John L.
Yelp
According to a Food Network article, the Banh Mi hot dog sold here is Virginia's best hot dog. Who decided that? That's quite a claim! The article listed the best hot dog in each state. It was authored by Sara Ventiera. So, I brought my wife here to try it and 4 other items.
1) Banh Mi hot dog
It had a 100% natural uncured beef hot dog, diced cucumber, pickled carrots, pickled daikons, jalapeños, sriracha mayonnaise, and cilantro in Texas toast. The meat had a good grilled flavor with no char marks. It had a savory beef flavor with subtle seasoning that was well-rounded. This tasted just like an Oscar Meyer uncured beef hot dog. The texture was the same also. That's a good thing. The toppings overpowered the flavor of the hot dog. The toppings were fresh and flavorful, but they didn't make this hot dog taste like a Banh Mi sandwich. Not even close! It added some spicy heat, a slight sourness, and plenty of vegetable flavors to the hot dog. The Texas toast was buttered and grilled. It was moist and soft inside yet strong enough to hold everything together. Overall, this hot dog was flavorful, and I recommend it. The best hot dog in Virginia? I can think of better ones.
2) Three Piece Suit hot dog
It had a 100% natural uncured beef hot dog, beef chili, melted cheese, and chopped onions in Texas toast. It had the same hot dog as above, which was very tasty. The chili was mild in flavor and spiciness. It had finely ground meat and no beans. The cheese was weak in flavor. The onions were mild, diced white onions. All of the toppings were rather mediocre, which dragged this hot dog down to a not recommended status. The hot dog itself was good tasting, but this wasn't special overall.
FYI, uncured hot dog simply means that it is preserved using natural sources of nitrite, such as celery juice. Cured hot dogs use chemical nitrites for preservatives. The nitrites in both have the same effect healthwise. If you're worried about nitrites, don't eat processed meats, cured or uncured. I say, don't deprive yourself of any food, unless there's a medical reason. Eat in moderation.
3) Local Lamb Smash-burger
Two ground patties of locally sourced lamb, lettuce, tomato, and red onlons in a roll. The lamb burgers were moist, juicy, and tender with a well caramelized exterior. It had a strong lamb flavor with a little gaminess. My wife loved it. I'm not a fan of lamb, but this was surprisingly good. The vegetables were fresh and the roll was soft and moist. There was no sauce on the burger. Go figure. Tip to the owners, add Greek tzatziki sauce to it. Otherwise, this was very good in taste and texture.
4) Half Smoke
A pork-beef sausage, split & seared, with beef chili, chopped onions, and yellow mustard in a toasted top-split New England style bun. The skin was grilled to a light crispness with a good chargrilled flavor. Excellently cooked! The pork and beef flavor was strong. It was savory and well seasoned, but not spicy. Unfortunately, the chili and onions were the same mild flavored ones as above. The mustard was standard tasting and applied heavily. They need to put less mustard. Luckily, the great sausage flavor made up for the mundane toppings. The bun was soft and moist with a typical roll flavor. Just give me the half-smoke and bun. Keep your toppings. I'll be happy. Overall, this could be improved, but the half-smoke was exemplary.
5) Strawberry shake
Sweet with a decent strawberry flavor, but not fresh. It was creamy, smooth, and not thick. We could drink it through a regular straw. The ice cream in it wasn't rich tasting. It was okay. We've had better elsewhere.
The service was polite and helpful. Our food took 20 minutes to prepare, and the Three Piece Suit hot dog was missing. That's not quick, and reordering the missing hot dog made it take longer. The employee handling our order was new. She didn't know how to deduct the Yelp Check-in 10% discount. No one else but the owner knew. Tip to the owners, cashiers need to be trained on Yelp discounts. The dining room and restroom were clean. There were 9 small tables with chairs indoors and 3 tables with chairs outdoors. Their menu had more than just hot dogs. They sell burgers, sliders, sausages, bratwurst, fries, side dishes, milkshakes, ice cream, Eskimo dog (a dessert), a kid's meal, beer, wine, bottled water, ice tea, and bottled sodas. They have 3 locations: Alexandria, Arlington, and Nationals Park concessions. I was not overly impressed by their food or atmosphere, but they are worth a visit if you are nearby.
