Tuesday, December 21, 2010

DogHaus: Pasadena goes to the dogs

Dog Haus has plenty of seating, and a parking lot in back
Pasadena is a lovely town in many ways, most of them historic and a bit stodgy. But the food scene is changing fast with the arrival of more up-to-date spots like Intelligentsia Coffee, Daisy Mint, Cham Korean Bistro, Slaw Dogs and now another doggery, Dog Haus. Just up the street from Pasadena City College, Dog Haus has an industrial vibe with a somewhat more straightforward menu than Slaw Dogs. That's fine, since although Thai slaw and mango chutney sound intriguing on a hot dog, in the end they don't really add that much to the experience.

BLAST dog at Dog Haus: Bacon, lettuce, avocado, Serranos, tomato
I had a BLAST, which involves bacon, avocado and Serrano chilis. I know, it looks like a lot of mayo, but the canine take on a BLT worked well with their large, meaty all-beef dog and a little extra relish.

Double dog dare at Dog Haus: jalapenos, cheese, grilled onions
Sam was very pleased with his Double Dog Dare, which had lots of jalapeno, cheese and grilled onions. Tater Tots tasted exactly like the ones my mom used to make from the frozen bag, which just fine for a nostalgic interlude. If you prefer, there's turkey and veggie dogs, and a choice of skinless or snap dogs. Starting out early? Try the breakfast-y Grand Slam Dog, with bacon, egg and tater tots.
Dog Haus is a fun stop for students, families and Pasadena workers, with just enough variety to keep people coming back.
Yay: Also on the menu: burgers, sausages, fries, chili cheese fries, sweet potato fries, chili. If you don't want to spend $5.95 for a hot dog, you can get a regular dog with a few toppings for $3-4.
Nay: Seems a tad pricey for a hot dog. All the special Haus Dogs are $5.95. In contrast to Slaw Dogs which has a too-flimsy bun, Dog Haus's Hawaiian bread bun is almost too big, sweet and bready.

Dog Haus
105 N Hill AvePasadena
(626) 577-4287

Dog Haus on Urbanspoon

4 comments:

Food GPS said...

My first visit to Dog Haus was also pretty good. The layout's better than Slaw Dogs, and the dogs about even. Wurstkuche still bests both, in my opinion.

glutster said...

good post pat.

won me to the punch!

going back to PCC with a voracious appetite for daily blogging next semester.

thanks for further inspiration! can't wait for 1st day of school (again) haha.

I think my favorite dog is still lets be frank :)

Miles said...

can't wait to try. wasn't that wowed by slaw dog. good, but messy. will def drop by next time in pasadena (wish i had known about it a couple weeks ago when i stayed the night in old town).

Andi? said...

I think I might like DogHaus a little more than Slaw Dogs. Plus...tater tots. So delicious and crunchy and terrible.