Dormont Dogs
Dormont Dogs
May 2nd, 2008
Dormont Dogs, just opened 31 days ago, is nicely situated one block off 
Accoutrements
I don’t have much to say about the accoutrements on this first visit. I just ordered two barkers and a 12oz can of Mountain Dew. I would add thought the can was nice and frost cold which of course is key to beating up a hot dog. Gotta have that clean palate so every bite has that unique taste.
Service
Top notch service. The main reason I want to come back. A man and a woman, appear to be a couple are most likely the only employees. They were both very talkative and were happy to engage in conversation in answering all my annoying questions. I told them we came all the way from Moon just to stop in their place and try their barkers. They were impressed and were excited to have us….Just very nice folks and friendly and you couldn’t ask for better service.
Hot Dogs
The buns are brought in fresh daily and the barkers are little 100% all beef wieners. I ordered a Tennessee Dog which has BBQ sauce, French onion’s, and melted pepper jack cheese. Damn tasty. The other frank I beat up was the Illinois Dog, quite similar in build and taste. Once again damn tasty. Just take a long gander at the photo below. Gotta give it to them for presentation. 4/5 Barkers
Overall
Hmm boy these dogs were damn good. The only knocks I have are the franks are a bit on the small side. For the price they could be a little bigger. But I have to say the topping were fresh and top notch. I can’t wait to go back. Definitely in the next couple weeks gotta make the trek to Dormont Dogs.
Frankfurters
February 21st, 2008
564 Lincoln Ave
Bellevue, PA 15202
Ambience
Frankfurters is located on the main drag in the small, yet plenty of charm town of Bellvue. It was nice and cozy inside. There were about six high-set round two person tables and two larger four to six seater tables. The tables were of the worn/old beat up style wooden variety. Lots of character, they reminded me of the Rathskeller for some reason at State College. One large chalk food menu on the wall made it simple to scan over the plethora of dog choices. The walls were accented with a grayish flat stone which really added to the basement dungeon type atmosphere I felt. I really enjoyed beatin up my barker in this setting. The only thing that was missing was a beer for sale. Overall 4/5.
Accoutrements
A co-worker and I decided to split an order of fries. Mmmm Mmmm good. Fresh cut potatoes fried up just a tiny tad bit too long. A hint of soggyness and maybe a changin of the oil was necessary. But they were fresh and my fav type of fry. I doused a little salt and red hot and occasionally dipped into a lil ketchup to cool down the steamin fries. Along with the fries and barker I washed it all down with a bottle of Old Fashioned Boylan black cherry soda. The soda contained the all natur’al sugarcane. They had a wide variety of soda choices and I was very pleased with the choice. Lastly as you can see in the picture on top of the barrel was a plethora of seasonings and sauces to top off the desired bite, kick, kabam - thank you Ma’am type of taste you wanted. Overall 4.5/5.
Service
Two nice folks were working behind the counter and prepin/cookin the food. They were very attentive and informative. All kinds of question were bantered on about all the different choices of franks and toppings. You gotta have patience to deal with the five pack of wild hungry barker lovers comin in all at once demanding nothing but the highest quality of service. Overall 4/5.
Hot Dogs
I have to say this place could suit any type of hot dog fan. They had turkey dogs, ball park dogs, silver star natural casing dogs, all beef kosher dogs, and finally the 1/4lb all beef kosher dog. Can’t complain about selection here. There’s at least a half dozen specialty wieners to choose from and I went with my default when available the Chicago dog. I was a bit disappointed upon arrival as I quickly noticed that it wasn’t a poppy seed bun, nor was the relish neon green. Frankfurters also offered a change of pace to their style of Chicago dog with just 1 big tomato wedge and 1 big sport pepper, and 1 giant pickle spear. At first I thought oh cool, its not authentic by no means but I give them credit for having their own style. First bite I noticed the bun fresh, but was chilled and not steamed. I know, I sound picky, but I’m just trying to explain the feel and taste. The pickle spear seemed to overwhelm the whole taste of each bite as well. Overall the dog was just okay, I give credit for the unique style of 1 giant topping but the big pieces were a little difficult to handle and sometimes overpowered the taste. Overall 2.5/5
Overall
Frankfurters is a must stop for the dog lover. It’s full of charm and has that rustic basement atmosphere I often crave with a dog shop. Please don’t misunderstand the basement feel with dark and gloomy, the place has plenty of natural sun light. Anyhoot, I’m kinda losin focus, ramble ramble ramble. I can’t wait to get back and try another one of the franks they have to offer and give yet another review of Frankfurters. I’m thirsty, need a beer. Overall, 15/20
Uncle Al’s Hot Dogs & Grill
February 10th, 2008
Uncle Al’s Hot Dogs & Grill
10690 South Highlands Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV 89141
Website: http://famousunclealshotdogs.com/
Ambience
Work has sent me out west to spend a week at the lovely Army installation of Ft Irwin, CA. I flew into Las Vegas and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to stop by a hot dog shop for lunch. A quick google search led me to Uncle Al’s. They had three locations in Vegas but I picked the closest one to the airport which was a short 5 minute drive. As I parked my car I was a little disappointed that the weiner joint was part of a strip mall, but the sign is pretty cool. Inside it was clean and could maybe use a little more decoration on the wall to add some charm. There was bar, table, and booth seating, about 10 or so customers at the time. 3/5 Barkers
Accoutrements
I ordered a small fry and medium root beer along with my staple the Chicago Dog. The frys were of the crinkle cut variety and were cooked to a nice golden crisp. The root beer was your standard run of the mill Mug fountain drink. They didn’t fill the whole cup styromfoam cup up with ice so that was a plus. A couple choices in front of ya for seasonings such as frank’s hot sauce and some sort of green chili sauce. Barkers 3/5
Service
Two young kids were working behind the counter. Both of them had to be in high school and they were very attentive and pleasant. I didn’t have the chance to engage in much conversation though as they were busy on the griddle and cleaning off tables. Though I did notice the kid working the griddle go outside for a smoke. I was a bit surprised at the kid couldn’t have been a day over 16 and had an innocent look to him. What an idiot. 3.5/5 Barkers
Hot Dogs
I ordered just one Chicago Style barker. I have to say as you can see in the picture this was one fantastic barker. I have nothing negative to say about this. The only thing I’m not sure about is if the frank was Vienna all beef or not. But everything was authentic about the dog. It was damn tasty. Yum. 5/5 Barkers
Overall:
Hank’s Dog House
February 7th, 2008
Hank’s Dog House
2413 W Liberty Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15226
Ambience
As you can see from the picture taken of the front sign I knew this was my kinda joint. Looks a little risky just before you walk in just how I like it. Hank’s is a tiny joint, probably has been around for decades. Its standing room only as you can eat there on the counter or get take out. The menu on the walls is old-fashioned back lit plastic with the little letters. To make that sentence make a little more sense take a gander at the photos. The décor behind the patrons was pretty much just business cards tacked to the wall. Not much for scenery overall. The typical patrons are blue collar laborers looking for a quick all-American bite to eat. The place was a bit grimy and could use a cleaning but I didn’t mind it so much.
Accoutrements
In addition to the barkers I ordered a small fry and a large coca-cola. The fries a golden brown and you could just get ataste in which the cooking oil could use a changin. I doused my fries with some franks hot sauce and made a small pool of ketchup for dipping. Oh yea I dashed a little salt. They had a crisp to them, maybe overcooked just a minute to long. The soft drinks are served in the 16oz Styrofoam cups with way too much ice. A bit of a rip off with all the ice, but it sure did wash down the franks and fries. Not much else on the menu is available other than wiener toppings which fine with me. A lot of the time I like when there isn’t a bunch of choices, makes the decision of what to order a whole lot easier.
Service
Two ladies were working behind the counter. Not the friendliest or women in the world. They were fast though, got your dogs in under a minute. Not much small talk, you kinda felt scared to say anything to them. It was busy though as folks were constantly shuffling in so the small talk woulda been limited anyway.
Hot Dogs
I ordered two Hank’s Specials along with my fries and coke. Hank’s specials are two skinless franks topped with chili sauce, spicy brown mustard, and onions. The bun was your typical cheap Giant Eagle bun. The chili sauce provided a nice fiery kick and really went well with the brown mustard. The onions were chopped a hearty size and were surprisingly fresh as they had a bit of a crunch to them. Before I even finished beating up my two barkers, Warbird decided we should order another barker, this time one with a casing. So I once again ordered another Hank’s special, but this time a frank with casing. It had a slightly different tang along with the extra snap as I took each bite. I like the texture and snap of the casing, but I think the original 2 barkers I mauled were slightly better. Or maybe I was just full from the first two. Not quite sure. If you like hot dogs you gotta check this place out. Very tasty.
Overall
This place is not for the timid. You better know what you want as soon as you walk in the joint Staring at the sign thinking of what to order is a no no. The blue collar folks may look at your funny, but take it all in stride as the two women behind the counter will cut ya some slack if you hesitate when ordering. A mist all the bustle and hustle of folks shuffling in and out its definitely a great hot dog experience. Good barkers and a full belly.
Overall, 15/20
New York Style Hot Dogs & Cafe
February 1st, 2008
New York Style Hot Dogs & Cafe
235 E Main St.
Carnegie, PA 15106
Ambience
The location of the joint is on the main street of Carnegie, PA. It was an easy place to find with the giant statue of liberty in front of the store. A nice touch in representing the New York style hot dogs. Walking through the front door I instantly knew this was my kind of place. The place was long and narrow without tables, just bar seating with about ten or so bar stools. Plenty of amenities and décor reminding the customer that he was in a New York style hot dog environment. Sitting on the bar stool you get to watch him work his magic preparing and cooking up the yum yums. The only slight I have is even though I enjoy the small settings of the place, it could be just a bit larger to accommodate the customer during busy times and I did have a hint of the grease stink on my clothes aftewards. Overall this is the type of atmosphere I look for a hot dog eating experience.
4.5/5 barkers
Accoutrements
I ordered 2 barkers and split a small order of fries with a co-worker of mine and washed it down with a 12oz bottle of IBC root beer. The fries are fresh cut potatoes and the portions are hearty. Overall the fries were fantastic, large cut, cooked to perfection and added just a little bit of Louisiana habanero hot sauce and salt to season. The choices of beverages were excellent; they even had the little coca-cola classic bottles for sale. I couldn’t pass up the IBC root beer though.
4.5/5 barkers
Service
I don’t know the guys name, but he is absolutely fabulous. He’s the owner and it’s a one man show. I believe he moved from New York City about 12 years ago and he still has a deep accent which really contributes to the overall experience. Very friendly and we kept up a constant conversation with him throughout. The parking is on-street and there is a meter out front. We forgot to put money in the meter and he was kind enough to let us know to not worry about putting money in the meter from 11:30am to 1pm. He mentioned that the parking violation police won’t ticket you during that time which was great advice and saved us a few quarters. The service was fast and the presentation of the food was great.
5/5 barkers
Hot Dogs
The hot dogs are New York style links with a casing and grilled over aluminum foil. Today I ordered Perogie style hot dog that came with grilled Vidalia onions, French fries (but usually is mash potatoes), sauerkraut, and all contained with a unique cut steamed bun. The hot dog was tasty, but toward the end it got a little bland and I think it lacked some pizzazz. I’m going to try it again sometime with the mash potato version to get a final verdict on this wiener.
3/5 barkers
The other frank I beat up was a Chicago style hot dog. We all know the toppings of this famous type of barker. Very tasty, fresh tomatoes and pickle spears.A few things I noticed against the hot dog; it didn’t have neon relish, it had pepper rings rather than sport peppers, and the buns were not poppy seed which are important topping that are required to be an official Chicago hot dog. Now the substitutes didn’t really take away from the overall taste but I wanted to point out what was lacking to be an official Chicago style. Overall I woulda gave it a 4, but with three of the topping not being authentic I’m gonna say 4/5.
3.5/5 Barkers
Overall
I’m very excited to try the other hot dogs on the menu and rate them as well. The burgers also looked very very good. If you are a barker lover as I am, then I highly recommend venturing to this joint.
Overall score: 17.5/20