The Dog Wagon

6/27/13:

Stars: 4.6 out of 5

Pros: Variety, Quality

Cons: Wait-time

     Another Thursday night, which meant we were at Hardywood Craft Brewery for amazing beers and fantastic food trucks. It being summer, I have been on a bit of a hot dog kick. They are the quintessential summer food. The masters of the cook out. The reason for condiments. Just damn good food! So, I decided I was going to try The Dog Wagon (The Dog Wagon) for a pair of hopefully delicious hot dogs. I got in line with JT (BN went with tacos) and we scoured the menu for just the right dogs.

     Food trucks never cease to amaze me for the variety of products they put out of such a small space. All of the variety's of dogs, the different toppings and the buns plus all of the cooking equipment AND the bodies needed to cook them all in a truck. Fascinating… The menu at The Dog Wagon is quite impressive. They have dogs with toppings I would never really ponder like baked beans or cream cheese. They also have different kinds of dogs which I appreciate. I like when I can try something different, like a turkey dog. I love me some options. The Dog Wagon also does fries with various toppings including gravy, cheese curds, vinegar, or chili to name a few. Being all about the dogs, I just decided to go with those. I got the turkey dog, which comes basically dressed with ketchup (which I hate but forgot to ask them to leave off), mustard, relish and diced onion. It’s basic, but getting a places basic dog is the perfect way to judge the quality. I also got the pepper dog which has horseradish, hot & sweet peppers and yellow mustard. JT went with the bean dog (beans, red onion & yellow mustard) and a Reuben (sauerkraut, 1000 island dressing & Swiss cheese). We were both handed a number and we chilled out in line.

     My only deduction from the 5 star rating happened while we waited in line, but I didn't think it a big enough con to list it above. First, there were a lot of people waiting for hot dogs, which is great. Means that people like the product which is a positive thing. But when the lady was yelling out completed order numbers she was super quiet and thus people didn't know their food was ready. This led to a back-up in the window. Don’t be afraid to yell that stuff out ma’am. Get yourself a bullhorn if need be. Keep the people moving and you get you .4 stars back.

     The hot dogs were served hot right off the grill. They were seated in a nice fluffy roll and covered liberally with toppings. The turkey dog was fantastic. It was so basic with such a nice flavor to it. I truly appreciate a place that executes the basics perfectly. It means they care about their foundation products just as much as their more exciting foods. The pepper dog was extraordinary! It was the horseradish gave a nice bite while the hot peppers provided the heat. The sweet peppers were subtle in providing their sweetness, but it did not go unnoticed. It was an excellent flavor combination. I also got a bit of JT’s Ruben hot dog. I really liked it because I didn't feel like any one flavor overwhelmed the other. There was just the right amount of sauerkraut and dressing to hot dog and cheese. It was a touch messy thought so grab extra napkins. I didn't get to try the bean dog so I can’t offer my thoughts here. Looked decent, but I don’t know for sure.

     The Dog Wagon puts out a very good product. They really help capture the essence of summer time with a twist. If you happen to be out and see them, stop on over. You’ll wait a hot minute for your food, but it will be worth the time in the end.