Essie's Original Hot Dog Shop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Essie's Original Hot Dog Shop |
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"The O" on the corner of South Bouquet Street and Forbes Avenue
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1960 |
| Closed | April 2020 |
| Food type | hot dogs, french fries |
| Street address | 3901 Forbes Avenue |
| City | Pittsburgh |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 40°26′32″N 79°57′23″W / 40.442095°N 79.956469°W |
Essie's Original Hot Dog Shop, often called The O or The Dirty O, was a super popular restaurant in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It was famous for its delicious hot dogs and huge piles of french fries.
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A Look Back: The O's History
Essie's Original Hot Dog Shop first opened its doors in June 1960. It was started by two brothers, Sydney “Syd” and Morris “Moe” Simon, in Pittsburgh. The restaurant was located near the old Forbes Field baseball stadium and the University of Pittsburgh.
How "The O" Got Its Name
When it first opened, the restaurant had different names. It was called “House of Beef” and then “The Original Franks & Burgers”. Eventually, it became known as “The Original Hot Dog Shop”. Over time, Syd Simon became the only owner. In 2000, the name “Essie’s” was added to honor Syd's wife, Esther, after she passed away. Later, Syd's children, Terry Campasano and Bruce Simon, took over running the restaurant.
Famous Food and TV Appearances
The O quickly became known for its amazing hot dogs and really big servings of French fries. But they also sold other tasty items like sandwiches, salads, and pizza. People loved their food so much that Gourmet Magazine said their hot dogs were the fourth-best in America in 2001! The New York Times also called it one of the best hot dog places in the country in 2002.
The restaurant even appeared on TV! It was featured on Rick Sebak's PBS show A Hot Dog Program. It also showed up on an episode of the Food Network's Unwrapped.
The O's French fries were especially famous. Travel+Leisure magazine, as part of CNN's "100 Places to Eat" series, said The O's fries were among the best in the U.S. The student newspaper for the University of Pittsburgh, called The Pitt News, voted The O's fries as "Best French Fries" in 2002, 2007, and 2008.
Other Locations and Closing
For a while, there was another Essie's Original Hot Dog Shop location at Carnegie Mellon University. It was open from 1996 to 2006. That location closed due to declining profits and other reasons.
Sadly, the main Essie's Original Hot Dog Shop in Oakland closed its doors for good in April 2020. This happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
