The Infield

I went here for the first time last week. It is a very small location, it makes you feel like you're ordering at a sports concession stand.

I ordered the Chicago dog, (if you don't know hot dogs, a Chicago dog has very specific ingredients and is easy to screw up) and it was awesome.

The prices are really cheap and they had ads for deals on certain days. Definitely a great place for families, just keep in mind that since it's a really small place that seating is limited.

They even have authentic stadium seats! and not just from the Dodgers (though it is mainly a Dodger place).
-Im giving 4 stars because it looks run down. It's obvious they don't put a whole lot of effort into the eating area (aside from the stadium seats). However, I'm honestly pretty excited to go back & try their other dogs/sausages.

Its good food, go eat it!

This is a fun place but it has issues. It began as a French Dip place called The Dip. After that went down hill it reopened as a gourmet hot dog place. They offer a creative array of dogs, from a Chicago Hot Dog to a great Chili Dog to some really special (and expensive) imported sausage dogs with an imaginative mix of toppings.

But it is hard in LA to spend $7.00 on a hot dog, especially at a stand. So began having specials (two dollar Tuesdays and Sundays, Dodger Dog Mondays...). This brought in crowds but unfortunately the management used these days to get rid of the older buns. So their most loyal customers were eating really dry and crumbling bread.

Two other downers... the sun shines right in your face for most of the day, and there is a problem with pigeons.

Other than that the dogs are good and the counter service is friendly. Go on a specials day to try it out. Then you can buy two or three to find a favorite. I like the Chicago, the New Orleans, and the Spicy.

I appreciate people who are passionate about things & I adore baseball, so maybe I am a bit biased.
It's clear that the people who run this place care very much about hot dogs and baseball. Okay, so maybe they like the New York Yankees... not everyone can be practically perfect in all ways.

They serve up numerous kinds of dogs including Nathan's and even dodger dogs. If you bring along your veggie pals, they can order a green monster.
It's a fun little stand with unique and goofy menu items. Am I ever going to try a "Twinkie dog" with cheese whiz? Probably not, but it's nice knowing it's there if I ever feel the need.
Perhaps one fine day I will try one of the crazy desserts. Hm, fried twinkie or s'mores?...

I've spent too many hours waiting in line for hot dogs named after celebs at that much hyped hot dog stand on La Brea. You know the one, no parking, long lines, tourists galore. No need to fret though, The Infield in Sherman Oaks came to the rescue one afternoon after a day at the Sherman Oaks Castle Park batting cages.

Where else in LA, other than Dodger Stadium, can you sit in a seat from Chavez Ravine and chow on a foot long Farmer John dog and listen in over the speakers as Vin Scully waxes poetic about baseball? It's a proverbial trip around our hot dog loving nation at The Infield. The menu, featuring hot dog creations from around the country, includes the local classic Dodger Dog, the venerable Chicago Dog with electric green relish, a New York dog, a creative Boston Baked Bean dog, a decadent Kobe Beef dog, or my favorite, the chili dog made with The Dips' famous chili.

If you're so inclined, mix your savory with a little sweet and try one of their County Fair-like dessert dogs. The Twinkie Dog is a deep fried twinkie, with cheez wiz and powdered sugar. Or their Caramel Apple Dog with chicken apple sausage, caramel sauce, and chopped apples.

They've got weekly specials too. On Mondays, Dodger Dogs are only .75 with no limit on how many you can have. And, like so many restaurants are doing, they have embraced Twitter and announce special deals for their twitter followers.

Pics and lots of other goodies on my blog. Check out my profile for the link.

When a New Yorker and a Chicago Native both tell you that the versions of their hometown favorite hot dogs served at this stand in Sherman Oaks are the real deal, it should tell you all you need to know, but I don't mind breaking it down a little more for everyone.

This place is better than Pink's. And the line is shorter.

I love how the menu is divided into two sections: Home and Visitors. And as I stated earlier the Visitor dogs should give all those LA transplants a small taste of home. Cajun hot links, New York onions, neon green relish...this place has all the little touches.

But how do they taste? Well, what makes a Hot Dog great? If it was size, I'd just tell you to go to 7-11 and get a 1/4 pound big bite. For me the thing that makes a hot dog awesome is the snap and the toppings. The chili is thick (with no beans, which is THE way to make hot dog chili), the veggies that are supposed to be fresh are, and everything else is tasty and plentiful.

Even the dessert dogs are good. The s'mores dog sounds nasty, but is wonderful, sweet and savory. I've had multiple desserts with bacon in them, but this took Meat & Sweet to a whole new level.

Great lunch spot, weekend quick bite or anytime you really just want a good ol' American Classic...no matter what part of the country you're from.

The best french dip on the Blvd!
Spiciest horseradish mustard in the world.
Worst parking in the Valley.
What's a boy to do? I know drop the whip at the car wash next door and enjoy the sunshine with a side of roast beast!

BTW I almost got killed crossing the street to take that picture!

The Good: I guess since the Weiner Factory closed the valley was looking for a good hot dog place. Well this isn't it but it will fill a void until a better one comes along. Good selection of dogs and average prices. I went with my staple the chili dog, and it was not bad. The chili was all over the place and it was a generous portion.

The Bad: Where to begin. The place is small, I think only 10 chairs and a bleecher(whatever). No menu, well correction, the paper menu taped to the wall. The fry cooker was broken today. Oh yeah, the stadium chairs totally suck for eating.

The Ben: Bring back The Dip, nuff said.

I like baseball. And I like most everything associated with baseball. And needless to say, I like hot dogs too. Especially the cheap ones. So even though I am an Angel fan, I crossed party lines today and ordered the Dodger Dog special at the Infield.

OK, it was the Brooklyn Dodger Dog, which is your typical Dodger Dog with kraut, spicy mustard and Swiss Cheese. It was the special of the day--$5.00 including fries and a refillable Diet Coke. It wasn't great; but it was good enough that I do want to come back and try some other choices.

Let's face facts. Vin Scully may not agree, but a Dodger Dog isn't very good these days. It's a long but thin pork wiener with some turkey and even less beef. And I get the tradition behind it, but it really us a low-end dog. Still the steamed version on a softly steamed bun with the proper ingredients turned out to be a decent cheap-o lunch. The fries were standard sized and served hot of the fryer. Nothing to rave about, but certainly OK in my book.

I loved the seating area. They had old seats from the remodels of Dodger Stadium and Angel Stadium as well as a couple each from the old ball parks in Toronto, Detroit and St. Louis. They fixed a problem they used to have by keeping the seats in sets of 2 and making the tables flexible. Gone are the days where one would complain that you had to hold your food with one hand and eat with the other--just like at the ballpark.

And the audio was something unique....any baseball fan would love it. Clips of classic games from years past, and various baseball theme songs

(I am still singing "Hey hey what do you say--Chicago Cubs are gonna win today" in my head, and I dont even like the Cubs). It was also nice to hear Abbott and Costello's classic "Who's on First" for the first time in eons.

It's outdoor seating, and there were a few pigeons waiting for dropped french fries, but the atmosphere was enough to bump it up from a 3ish to a solid 4 star.

This place has lots of...weaners.

Went a couple weeks back when I was frantically looking for something fast as I was heading East on Ventura...stopped in and got some kind of $5 special...a Frito dog, fries, and a coke...and it was pretty DOGgone good.

Baseball theme spot with stadium seats in the patio area..I think it said on the side of the building that they sell tickets too..

First of all hot dogs don't impress me, neither did these. I ordered the infield classic, and the chili cheese dog. The frank had a thick outer layer and biting into it, you feel the puncture (it's weird). It doesn't taste like anything special. The chili cheese dog was good but I'd credit the toppings over anything. Price was about $5 for both. I'd rather get a burger and fries.
We went on the worst day possible. It wasn't my idea but I had friends that raved about this place. It was surprising to see that we weren't the only people there on a rainy day. It must be crowded during nice weather.

Video shows this dump on a rainy day. (available in 720p)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWJGJECX0j4