Clearly, Little Rock is no stranger to the mobile hot dog cart…indeed, most cities are quite familiar with the hot dog street vendor in some shape or form. Hot dogs make for one of the most convenient and simplest foods to consume on the go. Now there’s a new face in the hot dog arena and they’ve been popping up around Little Rock for the last few months, reminding people just what a hot dog can do.
I caught up with Hot Rod Wieners at last week’s monthly food truck gathering at the Westover Hills Presbyterian church (happening the second Wednesday of every month). After perusing their menu, I determined that these folks’ food would make up the bulk of my eating at this already difficult-to-decide event. I noticed they were making all their buns from scratch, the dogs are all beef kosher franks…I was sold. But selecting which of their dogs to try was the most difficult part of this equation.
In the end, I was able to sample three of the five dogs offered that day. First came the “Italian Stallion,” topped with a scoop of bright red, spicy marinara, provolone cheese, crispy pepperoni, and a few shavings of parmesan. It was impressive. The flavors were bold and balanced. The blend of crispy, salty pepperoni was a nice counter to the slightly spicy, tangy red sauce. The buns were wonderful—housemade, soft and herbaceous…a perfect accompaniment to the marinara.
Then there was the “Hot Cheese Injection,” which sounded a bit like a very painful and slightly twisted cosmetic procedure, but luckily, it was also quite pleasing overall. It was topped with a hot pepper relish, white cheese sauce, and a dash of hot sauce. It was simpler, with flavors less pronounced than the Italian dog, but enjoyable nonetheless. Lastly we sampled the “Stang’er,” topped with bits of bacon, a sweet barbecue sauce, and grilled onions. Another solid dog, served hot with a nice balance of sweet and salty amongst the added toppings.
Each dog will set you back about $3.75, but all of them were worth that price in my opinion. In fact, I may or may not have bought another “Italian Stallion” to-go to take home to my significant other. It may or may not have actually made it home.
Keep up with Hot Rod Wieners through the usual outlets…Facebook and Twitter Their home base is actually in Austin, AR, but they’ve been frequenting Little Rock a bit more lately. It’s worth your time to check out what they’ve got going on. Certainly a cut above your average dog cart.