Man Bites Dog

- Location: South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery - 1311 S. 1st St - @Elizabeth 
- Hours: Sunday - Thursday: 11 AM - 9 PM
               Friday & Saturday: 11 AM - 10 PM
- Telephone: 512-445-5591
- Website: www.manbitesdog.com / Facebook: Man Bites Dog / Twitter: manbitesdogtx
- Cuisine: Hot Dogs


After receiving his MBA in May of 2009 and with 12 years of restaurant experience, Jeremiah opened the first Man Bites Dog trailer in November of 2009 and the second in March of 2010.  After having spent some time in Chicago, he decided there wasn’t anything like the dogs there back in Austin, so he put together some 40-odd variations around a hot dog theme and narrowed the menu down to 12 of his favorite combinations.  The Buffalo Hottie, which won the critics choice award for the best nontraditional hot dog in the Chronicle Restaurant Poll is a Jeremiah’s personal favorite, but the Abe Froman is his best seller. 

Originally from Bowie, Texas, Jeremiah grew up in Oklahoma.  He was brought to Austin for his 21^st bday and knew that this is where he wanted to stay.  Simply put, Jeremiah states what Austinites love about our town, “Austin has all the big city stuff in a small city environment.”  He employs artists, waiters and people seeking part time work while they pursue other endeavors.  His best suggestion for anyone wanting to get into the trailer food business? “Learn to be handy.  My first trailer on South 1^st – I thought it was a good deal but I spent a bunch of money fixing it up.  I know a lot more about trailer plumbing and electrical than I did before – it’s good to fix it yourself if on small budget.”

Big Top Dogs

- Location:  Downtown - 201 E. 6th St. - @Brazos

- Hours: Thursday -Saturday: 8 PM - 3 AM
- Telephone: 512-484-0050
- Website: www.bigtop-dogs.com

- Cuisine: Late night hot dogs

Long before John Dawson had his hands in the mobile vending scene, his grandfather was selling peanuts out of a push cart in Toledo, Ohio.  A Greek immigrant coming through Ellis Island at age 16 his grand-dad eventually developed his street food business into a brick and mortar restaurant/diner that was called ‘Clean Bite’ where John’s mother spent time as a waitress during the depression and war years.  So it was a bit of fate that John would develop ‘Big Top Dogs’ after traveling to and living in New York, where his grandfather started their family’s journey to pursue the American dream.
 

As part of his mission to provide authentic New York hot dogs, John contracted with Sabret, which is a New York family owned business that offers nitrate-free 100% all beef dogs with natural casing that are also gluten free.  In addition to the quality of his food, the stainless steel cart also lends to the authenticity of his business.  So what makes a New York Style dog so unique?  John instructs, “Take a bun and a stick, put some push cart style deli mustard on the bun, then put the dog down and add the sauerkraut with onion sauce (Vidalia onions and tomato sauce).  Mustard is the foundation of everything.  If someone wants ketchup, they have to do it themselves.”

Best Wurst

- Location & Hours:
   E. 6th St. & San Jacinto:  Wednesday – Friday: 7 PM – 3 AM

   E. 6th St. & Red River:  Friday & Saturday: 8 PM - 3 AM
- Telephone: 512-912-9545
- Website: www.thebestwurst.com / Facebook: The Best Wurst / Twitter: The Best Wurst
- Cuisine: Sausages - Late Night

Plausibly one of Austin's oldest street food vendors is John Notarthomas' "Best Wurst".  The company had it's roots back in the early 90's when it was 'Flamin Hot' hot dog and hill country sausages stand which was renamed to Best Wurst in 1995.  Jon came down to investigate the Austin music scene by way of Syracuse, New York, a city also known for their mouth-watering Italian sausages.  As a musician, he loves Austin both as a fan and a player.  He says one of the occupational hazards of being a musician is you end up cooking/bartending/waiting tables/washing dishes for weekend cash and somehow this weekend job turned into a full time landmark business that is known as the mothership of bratwurst in Austin.

One thing that makes Best Wurst special is that part of Jon's mission is to hire other musicians.  He pays a decent wage and is really doing his part to support other young artists.  It was wages from Best Wurst that put him through St. Ed's to get a college education that he didn't get when he was younger.  Being an Austin institution, the Best Wurst has served some popular patrons including but not limited to: Willie Nelson, Mike Judge, Guy Fieri, Rachel Ray, Jenna and Barbara Bush, members from the Rolling Stones, Spoon, Asleep at the Wheel, and the Flaming Lips as well as many actors.

Being from a traditional Irisih Italian community in upstate New York, his concept is loosely based on Heid's hot dogs of Liverpool New York.  He hated the cons of modern day businesses and modeled his unique 4 x 5 trailer to suit quirky American neighborhood regional foods.  "Good eats doesn't have to be complicated," Jon shares, as he creeps up on his millionth sandwich sold.