Hot Diggity Dawg
Having a beer, a hot dog and a burger on a warm summer day defines being American in the hot summer months. As a native New Yorker I am guilty of enjoying a dirty water dog on 5th avenue in the winter and as a travel blogger I have enjoyed a grilled masterpiece at a Chicago Cubs game in the spring. However, neither of these compare to what is cooking at Hanks Haute Dog’s in Honolulu.
After taking in Pearl Harbor my wife and I needed a quick bite to transition from breakfast to dinner. About sixteen minutes South of Pearl Harbor is Hank’s Haute Dogs. This local joint has over twenty different types of hot dogs along with non-traditional meat options such as boar, lamb and rabbit. The place is located in a cool part of town with plenty of street parking and lot parking for all customers. A few stools litter the front of the building while a medium size dining hall awaits the inside. The walls are decorated with pictures of Frank himself along with classic Hawaiian and American photos. As a person who was hungry and loves hot dogs I wanted to try them all. My wife convinced me to get two hot dogs and share one order of French fries. I was reluctant at first but her suggestion worked out very well.
The top seller is a Chicago dog which is a Vienna beef dog on a poppy seed bun with mustard, tomato, onion, relish, pickles, and celery salt. Since I had a Chicago dog in Chicago a few years back I decided on the bratwurst which is sausage doused in mustard and sauerkraut. I also ordered the Hawaiian which is sausage with a mango-mustard-pineapple relish on a bun. My wife ordered the Chicago dog along with a regular Hank’s Frank which is a dog with mustard, relish, onions and pickles. I tried to talk her into getting the rabbit sausage or the boar sausage but we were not aligned. Lastly, we ordered truffle cheese fries with chipotle mayo.
Surprisingly we were the only people grabbing chow so we did not wait in line to order and our dogs and they were ready pretty quickly. The first thing I noticed when I picked up the order was the size of everything. The meats were not as large as Hiram’s in New Jersey but they were larger than the average size hot dog, sausage and brat. I am from the east coast so I do not regularly eat brats but Hank’s fulfilled every expectation. When I bit into the brat I could hear the snap and the sauerkraut and mustard immediately hit the back corners of my mouth which brought full flavor to the entire bite. After finishing the brat I moved on to the Hawaiian which was amazing. The Portuguese sausage had the same texture of the bratwurst but the mango-mustard-pineapple relish put the Hawaiian over the top. The Hawaiian is the idea item to have with a beer on the back porch after a long hot summer day. I let my wife eat the regular hot dog in peace but I had a bite of her Chicago dog because I gave her a bite of my Hawaiian. I must say it was authentic and maybe even a little better since I was eating it in Hawaii. Hank’s actually flies the poppy seed buns in from Chicago regularly so it is hard to taste the difference.
Last but not least we indulged in the truffle cheese fries. Natural cut fries which are golden brown with melted cheese and truffle sauce. This was my first time having truffle fries and it is the best item to put on a French fry. The best way to describe a truffle cheese fry is a fry with a garlic-butter flavor with a dry aroma that you want to smell over and over again. I do not dive into sweets much but if I could have truffle cheese fries at the end of every meal I would jump at the opportunity.
Hank’s is a great place to stop for lunch or a quick snack. I am a big eater so I am not sure if Hank’s could satisfy my appetite for dinner. All the items we purchased were delicious. On my next visit to Hanks I will definitely try the burger, onion rings and rabbit sausage. Next time I look forward to chatting with you about Surf School, Nico’s Pier and Nico’s Pier 38.