Dat Dog: A New Orleans Twist on America's Favorite Food

It's National Hot Dog Day! Despite having lived in Chicago for three years, I think Dat Dog might just be my favorite spot to get a good dog, and my boyfriend, a Chicagoan, would eat Dat Dog everyday if he could.

Dat Dog offers house specials that look appealing (and the Chicago Dog appears to be on point), but I can't pass up the opportunity to build my own anything. I usually go for the locally produced, juicy, all-pork hot sausage, which has just the right amount of kick for my fellow spicy-food lovers. This time, I got it topped with bacon (always add bacon to everything everywhere), crawfish etouffee (because where else is that a topping?), cheddar cheese, raw onions, pico de gallo, sport peppers, and a bit of chipotle mayo, and this was the result:

I love that they put certain ingredients, such as the cheese or sport peppers, under the dog to ensure they don't fall off while eating.

The photo above doesn't quite capture this delicious and flavorful dog. It usually comes out looking more decadent, like this:

The smoked bratwurst (not pictured) is also delicious and juicy. I have yet to try the alligator or crawfish sausage, mostly because it's so hard for me to pass up the hot sausage, but follow-up blog post featuring these items to come!

A friend got the Blue Dat Burger, which is literally a beef patty rolled into the shape of a hot dog and topped with blue cheese, grilled onions, bacon, and barbecue sauce. It was delicious and tasted like a burger, as the name suggests, but being in hot dog form, it was easier to eat.

And just look at that bread! It's soft and light and absorbs the flavors so well.

Dat Dog's fries are also delicious. I've tried them all, and the cheddar bacon ranch fries are my favorite. Fries topped with melted cheddar cheese, drizzled in ranch, and sprinkled with bacon? Not sure how it gets much better.

I love the creativity of the crawfish etouffee fries. The etouffee itself is pretty delectable. You won't see a ton of crawfish in the mix, and I personally could do without the dollop of sour cream. But I still order these every time.

I also had to try the WTF fries, which come loaded with guacamole, tomatoes, raw onions, jalapeños, chili, and sour cream. They are as heavy and as tasty as they look.

I typically go to the Dat Dog on Magazine Street. Like all of its locations (except for, obviously, the one in Lakeside Mall), the interior on Magazine is colorful and welcoming, and the outdoor seating is a great spot to enjoy your sausage, fries, and beer. (The one on Frenchmen has an awesome balcony, by the way.)

Dat Dog offers a chill vibe without sacrificing quality food. The restaurant recently signed a deal with franchise group B&G Food Enterprises, LLC, and I'll be curious to see how the Texas and other non-New Orleans locations fare. If they're anything like the New Orleans spots, they're sure to be a hit.

#hotdog #sausage #datdog #fries