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| - Giving a bad review to Zog Dogs is like kicking a puppy. You WANT to like them, because they've got a homey atmosphere that just begs to be loved; from the children's drawings on the walls to the hand-lettered menus to the friendly staff, the whole thing screams "Family business, just trying to get by!"
But alas, I don't eat companionship. (And if there's a restaurant that serves companionship, I refuse to participate in your cannibalism, sirrah.) So what we get here are thoroughly mediocre hot dogs.
There aren't a lot of toppings; ketchup, two kinds of mustard, chopped onions (not grilled), dill relish (no pickle relish), a handful of others. Nothing you couldn't squeeze or chop yourself in little time. The buns are straight from the Wonder Bread emporium. The signature "Zog Dogs" (which are what I had) are thin, sausage-cased dogs that are hard to bite through, and not particularly filling.
I also had the chili cheese fries, which were traditionally Cleveland - a grayish chili with strange meat, doused in cheese from a can. The fries were nicely soaked, though, I have to admit.
I want to think that this is them working out the kinks, but my (queasy) gut tells me that this kind of hot dog is what they strive for. Admittedly, The Perfect hot dog is a huge matter of contention - you may note that there are several burger chains, but only one half-hearted attempt at a national hot dog chain (and Nathan's is not, to my mind, particularly good either). But even if I really wanted small, sausagey dogs, I'm afraid this wouldn't do it for me.
But please. Go there. I like the people. Just not the food.
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