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

quote:

Originally posted by kimosabe34

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!!

Based upon your posts here, in the NJ Hot Dogs thread, and on City Search, you went to Dogma in October of 2007. At that time, Dogma served a grilled Hebrew National hot dog. I cannot agree that a grilled Hebrew National hot dog is "crap".

I did note that in all three posts you advocate for Muncheez. I'll look them up.

Muncheez does it again... They are now grilling hot dogs .. they took out the fried dog cause it was destroying their oil

I finally found Muncheez on Miami Beach. This is the place which kimosabe34 has, in his only three posts on Roadfood.com, insisted was "the best". I think he is a shill, but sometimes shills can be right, so I went.

MUNCHEEZ 6940 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach


Here is the "menu" and the counter inside:


There are two tables outside, and two inside.

I visited twice, and had a plain hot dog with mustard and fries the first time, and a hot dog with sauerkraut on top, and onion rings, the second time.

Sauerkraut Hot dog:


Onion Rings, partially depleted:


The location is difficult to travel to. Construction, tourist traffic, and miserable parking availability all make it a struggle.

The fries are typical frozen, single-fried. They were hot and fresh, but undistinguished. The onion rings are thin and battered, no doubt from frozen, but nevertheless tasty (I'm an onion ring fan).

Here is what they do well: They flame grill a skinless Sabrett 1/10 hot dog to order. Very good, although small. The roll is just average. Unfortunately, the second time I visited I ordered the sauerkraut hot dog. The sauerkraut was refrigerator cold! I pointed this out to the owner when I left, and she said, "New Yorkers like it that way." Not in this NYC-born hot dog lover's experience. If you look at the right end of the counter, you will see, in front of the mustard and ketchup, a little condiment holder. There are sliced jalapenos and chopped onions which one can add to a 'dog.

I asked them about their chili dog, and the told me that they buy "Nestle's" chili for the hot dogs. I asked to see the can, but they had already transferred it to a plastic storage container. It sort of looked like an orange paste, and I could not force myself to try it. Maybe it is good, but the cold version in the bucket didn't appeal to me.

There is a variety of "junk food" on the menu, and grilled chicken breasts.

I can't imagine driving any distance at all to this place, but if you are staying in a hotel or condo in the neighborhood, and feel like a grilled, quality hot dog, it's worth a stroll.

MiamiDon-
You are doing a fine report here! Those onion rings do look greasy, but I bet they sure taste good. Keep it up and I'm looking forward to seeing where you go next.

quote:

Originally posted by buffetbuster

MiamiDon-
You are doing a fine report here! Those onion rings do look greasy, but I bet they sure taste good. Keep it up and I'm looking forward to seeing where you go next.

Hi BB. I was sidelined for a month due to a sprained back, but I'm at it again! I've been having a TravelinMan-like experience - four place I went to had gone out of business. I was looking forward to the "Chicago Hot Dog Factory", but no dice. Ditto with "Mega Dog". I had hopes of a Miami Superdawg. Dead and gone.

MiamiDon-
I'm glad to hear that you are well enough to check out the Miami hot dog scene for us.

I recently visited a place off 75 and the Miami Gardens 186th St exit, called Hall of Fame Hot Dogs and Wings. They serve Vienna Beefs regular skinless dogs, I tried the Chicago style, taste was pretty good, but the assembly of condiments was a little off. The fries were hot and fresh, probably some frozen brand. The menu was quite large, but I was in a rush, did not time to study it.

Cheers!

I do alot of driving in South FL. There is a good cart in Boynton Beach, on Woolbright west of 95, about a mile west of congress. His dog is a Sabrett natural casing. The bun I think is a Martins Potato Roll, but I could be wrong. Polish and italian sausages are available on a portable grill.
He is pretty much there weekdays during lunchtime and mid afternoon hours.

aribo

Thanks to Aribo's post, I discovered a new place for hot dogs. It is at 18600 NW 87th Avenue. It is in the new shopping center at the northwest corner of Miami Gardens Drive and Galloway Road. The west leg of the intersection is basicly the ramp from I-75.

Here is what I saw when I drove up:


Note the Vienna Beef poster in the middle, "This Hot Dog rated No Ketchup Under the Age of 17".


Here is the counter, with Pete the owner, who grew up in Chicago:



When I walked up, the owner asked me whether I was there for take-out. When I replied, "no", he told me to sit anywhere, and that he'd wait on me. Table service in a hot dog joint - great!


The theme of the decor, as you can see, is "sports bar". Even the floor is painted to mimic a football gridiron.

There was some memorabilia in a glass case:


I have never seen seating like this!


A couple of guys came in as I was leaving, with a little girl, and she immediately asked to sit in one of the "stand" seats.

Here is my Chicago Hot Dog and Fries:


It is a steamed Vienna Beef hot dog, with the usual Chicago condiments. I liked it; it had that good Vienna Beef hot dog flavor, and the veggies were crunchy and flavorful. I would have preferred that the mustard be applied to the hot dog first, but I am sure that they will do so, if asked. The bun was a Vienna Beef with poppy seeds. The fries are store-bought single-fried, with bits of skin left on. They were good, too.

After seeing me take photos, I confessed to Pete that I like comparing non-corporate informal restaurants. He asked me whether I liked jalapenos, and had the counter girl whip up a couple of "poppers".

Here are the poppers:


I bit off the end of one, so I could take a photo showing the cheesy interior, and the jalapeno.

The menu includes a variety of bar/junk-food, but half of the two pages is devoted to hot dogs. All are $3.00. There are 24 named, recommended, combinations of toppings, each of which is named after a major-league baseball city. The "Chicago" was easy, but with some of the others I don't get the association. For instance, Atlanta is mustard and sauerkraut, and NY is mustard, onions and sauerkraut. They will give you whatever you want, though.

There are all of the common barfood deep-fried goodies, a variety of wings, and, what I am interested in trying, Italian Beef, Italian Sausage and Beef & Sausage Combo sandwiches. Note the Vienna Italian Beef sign in the counter photo. There also are grilled or fried fish sandwiches.

I am going to return to try some of the other goodies. Based upon what I ate and saw so far, I would recommend the place.

---

FWIW, I found an amusing video of the owner's daughter making a Chicago-style Hot Dog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHhN7_QGKqw

---

3/19/08 Revisit

I went back today, and another one of the three partners was there.

Al, in front of the Fenway Park Green Monster:



A couple of guys got a "Hall of Fame" pitcher of beer:


There is a stainless, closed cylinder in the middle, filled with ice. I would have loved this back in my pub-crawling days!

Chili Dog with Onion Rings


The chili was an ordinary meaty chili with beans. The onion rings were golden and crunchy on the outside, with real rings of onion on the inside. The sauce on the side is honey-mustard.

I had time to speak with Al today, and got "busted". His son had shown him this Roadfood thread! We talked about the menu items, and I learned that the menu is outdated, and is soon to be redone. They got a flat-top grill, and more deep fryers and a hood. He says that they can and will fry your hot dog on the grill or in the deep fryer. They also will grill the onions on your hot dog, if requested. I got to sample two little 1" spherical, deep-fried brownies, filled with molten pastry cream. Delicious! (and I don't normally do dessert much)

Don, the Miami Hot Dog King !
Our Roadfood "Miami hot dog rep"!

And thanks for that popper shot! I love a good popper, the ones with the homemade batter...

Miami Don ,

Wow !!!
Great reports .
I love the decor of Hall Fame Hot dogs . Any place with the statue of Babe Ruth will get a shot at my business next time I'm down there .
The owner seems to be on the right path , taking care of the customer , taking pictures and making you fwwl at home .
Is it not great to talk to the owner when visiting a place and have a nice conversation instead of walking in , no greeting , and the owner has his head in the newspaper and does not even look up like some places up north .

The dogma place will not see a visit from me on price alone , they could probably use a good public relations firm actually.

Ron Jons is the biggest Surf Shop in the USA in Cocoa Beach Florida . I remember my visits there in the 90's when my parents retired to Merritt Island FL , the next town over .

Most recent visits were to Disney of course with the wife and three year old .

If I ever do make it down to Miami again soon I will take the good and bad of this thread and make a wonderful day out of dogs in miami area .

Benzee

Just back from 5 days in Fort Lauderdale area. Will post in more detail when I have a chance, but I had Chicago style dogs at the following:

Taste of Chicago - Margate
Fat Lou's - Hallandale
Hot Dog Heaven - Fort Lauderdale
Big City Dogs - Fort Lauderdale (the worst)
Hot Dog Central - Plantation (the best)

A couple of places I stopped at were closed permanently or on the day I visited, and I also stopped at Dogma in Fort Lauderdale, but did not eat.

hey Signman,
Welcome back from your baseball spring training/hot dog tour !

YES !! You made it to Hot Dog Central....!!! Hoped you liked it as much as I did...(glad you suggested it)

ellen

p.s. I did the Dogma in North Miami , which I will put in my "Florida, Part 3".
p.p.s. I just got bad Dogma vibes after reading about their lawsuit on page 2 of this thread.
(threatened by a basement "hotdogma" joint in Pittsburgh?!?)
Oh well, I'm glad I enjoyed that Dogma dog while I could...

I enjoyed my meal at Hall of Fame, the only complaint with my chicago dog was the yellow mustard applied at the very top of condiments. The mustard was not applied directly to the dog. Me personally, I also prefer a Vienna Natural Casing hot dog. I shall return soon to try those onion rings which look pretty good.

I have been to Fat Lou's on Hallandale Beach Blvd. and 95. They serve a pretty good Ripper there (for Florida that is), and a good Chicago Vienna Polish. I also liked their chicked fingers. very close and convenient to 95.

I also had an Italian beef sandwich, sweet and wet, at Fat Lou's. It was excellent and a great big value. Service from Valerie was very good.

I am waiting to try Hot Dog Central in Plantation.
I hear good things........

What happened to Michael's Red Hots on Broward Blvd? Did they move or close?
I miss eating there.

michaels went belly up, they still have a booming business in highland park illinois though

Excellent looking food, great report.Thanks, Don.Totally enjoyed the trip...

We all appreciate what you are putting yourself through to do this report for us. It's a tough job but someone has to do it, please keep it up.

I made the trip to Hot Dog Central in Plantation today. I am not affiliated with them, just contributing to the roadfood community.
I thought the food was great. I ordered their "Top Dog" 3.25 which is a split griddled beef frank from National Deli, topped with yellow mustard and house made corn relish. Very tasty. I did the combo for 2.95 extra, which was fries and drink.
Fries were Fresh Cut, real potato, hot fresh and real delicious.
I am studying the menu for my next trip.

aribo

That has to be one of the coolest placest I've ever seen. Now my wife & I are wanting to go!
I wonder how their wings are......maybe I'd finally get my first Chicago Dog? Thanks for the pics and reviews......

quote:

Originally posted by jimsock9

That has to be one of the coolest placest I've ever seen. Now my wife & I are wanting to go!
I wonder how their wings are......maybe I'd finally get my first Chicago Dog? Thanks for the pics and reviews......

Hi JS9. If you are sports-oriented, it is pretty cool. The two owners that I have met, who were serving tables when I went, were friendly, and enthusiastic about the food. Just remember to ask for the mustard to go on the dog! I want to try their Chicago Beef sandwich. I didn't ask what rolls they use, but the beef and "jus" are imported from Chicago. No doubt it is better in Chicago, but I think it would be fun to try.

I thought I would give the local mini-chain Franktitude a try again, and would order something different from last time, at another location.



Oops! It is closed for good already. I checked on the web site, and the North Miami Beach location has closed too, but they are planning a new one in the Dolphin Mall, which sounds like it would cannabalize business from the nearby Doral location. There is a downtown location (across from the east side of the old courthouse), but I would have to either pay heavily for parking, or walk about half a mile.

I have gone three times to the newer Dogma Grill that is in the city of North Miami at NE 9th Avenue and NE 125th Street. I like it better than the other Miami location.



There is free parking in the rear. This one had indoor, air-conditioned counter seating in addition to the outdoor seating. Because of the layout, the customer has direct contact with the cooks, who have been very accommodating to my requests. I discovered that they are perfectly happy to grill a hot dog "well-done", and even have a button for it on the cash register screen.

Here is my favorite cook, Kenol, preparing my fries order:


Kenol has just finished tossing the fries with some salt in the pan in front of him. They double-fry them here, and seem to do it right. The three orders I have had were good. The par-fried french fries are in the plastic bin slightly to his right. Also note the steam bin to the right of the grill, in which they warm the Vienna Beef poppy seed buns.

Fries at North Miami Dogma Grill:


On one visit I had the Pitchfork dog. It has bacon, grilled onions, melted cheddar and BBQ sauce.

Pitchfork Hot Dog:


This is a good combination. It's a natural, and I definitely will have one again.

Another time, I ordered the Burrito Dog.


That is two hot dogs, chili, yellow mustard, chopped onions, sour cream and shredded cheddar wrapped in a flour tortilla and grilled. For now, the bottle/can cooler is free for the asking.

Close-up of a Burrito Dog:


I cut it open to make the interior visible. All of the ingredients were fine, but beware that it is wet and messy. I think that it would be better without the mustard, and maybe without the sour cream. It was very filling.

I talked to a manager about the chili used in this and other hot dogs. He said that it is specifically meant to be like the chili used a Pink's of Hollywood. He actually said that it was "from" there, but he must have meant that the recipe was from there, I think. The first time I had some, I was expecting something like canned chili, and was startled by the difference, but now I understand what it is.

I like and recommend this location, based on my visits and purchases, and plan to return.

I went to that Dogma Grill last month. (even that same location)
Next time , I've got to try their corn dog!

quote:

Originally posted by ellen4641

I went to that Dogma Grill last month. (even that same location)
Next time , I've got to try their corn dog!

Your photo in the trip report got me motivated to upload my shots and describe the experience!

I like North Miami Dogma Grill too.

aribo

quote:

Originally posted by MiamiDon

I finally found Muncheez on Miami Beach. This is the place which kimosabe34 has, in his only three posts on Roadfood.com, insisted was "the best". I think he is a shill, but sometimes shills can be right, so I went.

MUNCHEEZ 6940 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach


Here is the "menu" and the counter inside:


There are two tables outside, and two inside.

I visited twice, and had a plain hot dog with mustard and fries the first time, and a hot dog with sauerkraut on top, and onion rings, the second time.

Sauerkraut Hot dog:


Onion Rings, partially depleted:


The location is difficult to travel to. Construction, tourist traffic, and miserable parking availability all make it a struggle.

The fries are typical frozen, single-fried. They were hot and fresh, but undistinguished. The onion rings are thin and battered, no doubt from frozen, but nevertheless tasty (I'm an onion ring fan).

Here is what they do well: They flame grill a skinless Sabrett 1/10 hot dog to order. Very good, although small. The roll is just average. Unfortunately, the second time I visited I ordered the sauerkraut hot dog. The sauerkraut was refrigerator cold! I pointed this out to the owner when I left, and she said, "New Yorkers like it that way." Not in this NYC-born hot dog lover's experience. If you look at the right end of the counter, you will see, in front of the mustard and ketchup, a little condiment holder. There are sliced jalapenos and chopped onions which one can add to a 'dog.

I asked them about their chili dog, and the told me that they buy "Nestle's" chili for the hot dogs. I asked to see the can, but they had already transferred it to a plastic storage container. It sort of looked like an orange paste, and I could not force myself to try it. Maybe it is good, but the cold version in the bucket didn't appeal to me.

There is a variety of "junk food" on the menu, and grilled chicken breasts.

I can't imagine driving any distance at all to this place, but if you are staying in a hotel or condo in the neighborhood, and feel like a grilled, quality hot dog, it's worth a stroll.

Muncheez is a wing shop not a hotdog stand... Poor guys there.... I hung out with him one night and he was like who wrote what about my dogs??? Why don't they tell me in my face??I think that pretty much makes him a native NYer....LOL... I calmed him down thought.. He pointed out that he is not a hotdog stand and Kraut is cold because he doesnt sell many dogs so it would be a lost to him or a price hike on the customers. If you want the kraut heated just ask he said.Besides I am a wing shop.everything else is just stuff he doesn't see in his area."Very TRUE!" It's all the same over price spanish dishes in the area.They primarily focus on deliveries also.They are in a heavily populated hotel area.Regardless they are all american street foods.Very reasonbly priced and I as a customer will and can recommend them for good eats.He did make note and changed his onion rings.Now he has these fat O-rings. His fries are like anyone elses.except he tends to make them close to well done now and days.. He had to adjust to the way the people of Miami eat.They eat everything well done for reasons unknown.Now before we all make fun of his hotdogs.He uses wonder bread for his bun.He stopped toating them cause he relized it dried out the bread.and his chili comes out of a dispenser.He would love to make it from scratch but he doesnt sell enough of it yet to do that.Now his wings are to die for...He uses the original Anchor Bar Sauces except the BBQ/Honey..Plus he double fries the wings to make them crispy.(2 Fryers side by side.) he wont tell me the blend of oils he uses though but they are zero trans fat..Grilled chicken is fresh and his grilled chicken flatbread is AwsomE!I would love to post pictures on this site of all his newest stuff but im not sure how to do that.Good luck Muncheez and I'll see you Memorial Day Week.I have to be there for work..
PS.... Don't ask the cashier about anything about his food...He's the one cooking not her.He gets pretty irritated when she answers as a native NYer....But if you get to hangout with him , he's like the coolest dude.A bit of a skirt chaser though...and loves a hot girl serving his beer...He gets strange like that..