In the crowded list of summertime foods, few rise to the top quite like the all-American hot dog. And while many prefer the encased meat simply dressed and consumed at the nearest ballpark, restaurants and food trucks have found creative ways to turn the humble sausage-bun combo into a more artisan meal.
Hot Dog Mike first introduced Little Rock to the idea that with a little marketing and a few extra toppings, hot dogs could take center stage. But when his River Market storefront shuttered in February, the metro was left with a bun-sized hole to fill. And while no hot dog-centric brick-and-mortar restaurants have popped up quite yet, two new hot dog food trucks have our attention.
We checked out Hot Rod Wieners and Relish It Hot Dog Bus to see how the newbies fared in this seasoned hot dog city:
Hot Rod Wieners
The gimmick: Not into a just-plain-ketchup hot dog? Neither are these guys. Hot Rod serves up seriously creative topping combinations, piling on Fritos, hot sauce, marinara, pepperoni and other out-of-the-box eats. What’s more, this team can boast homemade buns, something we haven’t seen other trucks trying.
The spread: At a recent Main Street Food Truck Fridays appearance, Hot Rod was serving a variety of specialty dogs, each priced at $3.75. Options included The Italian Stallion (meat marinara, provolone, pepperoni chips, Parmesan), The Mudslinger (homemade chili, cheddar cheese, red onions), Hot Cheese Injection (pepper relish, hot sauce, hot pepper cheese sauce) and the El Ranchero (homemade chili, cheddar cheese, Fritos). Dogs could also be customized, and pairing them with kettle chips, tea or lemonade cost just a few dollars more.
The taste: Touting homemade buns is a unique feat for hot dog vendors in town. The buns were a bit denser and slightly sweeter than the typical fluffy, white bun, but extra points here for effort. Also gaining extra points? The hot dogs here are the larger “ballpark” variety, leading to a more filling meal. Combined with a scoop of hearty chili and chips, this was more than enough for a full lunch. Check out the dish for more on what we tried.
Find them: Though they’re based in Austin, Hot Rod heads to Little Rock often for the lunch hour. Follow them on Facebook (facebook.com/hotrodwieners) or Twitter (@hotrodwieners) or call (870) 210-6416.
Relish It Hot Dog Bus
The gimmick: Hands down, this is one of the coolest looking food trucks around. Housed in a red-and-cream vintage 1966 VW van, the vehicle features a ’40s stove and a cutout roof that allows for hot dog chef Jason Agar to stand up with head and shoulders out the top while prepping orders.
The spread: Relish It takes a turn away from most local hot dog cart offerings by also cooking up beer brats and Italian sausage. Their hot dogs are advertised as all beef, available with custom toppings including jalapeno, onion, dill pickle, cheese, sweet relish, spicy relish, mustard and ketchup. Hot dogs are $3 with three toppings or $2 with just mustard or ketchup. Looking for something more daring? Their featured dogs include The Organizer, a nod to a Chicago-style hot dog complete with mustard, relish, onion, pickle, sport peppers and cucumber on a poppy seed bun. The Italian sausage comes topped with grilled bell peppers and onions, while the brats come with kraut, Dijon and onions. To round out the meal, you can grab a canned soda, potato salad or a whole pickle.
The taste: Official Sync tasters were more wowed by the Italian sausage and brat offerings than the hot dogs. Part of the reason? The hot dogs were much smaller, with not quite enough meat to stand up to a pile of toppings. A toasted bun did help set things a part. The sausages were served up on a crusty split roll, making them the more substantial order. Details on what we tried can be found in The Dish.
Find them: Based in Little Rock, Relish It can usually be found on Old Cantrell Road from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Find them on Facebook (facebook.com/relishithotdogbus) or call (501) 551-4910 for daily location updates.
Final Verdict
Kudos to both places for bringing something fresh to the food truck scene. Relish It is worth a visit simply to check out the setup. And while Relish It’s food was tasty (especially the Italian sausage), Hot Rod Wiener’s ballpark-sized franks, homemade buns and piled-high, filling toppings made for the better value.
THE DISH
Mudslinger at Hod Rod Wieners ($3.75)
Smothered in a ground beef chili, a handful of shredded cheddar and roughly chopped red onion, the Mudslinger was the kind of hot dog that needs to be attacked with a knife and fork. Although I found the bun to be slightly too dense (and the bun could have used a quick toasting), the hot dog itself was juicy and full of flavor. The mild, meaty chili and onions added a nice punch of flavor without overwhelming, and the bun was at its best when sopping up leftovers from the bottom of the box. Few crumbs went untouched. (evz)
Hot Cheese Injection at Hot Rod Wieners ($3.75)
If you like spicy and you can get over the weird feeling that comes with ordering a “Hot Cheese Injection” out loud, you’ll probably really love this hot dog. I appreciate that the frank itself was heftier than some hot dogs and that the bun was homemade. I liked the sweetness of the bread along with the spiciness of my dog, which was slathered in hot pepper cheese sauce, hot sauce and chopped red, orange and green peppers. I’m not much into the typical hot dog toppings (mustard, kraut, pickle relish, etc.) so this was a nice way to spice up (literally — ha!) a hot dog for me. If you like spicy, give it a go. (sm)
The Dogfather at Relish It ($4)
Food options abound at Relish It Hot Dog Bus, but wanting to avoid a messy hot dog (and the Chili Dog was calling my name), I chose this combination of Italian sausage topped with grilled bell peppers and onions blanketed in a pleasantly crusty-on-the-outside, chewy-inside roll. Adding slightly spicy Dijon mustard complemented the smoky flavors of the sausage, peppers and onions. The sausage was a bit too dry and its taste sometimes lost in the immensity of the bun, but for $4 this was a great lunch: filling and delicious. (ss)