City Dogs

6/17/13:

Stars: 4.3 out of 5

Pros: Selection, Specials, Food, Price

Cons: Atmosphere

     There are some days where you just crave certain foods. Maybe it’s a nice steak or a fresh made deli sandwich. For me, it tends to be the good old hot dog. I prefer something with a snappy skin and a variety of available toppings. Sometimes, this is not as easy to come by as one would hope. Not all cities have a dirty water dog vendor on every corner like New York City. Thankfully though, Richmond does have a brick and mortar hot dog stand, City Dogs (City Dogs Facebook). So, I called my co-worker, DM, up and we agreed to meet for lunch. To say my anticipation was great might be an understatement.

     We went to the City Dogs location on W. Main St. as it was central to both our houses. There is also a location downtown on Cary St. for those who work down that way. The layout of City Dogs is pretty basic. Not a lot of decorations on the walls. Nothing pretentious or fancy in regards to place. It’s perfect for what it is. But I will say that when I walked in I was fairly surprised how quiet it was in there for lunch time. I think there were only 4 other people in there when I arrived, 2 of which were obnoxious college students. Which leads me to my only minor complaint/food for thought on my experience here. City Dogs is pretty much a college restaurant. I forgot that, which meant that I didn't mentally prepare myself to deal with 21 year old dudes that think being annoying is funny. It’s not fellas… you just look like an uneducated slack-jawed turd. Just letting you know. So, if you are going to City Dogs, just keep in mind it caters to college. Certainly nothing wrong with that, I just wasn't prepared.

     I sat down at the bar. The waitress brought me a glass of water and a menu. She let me know the special today was $5 for any dog and a brew. I accept this deal. But I also knew 1 hot dog wasn't going to do it so I set about checking out the menu while I waited for DM. The menu is fairly impressive. There are all sorts of dogs with a slew of different toppings. There are also burgers, steak sandwiches, pulled pork and fries for those seeking something different. As I was browsing, DM showed up. We both ordered a beer and put our orders in. I went with the Sante Fe Dog (salsa, cheese, jalapenos, guac & tortilla chips), the Carolina Dog (coleslaw & pulled pork) and a Richmond Original (chili, onions & mustard). DM got a Carolina Dog and Louisville Stag Dog (mustard & sauteed onions cooked in Jim Beam Red Stag) plus a side of chili cheese fries. Now for the waiting game.

     As we waited I looked at all of the specials for the week. City Dogs does some excellent specials and they are different at each location. At the W. Main St. location, for example, $1 RVA dogs are on Tuesdays while it’s Mondays at the Cary St. location. Like I said before, the Monday special was $5 for a draft and any dog. As most dogs are $3.29, this is a nice little deal. That makes your beer only $1.71. Not bad for draft craft beer. Wednesday is $3 burgers and $3 drafts. Thursday is $1 sliders and extended happy hour. All excellent specials and I appreciate the variety.

     Our food came out fairly quickly. I mean, it’s hot dogs, so it shouldn't really take that long. I started with the Richmond Original (RVA Dog). It was excellent. The skin on the dog was snappy and the roll was warm & soft. There were plenty of diced onions and chili. I added a bit more mustard, but an excellent dog. I then decided to delve into the Carolina Dog. I had never had a hot dog with coleslaw on it until I moved to the South. Now I can’t stop! I LOVE it. This dog was good for the coleslaw alone. I thought the pulled pork was fine, but I would have been good without it. I decided to end with the Sante Fe Dog because of the jalapenos. I was not disappointed either because they brought the heat perfectly. I feel like the tortilla chips were a nice bit of crunch. The only issue was I lost the flavor of guacamole in this dog. Not that I missed it, just saying. All three dogs were amazing in their own right and I would certainly get them again. DM also enjoyed his dogs. He really enjoyed the flavor that the Red Stag brought to his Louisville dog. He said the onions themselves could have made a sandwich. We also split the chili cheese fries, which were a giant portion. They fries were a bit floppy, but they held the chili and cheese well without getting overly soggy.

     After the waitress cleared our plates she dropped off our bills, as you would expect. What I didn't expect was how low my bill was. It was under $12. For 3 hot dogs and a local craft beer! Now to me, a $3 average per item is decent. And seeing as I was full, I was happy. I am saying this knowing that I have possibly been blinded by my love of hot dogs, but I don’t apologize.

     If you find yourself in need of a quality dog, please hit up City Dog. Their prices are good, the staff friendly and the hot dogs are fantastic. Remember that they cater to college kids, but some nights you just have to deal with that in order to eat a great meal. I’m a big fan City Dog. I’ll be back, I promise you that.