The Dish

Tale of the Dog

Have your days away from stadiums and theaters got you hankering for a hot dog? Harrell’s will help you get your frankfurter fix.

Story: Mark McWaters

Sometimes, you just want to eat a dog. Not that dog. C’mon. The other kind, the kind that starts with that tiny craving we all get every once in a while— the urge, the need for a hot, juicy dog nestled in a fresh bun. I know. You can almost feel the mustard dribbling down your chin now. Well, you’re welcome.

The good news, you don’t need to plan a trip to a ballpark to get your fix. A trip to Harrell’s in downtown Winter Garden will do you just fine. The bad news—if you can call it that—is you’ll have so many choices to make you might need a few trips to Harrell’s to settle on your favorite dog.

First, you pick your protein— all beef, vegan, brat, or chicken (as in grilled tenders or fried nuggets.) Second, you get your bun on—classic, brioche, poppy seed. Third, now the real fun begins. Before you eat your dog, you’re going to have to dress it—and the choices will blow your taste buds. You can choose from the usual—mustard, relish, sauerkraut, jalapeños, and about a dozen others. You can opt for “game changers” like Fire Cheetos, banana peppers, Fritos, or potato sticks.

Or, you can go premium, as in homemade cheese sauce, chili, bacon, or macand-cheese. Harrell’s has several recipes they’ve created to jumpstart your selection process if you’re stuck on go. The Stadium Dog is a personal fave with onion sauce, sauerkraut, lemon garlic, and mustard. The Fried Buffalo Chicken Dog is just what you think with buff bleu sauce, chives, and bleu cheese crumbles.

There’s also the Carolina Dog, Chicago Dog, Chili Cheese Dog, and Classic Brat. (The brat is another personal go-to. One snappy bite through that grilled brat skin and you’ll be convinced.)

So, how do you eat a dog? Any way you want to, and Harrell’s in Winter Garden has about a hundred ways to get you started.

Pro Tip: Choose Your Bun Wisely.

If your dog will be sporting some of the “wetter” sauces—buff-bleu, onion, chili, cheese—we’d recommend a brioche bun over the classic to avoid the “sloppy soggies.” The dogs are all served up in their own handy little cardboard tray, which is especially helpful if your hot dog tastes tend toward saucier toppings.