Welcome to Dogtown
A lively little location on one of the city’s busiest streets, Dogtown is a favorite hot dog spot for many Rochesterians. The restaurant specializes in dog-themed hot dogs but also serves a variety of sandwiches, vegetarian and vegan meals, and customizable Junkyard Plates.
First Impressions
As a Rochester native myself, I’ve certainly heard of Dogtown before. Friends who have gone off to college elsewhere always make a stop at Dogtown when they visit home, the restaurant itself has award-winning dishes with the credentials plastered with pride on their walls, and I’ve been recommended to visit Dogtown for years by locals and non-locals alike.
After finally going to Dogtown, I can certainly see the appeal. The staff and chefs are very friendly, and the building itself has a very welcoming appearance. Photos of dogs line the walls of the inside, with advertisements for local events, gestalt-style paintings of dogs, accolades for the restaurant sprinkled in-between. The restaurant’s exterior has a lovely patio area for outdoor dining during the warmer months with various strings of lights hanging overhead. Looking around inside the restaurant, it felt like there was always something new and interesting to find that I hadn’t seen before.
Junkyard Plate Review
Even though I am from Rochester, I have never had any rendition of a Garbage Plate before. Dogtown’s Junkyard Plates are their own version of the classic Rochester dish. Their traditional Junkyard Plates are served with two cheeseburgers, two hot dogs, or one of each on top of homefries and mac salad, drenched in meat sauce, mustard, and onions. As previously stated, I have never eaten a Garbage Plate before - and I still haven’t. I absolutely despise having certain foods touching, so the thought of a Garbage Plate has always made me queasy. However, my friend Bri has an iron stomach and great appetite, and was able to give me an honest review on the plate she ordered. Also a Rochester native, and a good friend since elementary school, Bri had never tried a Garbage Plate until we went to Dogtown.
She built her own custom Junkyard Plate with homefries, french fries, and a cheeseburger, topped with meat sauce and ketchup. I sat in awe as the waitress placed the Junkyard plate in front of Bri, looking at the surprisingly large pile of ingredients put together on her plate. After digging in with her fork and knife, Bri rated her meal a 7/10. She enjoyed as much of her meal as she could eat in one sitting, highlighting the homefries in particular as “crispy with the perfect amount of salt.” Her take on the meat sauce was that it “had a little spice, which was good…but when you eat it with the fizzy drink it tingles a little!” If Bri were to get the Junkyard Plate again, she recommends ordering it with a non-carbonated beverage instead, even though the old-school pop bottles fit the restaurant’s overall atmosphere very well.
What's the Difference?
Bri did not order the classic Junkyard Plate, and instead chose to make her own. But what goes into a classic plate, and what exactly did Bri order?
Classic Junkyard Plate
- Choice of Meat:
- Two Cheeseburgers
- Two Hot Dogs
- One Cheeseburger and One Hot Dog
- Home Fries
- Macaroni Salad
- Meat Sauce
- Onions
- Mustard
- Additional Toppings:
- Ketchup
- Relish
- Sauteed onions ($)
- Mushrooms ($)
- Kraut ($)
Bri's Junkyard Plate
- One Cheeseburger and One Hot Dog
- Home Fries
- French Fries
- Meat Sauce
- Ketchup
Boston Terrier Review
Unfortunately, I was not as impressed with the food at Dogtown as Bri was. I didn’t try the Junkyard Plate, but I did order their Boston Terrier - a Zweigle’s hot dog with bacon, baked beans, and Dogtown meat sauce - along with a side of fries. I can say that as a local I’ve always loved a good Zweigle’s hot dog, but the added toppings didn’t support the flavor of the hot dog very well. The meat sauce was a bit bland, the bacon was soggy, the bread didn’t work well with the hot dog itself, and the baked beans were not cooked with meat, which violated a fundamental rule of my family’s cooking. The french fries I ordered were very good, and I agreed with Bri that they had the perfect amount of salt and crispiness. I would rate my meal a 5/10 due to the lack of flavor and texture from the hot dog’s added components.
Admittedly, I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t like the food as much as I’d hoped. The ambiance itself really made my meal more enjoyable, and the price for the portions we got was very reasonable, so I wouldn’t mind going back to Dogtown to try something new.
Final Thoughts
The Dogtown menu is full of different options for a variety of diverse tastes, and the restaurant’s customers reflected this. People came in from all different backgrounds and ages, large families and small groups of friends, all enjoying their food and making great conversation at their tables. I was given the impression that Dogtown is somewhere with a strong sense of community. Their menu makes it more fun to try new things, with the creative dog-themed names and plentiful options for those with dietary restrictions, and the setting itself makes customers feel comfortable enough to do so. I will say that Dogtown is not for everyone. Just as I didn’t love the food I ordered, Bri was not a fan of seeing all the dog photos while she ate. The restaurant is very community oriented, but I wouldn’t recommend it to just anyone. For those who love dogs, are looking for an affordable and fun place for the family to eat, and/or just want to experience one of the most friendly restaurants Rochester has to offer, Dogtown is definitely a great place to go for a paw-sitive experience!
