Weiner on Wieners- Tampas Hot Hot Dog Scene (Part 2)

May 2

Here are some of Tampa’s finest craft hot dogs.

Part 2: Tampa’s Craft Dog Houses.

Tampa has recently witnessed a hot dog revolution, with several eateries offering high-end craft weiners (see the results of part one- traditional hot dog houses here). In my quest to find Tampa's hot dog king, I visited places celebrating with these fancy franks. Chefs are now using these gems as a canvas to mix various tastes and textures by adding inventive flavors and ingredients, elevating the humble hot dog to a gourmet level. While there are popular versions of craft dogs like kimchi dogs, local kitchens are experimenting with handcrafting and elevating this comfort food. Here's what I found:

JoDog

Michelin-starred chef Joe Isadori opened JoToro Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar in Sparkman Wharf in 2022. He also opened his hot dog stand, JoDog. See what Joe did there? JoToro (bull) and JoDog?
Wieners here are cooked on a flattop grill (yay). Grilling a hot dog instead of boiling or steaming gives it more flavor pop and seals in the juices. All dogs are served on Martin's potato buns, which are also slightly toasted on the flat top.
The Tokyo dog ($8) is a full-sized wiener topped with teriyaki mayo, a furikake (dry Japanese condiment), crispy garlic, pickled ginger, nori, and cilantro, all sprinkled with toasted sesame. When I saw it, I thought the abundance of ginger would take over, but I was wrong. While there was lots of it, the teriyaki mayo and the nori mellowed it, adding sweetness to contrast the saltiness of the dog.
I love Mexican street corn, so the Mexico City Dog ($8) was at the top of my list to try. It's another good wiener stacked with those sweet corn kernels, house-made spicy mayo, pickled red onions, Cohita cheese, tajin, cilantro, and a lime wedge. It is a unique yet familiar flavor combo with the spicy mayo adding a slight afterburner.
JoDog’s Fat Artie ($7) has attitude. It has spicy onions, spicy garlic, spicy mustard, and shallots coated with a sweet, peppery barbecue-type sauce. Again, the way these flavors blend makes it easy to see that the ingredients are chef-inspired. It’s not Joe’s first picnic. It's a little hot, a little acid, and some sweet from the BBQ… yep.
The Coney Island Dog ($8) is pretty standard. It consists of a grilled hot dog on a potato bun with shredded cheddar cheese. The chili is made of tomato sauce with minced beef and onions. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t rise to the level of the other dogs. JoDog also offers vegan dogs for a $2 upcharge.
Sparkman Wharf is an excellent place to visit in late winter or early spring, but standing in the sun and enjoying a meal here in the summer would be uncomfortable. Little shade is provided for the stand-up tables on the patio in front of JoDog, where customers eat. Service is fast and friendly. Prices and crowds here are strongly influenced by the throngs of passengers from the Port Tampa Cruise terminal next door bringing tourist dollars. Located next to the new hot spots on Water Street, parking can be expensive and hard to come by.

Tampa food blogger — JoDog Coney Island Dog- Chili Cheese Dog, NYC-style

Tampa food blog — JoDog's Fat Artie -with spicy onions, spicy mustard, and crispy garlic.

JoDog’s craft hot dog stand in Sparkman Wharf

JoDog Craft Hot Dogs, 615 Channelside Dr Space #9, Tampa, FL 33602

Pacific Counter.

Tampa food photographer — Bahn Mi hot Dog- All beef hot dog with cucumber, jalapeno, daikon salad, cilantro, avocado lime crema.

Cali Dog- All beef hot dog with avocado, sprouts, mini greens, chia seeds, and sweet yuzu sauce

This place was a surprise. Pop Pacific-inspired music plays in the background—a mix between hip-hop and reggae—and customers are greeted with “aloha” as they walk into the colorful casual dining room filled with pinks, blues, and yellows. Pacific Counter currently has five locations and is expanding.
The menu is based on Hawaiian fare; their primary dish is build-your-own poke bowls. Many of the dishes are reminiscent of Hawaii, and some include spam. Bowls are the typical fast-casual service type where you pick a base protein and build from there. The surprise is the understated hot dogs

Theirs include Hawaiian, Bahn Mi, kimchi, and California dogs.
Bahn Mi Dog. A lot is happening here, with the dominant sweetness and salt coming from the dog’s daikon and sauces; it is a balanced mouthful. The jalapeno peppers don’t have much punch and could use more heat. It's a veggie, intense saucy dog.
The Cali dog is light and refreshing, predictably with avocado and sprouts. The sweet Yuzu sauce adds a mayo-like creaminess, and the chia seeds bring extra texture.
The Hawaiian dog is the closest thing to a chili dog. The Hawaiian salsa, mixed with onions and a sweet relish, adds an excellent wow. The chili aioli adds an acidic, hot spin to the bite, and the onions add great zip.
The kimchi dog is slightly spicy and smokey. The fermented veggies are crunchy with a hint of pickly vinegar and mild heat. The frank is topped with scallions for a mild onion finish, and the potato bun wraps the dog in a sweet pillow, balancing it all.
Prices are reasonable, with hotdogs costing $5.99 each and bubble tea $6.99. They also offer other canned and bottled soft drinks. The menu states that sauces are Hawaiian-inspired and house-made daily. They are good!

Hawaiian Dog- All beef hotdog with Hawaiian salsa, sesame seeds, chili aioli on a potato bun.jpg

Pacific Counter exterior -1732 S. Dale Mabry Hwy

Pacific Counter, 1732 S Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33629 https://pacificcounter.com/

Boozy Pig

food blog tampa — Boozy Pig hot dog with Gouda mac and cheese, bourbon bacon jam and caramelized onions

A few things set Boozy Pig hot dogs apart. Not only are their hot dogs made in-house from Providence Beef Company products with natural (sheep) casings, but they are also smoked, grilled, and served on hybrid brioche buns made by the artisan bakery Jamison B DoughJoe. The buns are warm and slightly toasty, and those natural dog casings give an extra snap when you bite into them, as an excellent hot dog should. The other unique thing is that they only offer their hot dog bar on Fridays, where customers can fashion their wiener from a list of 14 luscious toppings for $8 a pop.

I start with Boozy’s Kimchi creation: a smoked frank topped with fermented slaw and mixed with a cilantro aioli-esque sauce. All elements work here, from the toasty bun to the beefy wiener and that sweet, vinegary tang of the Kimchi with a mild heat finish. It’s a mouthwatering fusion of Korean and American flavors.

The biggest surprise of the day is the Boozy Mac and Cheese dog. The house dog is served with a heaping helping of gouda-covered spiral macaroni mixed with bourbon bacon jam and caramelized onions. Yes, I said bourbon bacon jam, which adds some smoke and sweet flavor to the bite. Many folks like cheese on their hot dogs, but you’ve not lived until you’ve had gouda mac and cheese subbed in. I’m stuffed.

Boozy also sells hot dogs in their butcher shop for DIYers to take home and customize. If you are going to dine in, feel free to BYOB. There is no corkage fee.

Boozy Pig butcher case — Boozy Pig butcher display case

The Boozy Pig, 3255 W Cypress St, Tampa, FL 33607,

Weiner’s Winning Wieners (Part Two)- Tampa’s top craft hot dog

This was a tough call. I liked them all. Most of these dogs jumped all the hoops in the Weinerville challenge. Along with quality, service, atmosphere, and price benchmarks, these dogs were also judged on the preparation method, inventiveness of the toppings, and taste combination.

The top Tampa craft dog honor is a tie. With its chili aioli and Hawaiian salsa, Pacific Counter's Hawaiian Dog is top-notch. Sharing the first place podium is Boozy Pigs Mac and Cheese dog, not only for its luscious toppings but for that perfect snappy, smokey, meaty hot dog.

Summer and hot dogs go hand in hand. Why not try all the places mentioned in this comparison? Or, get inspired by these chefs’ creativity and try a new way of the wiener on your own? Happy hot dogging!

Full disclosure. I was not compensated by the restaurants visited for this story. I visited the places, waited my turn, and paid for my meals like you would. It’s the only way to tell the whole story.

Chip Weiner