23 APRIL 17-23, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | Frank Talk DENVER IS OBSESSED WITH DOGS — AND NOT JUST THE FOUR-LEGGED KIND. BY GABE TOTH Denver is no stranger to a good hot dog. This year’s Best Chili Cheese Dog went to a restau- rant that was founded before the Great De- pression, and Biker Jim’s maverick approach at his original hot dog cart famously turned Anthony Bourdain into a fan of the city. But Denver’s hot dog scene has seen some shakeups over the past year. There are no more stand-alone Biker Jim’s locations, though Jim Pittenger is still slinging dogs and other delicacies at Milk Market and the Colorado Convention Center, as well as get- ting ready for farmers’ market season. Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs, another longtime favorite, closed its primary location on East Colfax Avenue so that owners Steve and Linda Ballas could retire; their space at Denver International Airport will remain open for another year to eighteen months. However, there are still plenty of places, both new and old, where you can get your fi x for natural-casing snap, all-beef tubes of meat, and toppings ranging from minimal ketchup and mustard to a galaxy of meats, vegetables, sauces and starches. Join us as we grab the local hot dog scene by the buns. CLASSIC DOGS Billy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs 2445 Larimer Street Billy’s has dogs from all over the United States and beyond: New York and Coney Island, the Billy Dog from Chicago, Texas and Tijuana, even all the way to Denmark for its signature dogs. Find them in Five Points or during a Nuggets or Avalanche game; start with the hometown Bronco Billy Dog, topped with cheddar sauce, jalapenos and BBQ sauce. Chicago Style Beef and Dogs 6680 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood For all the Chi-town transplants in Denver (so many Cubs fans … ), Chicago Style Beef and Dogs is a solid taste of home that shows what they do so well on the southwest corner of Lake Michigan: offset a hearty Vienna dog on a poppyseed bun with mustard, sports pep- pers, tomato, onion, a slice of pickle, celery salt and startlingly green relish. Visitors who can’t make up their minds can even get a combo with a dog and half of an Italian beef sandwich. Diamond Dawgs Diamond Dawgs has been slinging franks for as long as the Rockies have been swinging for the fences in LoDo. For the past thirty years, Joyl Watkins has set up his cart either by the downtown post offi ce or, on game day, a block from Coors Field — where regulars know that you can always score with a cheap dog and a friendly smile. Henry’s Hot Dogs 290 Fillmore Street Henry Rubinchik has been running a classic hot dog cart for more than thirty years in Cherry Creek, offering hot dogs and sausages, turkey dogs, Sabrett’s and jumbo dogs, along with kraut, relish, ketchup and mustard. It’s all unfussy and uncomplicated, though Henry’s has moved into the future with the option of a 30mg addition of CBD to a dog. Mustard’s Last Stand 2081 South University Boulevard 1719 Broadway, Boulder For decades, Mustard’s Last Stand has served hungry students, and former students, in Den- ver and Boulder from a menu fi lled with hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches and other comfort food. It serves another great example of a “drag it through the garden” Vienna dog — i.e., Chicago style with all the fi xings. Sam’s No 3 1500 Curtis Street Many places have a chili cheese dog, but only Sam’s No. 3 has the best chili cheese dog. Sam’s is a nearly 100-year-old Denver treasure with a novella for a menu, but when you can’t decide between something on page four and something on page seventeen, remember that the Coney dog smothered in signature red chili and cheese is 100 percent Mile High City. CRAZY DOGS Harley’s A Hot Dog Revolution 1500 West Littleton Boulevard, Littleton Harley’s pushes the hot dog boundaries. If bacon on a hot dog is in-bounds, then why not pastrami on an all-beef dog, or fried shrimp on an andouille link? Perhaps a ham-and-Swiss sandwich could be converted into toppings for a sausage, or try an inverted sausage and pep- peroni pizza: pepperoni, marinara and mozza- rella on an Italian sausage in a garlic-buttered bun. Or just put spaghetti on the damn thing. Clearly, there are no rules at Harley’s. Yacht Club 3701 Williams Street North Denver’s “anti-club” has something for everyone. There’s a basic $5 frank that will go great with your Coors Banquet, or even a Jack & Coke with a dog combo. Then there’s the next tier up: nice cocktails and franks with toppings like cheeseball spread, celery remoulade and sundried tomato-pep- per relish. For $25, you can get a caviar dog... or go for the $140 Royale with Cheese: two caviar dogs, cheeseball spread and a bottle of Champagne. Get it before tariffs kick in! HOT DOG DEALS Our Mutual Friend Brewing 2810 Larimer Street Our Mutual Friend Brewing has a simple proposition: Buy a beer Monday afternoon or evening, and get a free “basic AF” hot dog. The brewery crew puts out the rollers and starts cooking shortly after noon. The dogs are indeed basic, but the buns are soft, and ketchup, yellow mustard and sweet relish are available. This dog is the perfect complement to a cold beer, and could be the start of a new drinking trend: beer with a hot dog back. The Shambles Tavern 3501 Delgany Street The Shambles Tavern brought another mini- malist addition to RiNo’s hot dog scene: bartop roller dogs with ketchup, mustard and BBQ sauce. But with dollar dogs on Mondays for industry night, nobody is asking, “Is this an all-beef Sabrett’s hot dog? Is this a Vienna dog? Do you have a CBD-infused poppyseed bun?” Instead, pair your basic dog with a beer and a shot and settle in to get to know your bartender. KOREAN CORN DOGS Two Hands Corn Dogs 2076 South University Boulevard Korean corn dogs are a different animal from those at the American county fair, a cornmeal-battered standard (though Two Hands does offer that comfort-zone option). For the Korean version, the batter is thicker and chewier, often fi nished with sugar. At Two Hands, you start with your exterior — options include rice puffs, potato cubes, bean powder, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and creamy ranch sauce — then determine the interior. This might seem simple, but Two Hands offers multiple types of fi llers: sausage; mozzarella cheese; half cheddar and half mozzarella, and half sausage and half mozzarella. Ginger Pig 4262 Lowell Boulevard 1203 13th Street, Boulder How would a Korean corn dog be prepared by a Michelin-recognized chef? Now we know: with a crispy cornfl ake and panko breadcrumb crust over a yeast-risen dough, ketchup, mustard, scallions and sesame seeds, all on a Nathan’s hot dog. Mukja Food Truck Mukja, or “Let’s Eat” in Korean, features a col- lection of Korean cheese dogs —corn dogs that swap out the hot dog for mozzarella cheese. Fried and rolled in sugar, they come in a few varieties: classic, elote, hot Cheeto and crab rangoon. Get your dog crispy, sweet, rich or savory; if you can’t choose one, get a sampler of all four or a trifecta of the fi rst three. SONORAN HOT DOGS La Dogueria 6330 Ivy Street You’ll fi nd classic Sonoran dogs — hot dogs wrapped in bacon and topped with everything — at this food truck in Commerce City. You’ll also fi nd variations that include grilled steak, al pastor and melted mozzarella. There’s even one called the Embarazada (or pregnant), for which two hot dogs are butterfl ied and stuffed together, then wrapped in double bacon. Just be sure you like plenty of mayo, or start practic- ing the phrase, “Se suave con la mayonesa.” VEGAN DOGS Other Dog For anyone who wants their dog with no dog, pig, cow, chicken or other animal, Other Dog has solid vegan dogs and handmade Italian ice. A sister venture to The Easy Vegan, Other Dog will be at the City Park and South Pearl Street farmers’ markets this summer. Email the author at [email protected]. CAFE FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS Korean dogs at Two Hands combine sweet, salty, spicy, savory, fatty, crunchy and saucy all delivered on a stick. GABE TOTH
