Porto has its own version of the hot dog, and it is better than most of its global competition. The cachorrinho — a torpedo roll split lengthways, filled with pork sausage, and soaked in a spiced beer-and-tomato sauce similar to the francesinha sauce — is served in the small sandwich restaurants concentrated along Rua de Belomonte in the Ribeira. The roll is griddled, the sausage is pork-rich, and the sauce is the point of difference between establishments.
The competition between the Belomonte cachorrinho restaurants — Gazela and its rivals a few doors down — has been running for decades and is taken seriously by Porto residents who have strong opinions about which sauce is superior. The format is casual: sit at a counter, order one or two cachorrinhos with a beer, eat fast. This is not a romantic dinner option, but it is a genuine Porto working-class food experience at extremely modest cost. Lunch hours see the longest queues; the restaurants stay open into the evening.