Though backyard pizza, fried chicken and smash burgers have been stealing the food spotlight lately, Durty Dawgs is throwing hot dogs into the mix, in a serious way.
The brand's name originates from industry vet Peter Higley's experience as a AAA hockey coach, where the word 'dirty' was constantly used to describe epic moves on the ice.
Higley says, "Whenever I see these crazy impressive visual foods on social media, all I want to do is figure out how I can get my hands on them right away. So I did my research, and came to the conclusion that not many people were doing this kind of thing with hot dogs."
"We decided to mess around with one hot dog recipe, which became ten, and it was so much fun utilizing all the ingredients to create such a visually stunning hot dog."
The logo is tattoo-like to add to the ‘street’ look of the brand. They have also made sure to source boxes and corrugated packaging that would keep the hot dogs fresh, while being socially responsible.
Durty Dawgs uses toasted pretzel buns for all their hot dogs because it complements the taste of the dog without overpowering it. They are using Nathan’s Famous beef 12-inch hot dogs and are currently offering 11 signature creations. Higley suggests starting with the Dawg Gone aka The Ballpark, topped with chilli, three cheese blend and green onions.
For those looking to try something a little more on the ‘durty’ side, the Deli Dawg, aka the Reuben, with pastrami, Swiss, sauerkraut, gherkin and thousand island dressing, might be more up your alley. Other favourites include the Burger Dawg aka The Banquet, (with applewood smoked bacon, diced beef burger patty, three cheese blend, diced tomatoes, green onion and BBQ sauce), or the Blazzin’ Buffalo Cheekdawga aka The Buffalo, (with a breaded and deep-fried frank, Buffalo hot sauce, crispy jalapeños and ranch dressing).
All their dogs come accompanied with mustard, ketchup, ‘bad to the bone’ pickles, creamy coleslaw and your choice of side (onion rings, fries, sweet potato fries or frings (onion rings and fries)). Also available on the menu is a selection of ice cream, cotton candy, beer, hard seltzer, wine, spirits and other non-alcoholic beverages for an indulgent night in.
Durty Dawgs is now open for delivery 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, on DoorDash, SkipTheDishes and Uber Eats.
Higley hopes to soon expand the weekend hours to 2 a.m., and would like to open a small brick-and-mortar location in the city to be able to provide a late-night fix for those looking for a hearty dog after a night on the town. For now, be sure to follow them on Instagram, where you can place an order on one of their three platforms, using the Linktree in their bio.
