The Dawg House is the most recent restaurant to be added to State Street. Opened by a UW-Madison student from Chilton, Wis., the Dawg House serves up ball game and bar food favorites. Stop in after a late night to try their fries, cheese curds or onion rings. The menu even boasts milk shakes and cheeseburgers, but it wouldn't be the Dawg House without some good wieners.
The Dawg House uses Red Hots hot dogs, which offer the perfect flavor and texture, but the toppings make these dogs really special.
Order up a Chicago-style hot dog complete with all the classic toppings like mustard, relish and hot peppers with a twist of caramelized onion. One bite and it's like you've been transported to the Windy City. The flavor is full and robust. The onions are a delicious addition, but you might want to pass on the hot peppers.
The Coney is pretty tasty. The dog is topped with onions and a Coney sauce that is too thick to be the real deal, like it came from a can of Hormel chili without the beans. It still packed some good flavor.
The Italian beef sandwich was average. The carrots à la beef stew were a great addition that added a little crunch. You can add the au jus any way you like it, but as it turns out, the sandwich is still a little dry. The beer-bathed brat also isn't the best bet on the menu. Although the casing is crunchy and popped when bit into, the brat doesn't have enough crunchy, grilled texture on the outside.
The Dawg House offers specials that provide interesting translations on classic American food, such as the Gyro Dawg. Gyro meat is piled on top of the dog, which is then topped with onions, tomatoes and a cucumber-yogurt mayo-type sauce. This was a really great interpretation of street meets Greek.
Overall, some of the prices seemed a little high, but the food was decent. This is a great place to hit up if you're looking for something to nosh on late at night or if you're missing your favorite baseball team and need to satisfy your craving for the official food of the great American pastime.
