Quick Look: Wrigleyville ATX

New food trailer Wrigleyville South Dogs + Beef reached out to me and asked if I would like to come by and try one of their hot dogs. Yes, please!  {The dog was complimentary, I was not compensated monetarily, and opinions are always my own.}

While they specialize in Chicago dogs, I opted for a Rodeo dog, a Vienna beef dog with grilled onions, sport peppers, barbecue sauce, cheese all on a poppy seed bun. (There's something about that bright green relish on a Chicago dog that scares me just a bit! 😉) Verdict on the Rodeo dog? Delicious! And messy. The bun split down it's seam a couple of bites in, but it was still worth it. Loaded up with all the toppings, there was no skimping here. I wish the bun was more toasted, but I also know it can be hard to open up hot dog buns to toast without compromising the seam.

Owners Brian and Teri are following their passion! The trailer is located at the Genie Car Wash at 1311 S. Lamar Blvd, open Wed - Sun 11 am - 6 pm (5pm on Sun). And they are good about keeping their social media updated! Facebook and Instagram. So if you need a good hot dog, here is the place to go!

Frank

How bad can anything be that's called "pork it"??!! At Frank, the new upscale hot dog & sausage eatery in the middle of the warehouse district, you can get any of their dogs in the "pork it" style -- split open, stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon, and briefly fried. Oh yeah, bring it!

Not to mention, they have bacon infused vodka & whiskey.

So last Friday night, I went with 3 friends for a bacon-inspired meal. One's eyes get very large looking at the menu. You actually think: Oh, I could eat two dogs. Wrong! Not when there are perfectly crispy waffle fries to devour! We started with some cocktails -- an Old Fashioned, a Triple Crown, and an order of fries with 3 dipping sauces -- the horseradish, the buffalo bleu, and the punchy, a slighly spicy vinegary sauce. The non-greasy fries were consumed pretty quickly.

Then the dogs came. I just got a good old standard Vienna, porked, of course, with a side of the grilled corn. Companions had a polish w/ adobo slaw (I think) from the specials menu, a Chicago dog (with the trademark bright green relish), and a portobello cheesesteak. And an order of green chili chorizo cheese fries, also from the specials. The dogs & cheesesteak were devoured in about 3 minutes. We proceeded to pick at the chili fries, which were delicious and gooey, but we were stuffed. The corn cup I had was really tasty too -- fresh grilled corn with cilantro & a bit of chile & lime. Practically healthy! (Hey Mom, it's a vegetable!) Anyway, the thought that some had of eating two dogs was quickly wiped out.

Frank occupies the spot on Colorado that most recently has been Starlite and Crimson. They've renovated the interior a bit, to give it a sort of old-fashioned watering hole feel. Not sure how I'd describe it. When we got there at 6 pm (on a Friday), there were only a couple of tables taken, but a bunch of folks at the bar up front. When we left, it was pretty packed. Maybe a sit-down hot dog place really can make it in this economy. Sure hope so, because anything porked is alright by me.

Dog Almighty

I had a bunch of errands to run yesterday (pick up Rx, vote, Target....), and my intention was to stop at Torchy's or Shuggies on my way back home. After Target, I went to Half Price Books on South Lamar to find some paperback reading material for the upcoming plane rides (found The Omnivore's Dilemna.....so soon we'll see what all the fuss is about!), and was reminded of Dog Almighty.

The names of their items on the menu board is definitely a reflection of Austin. I ordered a Broken Spoke Dog named for the legendary honky tonk bar, which sits about 50 yards south of Dog, and a side of fries. The dog comes on a nicely buttered (oiled?) and toasted bun, and it's a great grilled beef hot dog. It's got a good snap to it when you bite into it, and is very juicy. The appropriate amount of onions, and a bit of BBQ sauce completed it. The side of fries is a very generous order, and mine were just out of the fryer, so very hot, but not at all greasy, and fairly well salted but not overly so.

There were a handful of eaters in there at 12:30ish, and during a lull, the guy who I am thinking was the manager was on the phone with one of his employees, who apparently has strep. Overhearing the conversation, I was impressed with how the manager was telling his employee not to worry about it, he'd cover the shifts, and just take care of yourself. It's a more compassionate side not always exhibited in businesses today. Kudos.