This hot dog face off pits the two key teams in the Keystone State against each other. The Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies. It’s a close contest and I do my best to keep any influence from my childhood from skewing the results (I grew up a few hours south of Pittsburgh).
Both teams have a relatively new ballpark, and both are nicely done. Citizen’s Bank Park (CBP) sits just south of downtown Philly in a sportsplex area that hosts the NFL football stadium and an arena for one of those other sports I don’t like. PNC Park is just a short jaunt across the Roberto Clemente Bridge from the kernel of downtown Pittsburgh and sits on the banks of the Allegheny River. If you know my scoring system, the Pirate’s digs already smacks down the Phillies home park on location alone. While CBP is a very nice venue that I recommend, it simply cannot match the vibe at PNC Park.
The dogs were a much closer call. Keep in mind that Philly had an edge; I was getting lots of hot dog love from the City of Brotherly Love since it was dollar dog night. Hard to compete with that. Pittsburgh on the other hand had a very good price for the regular dog (best in the MLB) and the softest and tastiest bun of the entire adventure. In the end, Pittsburgh edged out Philadelphia in both dog and ballpark. Plus, I really like saying the word “Allegheny.”
| Dog | Ballpark |  Total Dog/Game | ||
| Bun | 5 | Location | 4.5 | |
| Taste | 4.5 | Access | 5 | |
| Toppings | 5 | Cleanliness | 5 | |
| Price | 5 | Ambiance | 4 | |
| Portability | 4 | GA Ticket Price | 4 | |
| It Factor | 4 | Fans | 5 | |
| 27.5 | 27.5 | 55 |
| Dog | Ballpark |  Total Dog/Game | ||
| Bun | 5 | Location | 5 | |
| Taste | 4 | Access | 5 | |
| Toppings | 5 | Cleanliness | 5 | |
| Price | 5 | Ambiance | 5 | |
| Portability | 5 | GA Ticket Price | 4 | |
| It Factor | 4.5 | Fans | 5 | |
| 28.5 | 29 | 57.5 |
You cannot go wrong with a dog at either ballpark. There is enough geography between the two as not to interfere with each others fan base, but Philadelphia has some major competitors if you are in the area and can only catch one game; Baltimore, Washington and the NY teams are stiff competition.
The mighty buccos may not be so mighty since the late 70s, but they still swing a mean hot dog.
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