Hotdog Hideout gears up to offer

cannabis-infused desserts and drinks

BY KARI A. MARTINDALE Special

to The News-Post

When the Hotdog Hideout says, “We are more than just great tasting hot dogs,” they’re not just blowing smoke.

Now that recreational marijuana has been legalized in Maryland, the food truck will be offering cannabis-infused desserts and drinks to complement their menu.

The Hotdog Hideout serves Sabrett hotdogs, which are all-beef hotdogs in their natural casings.

Adrienne Benedetto, owner and operator of The Hotdog Hideout, says Sabrett is New York’s No. 1 hot dog.

“It’s renowned for its fabulous taste and consistency and that famous snap. That’s when you know you got the best hot dog,” Benedetto said. “We make them just like you would find them on any street corner in New York or New Jersey. These are the staple hot dog for the Madison Square Garden … and The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. … My husband and I have grown up on Sabretts, and we know the product very well.”

The Hotdog Hideout began operating during the pandemic, as everything else was closing down.

For the past few years, the food truck has parked at the National Cannabis Festival in D.C. each April. “I would get a lot of customers asking if our desserts were infused,” Benedetto said.

Their new menu items include infused seltzer beverages.

We may bring one or two flavors out and create more as time goes on,” says Benedetto said about the THC drinks.

“I am hoping within the next year to have it on all the shelves of liquor stores throughout the country that have THC legalized.”

They’ll also sell funnel cakes and deep-fried Oreos topped in canna sugar, and they are considering offering brownies, as well.

“Consumers are inclined towards experimenting with new and innovative food and beverages,” Benedetto said.

Benedetto herself does not consume THC products but said her son has a medical card, and “I know how THC helps him. I am glad it’s now becoming legal. More people will now be able to feel the benefits, how it will help with pain, stress and relaxation.”

Benedetto is starting out with 5 mg of THC in the infused desserts and plans to gradually increase to 10 mg. She advises first-timers to research edibles before trying them.

“Be aware that it may take longer to hit the system, but it will last longer,” she said. “Start out low.”

The business travels throughout Maryland, D.C. and Virginia, with occasional stops in Frederick, and is branching into adult parties. Find a calendar of their upcoming stops at thehotdoghideout.com.

Kari Martindale is a writer and Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and spoken word artist who has been published in various literary journals and anthologies and featured in events and readings across Maryland. She sits on the board of Maryland Writers’ Association, co-edits the literary magazine Pen in Hand, and holds an MA in linguistics.