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The Hotdogger has to be the smallest brick and mortar restaurants that I've ever had the pleasure to enjoy, as I'd guess the interior dimension of the restaurant is only about ten by twelve feet.  But, like the old saying goes, "good things come in small packages," and The Hotdogger serves delicious dogs, and is staffed by a single, friendly employee.

Photo:  The Hotdogger is located in downtown Davis, CA., home of U.C. Davis.  Yes, the restaurant is small; tiny. Compare the side of the restaurant with the doors and windows, yes, it's really that small!  Looking inside the door, you can see the counter and kitchen occupies nearly half of the restaurant, and the rest of the inside is occupied by standing room for, maybe at the most, four customers, a soft drink dispenser, and a tiny inside counter with two stools.  Extra buns are temporarily stored outside, on the right side of the building, due to lack of storage space inside.  Aside from the two stools inside, all dining is done outside, under tables with umbrellas, and shady trees. All is well in downtown Davis on this early Saturday afternoon, August 09, 2014.

Photo:  The tiny kitchen and order counter, inside the tiny restaurant.  The kitchen is about the size of a kitchen in a 30-foot motorhome.  Vicky, who was the only employee at the time, prepares my Chicago Dog, that I ordered from the "Specialty Dogs" section of the menu.  The menu is posted above the kitchen, and features a wide array of Hot Dogs, Specialty Dogs, and Sides.  Note the condiment selection at the bottom of the photo, which includes eight varsities of mustard, and a squeeze bottle of horseradish.  A sample of the mustard includes Hawaiian Pineapple, German Dusseldorf, Russian Honey Hot, and many more.  

Photo:  Vicky sprays non-stick into a electric frying pan to cook bacon, which is used for their Bacon BBQ Dog, which is on my bucket list for the next time I visit this fantastic restaurant.  Photo shows just how small this place is inside, as I'm at the extreme end of the room, and I have my zoom lens set to full wide angle.

Photo:  I pose with my Chicago Dog.  Thanks, Vicky for snapping the photo.  Look behind my right shoulder, and you can see the small counter with one of two stools, which provide the only indoor dining.  The soft drink dispenser is out of the photo, to the left, but the cups are visible.  No alcohol is sold, which is not a bad thing.  When you order a soft drink, a free refill is included.  Looking outside, over my left shoulder, you can see one of the dining tables, which is actually very comfortable, and due to the nature of Davis being a college town, very entertaining.

Photo:  After surfing their web site, and pouring over the menu, as I settled on a Chicago Dog, as a Chicago-style hot dog is a good way to judge how serious a restaurant is about hot dogs, and it's a good first-visit selection, and a Chicago-style dog always provides lots to write about on this web site.  The menu describes the dog as, "Hot dog topped with Dusseldorf mustard, relish, diced onions, sliced tomatoes, dill pickle spears, mild jalapeņo peppers, and a dab of celery salt."  This is NOT an authentic Chicago hot dog, as it does not include the neon green relish, the sport pickles, and it doesn't rest on a poppy seed bun, but it's a delicious hot dog, and it's as close to a Chicago-style hot dog as it gets in California.  The bun was fresh and chewy, the condiments were fresh, and complemented, but didn't overpower the dog, and the dog was a long, frankfurter-style dog, using a natural casing, which "snapped" when I bit into it.  Delicious!  The potato salad was delicious, and definitely made in-house.  The Chicago Dog, potato salad, and a small drink ran only $7.00, including tax.  Such a great lunch!  I stuffed a dollar into the tip jar to reward Vicky for being so friendly, and for making such a delicious Chicago Dog.

Please note the reason for the yellowish tinge of the hot dog is due to the fact the photo was taken outside, and the umbrella was yellow, and the sun was shining on it, hence the yellow tinge.  The true color of the hot dog is illustrated in the inside shot, of your author holding his hot dog.

The restaurant is tiny, but the outdoor seating is shaded and comfortable, and since Davis is a college town, the actions of the locals provides endless entertainment and people-watching.  The dogs, the sides, and the drinks are outstanding, and the single lady working the restaurant was super-friendly, customer oriented, and knows how to fix a great dog.  The locals consider The Hotdogger to be the best hot dog restaurant in Davis, and I agree with them, as the dogs are outstanding!

The Hotdogger
129 "E" St., #A-1
Davis, CA 530 753-6291
530 753-6291
www.thehotdoger.com


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