Man Bites Dog hot dog trailer

[Rice Checks]

Just got back from "Man Bites Dog" in the South Austin trailer park. I was gonna post this in the "Best hot dogs" thread, but I realized this wasn't a glorious experience, so decided to create my own thread.

The actual dogs themselves were very good. The toppings, however, proved a disappointment. I would definitely eat there again, but would likely take more ownership over what toppings I chose.

I had the chili cheese dog, and the Italian Stallion. First the chili cheese dog. I loathe raw onions, so did without the little f*ckers. The dog was a Vienna beef frank, I believe. It was damned good. It was big and cooked perfectly. The bun was also good. Toasted, it held up to the big dog and the generous chili and cheese topping. I will call the chili mediocre (and I'm being nice). I know you shouldn't expect mind-blowing chili from a hot dog trailer, but it was very near "poor" in quality. It wasn't better than the chili at Weinerschnitzel. It was enough of a disappointment that I probably wouldn't order a chili dog from them again. They DID give a lot of it, though. So if you like copious amounts of chili on a damned fine dog, give it a try.

The Italian Stallion was a pepperoni-wrapped sweet italian sausage with provolone cheese and marinara sauce. Again, the dog (sweet Italian sausage) and the bun were good. As much as I like obnoxious displays of meatery, with the size of the sausage the pepperoni might have been overkill. The story of the Italian Stallion, however, is with the marinara sauce. It was thick red goop. It was thick and looked like "marinara concentrate" spooned directly from a very large can. It had very little flavor, was visually unpleasing, and was lukewarm (probably warmed from the dog itself). I've had better marinara from Ragu.

I'd eat there again, though. The chili dog and the Italian Stallion were from their list of "specials". They have a large list of topping choices from which you can create your own dog. Multiple types of wieners, various cheeses, etc. If I find myself craving a dog and am in South Austin, I'd give them another shot, but would pick and choose my toppings more carefully.

Overall, I'd give them 3 thumbs up, out of a possible 5 thumbs.

[jmkpub]

I've eaten at Man Bites Dog a few times, and I've always had a good experience. My personal favorite is the Bird Dog, which has a large chicken sausage (from Central Market I think) and pesto mayo with a corn relish. Consistently good. Others in my family have enjoyed various dogs, including the chili dog, a plain dog (ok she's only 9) and the one with Brie and a sweet sauce. The buns, actually kolache buns, are extraordinary. All good.