The Matchcover Storyteller

In 1932, Tony Packo and his wife Rose borrowed $100 to start a small sandwich and ice cream shop in Toledo. It was only a short while later that he created the food item that made him famous, the Hungarian hotdog. It does not use a traditional American hotdog, but something more akin to a type of kielbasa, split, put in a steamed bun, and covered with a signature chilli sauce.

In the hit TV series MAS*H, Corporal Klinger was from Toledo, Ohio, and he actually mentioned Tony Packo’s at least twice in different episodes. The actor who portrayed him, Jamie Farr, is also from Toledo.

You want to go not just for the hotdog, and maybe not to bring home their remarkable pickles, or other food and souvenirs, but to see the “hot dog bun wall of fame”. It started in 1972 when Burt Reynolds was visiting; someone asked for his autograph, and he signed a hotdog bun. Over the years, hundreds of celebrities of all stripes have signed buns, and they are a significant part of the wall decor.

There are a number of Tony Packo outlets around the greater Toledo area today, but you will want to go to home base, at 1902 Front St.