Summer demands cookout food, and whatever the weather you’ll find craft hot dogs hot off the grill at Dog Haus. California’s popular gourmet hot dog counter is spending the season at its first New York location in SoHo, opening June 12 at Chefs Club Counter (62 Spring St.)
Don’t expect any of your dirty water dogs here — there’s not even the standard toppings of sauerkraut, relish and raw onions. Dog Haus is uncompromisingly West Coast, even bringing a couple of breakfast burritos if for some reason you don’t consider giant hot dogs a breakfast food.
Proteins include their signature plump all-beef hotdog (also comes wrapped in bacon), housemade sausages and the Beyond Sausage. The toppings are where it gets wild. All dogs are customizable with options like som tum slaw, fried egg, red curry sauce and lots of jalapeños (fresh and pickled), or choose one of their set dogs with names you’ll feel silly saying out loud like the Sooo Cali (arugula, avocado, tomato, crispy onions, spicy basil aioli) and Me SoHo-NY (Hawaiian lava mayo, pickled red cabbage, chili oil).
And there’s one way Dog Haus is definitely different from all other hot dog stands: all of its dogs are served on King’s Hawaiian rolls. Even if you don’t think fancy sauces or kaffir peanuts do much for a hot dog, there’s really no disputing this bit of culinary innovation.
Prices are $9-$10 for hot dogs, plus three burger options (beef, chicken snitzel, veggie) for $12-$13. Dog Haus also carries an extensive selection of local and national craft brews, as well as wines, with a giant TV and open dining room made for game days.
On opening day, you can get your first taste for free from five varieties made with a beef frank or vegetarian substitute. Free Haus Dog Day is Tuesday, June 12 from 11 a.m.-10 p.m., only for dine-in customers. If free is the right price of hots dogs for you, get them all summer at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Hot Dog Bus — it’s public art you can eat!
Dog Haus was founded by Hagop Giragossian, Quasim Riaz and André Vener in Pasadena, California in 2010. Since then, they’ve expanded to 30 locations and have aggressive plans for over 600, so there’s reason to hope they’ll be back.
Though their residency at Chefs Club Counter is temporary — they’ll be around through Sept. 29 — popping up there is becoming a popular way to test a restaurant concept without making the commitment of a storefront. The last California chef who took up residence at Chefs Club Counter in March 2017, Eggslut’s Alvin Cailan, is opening The Usual at the Nolitan Hotel on June 15.
Dog Haus is open Mon-Thurs, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. and Fri-Sun, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. at 62 Spring St.
