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| - If you're a local, you've heard of this place before, or you've been here before. You either love it or hate it, and there's really no in between. I'm in the love it camp.
If you walk by or walk in, you'll probably wonder what the deal is. It's far from anything fancy. It's an old diner with a couple bar stools at the window and a few tables along the back walls. Some old cartoon is probably playing on the TV, and there's a handful of vintage arcade machines plugged in, waiting for your quarters. It's all part of the charm.
Tubby Dog hosts some of the best and by-and-far the messiest meals in Calgary. Don't show up here looking for fancy, show up wearing something you can get a few mustard stains on. The menu is posted on the back wall, so you'll order at the counter, and please bring cash, if you can. The options range from a plain hot dog, to dogs with chili, to those with peanut butter or cereal on top. Specials include pizza dogs (which are to die for), and monstrous creations based around people or events taking place in the city. If you're new, try the A-Bomb - a gigantic hot dog with space cheese and crushed potato chips that will challenge your opinion on whether or not a hot dog can really be the only thing on your dinner plate.
Other menu items besides the hot dogs include potato chips (fresh and in large enough portions to feed a table), onion rings (large enough to be mistaken for doughnuts), a few cheap beers, and Coke products. Everything is reasonably priced, and it's the perfect place to take that weird, hipster, out-of-town friend who's tried everything.
Besides the food and decor, the staff is usually really friendly, and the place is open late for those drinking-adventure cravings you might get late at night. One thing to be aware of is that the restaurant can be closed on occasion to give the staff time off, or open up a bit later "just because", so it's worth taking a look to see if they've posted anything to that effect on their Twitter or Facebook account.
Overall, it's one of the cornerstones of Calgary's food culture, and I recommend and suggest it to anybody who hasn't been there yet.
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