Hot Dog of the Week: Hot Dog Diner

Once known as Doozy Burgers, the Hot Dog Diner has gone back to it's original roots as a hot dog joint.

Known for their home cut fries and locally made all beef hotdogs, Hot Dog Diner offers you skinless ($2.50 each) or traditional casing hot dogs ($2.95 each).

So if traveling south of Cleveland along the 80 turnpike, exit at highway 71 North and jaunt on over to this Parma location

Hot Dog of the Week: J's Dawg House

One of our readers was driving through Kenton, Ohio and took a picture of J's Dawg House for us after he ate lunch their.

They have 25 specialty dogs priced at $2.89 each, which is a great price.  Don't want a specialty dog?  Then just get a regular hot dog for $2.59.  They also make their own homemade onion rings.

Thanks to our reader "D.R" for sending this to us.  Next time we are in Kenton, we will check it out ourselves.

Hot Dog of the Week: Schmidt's Sausage Haus

Hotdogs are hotdogs. Then there are cousins of hotdogs such as kielbasa, bratwurst and sausage.

Well Schmidt's Sausage Haus of Columbus, OH has been homemaking their sausages since the late 1800's.

Not many of the hot dog joints that we review on here can cater to a tour bus, but at Schmidt's they are encouraged to stop by.

Read why the 'haus' in the German village is an icon in Columbus. Or even better stop by to eat with a car or bus full of friends.

Hot Dog of the Week: Acme

Do you remember the old roadrunner and coyote cartoon on Looney Toones?

You know, where the coyote would try and trap the roadrunner with the latest contraption ordered from a company called ACME. It was always stamped on the product or the large wood crate in giant black letters, A-C-M-E.

Well in Columbus, OH Acme hotdogs are a badge of pride, not future futility like it was for the coyote.

In fact, the tag line on their website may sum up the restaurant quite well. "Connoisseurs of all things hotdog and sausage.
Check them out when in the capital of the Buckeye state.

Hot Dog of the Week: Tucky's

Question: Would you eat a dog biscuit?

No, not the kind that rover eats but a hot dog deep fried in a biscuit and stuffed with cheddar cheese.

If you would eat this, that Tucky's of Cleveland, OH would be the place for you.

With the slogan of "more than just a hot dog" this is the kind of place that Side Dish Jody would enjoy also as they serve up many non hot dog options.

They also have a hot dog challenge that you can participate in and earn a free t-shirt.

So get to Tucky's in one of there three greater Cleveland area locations

Hot Dog of the Week: Hot Dog Diner

'Moon over Parma I'll bring my love to you tonight'...the original musical lyrics to the opening of the Drew Carey Show, circa 1995, may be the only pop culture reference to the little town just South of Cleveland.

At the Hot Dog Diner they have renamed many dogs that have been made famous in Chicago, West Virginia, North Carolina and New York. And judging by the array of hot dogs they offer, they have made a few new adaptations as well.

Their hot dogs are specially made by a butcher and they even make some of their own sauces and toppings which include cole slaw to adorn the tops of a slaw dog or hillbilly dog.

Not in the mood for a hot dog? First off shame on you, but try a fresh made hamburger or a plate of fries that are hand cut and made all day long.

Check out why the Hot Dog Diner is a very good choice to have a meal.

Hot Dog of the Week: Hot Dog Diner

What is the least you have ever paid for a hot dog from a vendor or restaurant? Over time as we have made this blog, we are quite thrilled when we can find a hot dog option for under $2.

The Hot Dog Diner in Parma, OH might have the lowest prices I have seen in ten years. $1.25 will buy you the Classic Hot Dog. Want a hot dog in natural casing? You are still going to pay well under two bucks.

These prices cannot be beat anywhere!

So if traveling to the greater Cleveland area and you have less than five bucks in your pocket, swing on through the Hot Dog Diner and get stuffed...plus have enough left over money for the tollsways.

West Side Market

Cleveland, OH

I learned two very important things on this road trip to Cleveland. 1) Always make sure you have the address of where you intend. 2) Make sure I communicate better to Side Dish Jody on where we are planning to go.

Getting “lost” is not always a bad thing though, as we were looking for a specific hot dog restaurant and instead came to this market. Strolling through West Side Market there were dozens of vendors that turned back the clock to what butcher shops were like only a few decades ago. For sale at the booths were homemade sausage, brats, and hot dogs made with the traditional beef or pork. What was non-traditional were the same products made out of lamb, turkey, reindeer, goat, and ox. Each booth had its own flare or overall theme to it. There was a Middle-Eastern booth, Indian cuisine (probably not beef at this booth) European meats, and local favorites as well.

Each counter had patrons plied up 2 or 3 deep with droves of traffic shuffling through the crowd on their way to the next booth.

Atmosphere- I wish I could have found a plaque, or monument that dictated how old this building was or what it might have been at one point. It was made out of brick and subway tile, and looked like it could have been a train depot, or a bus station at one point. Side Dish Jody pointed out that it could have just been a really old market and it was built for what it currently holds. Though we went looking for a hot dog to eat and review on the day, we walked away with the knowledge of a hot spot to get your own dogs or encased products at instead.

Value- Everything seemed very reasonable, and comparable to what you would find at your local grocer. If you come in search of this place, bring a large cooler and fill it with the fresh product that you will find inside.

Hot Dog of the Week: Cincinnati Cheese Coney

This week's Hot Dog of the Week is a Triple C. The Cincinnati Cheese Coney.

Usually the term 'coney' refers to a generic restaurant. In this case however, a coney means a delicious dog smothered in cheddar cheese.

Click on the title of this link to read the article courtesy of our friends from seriouseats.com

Yours Truly

Beachwood, OH (outside of Cleveland)

First off, Yours Truly is not known for their hot dogs, they are known for notso fries which I will explain later. This was a destination raved about for years from Side Dish Jody, so I was pleased that when we went to dine that there was a dog on the menu. Upon ordering my hot dog with the works, I was surprised that it came with a fork and knife. Yes it truly was that sloppy, and the only way you were going to keep clean from this dog was by using the fork and knife provided. An abundance of chili, cheese and other fixins’ streamed over the sides of the bun and pooled onto the plate. Adding to the local flavor was Bertman Ballpark Mustard. Apparently this has been the mustard that Cleveland has used at it’s sporting venue’s for baseball and football dating back to the 1940’s. Local is great and makes an average dog seem more hometown-ish. C+

Atmosphere- When I stepped into this quaint Victorian looking parlor with a capacity seating of about 25 people. I was shocked that though it looked like everyone was on top of each other like a New York City subway, you had as much room as you wanted for space like a Florida Marlins home game. Your choices for dining included cozying up to the counter top ala vintage soda fountain days, or sitting in a small booth opposite the grill. No real frills or theme inside, but not much room for it either. C-

Value- At first upon gazing at the $6.95 price tag, I was aghast, even for a ¼ pound all beef dog. But upon its delivery to me, the 350 pound gentleman sitting next to me asked what 'it' was. When I told him it was a hotdog his eyes bugged and proclaimed, "Holy Cow that’s a hot dog?!"... my sentiments exactly. A fair price for the umpteen thousand calories I was about to cram in. B-

Side Dish Jody says...Although this was not the same Yours Truly as the town that I grew up in, it had the same menu which includes all day breakfast and a variety of burgers and sandwiches. But the real reason you should come to Yours Truly is for the notso fires. A large plate heaping with coin shaped cottage fries smothered in a variety of cheeses, handfuls of bacon and a generous dollop of sour cream. This appetizer was just as good as I remembered from growing up in my youth. A