Bark Hot Dogs
"From an ex-Cafe Gray vet and his Franny's alum partner, Bark's taking the dirty water denizen and splendiferizing it with elevated accoutrements and a meticulous attention to detail -- like Pimp My Ride for the Oscar Mayer Wiener Mobile," says Thrillist. "The franks (including an all-beef version) are churned out upstate by a venerable Austrian sausage maker, the beans are of the heirloom variety, and the bacon from S. Wallace Edwards & Sons," says New York magazine.
"There are 10 varieties to choose from, including one with pickled hot-pepper relish, another with sweet-and-sour onions. A handful of sandwiches (crispy pork, chorizo) and shakes (blueberry with crème fraiche) round out the menu, and Sharkey says he plans to eventually introduce seasonal dogs like a lamb-sausage version," says Metromix.
And Caroline Russock for Serious Eats adds, "Everything that I sampled at Bark was pretty damn near perfect. The dogs are stupendous and the fries were some of the best I've had in a long time (house-made, thin, perfectly fried and seasoned, and gone in under a minute). The drinks measure up to the rest of the menu, with four beers on tap (including Six Points and Kelso), all Brooklyn brewed and all a mere $3 a pint." How would you rate Bark?
Reviews (27)
bmfesq wrote a review on October 22, 2009 12:27 PM
$6-$7 hotdogs? gourmet hotdogs? can you say those two words together? I wish them the best but that is a tough sell.
BSD wrote a review on October 22, 2009 12:34 PM
For the prices, you'd expect better. For the positioning to be all about "gourmet" hot dogs, you'd expect a more varied and unique assortment. Pleasant atmosphere and 'green' angle, and good beer.
CG_ups wrote a review on October 22, 2009 12:37 PM
their hot dogs are good, and it seems to be very popular so there must be demand in the neighborhood. i think the shtick is more that you can get all sorts of crazy toppingsrather than a mind-blowingly good hotdog. personally, i think the best upscale hotdogs (oxymoron?) in the city are the neiman ranch dogs served at westville. they are jumbo (make bark dogs look like itty bitty puppies) and $4/dog with choice of limited toppings. they are freakin awesome.
Butterfly wrote a review on October 22, 2009 12:40 PM
quote:
and 'green' angle
uh, no. we dont need anymore of the "green" bullcrap it's getting really tired and cliche.
viva la CFC's!
and yes 10 bux for a hotdog is absurd. but so it 7 dollars for a glass of wine and that seems to be the avg. oh well.
*rob*
Brenda from Flatbush wrote a review on October 22, 2009 12:42 PM
Where is Westville with its Nieman Ranch dogs? Some of us are obsessed with guilt-free hot dogs, y'know. Well, obsessed with hot dogs and eager to avoid guilt...
infinitejester wrote a review on October 22, 2009 12:47 PM
I just noticed - the bottom two choices for "Value" are "Total ripoff" and "Very overpriced" - I would mark this place as "Not always worth it." It faces a busy subway stop so you can people watch. The ambience to me is pretty good. Also half the time you're there you just read the lists and lists of where they get everything from.
This place is close to my apartment so I kind of default there when I want a quickie nightcap meal, like last Friday when my local was jammed with Yankees watchers.
The hotdogs are good but if you eat more than one, your face starts to sweat. Get one dog, some fries, a shake or beer.
Pork sandwich - split patties of pork which fall out as you eat. Tons of mayo applied to the bun.
I noticed they have an "All You Can Drink" deal at night, $15.
East New York wrote a review on October 22, 2009 12:57 PM
I LOVE hot dogs, but to me the idea of a gourmet hot dog restaurant is a bit of overkill. You're not going to improve on an authentic Nathan's frank. Can't be done. But, if there's any place that's appropriate for a gourmet hot dog joint, it's definitely Park Slope.
JIPS wrote a review on October 22, 2009 12:58 PM
Rob, the dogs are $4 to $6, not $10, and 12 oz. beers (not pints) are only $3. Plus, these aren't crappy "who knows what's in there" hot dogs. The meat is high quality and sourced from an Austrian butcher. Not saying it's worth paying $5 for a hot dog every day, but it's worth paying more for a better quality product. Don't like it? Don't buy it. But why b*tch about everything constantly?
wi hold wrote a review on October 22, 2009 1:00 PM
The draft beers aren't $3, they are $4, which is average. Not actually an awesome deal. (Maybe the author of this article was given a deal for writing such a nice review.)
I like the place for what it is. But the actual hot dogs, apart from the bun and toppings, weren't as good as I thought they would be for the price.
11217 wrote a review on October 22, 2009 1:03 PM
I LOOOOVE Bark. Eat here regularly. Well, once a week, maybe. Usually late night, which is great as they are open till 2am.
Six Points makes their own special ale for Bark and on Friday and Saturday from 10pm till close it's $15 all you can drink. A SUPER deal and really great beer.
The hot dogs are delicious and the buns are homemade and not your run of the mill type. All the toppings are handmade and on the level of toppings used over at Franny's for their pizzas. This isn't a hot dog cart vendor.
And the DISCO FRIES are the best thing since sliced bread. I mean, outrageously good.
The place is always packed, which is great to see.
Butterfly wrote a review on October 22, 2009 1:08 PM
quote:
Rob, the dogs are $4 to $6, not $10, and 12 oz. beers (not pints) are only $3.
well who eats just ONE hot dog!? they had a similar place on the lower east side on orchard street in like 2005 or so, it didnt last long. but it was essentially the same exact business model. but things never really last long on the LES it had a funny name too, i wish i could remember the name!
*rob*
Biff Champion wrote a review on October 22, 2009 2:00 PM
"but to me the idea of a gourmet hot dog restaurant is a bit of overkill. You're not going to improve on an authentic Nathan's frank."
Exactly. I finally went to that "gourmet" hot dog guy down in DUMBO by Eagle Warehouse that everyone praises. An average hot dog at best and the bun was the most stale I've ever had. I would say Five Guys has much better hot dogs. And at least they are reasonable at around $4 versus these other gourmet places.
phbalanced wrote a review on October 22, 2009 2:18 PM
I was underwhelmed with the hot dog when I ate there. I prefer the kosher-style dog, so I'm willing to try the all-beef one next time I find myself on the block, but the price and the preciousness both grate. The onion rings, on the other hand, were fantastic.
The service was very helpful and friendly, but surprisingly slow - I waited longer here than I did last time I ate at the Shake Shack!
daveinbedstuy wrote a review on October 22, 2009 2:26 PM
Compare menus & prices....
http://www.hotdougs.com/menu.htm
CG_ups wrote a review on October 22, 2009 2:30 PM
Brenda - Westville is on West 10th street bet bleecker and 7th ave. 1 dog + fries is a heap of food. Westville is one of my favorite restaurants in the village. They always have a shitass long wait though. There are always people milling around the front, walk straight to the clipboard by the door and write your name down. People will sometimes stand around and not do that, not realizing that is how they determine the order in which people get seated.
CG_ups wrote a review on October 22, 2009 2:30 PM
Brenda - Westville is on West 10th street bet bleecker and 7th ave. 1 dog + fries is a heap of food. Westville is one of my favorite restaurants in the village. They always have a shitass long wait though. There are always people milling around the front, walk straight to the clipboard by the door and write your name down. People will sometimes stand around and not do that, not realizing that is how they determine the order in which people get seated.
Biff Champion wrote a review on October 22, 2009 2:31 PM
DIBS, that place looks great. And I'm certain the dogs are much better there than at most places in NY. Shows how out of control this city is in certain ways. Notice how the menu looks "down to earth" versus some places in New York that appear pretentious even when selling freaking hot dogs!
CG_ups wrote a review on October 22, 2009 2:33 PM
oof party foul. double post. but westville is THAT good. :) ps. disco fries were invented in jersey diners! mmmmm good stuff. you can get almost any diner to make them though. just get cheese fries with gravy on top. voila!
stmarkssleuth wrote a review on October 22, 2009 2:33 PM
the beers are the best thing about this place. and the coffee. as a decaf drinker (we are usually subjected to a 3-hour old cup of coffee), I was pleasantly surprised when a very helpful blonde lady apologized that it would take a few minutes on my coffee- she was going to make it fresh in a french press! It was bar none the best cup of decaf coffee I have ever had in my life. I appreciated the special attention and it was well worth the wait.
as far as the food goes, I have been there for both breakfast and hot dogs. the breakfast sandwiches are a) tiny and b) way too greasy. The hash browns are decent (a bit mushy), but they push a cippolini/sour cream dipping sauce on you to order with the hash browns for an additional fee.
the hot dogs are too small for the price and the toppings are nothing to write home about. if you're willing to walk down 5th ave to Willie's Dawgs, I'd say that's where your money's best spent.
Brenda from Flatbush wrote a review on October 22, 2009 3:15 PM
Thanks, CGups. And thanks to this thread, I went and ate 2 hot dogs (home-cooked Boars Head) for lunch! Oh, and I LOVE 6 Point ale, so will definitely try Bark...
dwarbi wrote a review on October 22, 2009 3:33 PM
So many people rant against this place by saying something like 'blahblah for a hot dog?!' But the bottom line is that it's a relatively inexpensive real meal. I don't think you can usually consider a hot dog as part of a real meal. And with the toppings, they're more filling than a dirty water dog. As for the cost, you can tell a lot of care was put into the toppings, and the hot dogs are high quality.
I've had most of them, but the vegetarian is my favorite.
I would say $4/pint is a little better than average for a place that serves food. Maybe average for happy hour prices in Brooklyn bars. (These are Sixpoint beers, not PBR)
CarrollGardened wrote a review on October 22, 2009 4:44 PM
Etson and I ate here before we went to Union Hall, and we both really enjoyed the hot dogs and fries. $4 for a hot dog isn't cheap, but I thought the hot dogs were great. Not someplace to eat every day, but good food, great service, convenient, and fairly quick. What can be bad?
tanner wrote a review on October 22, 2009 7:58 PM
Pretty darn good dog. A little costly, but shoot--decent meat is inside, not god-knows-what, and decent meat ain't cheap. Neither are the fancy "homemade" condiments. The onion rings are awesome.
Unfortunately, breakfast sucks. I'm really, really hoping it was just a bad day the day I went, but the biscuits just didn't work--heavy and hella flat. Who wants a hella flat biscuit?? (Please, please, Bark--rethink your biscuit recipe!!! If you had rockin' biscuits, people would come for breakfast enough for you to open up during the week again! And if you add a BLT w/ an over easy egg on an English Muffin, I'll come every single day!) And the egg was, well, way too McDonald's! It was cooked kinda weird in a way that made it seem like a microwaved McDonald's egg. It was like they were shooting for a McD egg mcmuffin. Unfortunately. Shoot, just make a darn over easy egg--quick and hot and easy, crispy edges and runny center--and it's be perfect!! Over easy eggs are so quick and easy! (Come on... I want to love you for breakfast, Bark!)
East New York and Biff Champion--you CAN improve on a Nathan's, actually, and these guys did. A Nathan's might taste mighty good, but what's in them exactly? I'm pretty sure you'd be hard pressed to name the cuts of meat that get processed in a Nathan's hot dog, not to mention the "flavorings" and preservatives... Add to that the fact that Bark is "greener" (never mind the biodegradable stuff--it's small business and local ingredients).
Tasty fast food, but local, independent, and yes, healthier. Works for me. (I'll pretend I didn't have the unimpressive breakfast... )
BSD wrote a review on October 22, 2009 11:21 PM
JIPS, disregard Rob, he's a pro at opining on that which he never experienced or comprehends. He's just bored at work killing time.
DeLepp wrote a review on October 26, 2009 4:45 PM
Was there Saturday afternoon. Quite crowded the dogs, fries and beer were good. Onion rings looked and sounded much better than they tasted.
ms_boerum wrote a review on October 28, 2009 2:54 PM
as a non-meat eater, i know my thoughts probably count less, but their veggie dogs are delicious. and their cheese fries? outrageous. hands down best around. this isn't a cart on the street, folks, so the prices seem, while slightly high, not outrageous. particularly when i consider the sad cheese fries the diner on smith street charges $6 for. anyway, they seem to be sustaining, as every time i've walked by late night it has been packed with eaters/drinkers. they've managed to strike a good balance between a place people go to just to eat, and a place where people go to hang out. anyway, its my new spot to stop for fries on my way home.
Springs wrote a review on November 2, 2009 8:07 PM
Good overall vibe, great design and friendly staff. The chicken sandwich hit the spot. I could do without all the over-the-top green angle. Enough with the pretentiousness already.
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