Hot Dogs Archives ~ NC Triangle Dining Food Blog

May 6, 2011 by Ron Wen

Hot Dogs, Peanuts, Beer and Other Fun Food at the Durham Bulls Ballpark

Durham Bulls Ballpark - NC Triangle Dining — Durham Bulls Ballpark – NC Triangle Dining

(The Durham Bulls have just released updated guidelines for 2021 guests) Nothing says summer time like a beer and hotdog at the ballpark and thankfully we’ve got one of the best minor league teams in town, the Durham Bulls. While you might not find Crash Davis or Nuke LaLoosh at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, what you will find is top-notch baseball and great ballpark food! While I covered some of the great food choices around DPAC and the American Tobacco Campus next door in earlier posts, let’s dive right in to find out what the best eats are behind those brick walls. Whether you’re in the mood for a sandwich, shaved ice, garlic fries or more, it’s time to eat AND play ball! Note that as we come out of the pandemic of 2020, LOTS of things have changed for visitors to the Durham Bulls Ballpark.

Durham Bulls stretching before a ball game - nctriangledining.com — Durham Bulls stretching before a ball game – nctriangledining.com

AYCE dining option in right field at DBAP - nctriangledining.com — AYCE dining option in right field at DBAP – nctriangledining.com

If you’ve got tickets to a Durham Bulls game, gates open an hour before the game. It’s a good time to catch all the pre-game warm-ups and get autographs from some rising baseball stars (especially if you’re a little kid). New in 2021, you can purchase Durham Bulls tickets with either a $5 food/concessions/merchandise credit or All You Can Eat option! The AYCE is for hot dogs, chicken sandwiches and chips, the food is served out on the right field concourse. The $5 credit is also good for beer so don’t forget that option if you’re not hungry. Getting to the ballpark early is a great way to get ready for a relaxing ball game. This new for 2021 concessions and food map will help you find what you need. Order online or in some cases, walk-up to order. More pictures from previous seasons are below to get a feel for concessions at the ballpark.

Climb up the concrete steps at the main entrance and you’ll find the concessions stands are all decorated with a consistent, wood siding motif, all looking quite spiffy. You’ll find your usual hot dogs, burgers, sausages, pretzels, fries and beers along the 1st and 3rd base sides of the stadium concourse. Note: There are more concessions on the 1st base, right-field side of the concourse since it’s the home team side!

The concessions are all well-marked and usually offer candy, peanuts, popcorn and more in addition to the advertised food item Pretty much all the eats at the Durham Bulls ballpark are under $10 (most $4 to $7) so it’s not expensive to eat at this ballpark! And if you want to save some time, you can order eats online with the FanFood app and do an express order pick-up. What’s really cool is that the Durham Bulls Ballpark has brought in some local businesses for concessions so keep an eye out for these specialty spots!

Pie Pushers pizza at Durham Bulls ballpark - nctriangledining.com — Pie Pushers pizza at Durham Bulls ballpark – nctriangledining.com

Hog Heaven BBQ at Durham Bulls ballpark - nctriangledining.com — Hog Heaven BBQ at Durham Bulls ballpark – nctriangledining.com

In the center of the concourse you’ll find the very popular Pie Pushers pizza! Pie Pushers does an excellent NY thin-crust slice of za, typically out on Main Street in Durham. Hog Heaven Barbeque is also in the house serving up NC barbeque and other Southern favorites. There’s also a Foothills beer garden for a leisurely sip.

At the front of the concourse you’ll also find a variety of local food stands. It’s really a fun way to enjoy some uniquely Durham spots and their eats! There’s a bit of a state fair feel to these little stands, you’ll also find mini-donuts, funnel cake and more…

Boricua Soul at DBAP in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Boricua Soul at DBAP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Out on the left-field side of the park, you’ll find Boricua Soul, a popular Puerto Rican restaurant. With multiple locations in the Bull City, enjoy empanadas, bowls and more.

Bar in right field at Durham Bulls ballpark - nctriangledining.com — Jackie’s Landing Bar in right field at Durham Bulls ballpark – nctriangledining.com

Out in right field you’ll also find a terrace area offering up some other delicious options underneath blue skies. First up is a full patio bar (Jackie’s Landing) complete with craft brews so you can have an adult bevvy in style! Behind the bar you’ll find Smokebox Barbeque serving up smoked meats. And further in you’ll find the Wool E. World children’s play area along with some additional food stands. Note that there are also two beer stands down the left and right-field sides of the ballpark seating areas on the walkway. Super-convenient for a beer and they save you a walk to the concourse ($7 draft beers).

Tater tot waffle for 2017 season at Durham Bulls Ballpark - nctriangledining.com — Tater tot waffle food special for the 2017 season at Durham Bulls Ballpark – nctriangledining.com

Given the pandemic, the Durham Bulls no longer have dollar dog nights but they have brought out an Afforda-Bull Eats night (Thursdays). There are two on the schedule for 2021: August 19 and September 23. Details below on their value menu:

Afforda-Bull Eats menu at the Durham Bulls Ballpark

Durham Bulls Ballpark- $1 dog night with popcorn

The Durham Bulls have quite a few promotions and specials going down, check their promotions schedule for the latest information! And you won’t want to miss Durham Bulls player, Wander Franco who is a top-rated prospect in all the minor leagues.

In addition to the great ballpark and food, I really love how the Durham Bulls entertain the crowd beyond the action on the field. Sumo-wrestling, gunning t-shirts into the crowd, kids catching bean bags in their pants, Wool E Bull racing around the field, there’s always something happening between innings! And fireworks on Friday and Saturday night games are always super festive. The Durham Bulls are really minor league baseball at its very best…

The Blue Monster at Durham Bulls ballpark - nctriangledining.com — The Blue Monster at Durham Bulls ballpark – nctriangledining.com

Now how can you not enjoy a great night of Triple-A baseball, food and fresh air?! Given the Durham Bulls are part of the Tampa Bay Rays farm system, you’re guaranteed to see a future major-leaguer during your visits here. And I really can’t think of a better way to spend a warm summer evening than at the Durham Bulls ballpark munching on fries, dogs and custard, bon appetit!

So what’s your guilty pleasure at the ballpark? Fess up people!

Durham Bulls Baseball

409 Blackwell Street

Durham, NC 27701

919.687.6500

Location on Google maps

September 29, 2017 by Ron Wen

First Take: Steve’s Place in N. Raleigh for an Honest Southern Style Hot Dog

Front of Steve's Place in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Front of Steve’s Place in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

While it’s always fun to eat fancy and frou-frou, sometimes it’s great to get back to the basics. And the basics is what you’ll get at a little eatery named Steve’s Place in Raleigh. I had run into several 5-star reviews for Steve’s Place online and talk about its hot dogs. So I couldn’t resist stopping in as I was heading north on Capital Boulevard for a quick lunch and bite.

Order counter at Steve's Place in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Order counter at Steve’s Place in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

Steve’s Place sits in the busy little Plantation Square plaza along with Baker’s Dozen Donuts 2 (ooooh). I circled the small parking lot a bit before spying the green and white Hot Dogs sign overhead and a “Steves” neon sign below, success! Inside, Steve’s Place is pretty basic and bare-bones. It has a deli-like feel with green and white tiles, some stand-up high-boy tables along with a order form counter to the left. And I look overhead, the ceiling is covered with baseball caps, cool!

Order form area and ceiling covered with hats at Steve's Place in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Order form area & ceiling covered with hats at Steve’s Place in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

I’m on a bit of a schedule today so thankfully, the Steve’s Place menu is small and simple: deli sandwiches, hot dogs, soups and salads. But I’ve got hot dogs on the brain, today! At the order form area, you’ll find some brightly colored slips of paper where you can customize your order. For hot dogs, Steve’s Place offers up a beef hot dog, red (pork-beef), turkey, smoked beef, kielbasa and sausage. I’m going for a classic foot-long red with mustard, chili, onions and cheese. Pretty much a North Carolina hot dog standard along with some macaroni salad as the side. You can choose from chips, slaw, potato salad and deviled eggs as a side in addition to that macaroni salad.

My food takes 5 or 10 minutes to come out so I know it’s being cooked to order. My name is called out and I’m handed over a cup of macaroni salad and my long, hot dog! It all looks pretty tasty and fresh, I dig into the macaroni salad which is wonderful. Served cold with tender elbows, chopped red onions and peppers, the light sweet dressing is perfect on this very hot day. And the hot dog is excellent as these hot dogs go. Plenty of chopped white onions, rich chili and the tang of mustard. The bun is lightly toasted, it’s a good hot dog here at Steve’s Place. So in about 30 minutes I’m in, fueled up and out the door which is what Steve’s Place is about. A casual, quick-stop for lunch offering up some fresh sandwiches, salads and hot dogs with some classic Southern flavors. And sometimes that’s exactly what you need for lunch, thanks Steve!

Steve’s Place

6320 Capital Blvd # 119

Raleigh, NC 27616

919.872.2222

Location on Google maps

August 30, 2017 by Ron Wen

First Take: BottleDog Bites & Brews Delivers Great Beer, Pizza and Poutine

Front of Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Front of Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

Along with beer and brewery boom here in North Carolina, one other type of storefront has proliferated: the bottle shop! A place where you can sample some craft brews or grab a specialty 4-pack to enjoy at home. And usually they have one thing in common, no food! But they usually give you the option of BYOF or ordering food from a nearby restaurant or delivery service. Recently I ran across BottleDog Bites and Brews in Cary online and the reviews mentioned the food quite often. Could it be true? Might there be a bottle shop in the area that’s now offering great food on top of their beers? Well it was time to find out!

Patio at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Patio at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

We head on over to the address looking hard for BottleDog Bites & Brews and the GPS is only somewhat helpful getting us to Chapel Hill Road. We find ourselves in a small plaza with Woody’s Sports Tavern and not much else, we start scratching our heads. But we’re not ready to give up and head to the right-hand side of the plaza and find BottleDog’s storefront. Located in the old Maximillians Pizza Kitchen, there’s a nice covered patio up front that looks dog-friendly!

Dining area at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Dining area at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

Heading on inside to BottleDog, we find a large beer bar on the right hand side and a retail beer section and dining area to the left. BottleDog is airy and open, there’s plenty of space to stretch out in here, it definitely feels different than most other bottle shops I’ve been to in the Triangle! It neatly fills the space between bottle shop and restaurant, similar to State of Beer in Raleigh. But there are some more pleasant surprises to come!

At the bar, BottleDog has 10 or 12 beers on tap, I go with the Bond Bros American IPA, Obfuscate! It has a super floral palate but also a nice clean afterbite with just a touch of hops, dee-licious! My beer loving buddy gives BottleDog’s beer selection a big thumbs up on its quality. Peering through the food menu, we find some really cool options for lunch. Poutine?! A beaver tail? Or how about some smoked meats? So in addition to the usual hot dogs and flatbreads, BottleDog seems to be going a bit Canadian with the menu which is fine by me, I love Canada! We put our food orders in and just sit back and enjoy our beers. It’s pretty quiet given a holiday weekend but slowly people start trickling in with kids and dogs in tow.

Nashville hot chicken at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Nashville hot chicken at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

Poutine with smoked meat at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Poutine with smoked meat at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

Poutine at Bottledog Bites and Brews in Cary - nctriangledining.com — Poutine at Bottledog Bites and Brews in Cary – nctriangledining.com

Soon enough, our food starts coming out starting with my friend’s Nashville hot chicken tenders. Served up on some white bread and thick pickles, it looks fantastic and spicy! I hold back on a taste since I need to save room for my meal. My Quebecois poutine comes out next and it starts with their basic poutine (fries, brown gravy and cheese curds) but adds in some smoked meat and pickles, yum-may! I haven’t eaten much poutine in my life but this dish is G-O-O-D! The warm potato is soaked in the gravy and the cheese is just decadence on top. Add in the peppery smoked meats and you’ve got yourself a mouthful! I’m already looking forward to trying some of the other poutines, stat.

Sweet Caroline flatbread at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Sweet Caroline flatbread at Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

The Sweet Caroline flatbread also hits the spot with a perfectly done thin-crust topped with mozzarella, onions and grilled chicken. House-made barbeques sauce is drizzled on top making for a delicious barbeque chicken pizza (I know, they call it flatbread here, but…) While the crust at BottleDog isn’t a perfect Neapolitan style, it’s similar but with a crisper bottom to hold all the toppings. An excellent pie and plenty to eat for one person, you can certainly share for two lighter appetites.

Service at BottleDog was solid and pretty casual which is fine for a place like this and prices this low. All you really need to know is that the food at BottleDog is really good! I’m not often surprised by restaurants but BottleDog did it for me in a very pleasant way. I get the strange idea that there may be some leftover culinary talent from the old Maximillian’s Grill here at BottleDog which would explain the great, bar eats here. So rock on BottleDog Bites & Brews. Your name is a mouthful but then again, so is your delicious food. I’ll be back again, soon…

Bottle Dog Bites & Brews

8306 Chapel Hill Road

Cary, NC 27513

919.694.5377

Location on Google maps

August 26, 2013 by Ron Wen 5 Comments

First Take: Snoopy’s for a Classic Chili-Dog and Grill Experience!

Outside of Snoopy's in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining — Outside of Snoopy’s in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining

Snoopy’s is about as much about old-school Raleigh as its next-door neighbor, Char-Grill. But while both are known for their late-night grill munchies, Snoopy’s does it hot doggie-style! With several locations in the Raleigh area, my local favorite is out on the corner of Hillsborough and Glenwood Avenue, perfect after a night out on the town…

Service window at Snoopy's in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining — Service window at Snoopy’s in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining

Parking at this little red building can be a bit tight but thankfully, Snoopy’s is walkable from a lot of the activity on S. Glenwood. Small overhang with two service windows, Snoopy’s does a lot of basic grill items ranging from burgers, dogs and chicken tenders along with barbeque and chicken salad sandwiches. My usual order is a couple of dogs with everything on it and their popular crinkle cut fries. Unlike Char-Grill, the service here at Snoopy’s is fast, you’ll usually get your order within 5 or so minutes in a little paper bag.

Wrapped dogs at Snoopy's in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining — Wrapped dogs at Snoopy’s in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining

The dogs at Snoopy are wrapped up in white butcher paper and given the buns are steamed, it’ll sometimes stick to the paper as you’re unwrapping your meal! Two long-ish dogs slathered with meaty chili, covering some mustard, yum. Take a bite and you’ll get hit with a lot of savoriness and the underlying tang of mustard. They’re pretty filling so I’m guessing two or three will fill most people up. The fries here are probably frozen but well-cooked with just the right amount of crinkle crispness and potato. The onion rings at Snoopy’s are also really tasty and worth sharing between two people.

When most people visit Snoopy’s, they do the $6.44 special of two dogs, fries and drinks which is reasonable but not a fan-tastic deal compared to say, Cook Out. But if you hit up Snoopy’s on Tuesday’s for Dollar Dog days, you’ll do much better. While the food at Snoopy’s is really basic, it satisfies some odd and weird underlying food cravings in me. I mean I know the food isn’t good for you but who wants to live forever? So don’t miss out on this little red hot dog stand at the end of Glenwood. You may not feel great in the morning but you’ll be thankful you stopped by for at least 15 minutes…

Snoopy’s

600 Hillsborough Street

Raleigh, NC 27603

919.839.2176

Snoopy’s menu

Location on Google maps

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June 17, 2017 by Ron Wen

Merry Franksters Food Trailer, Dishing Out Delicious Hot Dogs for the Triangle!

Merry Franksters food trailer based out of Carrboro - NC Triangle Dining — Merry Franksters food trailer based out of Carrboro – NC Triangle Dining

Now who doesn’t like a good hot dog or brat, now that summer is here? Whether you’re talking about a late-night dog from Snoopy’s or sitting at the counter at the Roast Grill, biting into a snappy, juicy hot dog is a burst of taste and flavor. And now there’s a new food truck on the scene, specializing in gourmet hot dogs: Merry Franksters. I ran into this truck at an event at the Raleigh Wine Shop a little while back. Because as much as I like hot dogs, I know there are some people that only want to eat happy hot dogs otherwise know as sustain-ably farmed meats in hot dogs. And that’s where Merry Franksters steps in! Based out of Carrboro, they are serving up happy hot dogs hand-made out at the Pig from Chapel Hill, so I was curious to see what the Merry Franksters are dishing out.

Order window at Merry Franksters food trailer based out of Carrboro - NC Triangle Dining — Order window at Merry Franksters food trailer based out of Carrboro – NC Triangle Dining

Heading over to the Raleigh Wine shop, I spy a bright aluminum Airstream trailer pulling into the side lot. It’s a funky looking, retro trailer with interesting blue pop-art on the sides and back! A chalkboard flip-board up front shows off the Merry Franksters menu, 10 or so hot dogs and a handful of sides! Prices are in the $4 to $6 range which is about right. I’m torn between a couple of options but go with the bacon-wrapped Memphis Dawg and the classic New York Dawg along with a side of beer-battered onion rings. The Merry Frankster owners are very sweet and laid-back, reminds me a bit of when I lived in Carrboro!

Merry Franksters food trailer menu - NC Triangle Dining — Merry Franksters food trailer menu – NC Triangle Dining

Hot dog meal from Merry Franksters food trailer - NC Triangle Dining — Hot dog meal from Merry Franksters food trailer – NC Triangle Dining

A glass of wine keeps me company as I wait for my eats but it’s not too long, maybe 10 – 15 minutes. I get three paper food trays with my goodies and decide to hoof it on home so I can pig out in private! The short drive is tough as I’m staring at my dee-licious looking dogs and rings… Back at home I get to inspect my dawgs more closely. Merry Franksters uses a potato bun and they all look nicely grilled and filled.

NY dawg from Merry Franksters food trailer - NC Triangle Dining — NY dawg from Merry Franksters food trailer – NC Triangle Dining

Memphis dawg from Merry Franksters food trailer - NC Triangle Dining — Memphis dawg from Merry Franksters food trailer – NC Triangle Dining

I start off with the NY Dawg which pairs a Sabretts beef hot dog with sauerkraut and onions! A great bite, basic but done very well by the Merry Franksters. And while you may think one hot dog may be enough, I’m glad I got two! The Memphis dog comes on a larger bun, probably needed to hold the bacon-wrapped dog and additional toppings (onions, cheddar, barbeque sauce). The Memphis dawg is a messy bite but totally worth it! The crisp, salty bacon works well against the sweet barbeque sauce and it’s all worth getting your hands dirty. Thumbs up for me, here!

Onion rings from Merry Franksters food trailer - NC Triangle Dining — Onion rings from Merry Franksters food trailer – NC Triangle Dining

And finally the onion rings! Described as beer-battered, they have more of a light tempura-like coating to me and reminded me a lot of onion rings I would get in Massachusetts. Totally delicious and well fried, if Merry Franksters has them on the menu I feel it’s a must-do. Overall I was pretty happy with my meal at the Merry Franksters food truck. Creative, well made hot dogs at a reasonable price, works for me! And while I will always love my $1.50 Costco hot dog, Merry Franksters takes the humble sausage to a whole nother level. While Merry Franksters is based in Carrboro at Cliff’s Meat Market, they do get around quite a bit and are in Raleigh pretty frequently, hot dog!

Hot Dogs, Peanuts, Beer and Other Fun Food at the Durham Bulls Ballpark

So what’s your guilty pleasure at the ballpark? Fess up people!