Ann’s Dari-Creme is a Total Slice of Americana

While it’s believed that the first hot dogs sold in the United States came from street carts on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in the 1860s, Ann’s Dari-Creme has long been the fount of frankfurters in Maryland.

In business since 1950, this roadside shop, known for its foot-long chili dogs with mustard, onion, and house-made chili on a hearth-baked bun, is a Glen Burnie institution. What distinguishes their dogs, sold at the rate of 600 or so a day, is that they’re deep-fried.

“Miss Ann, the original owner, came up with the idea of deep-frying them,” says manager Cindy Lombard, an Ann’s employee of 48 years. “It gives a nice crunch to the skin and it’s not greasy.”

The original owner, Ann Hines, lived next-door. “She sold foot-longs out of the restaurant for 30 cents while her husband, Ray, ran a gas station,” recalls Lombard. “But the restaurant started doing better than the gas station, so Ray closed the gas station and started working for the restaurant.”

In time, Lombard’s mother worked at the shop and moved the family to Hines’ former home. At 13, Lombard first went to work at Ann’s, as did most of the neighborhood.

“If a girl worked there and had a sister,” says Lombard, “she’d always end up working there, too.”

Through the decades, the customers have been equally loyal. “People who are 90 come in on a regular basis,” says Lombard. “They’ve been coming for 50 or 60 years, and they bring their families, who then bring their families. There’s even a Florida Facebook group for Ann’s—they post when they come back to town.”

Few things have changed in the 75 years since Ann’s opening. The menu is pretty much the same. In 1976, fries were added to the offerings. More recently, they added a triple foot-long with chili to the lineup. Of course, the namesake soft serve is also on offer, in the form of cones, sundaes, and shakes.

Perhaps the biggest change is that orders that were taken strictly by memory until 2023 are now recorded, thanks to the addition of the dining app Toast that enables patrons to order ahead.

But thankfully, the vibe—a total slice of Americana—remains the same.

“When you come to Ann’s, it has a casual diner feeling and we know almost everyone by name,” says Lombard. “People just keep coming back.”