The Dog House

This place is awesome, and so convenient for CSULB students! I love coming here for lunch if I have a break.
My favorite was the polish dog, but they have a great selection including chicken habanero tequila (which I also tried), spinach gouda, and portugese. Their $ 5 deal is the best, and their fries ARE SO FRICKEN YUMMY. For a $ 1 more, I add grilled veggies to my hotdog :)
The place is small and not necessarily the best decorated on the st, but the food is DELICIOUS and, more importantly, super affordable. What amazed me the most was the condiment bar… bliss! It had what looked like a cauldron of sauerkraut, different spices (like Lawry’s seasoning salt), the typical ketchup and deli mustard. Best of all, they had a rack of sauces (I LOVE SAUCE) to add to your hotdog: garlic aoili (which was delicious to dip the fries in), Russian mustard, BBQ sauce, etc. I could go on and on about this place even though it’s so tiny. To top it all off, it’s right next to all the pretty and unique houses along Naples.
Long story short: my friend and I thought splitting one hotdog would be enough to satiate us. 5 minutes later – after devouring the first one – we ordered a second.

$ 5 combo meal? We’re so there. We’ll even fight the traffic on a lovely July Saturday for a damn good dog.
Guess what? No more $ 5 combos. No more regular sized wieners and sausages.
We walked in to a completely empty place, and all but 3 items are crossed off the menu board. WHAT!!!
Very nice kid at the counter explained that they are revamping their menu to a ‘slider’ establishment. 3″ mini-​dogs and burgers. He said sales have been slow despite good reviews, and the owner wants to cater to the late evening slobbering drunk crowd. Whatever.
You can still get a dog, brat, Italian or veggie 2 or 3 wiener combo for $ 6.50 and $ 7.50. I kinda liked it since it seemed to have an improved meat to bun ration than the pictures show.
You can get them in many ‘styles’, which are no additional fee. These include: BBQ with bacon and coleslaw, mac-​n-​cheese, chili-​n-​cheese, and some others I couldn’t read.
The kid and I got fries, hubby got the chili. First the chili. Had a really good flavor. Really good. Once you swallowed it and forgot the disgusting texture. Dis. Gus. Ting. Oilier than the Gulf of Mexico. And contained nothing other than grainy, dry hamburger. You’ve been warned.
The fries? We didn’t get the Mickey D’s-left-out-overnight-in-the-rain ones that Bill C. got, but not worth eating in general.
So, the menu is down to 4 basic tubes of meat, no more interesting stuff. The toppings remain extensive.
The shining glory of this place is the condiments. Any place that has a minimum of 5 mustards is a hit with me. Period. I’d never heard of Russian mustard. That, the sweet and sour mustard, and the garlic aioli. I used the fresh-​out-​of-​a-​freezer-​bag-​under-​fried fries to mop up these little marvels. That’s all their good for.
We all enjoyed our dogs, and were sufficiently stuffed with the 2 dog combos each. I’d give them another shot when they get the new system down.

You can get a great dog here for 3 bucks, and if you are hungry you can get 2 great dogs for 6.00; but as tempting as it sounds, you want to skip the $ 5.00 combo.
The menu lists 12 sausages, but as soon as I walked in the nice lady at the counter told me they were out of 2 of them. No Kielbasa or smoked chicken apple today. That’s OK 10 choices are plenty, especially when one of them is Linguica, a Portuguese style sausage seasoned with garlic and paprika.
The Dog House serves it on a Sesame bun and for 50 cents extra, I got a generous heap of grilled onions on the top. It was one of the better dogs, I came across since I became a Unilocaler.
However, the French fries were a joke. Cold, limp, soggy and dry. I imagine this is what McDonald’s fries would taste like if you left them out in the rain overnight. How can a place that does so well on the dogs drop the ball on the fries so badly. As for the other sides, they were out of Chili and Cole Slaw.
The drink was a small one, and I do mean small. I am guessing the Styrofoam cup was 8 oz. Sure they give free refills, but once you add ice, you are looking at a 4 – 5 oz beverage. Who wants to get up after every sip for a refill? I was not the only one who would stand at the fountain and fill, drink, fill, drink, fill, drink, fill before returning to my seat.
This is too bad because they have Diet Coke, Diet Dr. Pepper and Fresca. Who else offers 3 diet flavors?
The place is small; it only seats 12, yet due to the concrete walls, street noise, and the kitchen noise with the clerk chopping onions and potatoes between customers. The music was loud, but it was from a cheapo boom box behind the counter. And with my timing, I got there just in time for KRTH 101s 22 commercials in a row block.
Cmon guys, get some decent speakers and maybe an XM subscription – please
Still the sausage was excellent, enough that this could have been; and might one day be a 5-​star place.

Finally, an establishment dedicated to all that is sacred and epic — the beloved hot dog! No more sitting through painful baseball games just for a good dog!!!
After the mental battle of indecision, I finally chose to enjoy the pork & apple honey sausage dog along with an order of french fries just the way I like them, seasoned and crisp. The bf ordered the special dog made with elk, pork, beef, and madeira wine.
We were pleased, especially for the price.
Although, the selection of hot dog meats were not as diverse as say, Rosamunde’s (
), it was still pretty decent.
Minus one star for extremely limited seating, but hey, there’s beach around the corner to go enjoy them at if you can’t find a place to sit there.

All the way down the far east side of 2^nd St. next to the Beach Shack sits a little hot dog place called The Dog House. Tiny little joint, only has three tables. But that shouldn’t stop you from going.
The sausages are only three bucks. Make it a combo for only two bucks more. I had the honey apple sausage which was bomb. The fries: hot and crispy. The service was great too. I told her It was my first time and what does she suggest. She was very helpful and her suggestion was spot on.

My sister kept raving about eating here so I finally decided to go today. It’s on 2^nd street with a lot of other good spots in Belmont Shores. This place may be hard to find parking on the weekends but on weeknights it was really easy to find a spot. It’s a really small spot on the corner with a wave painting on the side. They have a menu of 13 different sausages to choose from and a sauce rack on the side. I am a sucker for different sauces.
I ordered the polish sausage with bacon and eggs. I also went to the sauce rack and added siracha, garlic aoili, and onions. The thing I really enjoyed was the toasted sesame seed hot dog bun. I really enjoyed this for 4 bucks! The only thing was that the sausage was a little too salty but besides that it was great. The chilli was also good with a little spice and the seasoned fries were good to dip into the honey mustard and mayo. I wanna come back again and try a few of the other special sausages.
Recommendation: Polish Sausage dog. Fries and Chilli.

Man oh man was I craving a couple of BIG hot dogs after a rough start for the day and, knowing I had this joint bookmarked I was there by 11:30 AM to get my wiener grub on.
Yeah, my Unilocal Pals reviews helped too but I had already made the pact with the Hot Dog Devil when I was at Barry’s Beach Shack last year that I was going to end up here soon.
I didn’t want the special of 1 dog, 1 side 1 drink for $ 5. I had a major Burger King attitude today and I wanted it MY way!
Dog House Frank:
All Beef Frank Kosher Style, Grilled Onions and, I added Relish, Chopped Onions and Sauerkraut.
Smoked Hot Link:
All Beef, Spicy, Louisiana Style, Grilled Onions, Pickles and Mustard.
A side of seasoned fries too!
Also, I took home some Hot Mustard, BBQ Sauce, Honey Mustard and Mayo which came in handy for an occasional dip here an there. Add to that an ice cold glass of milk (which will calm the mouth from the spicy Louisana Dog) and I was set.
The service was quick as there were only a few of us ordering and the gal cooking was blunted in her affect but was friendly just the same.
Absolutely delicious but, I must warn you newcomers The Smoked Hot Link has a very spicy kick to it.
ARF!

SURPRISE!
Two vegetarians did not love The Dog House.
Now, you might wonder why we even bothered, but I LOVE the veggie dogs that I can sometimes get outside a punk show in the Valley or at the Echo or anywhere else they show up after the midnight hour.
Well, the one veggie option here is a veggie sausage, and according to my mom, even as a kid I didn’t like sausage, so there you have it. Now, I happen to LOVE vegetarian chorizo, but THAT is a different story.
I was hope hope hoping for a delicious hot dog, and so the dog house was a major letdown. My handsome vegetarian chilango wasn’t into it either. We did like the fries, but as he mentioned, is there anywhere that we don’t like fries?
I would have given them three stars, but within 10 minutes of walking out of there, I got two hives. Must be allergic to some spice in the veggie sausage.
Sorry Dog House, I so wanted to love you.

So there’s 2 types of people in the world:
Burger people and Hot Dog people.
This being Southern Cal, I’d wager most people are burger folks. And how could you not be? You got In N Out, Tommy’s, 50/​50, The Hat (kinda), and a bunch of local spots. Plus Father’s Office, Bouchee’s, and Five Guys if you want to get fancy-​ish.
As for Hotdogs? Well, you got Pink’s, Portillo’s in Buena Park (a Chicago transplant), and whatever AMPM has in stock on the rotisserie. Before you mention Dodger Dogs, they mean nothing to me since I’m from San Diego and there’s some lines that just shouldn’t be be crossed. (And Wienerschnitzel counts as much for hotdogs as McDonald’s does for burgers: which means it doesn’t. Let’s have some standards, people). The odds are stacked against dogs I’m afraid.
So. when I heard some Unilocalers raving about The Dog House, I was interested, yet skeptical. Hot dogs just don’t do well out here. But I’ve been a couple times now, and my opinion is positive, mostly.
The tenant here seems to be ever-​changing. I swear it’s been home to a handful of different restaurants, Paul’s Place bein the latest I can remember. Now it’s the Dog House, which I think is operated by its neighbor Barry’s Beach Shack (which used to be some Greek place. Things keep on changing).
So they have some variety to their sausages, which is nice. They got something for everybody I bet (incl a Veggie dog), which is good cuz I don’t think all of ‘em are home runs.
I dunno if The Dog House is a steal, but you basically get what you pay for: $ 3 for a medium sized dog. They do a combo too: dog, side and drink for $ 5 (I’d skip the side and just get 2 dogs). Some of the extras sound interesting (if a bit overpriced): scrambled eggs. bacon, chili, etc. I’d stick with the condiments and call it a day. The ones I tried:
Spinach & Asiago: Cheesy herby spicy. The best of the bunch.
Dog House Frank: a classic, great with the basics: mustard ketchup, onions.
Linguica: spicy, porky, good. Try with more spicy stuff.
Bockwurst: meh. Something was off, even with good mustard. Maybe if I had a pretzel instead of a bun, and a beer instead of a soda.
When you get yer dog, be sure to dress it before you leave. Otherwise you’ll just get a dog and a bun, and that kinda sucks. They have a sizeable station full of condiments with the basics and some fancier stuff. Garlic Aioli (on the Spinach Asiago) and Chipotle Mayo (on the Linguica) were standouts. Three types of mustard doesnt hurt either. And Sriracha too, cuz everybody loves that shit. And was that a Cauldron of Sauerkraut i saw.
My only real complaint is the buns. They mold well to the dog, which is nice cuz they dont fall apart. But some of mine were tough, chewy, and dry. Were they old? stale? Either way they were not good. Luckily not all of em were as bad, but this was def a drawback to an otherwise tasty dog.

Finally, Long Beach has a good place to grab a Hot Dog. The Dog House features a a variety of different links and an assortment of condiments and styles to choose from. For 5 bucks, you get a dog of your choice with fries and a drink.
What would make this place 5 stars? A simple variety of buns to serve your hot dog in. Poppy Seed, Onion… etc.
Still, a great value and a place Liz and I have already been to twice within 3 weeks.

I’m a little behind in my reviews, Work and Projects keep me from getting to the enjoyment I get from writing reviews.
So let’s see if I’ve still got it :)
Back when my girlfriend and I tried this place, it had about four reviews and we didn’t know it was in The District Weekly until we picked up a copy while waiting for our order.
One night I wasn’t feeling in the mood to cook, my girlfriend was on her way from a long day at work and I suggested we go here as she had recently heard about the place and REALLY wanted to go. My girlfriend is a big fan of hot dogs. Usually in the form of a corn dog, but she’ll do the old fashioned dog every now and then. Now this review is a mix of all our experiences. I say All, because as of this review, we’ve been about three times as of this review.
I saw the photos on Unilocal so I already kinda had in mind what I wanted for dinner that first night. It was a quick in and out trip and were only there long enough for them to make our order. It is rather small and so far has been just a quick dinner spot for us on those days where you don’t want to slave away in the kitchen. But that doesn’t mean that’s all this place is.
So far I’ve had the Tequila Habinero, the Bratwurst and the Kielbasa and all have been really good. I like to taste my sausage/​dog so I get mine plain, but I LOVE their choice of condiments. Those have been reserved for dipping sauces for their fries, which I am a huge fan of. Garlic Aioli and the Chipotle mayo have come home with me each time. I leave the Sriracha, but that’s only because I have it and half a dozen other hot sauces at home :)
It’s well worth the $ 5 (+plus change) it costs for a combo and I’ve been satisfied with each and every visit.
If sausages are your thing or even if you are just a bit curious, I would suggest giving them a try.
One more plus that I must mention. Parking on 2^nd St is not always the funniest thing in the world to do. However I saw use the parking lot behind the place. Sure it says for Barry’s customers, but really. It’s practically the same structure, so I’m going to use it myself.
It’s been a few weeks since I last went and after writing this review, I am going to need to go again soon!
*Edit: Looking back, my reviews are far too long*

The Dog House is a branch from Barry’s Beach Shack — and they serve up some AMAZING hot dogs/​sausages. Amazing. I’ve had two of their dogs; Kielbasa sausage and the Apple sausage. Both served on a sesame bun and topped with grilled onions and peppers and a little mustard. THE PERFECT DOG.
The dogs are very inexpensive — $ 3 a pop and it comes bare. If you want special toppings, they are 25 cents each. The family special, which is 4 dogs, four sides and four drinks comes out to about $ 20! So, if you’re single — GET CRACKIN’!! The family special is a deal or a meal!
*you really don’t have to have a family to order this*
I think their dogs are delicious and filling. I really have nothing more to say other than the obvious. They are sizzling hot… dogs!

I work right around the corner from this place, and I’ve sampled almost all of the restaurants up and down 2^nd St. When I found out that the little fast food joint that used to be here was turning into an exclusively hot-​dog serving business, I was a little bit upset.
But then, I gave the place a shot. It was the BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE. Now I’m hooked. I can’t stop putting wieners in my mouth. I wake up late at night with cold sweats, just craving a nice, big, juicy kielbasa.
Sometimes, when no one is looking — I’ll even eat two wieners at the same time.
No homo, bro.

I do love a good hot dog, whether it be a gourmet sausage dog or just a ballpark dog. Maybe I wasn’t hungry enough, since I did just have lunch and cupcakes within the last 3 hours before I stopped in here for a snack with my hubby. But the kielbasa sausage dog we shared just wasn’t giving me that «Damn that was good» feeling. It did have a good, mildly spicy flavor, but the natural casing was just so gosh darn hard to bite through. We added grilled onions for no apparent reason except that grilled onions are just awesome. They have several extra options you can add, but the scrambled eggs was the most interesting. I wonder which sausage tastes the best with that? I liked the sesame crusted bun it came in though. Different and yet so perfect.
There’s a plethora of condiments you can add to your dog too, from sauerkraut and chopped raw onions to hot peppers and pickles. They even have 3 different types of mustard! That may be unnecessary, but hey to each their own. I was intrigued by the chicken apple sausage dog, which I will definitely still come by to sample soon.

Need to send Snoop D oh Double G into this place or something.
First off, the owner/​proprietor is great. He’s super outgoing (without being fake) and proud of his joint. Additionally, it’s great to see a normal retail /​food shop on 2^nd St.
Overall, my Bratwurst and my buddy’s vegetarian sausage were really friggin dry. The flavor was not too great, either.
Maybe we should have ordered them with some of the accoutrement options like sauteed onions, etc. BUT, we specifically ordered them plain to see if the flavors could stand on their own. Didn’t do the trick for us.
Don’t half step. If you go here, absolutely don’t order the sausages «plain».

I’m still grossed out.
The veggie dog was disgusting. I only had 2 bites. The first bite was to try it. I went and got a knife to take off the mustard, thinking maybe that’s why it was so gross. Second bite, just as gross as the first bite.
We were standing and eating on the metal ledge outside because inside was full (only 2 tables) which is fine. I actually like standing and eating. There was a trashcan built into the ledge that I thew the dog away in. Then there was this garbage funk smell that took over the whole area. So not only did the food suck, but the stink smell combined with it sorta started to make my stomach churn.
Then I look at the window and see a laundry list of items to fix from the health department, including things like food storage and restrooms. My stomach is now officially churning.
Momentary relief when I saw the notice was actually for barry’s beach shack, which is next door. But what is that notice doing in the Dog House’s window? Odd. You’d think the owners would fix that right away, right?
And, there was a lot of trash on the street and bird crap in front of the store and on the entry rug. There’s no way it’s been hosed off around there any time recently.
We stood at the counter to order quite a while before the girl helped us. She was really friendly. Oh look at that, the guy cooking the dogs has a big ‘ol shiner under his right eye. Someone probably got really pissed at him after eating a dog like mine.
This is going on my how ’bout no list.
OH, and the combo thingy is $ 5.50, not $ 5.

By giving three stars, I mean it’ «A-​Ok.» A least, that’s how Unilocal wants us to think of three star ratings.
For me, The Dog House is a wonderful new addition to 2^nd. It’s quick and easy, and not the least bit fussy. However, the dogs are hit and miss.
My favorite is the Spinach Asiago Cheese and Honey Apple. I didn’t think the Chicken Apple or Brat were anything special (not bad, but forgettable). To really make me raise my rating, though, I think they need to improve their bread. And have more choices.
Let’s see some great flaky french bread, pretzel bread, etc. The sesame rolls they are using now are, um, bland and dry. Sorry! But it’s true.

There’s only so much one can say about (basically) a hot dog stand, but this Long Beacher is LOVING it! On my first visit I fell head over heals for their Honey Apple sausage. For 2 bucks more I made it a combo with DELISH fries and a drink. Since then I’ve also tried the Veggie, Dog House Frank, and their Italian Sausage, all really really yummy as well. Ps about the drinks, this is actually what got The Dog House their 5^th star! I’m a Diet Dr Pepper girl straight up, and major kudos for these guys actually having diet dp in their fountain drink selection!
With only 3 little tables in this tiny establishment, it’s usually standing room only, but I don’t care (obviously!) cuz it’s super fresh super good and super cheap.
The employees seem super friendly, though admittedly I have always been a little busy stuffing my face to really chat it up :-) But! while I was waiting for my food last time I did overhear the guy behind the counter telling another customer of some upcoming plans for summer: they’re going to be offering beach delivery at the bay. I CAN’T WAIT!!!

Wait what? There’s a new hot dog & sausage place a hop, skip, and a waddle away from Belmont Athletic Club? This ain’t your haute dog, Wurstkuche type of joint, by the way. It’s a small, no frills place, but don’t confuse no frills with no flavor.
In fact, there are 12 different types of weiners/​sausages, ranging from your standard kosher dog and Italian sausages to Polish kielbasas to the more frou-​frou chicken-​and-​apple sausage types. You can top your dog off with extra sides like grilled onions or peppers, or bacon, or even scrambled eggs (breakfast dogs!), but there are also all manner of free condiments, including sauerkraut warmed in a cast iron crock pot that looks like a witch’s cauldron. Boiled children not included.
For a measly $ 5, your combo includes one side (fries, slaw, or chili) and a drink. Maybe you’re still hypnotized by that $ 5 footlong jingle, but as far as phallic foods go, I’d rather get a hot juicy weiner combo’d with delicious seasoned fries and a Diet Dr Pepper than a limp sub sandwich. Did I say limp? I meant lame.
Anyway, I have a feeling I’m gonna end up going to the gym more to burn off the excess calories, just to rationalize my visits to the Dog House. It’s all part of my new training regimen. Ask me about it, I might even write an extensive pamphlet one day.

There is no better way to begin this review than: This place is fucking awesome. It’s leapfrogged over a few other local joints to garner a spot in my top ten eateries in the LBC list.
Let’s break it down, shall we?
–About 10 different kinds of sausages.
–All for only three freakin’ bucks.
–Amongst the things you can add on for a small charge: scrambled eggs and bacon
–Amongst the loads of free condiments: garlic aioli and sriracha
–A combo with fries, a drink, and a dog? FIVE BUCKS. The best five bucks you’ll have ever spend in your living long life.
–And last, but certainly not least: Diet Dr Pepper in the fountain. YESSS! They didn’t even bother with regular Dr Pepper. They went straight for the DDP. Suuure, one could argue that I’m already gorging with breaded french fries and a fatty sausage, why bother cutting the calories. Well… I’m addicted to artificial sweetener, that’s why. And DDP is the best drink on the planet.
Sure, all of that is great, but does it taste good? It sure as hell does. Some sausage places will say they’ve got this, that and a bag of chips in their sausages but all it tastes like is meat. Not at The Dog House. The asiago and spinach sausage tastes like… well… asiago and spinach. The chicken apple? Yep! What’s more is I tried some chili and cheese on a brat too and the chili has full beans in it! Yes! That’s my kind of chili.
It’s safe to say I’ll be back here again and again and again. What? They’ve got Diet Dr Pepper — my diet will be A-​OK.