What’s on the menu at Woofdawg, a new takeout counter in the west end serving house-made hot dogs
More New Takeout Spots
Name: Woofdawg Hotdog
Contact: 1357 Dundas St. W., woofdawg.com, @woofdawghotdog
Neighbourhood: Little Portugal
Chef-owner: Stephen Payne
Outdoor seating: None
COVID-19 safety measures: Strict mask policy for staff and patrons, frequent sanitization, one person or household allowed inside at a time
Accessibility: Fully accessible; no washroom
The food
WoofDawg—formerly known as KungFu Dawg—was once a beloved Ossington hot dog cart. Its new standalone restaurant features most of the same menu items, the stars of which are chef Stephen Payne’s homemade, no-filler dogs with natural casings. They’re available in pork and beef, all beef, chicken, or veggie (all but the veggie are WoofDawg originals). The dogs are decked out with elaborate toppings, and are as much fun to look at as they are to eat. A few kinds of elaborately dressed fries are available on the side.
The Loaded Dog—topped with crunchy fennel slaw, spicy mayo, crispy onions, sweet corn relish, pickles, onions and jalapeños—is a fan favourite. For a nostalgic nosh, there’s a hand-dipped corn dog topped with cheddar cheese sauce, fresh corn, spicy mayo and green onions. And for traditionalists who want something (relatively) subdued, the classic dog comes dressed with purple sauerkraut, chopped dill pickles, onions, mustard and ketchup.
The drinks
A standard selection of soda is on offer here for two bucks a pop. There’s Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mug Root Beer, Orange Crush and bottled water.
The space
Currently the space operates on a takeout-only basis, but will have limited seating even when dine-in returns. Nevertheless, it’s a fun place to wait for your order—the retro theme features colourful LED strip lights, old-school signage and even a Flamin’ Finger arcade game sourced from a closed-down Chuck E. Cheese that blares nostalgic video game music on repeat. With Covid restrictions in place, customers can’t actually play the game, though—it’s there purely for vibes.
