1. Hot Dogs
Plump, portable, affordable, and full of flavor, hot dogs are synonymous with the very mention of the word cookout. Although sausages have been made for hundreds of years, the “dog on a bun” concept allegedly originated in Coney Island, New York, around 1870. Regardless of its beginnings, the hot dog embodies cookout food at its best, and can be found just about anywhere the words cookout or barbeque are uttered.