Dash Dogs

I forget how satisfying a snack a piled-high hot dog (or two) can be. But when I started feeling peckish while shopping the Lower East Side last Sunday, the Dash Dogs flag caught my eye, and I thought I'd give it a try. And let me tell you, these puppies were perfect: filling and flavorful, the buns soft yet firm, the all-beef dogs hefty, charred, crunchy, and tasty enough to hold their own under the weight of the toppings.

The menu features lots of "Signature" combos (which you can apply to sliders, too) or you can mix-'n-match add-ons and create your own. I went for a two-Signature special (comes with soda, all for $6.50), and ordered "The Johnsons", an admittedly unoriginal but nonetheless classically good dog topped with sour pickle wedge, sauerkraut, and spicy mustard; and the beautiful, aptly-named "Infamous Stoner", a total mess loaded with chili, melted chesse and crushed fritos. That the whole thing was ridiculous (and much better suited for a much younger stomach) didn't lessen my eating enjoyment one bit.

Anyway, it's easy to imagine this place at 2:00 am, crowded with spillage from the bars (in fact, one wall is covered with Polaroids on which are written such captions as "Cathy, DRUNK!!") and, yes, these definitely would make for excellent munchies. But there's something even more decadant about ducking into Dash Dogs at 3:30 on a sunny afternoon and downing a couple of quick ones. Next time I'm bringing Bo and Co.


Dash Dogs is located on Rivington Street between Essex and Norfolk. They're open until 4:00 am on Thursday through Saturday; midnight every other night. Click on the Signatures menu at left to enlarge.