One of Tacoma’s finer fine-dining restaurants now serves Sloppy Joes. (Thank you, Pacific Grill.) Can haute hot dogs be far behind? I, for one, hope humble hot dogs stay where they belong – in diners, bars, drive-ins and Costco.
Here’s a rundown of South Sound hot dogs. Some are boiled. Some are grilled. Some are microwaved. One is deep-fried.
The Red Hot
2914 Sixth Ave., Tacoma; 253-779-0229
Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-midnight Fridays-Saturdays
The Red Hot is a simple concept: hot dogs and beer. Throw in pinball, a shrine to a local women’s roller derby team and beer-soaked movies on the big screen, and you’ve got the fixings for a comfortable neighborhood dive for those 21 and older.
Speaking of fixings, get a load of The Red Hot’s Tideflats, an industrial-strength homage to Tacoma’s gloriously gritty port-side property: two beef dogs served open-faced on a soft bun and smothered with what can be fairly called “the works” (mustard, ketchup, onions, relish, tomatoes, pickle, peppers, slaw, sauerkraut, nacho cheese sauce and chili). It’s $5.75. Don’t be scared by the price or the description. I thought my stomach would rebel against Tideflats. Instead, I enjoyed 10 minutes of messy eating pleasure. All the condiments were in balance (and in harmony with my gut).
Unfortunately, another dog named for another Tacoma icon disappointed. Poor Murray Morgan: First the state closes the Tacoma bridge that’s named for the late historian; now The Red Hot names a mushy bratwurst dog ($3.50, with mustard and kraut) after him.
Mushy is a recurring problem I’ve had with The Red Hot’s dogs in four visits since July. Overall, the boiled dogs lack bite; some were almost as soft as the buns.
Except for Tideflats, dogs are priced $3-$3.75. For those who don’t do beef, The Red Hot serves turkey dogs.
Klems Hot Dog Diner
1015 Auburn Way S., Auburn; no telephone; cash only
Hours: Noon-6 p.m. daily
A dozen different mustards – yellow to deli to Grey Poupon to Jack Daniel’s – highlight the well-stocked condiment bar in this fun cafe filled with pop culture and carnival ephemera.
In the kitchen, all-beef hot dogs stand out with snappy bite and soft, steamed buns. Quarter-pound dogs are $3. Regular-sized dogs are $2.25. The half-pound “monster dog” is $5.25. Nathan’s dogs are $4.
Dogs are boiled or fried to order. I liked them best split and fried, with fried onions (20 cents extra).
Hot Rod Dog
1742 Pacific Ave., Tacoma; 253-593-6030
Hours: 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays
Tucked inside the old West Coast Grocery Co. building across from Union Station, Hot Rod Dog has been a consistent favorite since it opened in March 2005.
The counter is one of the things that puts vroom in Hot Rod Dog: It’s fashioned out of the tail end of a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS. The other high-octane feature is the dogs themselves: Hot Rod Dog boils quarter-pound kosher beef franks, kielbasa, bratwurst and mozzarella cheese sausage that are made and smoked by Blue Max Sausage Co. in Puyallup.
Dogs, served in soft, steamed buns, are $2.99-$3.79. For vegetarians, tofurky dogs, seasoned with sun-dried tomatoes and basil, are flavorful and meaty in a slightly mealy but enjoyable way.
The condiment table is well stocked with ketchup, mustards, hot sauces, onions, kraut and more.
Pick Quick Drive-In
4306 Pacific Highway E., Tacoma; 253-922-5599
You’ll have to wait until Feb. 1 when the icon reopens following its annual winter holiday. I enjoyed a beefy dog in November. It was a beaut: Grilled to a deep-brown color, the dog was snappy and tasty. Served with onions, sweet relish and mustard, $2.45.
Little Holland Drive-In
5008 Center St., Tacoma; 253-564-8661
The home of the Mikie Burger makes a mighty little dog, too. Split and grilled, the standard-sized beef dog is served on a sesame bun, with mustard, ketchup, sweet relish and onions, $1.75.
Tatanka Take-Out
4915 N. Pearl St., Ruston; 253-752-8778
Home of the quarter-pound bison dog, $6.95. Zesty to the last bite, the deliciously browned bison weenie snapped when I bit into it. It’s grilled and served on a toasty bun with onions, sweet relish, mustard and ketchup. A quarter-pound bison dog on a stick is $4.95.
Don’s Ruston Market
5102 N. Winnifred St., Ruston; 253-759-8151
Hefty but microwaved Polish dog on a soft, warm bun, with “everything” (ketchup, sweet relish, red onions, yellow mustard), $2.25.
Engine House Coffee & Deli
3801 McKinley Ave., Suite 400, Tacoma; 253-472-2442
Intensely grilled, just shy of blistering, dogs ($1.50) are served on toasty buns, with ketchup, mustard, onions and relish.
Frisenburger
308 E. 26th St., Tacoma; 253-203-6753
Open since Monday, this burger cafe serves a unique hot dog: deep-fried. No batter is involved. Naked weenies cook in hot grease. The result: Crisp and deeply browned outside, soft inside, like they’d done time in the smoker. One-third-pound dogs are $6.88 with fries; regular-sized dogs are $4.88 with fries.
Ed Murrieta: 253-597-8678
blogs.thenewstribune.com/edsdiner
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