Just off The Square sits a little hot dog shop named Dan's Dogs (a couple of doors down from the now shuttered Medina Theater). This little diner has the feel of a Johnny Rockets, but has a ton of memorabilia adorning the walls that celebrate the age of Elvis and Marylin Monroe. Dan's Dogs has a fairly extensive selection of hot dogs as well as a large variety of milk shakes and ice cream treats.
Now as far as hot dogs go, there are the casual consumers and then there are the hardcore regional aficionados. I fall in the latter category. My golfing compatriot and I ordered a few different hot dogs, (they also offer burgers but we didn't try them). I'm not going to lie - the dogs were decent but we aren't talking about Hot Doug's here. Was the Chicago-style a true Chicago? No - not even close. Perhaps in spirit, but there was nary a poppy seed to be found, let alone a Vienna hot dog.
Aside from hot dog snobbery - if there is such a thing - the food tasted good. I thought for what Dan's charges it represented a good value, ($2.05-$2.35 for regular, $3-3.20 for jumbo). While we were there a number of mothers came in with kids and you could tell that the little ones were thrilled to be there. There's no doubt Dan's is a hit with the Medina elementary and preschool crowd. They do a brisk business in here and tables turn around pretty quickly.
All told, I would probably warn the dyed-in-the-wool hot dog freaks that it isn't worth a significant drive, but if you're looking for a place that is very kid friendly or just happen to be in the neighborhood - Dan's Dogs is a fun and affordable place to stop.
Dan's Dogs
111 W Liberty St
Medina, OH 44256
(330) 723-3647
Have you tried Tucky's in Avon Lake? I am by no means a hot dog expert but I was pleasantly surprised by the dog I had there Saturday. Nice crisp dog with great flavor and a lot of great "division" dogs like the Cleveland with pierogies, Minnesota with sauerkraut, and of course the Chicago style dog complete with a vienna wiener.
ReplyDeleteDave,
ReplyDeleteI don't know how much differentiation there is between the various Tucky's restaurants. I went to the one in Mayfield Heights and was very underwhelmed. I think the best Chicago style dog I've had in Clevo is at The Dog House in Coventry. As with most things, it seems that no matter how simple they might appear - regional favorites are best when consumed in their place of origin. I appreciate the suggestion. Keep them coming.
I haven't tried any of the regional dogs, just a plain one. I'll report back if it's earth shattering.
ReplyDelete