I'm not a fan of hot dogs.
I'm not. Sorry. If there were any food more disgusting to me, it is the hot dog. Do you know what they put IN those things?!
If you don't, you need to see this:
However, James assured me that the hot dogs that Kevin Sousa (chef at Salt of the Earth) and his brother, Tom Sousa, chose to use at their re-working of Station Street Hot Dogs are NOT your typical hot dog. They are 100% beef, natural casing hot dogs - I can handle that, due to the lack of pork (remember - my tummy can't handle pork) and the..."natural-ness".
So I figured I'd try.
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| I love the vintage look of the sign inside! |
Trying a menu that Kevin Sousa has a hand in is always going to be an interesting experience. I had so many things that were so out of my comfort zone at Salt of the Earth - and loved every single bite that I took. Every time I see what Yo Rita tweets, I say to myself, "WHY IN THE WORLD HAVEN'T I GONE THERE YET?! TACOS! FANCY ONES! THEY SOUND AWESOME!"
I shouldn't talk to myself. Back to the hot dogs.
The menu itself is simple - hot dogs, beef or veggie, 8 ways. Plus, they have fresh-cut fries (like the Potato Patch fries at Kennywood, for us Yinzers) and duck fat fries, about which people have raved, not just from here, but from other establishments as well.
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| The menu |
I opted for the Devil Dog, since I like things spicy and it sounded the spiciest: egg salad, potato chips, tabasco sauce, and scallions. James chose the Hawaii Dog with pineapple salsa, mint, bacon, and sweet soy. We decided to share an order of those famous duck-fat fries, too:
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| Hawaii Dog, Devil Dog, Duck Fat Fries |
My hot dog was definitely spicy, like I predicted. Best part? My stomach didn't hate me for it later, like it would with a "normal" hot dog. I tried James's Hawaii Dog, and it was sweet and tropical. And the fries?
Oh, the fries. I'm in love with duck fat fries. This is so, so bad for my diet. I need to train HARD for the 1/2 marathon to reward myself with them again!
James liked his hot dog so much that he ordered another - this time, the Traditional Dog, with yellow mustard, Heinz ketchup (the only ketchup that matters), relish, sriracha, and onions:
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| Traditional Dog |
I think that the best part of Station Street Hot Dogs, though, is the charming atmosphere. I felt like I was in a retro 1970's hot dog shop - ordering the fanciest hot dogs I had ever seen. The decor, we were told, is mostly original from the previous ownership, but it's adorable. The red-and-white checkered parchment paper and paper hot dog trays add to the nostalgia, in addition to these:
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| Men's Room |
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| Ladies' Room |
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| Trash |
And did I hear rumblings of roller skates on Twitter?
I am sure that Tom & Kevin Sousa will add more to the Station Street Hot Dog experience as time goes on and as the weather gets warmer. In the meantime, I now know that there is a safe place for me to enjoy a hot dog in Pittsburgh.
One suggestion though - Heinz Balsamic Ketchup. Tried it at home. Love it. It could only make things better...
Station Street Hot Dogs
6290 Broad Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15206 (East Liberty)
Website: http://stationstreetpgh.com/
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