The Best Store-Bought Hot Dog Buns Have Been Found, According To Walmart Shoppers

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When we ran down the 10 best Walmart bakery items by customer reviews, we found some predictable items, like cookies, pies, and muffins. What really shocked us, however, was a savory accompaniment to a humble meal ... Walmart's Marketside Brioche Hot Dog Buns. Normally, hot dog buns have a low threshold for satisfaction. If they split evenly and aren't stale, we'll generally wrap 'em around a glizzy and call the matter settled. The Marketside brioche buns, however, are something special ... a 4.6/5 average rating out of over 560 customers who took time to leave a review speaks highly to that fact. The actual words of customers, however, reveal a bun that's far beyond ordinary.

"Get these buns!" one review instructed. "These are our go to hotdog buns. [T]hey are great for having chili dogs and the chili actually staying on the hotdog. We now can't see ourselves buying any other buns!" Another reviewer gushed, "Y'all. Top split buns. Top split buns. Top split buns!!! Instead of buns that pop apart into a top and a bottom, leaving a blop of mustard down your chest, these have a long slit cut along the top. It transforms into a soft chewy fresh little boat for your hot dog or sausage to settle into. All the toppings stay in there, and it's so much easier!"

Yet another satisfied buyer praised the open top of the buns: "We love these hot dog buns because they are sliced at the top to insert the hot dog on top of condiments, as well as ample room for the hot dog and additional topping of condiments. Perfect and delicious. I hope these are always available!"

We've covered the best ways to upgrade boring hot dogs, but perhaps the simplest method is leveling up your bun. Brioche, the substance of which the Walmart hot dog buns are made, is actually a cross between bread and pastry, ensuring a much richer, luxurious bread. Brioche has a higher fat content than normal bread, meaning that it makes for a succulent and special hot dog bun indeed. 

Such a unique bun deserves what Guy Fieri called "the treatment," which is buttering and toasting the bread (Fieri was doing it to upgrade burger buns). This forms a supple, crusty basis for your weiner, and sets off the char of your dog. Combined with the top-loading model that these buns sport, you can ensure that your bread can stand up to all sorts of condiments. Melting some cheese in there is just taking things over the top. This ain't the three-bite hot dog that you grab from a corner cart vendor for a couple bucks. Done up with all the care and fixings, your hot dog with a brioche bun is close to a gourmet moment — a boost of flavor and texture, and mouthfeel that you won't soon forget.