an Oscar Mayer wiener, everyone would be in love with me." 

Today, Oscar Mayer offers a wide array of meat products in general, and it has an ample selection of hot dogs specifically, including several types of cheese-stuffed franks, turkey hot dogs, a pork, chicken, and turkey mix, plus uncured and hardwood cooked versions. 

When it comes to its Classic Beef Franks, each link is 42 grams and contains 140 calories, 5 grams of protein, and 380 milligrams of sodium. When we ranked a variety of all-beef store-bought hot dogs, we weren't thrilled with these Classic Beef ones, so you might consider another of Oscar Mayer's offerings.