If you find yourself looking for a good hot dog, then might I suggest you go to the Dog Haus? No, I’m not sending you to the dog house, I am pointing you in the direction of growing “Craft Casual” chain that specializes in hand-crafted gourmet hot dogs made with hormone and antibiotic free 100% beef. They also make their own sausages, burgers, chicken sandwiches, wings, as well as veggie burgers and dogs. And if your location has a biergarten, then they have a large selection of craft brews available to choose from.
On my most recent visit to the Dog Haus at Stone Oak in San Antonio I tried the Old Town Haus Dog which consists of a smoked bacon wrapped dog, caramelized onions, chipotle aioli, pickled jalapeños, cotija cheese all packed into a grilled King’s Hawaiian bun.
To start off, that hot dog is big. And I mean Texas big (even though the chain started in California). I would say that it is about an inch in girth and fills out that hefty King’s Hawaiian bun quite well. And it is a beefy piece of meat that is somewhere between a hot dog and a gourmet sausage. One of these by itself on that bun and with some ketchup and spicy mustard (and maybe some chopped onions) would certainly satisfy. And I am sure you can get it that way (though they don’t show it on the menu), but Dog Haus takes their dogs around the block a time or two.
Wrapping the bacon around the dog adds a little extra saltiness with some hints of smokiness to amp up the flavor. The caramelized onions kick up the sweet, which you are already getting from the bun, but not to the point of overload. The balance comes from that creamy chipotle aioli which brings a bit of a zing and those pickled jalapenos that add just the right amount of tang. Top it off with the slightly-pungent cotija cheese, and that just brings this all together as a near masterpiece.
It certainly seems like this should be topping overload, but somehow how each addition works perfectly in harmony with the next to deliver the gourmet dog they promised. This is certainly a tasty dog with some complex flavors, yet it never gets to high-falutin and it goes down like the comfort food it should be. The jalapenos and chipotle aioli don’t bring too much heat, they just add a little extra kick. I would put this at mild heat at best and all but the most spice-phobic should be able to eat it. You might ask for a few extra jalapenos if you want to spice it up more.
On a previous trip I tried the T-Mex which included a house made chorizo sausage (love me some chorizo) and that was equally as good as the Old Town (also not too spicy, though). I’ve tried one of their sliders (only 2 bucks!) and that has me wanting to go for a burger the next time I dine there. My son usually gets the chili dog, but I can’t speak to how that tastes as it’s generally devoured within thirty seconds of hitting the table. As for their sides, I highly recommend the cheese tots which consist of tater tots they make in house covered with a delicious cheese sauce. And the location near me has well over two dozen beers on tap with quite a number of craft brews to choose from.
Dog Haus is a growing chain that specializes in hot dogs, burgers, and other comfort fare kicked up to the next level. And many of their locations include a biergarten that offers a large selection of craft brews. It got its start in Pasadena, CA in 2010 and has now expanded to seventeen states with more locations on the way. If you have one near you, I highly recommend checking them out as a great place to get a tasty dog or burger and to throw down a few brews as well. You can check for locations at their website, and if you have one in your area, then it is time for a trip to the Dog Haus.