Hot Dogs in Miami [10/2/09 Update]

This is the place that threatened legal action against a small hot dog restaurant in Pittsburgh called Hot Dogma. Hot Dogma was located in the basement of a church. There was no exhaust system, so the dogs were cooked on a small George Foreman grill. They use Boars Head natural casing all beef dogs which are, in my opinion superior to the skinless National Deli brand dog. Because of the threatened lawsuit, Hot Dogma was forced to change their name to Franktuary. Why a place in Florida feels threatened by a tiny restaurant in Pittsburgh is beyond my comprehension. Talk about frivilous lawsuits!

I also read something online while doing a search that stated that one of the owners of this place left his glasses in one of the restaurants. He called looking for them and said if they weren't located, he would dock the pay of all of his employees, including those who weren't on duty at the time! Not the type of place I would ever patronize even if they had an exceptional hot dog.

quote:

Originally posted by John Fox

This is the place that threatened legal action against a small hot dog restaurant in Pittsburgh called Hot Dogma. Hot Dogma was located in the basement of a church. There was no exhaust system, so the dogs were cooked on a small George Foreman grill. They use Boars Head natural casing all beef dogs which are, in my opinion superior to the skinless National Deli brand dog. Because of the threatened lawsuit, Hot Dogma was forced to change their name to Franktuary. Why a place in Florida feels threatened by a tiny restaurant in Pittsburgh is beyond my comprehension. Talk about frivilous lawsuits!

I also read something online while doing a search that stated that one of the owners of this place left his glasses in one of the restaurants. He called looking for them and said if they weren't located, he would dock the pay of all of his employees, including those who weren't on duty at the time! Not the type of place I would ever patronize even if they had an exceptional hot dog.

Hot Dogma was a business. They were on the "Recipe for Success" television show, and one of the founders stated that he wanted to be the Dave Thomas of the hot dog world. Dave Thomas, as you are no doubt aware, is the founder of the Wendy's chain. That would seem to indicate to a reasonable person that he wanted to franchise thousands of Hot Dogma restaurants.

Dogma is a registered trademark of the Dogma Grill. If Dogma Grill ignores the use of their registered trademark "Dogma" by another hot dog restaurant, they will lose the right to exclusive use, and an enterprising individual could open a hot dog restaurant across the street from them using that name. Maybe they don't want Hot Dogma to open franchises across the street from their restaurants.

What they did was sound business practice, and entirely in keeping with trademark law practice.

Disclaimer: I have no, nada, zero (0) connection to Dogma Grill.

quote:

Originally posted by John Fox

I also read something online while doing a search that stated that one of the owners of this place left his glasses in one of the restaurants. He called looking for them and said if they weren't located, he would dock the pay of all of his employees, including those who weren't on duty at the time! Not the type of place I would ever patronize even if they had an exceptional hot dog.

I would love to have a boss tell me he is going to dock my pay if I don't find his glasses he left behind.

I remember John posting the story a year or so ago.. I think the makers of Weber should sue Dogma Grill for using the word 'grill' in their name. Pretty much the same difference with Dogma Grill vs. Hot Dogma. I seriously doubt there would have been any confusion between the two names, and the whole case was another example how our legal system gets tied up over frivolous yada yada yada..

quote:

Originally posted by UncleVic

I remember John posting the story a year or so ago.. I think the makers of Weber should sue Dogma Grill for using the word 'grill' in their name. Pretty much the same difference with Dogma Grill vs. Hot Dogma. I seriously doubt there would have been any confusion between the two names, and the whole case was another example how our legal system gets tied up over frivolous yada yada yada..

Do you really think Weber has a registered trademark for the word grill?

Well, thats the name of their product, "Weber Grill", so I imagine they would..

quote:

Originally posted by UncleVic

Well, thats the name of their product, "Weber Grill", so I imagine they would..

I wonder what would happen if I started making bbq grills in the basement and marketing them with the name of Weber in the title of my company? After all, I'm just a little guy.



Anyway, I am heading out to vote, and to visit another hot dog joint.

Happy Voting! Be awaiting your next dog report...

quote:

Originally posted by MiamiDon

quote:

Originally posted by John Fox

This is the place that threatened legal action against a small hot dog restaurant in Pittsburgh called Hot Dogma. Hot Dogma was located in the basement of a church. There was no exhaust system, so the dogs were cooked on a small George Foreman grill. They use Boars Head natural casing all beef dogs which are, in my opinion superior to the skinless National Deli brand dog. Because of the threatened lawsuit, Hot Dogma was forced to change their name to Franktuary. Why a place in Florida feels threatened by a tiny restaurant in Pittsburgh is beyond my comprehension. Talk about frivilous lawsuits!

I also read something online while doing a search that stated that one of the owners of this place left his glasses in one of the restaurants. He called looking for them and said if they weren't located, he would dock the pay of all of his employees, including those who weren't on duty at the time! Not the type of place I would ever patronize even if they had an exceptional hot dog.

Hot Dogma was a business. They were on the "Recipe for Success" television show, btw. Dogma is a registered trademark of the Dogma Grill. If Dogma Grill ignores the use of their registered trademark by another hot dog restaurant, they will lose the right to exclusive use, and an enterprising individual could open a hot dog restaurant across the street from them using that name.

What they did was sound business practice.

Disclaimer: I have no, nada, zero (0) connection to Dogma Grill.

If Dogma Grill had a registered trademark, I could possibly understand them being concerned if Hot Dogma opened across the street. Then again, if Hot Dogma wanted to open nearby, they would have probably chosen a different name. But to threaten a place in Pittsburgh is just plain petty. How many hot dog restaurants have the name "Coney Island" in them? But people manage to differentiate between them. I even sent an e-mail to Dogma Grill which they failed to respond to. It's quite humorous that one of the owners would look to penalize his own employees (including those who weren't working at the time) for his own carelessness.

I met the owner of Hot Dogma (now Franktuary) when he came home from Pittsburgh to visit family. He grew up one town over from me and we met at the Galloping Hill Inn for a dog. At the time he was going to ignore the letter he got from Dogma Grill's attorneys hoping they wouldn't pursue the matter. When it turned out that they were serious, Hot Dogma had to change the name rather than incur legal fees that they (as a small business) couldn't afford. A shame. But thanks to a segment on the Food Network some years back, Hot Dogma got some exposure, which greatly helped their business. Tim, the owner said at the time they were barely making ends meet and were considering closing. The exposure brought in new customers and helped them turn the corner. They are doing well and looking to open new locations. I wish them great success. Can't say the same for Dogma Grill or their careless owner. What goes around comes around. I'll try to find some of what I read online. I remember reading a lot of negative comments about the Dogma Grill. Not so much about the food but the service. I think I would sooner eat a veggie dog elsewhere then enter a Dogma Grill.

http://criticalmiami.com/index.php?id=940

Some of what I mentioned is in the above link. Be warned about some salty language.

http://pittsblog.blogspot.com/2005/06/hot-dogma.html

more

quote:

Originally posted by John Fox

http://criticalmiami.com/index.php?id=940

Some of what I mentioned is in the above link. Be warned about some salty language.

The only proof you have about the "alleged" missing glasses story is a post on a website by a guy named John? Hmmmm.

I've heard it elsewhere as well. I'll try to find it. And I'm not the John who posted. Regardless of whether the glasses story is true, Dogma Grill did threaten legal action against a small business miles away. Reason enough for me to not patronize them.

quote:

Originally posted by John Fox

I've heard it elsewhere as well. I'll try to find it. And I'm not the John who posted. Regardless of whether the glasses story is true, Dogma Grill did threaten legal action against a small business miles away. Reason enough for me to not patronize them.

I wasn't implying you where the one who posted it and I apologize if you took it that way.

I guess when I see something like that stated about a business owner (who would most likely be breaking the law if he did it) I would think there would be more solid proof.

MiamiDon sorry about your accident but I'm glad your feeling better. Thanks for the review and pics of Dogma Grill, I'm just dissapointed people use this forum to argue about frivolous things. I can't wait to see your next review. I don't have many South Florida locations on my website. www.hotdoggintheus.com

Hotdoggintheus, You hit the mark saying "Frivolous". Thats the reason Dogma Grill is scarred in their own way.

But I'm ready for the next review myself!

quote:

Originally posted by John Fox

http://criticalmiami.com/index.php?id=940

Some of what I mentioned is in the above link. Be warned about some salty language.

I listen to guys like you about food, and respect your food views. The Critical Miami crowd comes off (and I had read them before) as a bunch of ignorant Gen-X/Y twits shouting obscenities from behind a keyboard. I wouldn't be surprised if few if any of them had actually been to a Dogma Grill. Note the preference for a 7/11 dog to a grilled Hebrew National or (as recently changed to) a National Deli dog.

Note the preferences for an Arbetter's dog. The Arbetter's dog is a boiled no-name, mixed-pedigree dog on a plain Wonder-bread-like roll. The place has character and history, but gets a "C" at best from me for the basic hot dog. That's why it was not submitted for a formal Roadfood.com review. I went there three times, and tasted various combinations, exactly because of the on-line local blather about it, and the food was as unexceptional as I remembered from the other year. It was a trip down memory lane for Roosy90 and me (we went to high school just up the road from there), but I am hunting for better.

This is the same crowd that votes in local polls for Domino's as the best pizza around.

Anyway, on to better things, like other, non-controversial hot dog joints!

quote:

Originally posted by Hotdoggintheus

MiamiDon sorry about your accident but I'm glad your feeling better. Thanks for the review and pics of Dogma Grill, I'm just dissapointed people use this forum to argue about frivolous things. I can't wait to see your next review. I don't have many South Florida locations on my website. www.hotdoggintheus.com

Thanks. I actually missed today's 'dog run, because paperwork and talking to claims adjusters and waiting in a clinic took four hours today. I have some happy pills, and an appointment for physical therapy.

I think a similar thing happened here in Myrtle Beach with the RON JON name.
There is a rest/sports bar with the name Ron Jon's Beef and Burgers, but the surf shop is Ron Jon...
I heard there was a cease and desist, but the restaurant won out because of the "S" on the end of Jon..
Logo was eerily close also....

quote:

Originally posted by UncleVic

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

That chilly dog looks like a straight out of the package dog from the local market...and undercooked> How was it????
leethebard

How can you tell it looks undercooked?.. Its covered with chili..

I was going to say... Hot dogs are pre-cooked.. All you do is heat them up.
Nice pics there Don.. Thanks for posting them...

True but how you heat them up is VERY important. Boiling is never an option....Russ

Get well there Don.. Happy pills should set ya straight this evening! Plenty of days, along with summer coming up to do the hot dog travels.

Great report and pic's Don, thanks. Get well and keep em coming.

quote:

Originally posted by NebGuy

quote:

Originally posted by John Fox

I've heard it elsewhere as well. I'll try to find it. And I'm not the John who posted. Regardless of whether the glasses story is true, Dogma Grill did threaten legal action against a small business miles away. Reason enough for me to not patronize them.

I wasn't implying you where the one who posted it and I apologize if you took it that way.

I guess when I see something like that stated about a business owner (who would most likely be breaking the law if he did it) I would think there would be more solid proof.

I'm sorry, I thought perhaps you were implying that I posted it. You know, when I post about hot dogs and hot dog restaurants, I almost always stick to just the food and service. But in this case I followed the progress of Hot Dogma in Pittsburgh since they opened. I've corresponded with the owners (Meghan and Tim) via e-mail, and met Tim in person. It just bothered me that someone who struggled so hard to open their own business and establish a clientele would be forced to change their name by someone operating all across the country. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned the glasses story, since it is hearsay, but there is no doubt that Dogma Grill threatened legal action (wrongly in my opinion) against someone who I feel doesn't deserve it.

Something similar happenned a few years ago to a friend of mine. He owns a small microbrewery called Climax Brewing Co. There is another brewery called Climax somewhere in California. Both produce small amounts of beer with very limited distribution. My friend was sent a cease and desist letter even though he insisted he was open first. He ignored the letter and nothing became of it.

THIS LOCATION IS CLOSED!!

The hot dog joint of the day is -

Franktitude in Doral

2600 NW 87 Ave
Doral, FL
http://franktitude.com/

This seems to be an instant mini-chain started up locally here not too long ago. The emphasis seems to me to be way to much on "concept" and "style", but that could be because I am an old fart. Your twenty-something child may just love it.

The Doral location, one mile west of the Miami International Airport, is in a sort of high end office/restaurant strip mall kind of a building. When one enters, your eye is first drawn to the plasma screen flashing an advertising video with hipsters enjoying hot dogs. Then you notice the wall-covering murals and advertising. If a hip web-site designer got into the hot dog business, this would be the result.

Franktitude Plasma and Mural


Here is the counter:


Note the microwave.

They serve an all-beef, kosher-style dog, an extra-long version of the same, a turkey dog, a vegetarian dog and a knockwurst. They have many traditional and non-traditional toppings. The regular hot dog roll is available in white or whole-wheat. They also will serve dogs in a panino, a ciabatta roll or a tortilla. Sides are fries, or sweet-potato fries. The addition of tuna salad, smoked turkey, corned beef and chicken strips enables them to combine those items with the various toppings to make to make salads and sandwiches.

The regular-sized hot dogs are $3.49, with unlimited toppings. The corn dog is the same price. For $3.99 you can get the knockwurst, or a weird hot-dog-shaped tubular inside-out "cheeseburger frank", or a "Friendly Frank", which is a sliced hot dog on top of chili-cheese fries (which doesn't sound bad).

In addition to mustard, ketchup, sauerkraut, chili and cheese sauce, the unusual toppings are horseradish sauce, wasabi mayo, salsa, carrots, jalapenos, avocado spread, baked beans, hummus, potato strings, fried onions, cole slaw and more.

If the choice of toppings leaves you trembling with indecision, they have three house favorites:

Completo Frank- Cheese, diced tomato, avocado spread, and mayo

Chili Cheese Frank - Chili, cheese, diced onions, cheese sauce

Unique Frank - Avocado spread, diced tomato, wasabi mayo, and bacon


I ordered a Chili Cheese Frank and a plain with mustard:


I ate the mustard dog first. The girl who prepared it did a really nice job of making uniform squiggles of yellow mustard all along the hot dog. Unfortunately, this put about a quarter cup of mustard on the dog. Too much for me. The roll was undistinguished. The hot dog had a spicy/garlicky NY/Kosher taste and was about 1/8 pound and skinless. It was heated/cooked on a sort of beefed-up roller grill, and had some color too it, but of course no nice marking like from a flat-top grill.

The french fries were bad. If I were in a different mood, I would have demanded that they try again. They were dry, crunchy and not very warm. (maybe sitting under a heat lamp?) The next person who came ordered fries, and I saw the worker take a fresh bunch from a bag and put them in the oil. I looks like it was my bad luck to get old fries. I should have complained.

On to the chili dog. The "cheese sauce" came out of a squeeze bottle, and I could not readily discern its flavor after it melted into the chili. There was a lot of stuff on this one for hand-held eating. I would have given it a "thumbs up", except for one thing. It had BEANS in the chili! That's a no-no for me.

Summary:

I don't enjoy the hip-to-the-max styling of the place. Maybe I should think of it as Chuck-E-Cheese for the teen-aged set.

The basic nude hot dog is ok. One would have to "take control" to make sure that toppings are added in the order one likes. Leave off the chili if you don't like beans on your hot dogs.

My fries sucked, but yours may not.


Cost for basic hot dog + fries + coke = $5.49 (unlimited refills)


Not recommended at this time, unless you just want to see a 21st-century, hip, hot-dog joint. I plan to go to another site, to try the sweet potato fries and to control the toppings better, and re-try the french fries.

[to be continued]

That photo on the wall of the Cheesy Frank looks like it has diced tomatoes on the dog?.....

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90

That photo on the wall of the Cheesy Frank looks like it has diced tomatoes on the dog?.....

Yup! Just like on a Myrtle Beach DC Dog. I'll bet they are great on the veggie dog, with some hummus and wasabi mayo.

BTW, I added a more complete toppings list.

Don, It sounds like you got a bum rap on everything there..
You shoulda marched right back and demanded fresh fries..
I would have if I had been with you....
That basically is just cheap on their part.
I would rather have a satisfied customer, than be bad-mouthed for crappy food, eh?....
But thanks for the report,. This is how we know what to avoid, and where to go......
I dont know if I would eat a veggie dog.. I mean, its almost like drinking a NA beer?....
(However, I have eated veggie burgers before)

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90

Don, It sounds like you got a bum rap on everything there..
You shoulda marched right back and demanded fresh fries..
I would have if I had been with you....
That basically is just cheap on their part.
I would rather have a satisfied customer, than be bad-mouthed for crappy food, eh?....
But thanks for the report,. This is how we know what to avoid, and where to go......
I dont know if I would eat a veggie dog.. I mean, its almost like drinking a NA beer?....
(However, I have eated veggie burgers before)

You are right about the fries, but my back was killing me, and so I guess I was a bit distracted.

I have never actually tried a veggie hot dog. Maybe with a lot of chili and cheese...

I have a choice of two places on South Beach for tomorrow... If I can find parking, and if they are still open. Restaurants on SoBe open and close like lightning.

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90

I dont know if I would eat a veggie dog.. I mean, its almost like drinking a NA beer?....
(However, I have eated veggie burgers before)

I tried 3 different veggie dogs some years ago when I was dating a vegetarian. All were like a tube of tasteless mush.
Morningstar brand
Yves brand
I can't recall the name but

DOGMA is over priced!!!!!!!..and the hotdogs are crap.....I had a deep fried dog at Muncheez in Miami on collins and 65 st ... WOAH!!!!Never had those before but dam they were great.....I hope these guys put more junkfood on their menu soon.. They have alot of goodies!!