The Alpha Dog - January 22, 2012

Alpha Dog Grill

Price: $ ($2.00-$9.00)

Location: Historic Riverside

Website: http://www.alphadoggrill.com/

 Today I visited Alpha Dog Grill with my mom. I don't know if any of you have ever seen this colorful place while driving through Riverside towards 5 Points but I always noticed it, that's for sure. The atmosphere was very homey. They renovated an old historic home and made it into a cute restaurant with hardwood floors and a little sports bar in the back, even has a cute little deck out front. The floor plan is very open and there is only a swinging door separating you from the action in the kitchen. The walls were painted in a eggshell color with white trim and they were covered in hot dog art. Adorable! 

 Now, I was a little curious as to what they served there and now, after I've been there, I think it's a little obvious. Hot dogs! They have hot dogs ranging from 1/8-1/2 pound made from kosher beef, sausage and bratwurst. They even have healthy choices such as turkey dogs and veggie dogs. They have one called a carrot dog and I'm not to sure what to think about that one quite yet. They have pretty much whatever topping you can think of: onions, peppers, mushrooms, apples, pickles, pineapple, salsa, guacamole, coleslaw, BBQ sauce, vegetarian black bean chili and get this, jambalaya. They also have other choices like salad, french fries, onion rings, fried pickles, nachos and chicken wings. A pretty diverse menu, right? 

 Okay, to what we ordered. I ordered the Chili Dog and my mom ordered The Godfather. I am usually not a fan of chili dogs but this one was amazing! It was served in a big toasted roll, definitely not the kind you can buy in a 6-pack. The hot dog itself was huge and it was smothered in thick, yummy black bean chili with cheddar jack cheese melted over top with a good helping of sliced sweet onion. First off, I could hardly fit this thing in my mouth. It's one of those dishes that is extremely messy but so worth it. I am not a fan of raw onion at all but surprisingly, it was delicious. It provided just the right amount of crunch and sweetness to go along with the spiciness of the chili. I for sure recommend this to anyone who visits.

 My mom ordered The Godfather which is a grilled Italian sausage with marinated mushrooms and marinara covered in melted mozzarella and Italian spices. This one would have been really good if they didn't extremely overcook the sausage. Make sure and ask them not to make it crunchy! The way I would describe the flavor of this one is earthy. The spices were the first thing I tasted. Honestly, I wasn't too fond of this one but who knows, maybe it was just a bad day. 

 I almost forgot! We also ordered the fried pickles and they were different from any I've ever had. They used authentic batter and deep fried them. I wish I got a picture of them because then you would have seen what I mean. They were sour and crunchy and just perfect. Served with ranch of course!