Dog Eat Dog World

This past Friday I went to Happy Dog. It's located in the Gordon Square Arts District (the cutesy up-and-coming neighborhood located between Ohio City and Lakewood along the Shoreway). I had driven past Happy Dog many of times, but just figured it was a hole in the wall bar with nothing but booze and bar nuts. Boy was I wrong! Called Happy Dog because of it's signature item- hot dogs, this place boasts one hell of a doggone menu!

When you enter, there's stage to your right, booths along your left and round tables scattered about. Although seating is limited at the booths and tables, Happy Dog has a gorgeous hardwood racetrack bar. Happy Hour is from 5-7 M-F on domestic bottles (kinda blah for drink specials), but the they do have a great range of beers on tap to chose from, including indie darlings, Genesee & Pabst. Beers are about $2-4. Can't beat that! But enough about the beer. Let's talk food!!

I am and have always been obsessed with hot dogs. I love hot dogs. I love things that come on hot dogs. And in my opinion, the more toppings and condiments on my hot dog, the better. Which is why I instantly fell in love with Happy Dog. 50 toppings to chose from on a quarter pound special recipe hot dog or veg-vegan friendly Italian sausage in a poppy seed bun. This American dream is enough to make your eyes tear up with excitement and your tummy shout "hot-dayuum!" I went all out on my first ever Happy Dog experience. My toppings included: Cajun Mayonnaise- Remoulade, Bourbon baked beans, Habanero picked red onions, Bacon spiked southern style greens, smoked gouda cheese, Caribbean coleslaw & Chorizo chili! You can choose between tater-tots or french fries for your feast accompaniment, so in light of middle school cafeteria nostalgia, I chose tater-tots with free sides (there are many to chose from as well) including Black truffle honey mustard, Saffron aioli, Brazilian chimichurri, Marcella's grape jelly and chile sauce and Oaxacan red chile and chocolate mole (my fav!). I should take a moment to say that you can get AS MANY TOPPINGS on your dog and YOU WANT at NO extra price! Hot dogs are only $5 and taters/fries a mere $2.50.

Overall, I give Happy Dog an A++! The friendly, local atmosphere, along with the laid back decor and Friday Polka music gave this place its own unique charm. They have bands play often and I can imagine it's a great place to see some local talent. Just make sure you get there before 9pm because that's when the kitchen closes. Parking can be a little tricky, although they do have their own extremely small parking lot. Best of the best however, is obviously the food. If you can dream it, you can eat it at Happy Dog!

5801 Detroit Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44102-3001
(216) 651-9474