Thursday: Bro-Dogs "Dude!!"

As part of my new efforts to blog about my food cart experiences, I'm also trying carts I may have bypassed most of the time.

Today, walking along SW 5th between Oak and Stark, I decided to try the very appropriately named "Dude!!" (exclamation points are part of the name) from Bro-Dogs, a hot dog 'stand' among the carts that line this pod.

"Dude!!" is exactly what goes through your mind when he hands you this tasty, filling, and somewhat over the top meal. It's sausage, applewood-smoked bacon, onions, garlic, and mushrooms, along with three cheeses and two different BBQ sauces. The bun is their own creation, also - a flat, square bread that he toasts on the grill as he's cooking the rest of the ingredients, eliminating that nasty 'breaking hot dog bun' phenomenon.

The guy slinging the spatula is very friendly and talkative, keeping the customers engaged as they watch him create his masterpieces. Today, we were treated to a performance by a gravelly voiced busker with a Yamaha keyboard directly behind us as we waited. Of what I could catch, he was performing original tunes, mostly about drinking and the consequences thereof.

I'm extremely stuffed after eating the entire thing, which is larger than many meals I tend to eat. This place has been here a while and is quite successful, and rightfully so. Normally, I avoid hot dog carts like the plague, but I'm glad I gave this one a try.

There are even vegetarian options on the menu, various combinations of cheese, vegetables, and meats or tofu. "Dude!!" was the most expensive item offered, at $7. The standard Bro-Dog goes for $4.