Expect at least one person to remember that blurry weekend night you had downtown. Who better to witness late-night debauchery than the vendors who station themselves on Athens street corners Thursday, Friday and Saturday night?

They sell hot dogs – lots of them. Long lines of students often swarm the downtown sidewalks, anxious to dig into a fresh frankfurter dressed to their liking with mustard, ketchup and relish. In addition to running a profitable business, the vendors have collected endless anecdotes along the way.

“They’ve got the best stories besides door guys and bums,” said Conn O’Leary, a senior from Seattle, Wash., and a doorman at The Loft.

Debora Hill, a vendor at the “Top Dawg” kiosk located at the intersection of College and Broad streets, said she has encountered all types of customers in her year and a half in the business – including those particular downtown patrons who show very little courtesy when purchasing their food.

“Just last week, somebody had too much to drink, and they came over and ordered some food, ate two or three hot dogs,” she said. “We asked them for the money, and they took off running.”

Sarah Gresham, the vendor stationed next to The Georgia Theatre and whose stand is also part of the Top Dawg chain, echoed similar unpredictable experiences.

“Two weeks ago, two girls and two guys got wrestled down to the ground by the police,” she said.

Gresham has witnessed many fights in front of the stand, which often were linked to those pushing and cutting in line, battling for a hot dog. The busiest times, she said, are gamedays and the 2 a.m. rush after bars shut down for the night.

The “Top Dawg” chain owns the majority of stands downtown, satiating the appetites of students without emptying their wallets. Food prices are relatively inexpensive at Top Dawg kiosks – a hot dog is priced at $2, a burger is $3, and sodas and chips are only $1 each.

Of course, it doesn’t take a big chain to make a name for yourself as a vendor. Located next to The 40 Watt Club, J.B.’s independent polish sausage stand can be spotted by the oversized, white truck bearing his image and advertising the stand’s famous “comeback sauce.” J.B., who has run his stand for more than eight years, made it clear that his dog is “not a hot dog, but a sausage dog.”

“Everybody says I cook with a flavor,” he said. “You haven’t had a good dog until you’ve had the (polish sausage with the) comeback sauce.”

J.B. said he hopes to get the sauce, which is “kind of like a BBQ sauce with a secret ingredient,” in stores someday. The price for his signature sausage dog is $4, but customers can expect to get a little Southern hospitality in their purchase as well.

“You’d be surprised how many drunk people come out here and go crossing that street. I’ve got to look out for them,” J.B. said. “Somebody’s got to have a level head to look out for them – they really appreciate it, and I really appreciate being out here.”

Eric Lotzer, a sophomore from Alpharetta and server at Clocked, often encounters J.B.’s acts of kindness after work and shows at The 40 Watt Club.

“J.B. handed me 15 tofu dogs once and was like, ‘we don’t need these, nobody eats tofu dogs. Pass them around to all these homeless people,’” Lotzer said.

The tofu dog may not be the most popular item of choice for students, but more seem content with the traditional hot dog (or at some stands, burgers) as the perfect snack to complete their downtown outings before heading home.

“Sometimes they’ve got burgers, sometimes they don’t, but that’s life,” said Jack Lansky, a freshman from Atlanta. “Overall, as long as the buns are toasted, I’d say my day turns out pretty good.”

Other students do not seem to agree with Lansky’s perspective.

“It’s just beer munchies for when you’re really hungry. But the hot dogs aren’t that good,” said Brian Harman, a sophomore from Savannah.

Regardless of what your palate craves on weekend nights, the hot dog vendors in Athens undoubtedly have established a lasting late-night culinary staple.