As I mentioned last Friday, I’ve been sandbagging some photos of my lunch from Tasty 8’s, a new fancy hot dog place in downtown Raleigh. They have eight dogs on their menu, all with a crazy variety of toppings. They also have fresh cut fries and sweet potato fries, and if you order them you can choose from eight different dipping sauces… or just use ketchup (if you’re boring). I went with my friend Christina on the first day they were open (I get my incredibly up-to-date Triangle restaurant news from this guy) and the line was down the street. People love a good hot dog and I am no exception.
Tasty 8’s also has corndogs (which I find awesome and hilarious) if you are so inclined. And much to our relief, they will be open until 3 AM on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays. Um yeah, they’re going to make a killing. During those late night hours, I will wait in line for the nasty/delicious boiled hot dogs that those guys with the little carts sell on the streets downtown (and be really excited when I get one). Needless to say, Tasty 8’s is more than a step above that, so now I have some options.
Anyway, with eight choices of dogs, this trip to Tasty 8’s entailed a tough decision for me (except that I easily ruled out the Tree Hugger… yeah, the one with no actual meat). I almost got two dogs, but as I had walked there with a slight hangover in the heat of the noon August sun, I decided to just do one with fries. Yeah, it was plenty.
El Perro
This is El Perro. He is a cheddar-jalapeño brat topped with chorizo queso (my main reason for choosing him) along with Mexican crema, guacamole, salsa, and fresh chopped jalapeños. Altogether delicious, though the salsa and guac may have cooled him down a bit as we walked to Paddy O’Beers for refreshments and picnic tables, so I may not have eaten him in his prime. Also the dog was split into two pieces, so it was a little messy, but hey, who do I have to impress? The fries were covered in a delicious seasoning salt (which they weren’t stingy with, thank goodness).
Christina got The National; just imagine a brat with pimento cheese, chow chow, and fried okra on top. Who thinks of this shit? And while I don’t have a close-up of her dog, here is an excellent picture of her for your viewing pleasure.
“I ran here. I deserve this hot dog.” Photo cred: Me. Filter cred: Tina.
Tasty 8’s also has milkshakes and draft beers. The guy at the window taking orders was super friendly. We did wait in line a little while, but it was opening day. I’d go back to try all the dogs (okay, still maybe not the Tree Hugger). We took our food to go, but you can also eat in the actual restaurant. I hope to return to Tasty 8’s soon, maybe late night, for The Rising Sun (the Asian dog) or Yo Adrian (the philly cheesesteak dog). What a menu! I’m grateful for hot dogs.
Tasty 8’s is located at 121 Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. They are open Monday-Wednesday from 11 AM until 10PM and Thursday-Saturday from 11 AM until 3 AM. They serve 8 gourmet hot dogs and have 8 microbrews on draft. Might get a little crowded during lunch hours.
