These aren’t franks you’d find at the ballpark or by the National Mall. Owners Pamela Swanson and Lionel Holmes may be running an order-at-the-counter hot-dog place, but their eye for detail makes the fare worthy of a casual bistro. The meat is high-quality–the lamb dog comes from Loudoun County’s Fields of Athenry, a source for many local-leaning restaurants–and the dogs aren’t steamed but grilled, one reason the casings pop when you bite into them. The buns are slathered with butter and flattened atop the grill.
Hot dogs are usually the stuff of between-meal snacking or eating on the run. Swanson and Holmes make you want to sit down and savor.
Also good: Coney Island dog with onions and mustard; N.Y. Reuben dog with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing (you have to ask for it); French fries; Eskimo dog, a cinnamon-and-brown-sugar-dusted hot-dog bun with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.
Open Monday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
