Gourmet hot dog joint DareDevil Dogs is opening this Friday at 1437 North High Street, the former location of Commonwealth Sandwich Bar. After concept-developing for a year, co-owners Mike Gadd, Bill Garland, and Tomos Mughan decided on a hot dog restaurant that’s a meeting of fast casual and fine dining. They applied for the space in June, and are finally ready to throw open DareDevil Dog’s doors.
The inside venue is small, seating only 12, but bright and colorful. The red and yellow pop-art inspired interior, designed by local artist Andrew Kern, lends warmth to the open brick walls and reupholstered bar stools. Prices range from $4 – $10, with most specialty dogs costing $6.50.
The Fire Eater, first of several specialty dogs and Mughan’s favorite, is a buttermilk-fried chicken brat covered in Sriracha-orange buttermilk sauce, celery, red onion, and bleu-cheese aioli on a challah bun. If you like a little less heat, try the Sky Diver, a beef hot dog topped with baked beans, house slaw, bacon aioli, and white cheddar. Meat not your thing?The Base Jumper is a delicious vegan dog topped with whipped redskin potatoes, crispy shaved brussel sprouts, and shaved celery on a seeded challah bun.
If you’re not smitten with any of the specialty dogs (difficult, but possible), you can freestyle your own creation. Beef hot dogs, pork and chicken brats, and bean-based vegan hot dogs are all available for the build-your-own option. Bun options include seeded and unseeded challah, pretzel, and gluten-free. Toppings are abundant, including smoked bacon, pineapple guacamole, Granny Smith apples, and caramelized bell peppers, to list just a few. You can also throw these topping on their tater tots, which come in both regular and sweet potato.
With the exception of the tater tots and a few basic condiments, all of DareDevil Dog’s ingredients are made in-house. Everything possible is Ohio-sourced: meat from Cleveland-based Blue Ribbon Meats, bread from Matt’s Bakery, and locally-made cheese whenever available.
“The battle is definitely within the prep work,” said Mughan.
The large outdoor patio will be open for lunch and dinner, seating 55 people. It will connect to the Village Idiot, who DareDevil Dogs will additionally be serving through a walk-up service window. DareDevil has eight parking spaces, with more spots available behind the library after 10 p.m. Delivery to the Ohio State and Short North area will begin on January 4th. Hours will be Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. – 3:30 a.m.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/DareDevilHotDogs.
