Despite mixed reviews I was eager to try Hank's Haute Dogs. I rarely eat hot dogs at home, but on the road there is sometimes a special one that calls out to me like a Chicago style or in New York a Papaya King dog or a Nathan's frank in Brooklyn.
The story of Hank's Haute Dogs is probably what sent me there even more than the dogs. Apparently the owner was a prominent restaurateur in Chicago before returning to Hawaii where his parents had run a hot dog stand in the 40's and 50's. His hot dogs range from the classic Chicago style to some unusual specials like reindeer dogs, duck and foie gras and even the no dog. The no dog is a bun with chunks of local avocado, tomato, onion, cucumber, spicy chipotle mayo, piled high with grated cheddar and garnished with cilantro.
I had the Portuguese sausage which is commonly served in slices, as a breakfast side order, in Hawaii. It was topped with scrumptious melt-in-your-mouth grilled onions. If you are lucky, you can also get this sausage at the Kukui sausage stand at the farmers' market on Saturday mornings. The fries and onion rings are a must. The onion rings are made with Maui onions and are very lightly battered with a bit of panko crumbs. The fries are home made and crispy they way I like them. On the side we ordered what turned out to be a very mild wasabi tobiko cream and a spicy ketchup.
My biggest complaint about Hank's was that the buns were a little mushy. That said, I would probably go back. It was fun choosing a dog and the sides were particularly memorable.
Hank's Haute Dogs
324 Coral Avenue @ the Nimitz
Honolulu, Hawaii
808.532.4265
