Tubby Dog is not your regular hot dog stand. Enjoy hot dogs topped with cheese, bacon, chilli, chips, or even PB&J. One of the great things about Tubby Dog is that they make their own toppings, like chilli, instead of buying it already made. It’s more filling than a normal hot dog with just the bun and sausage, and it adds to the traditional taste of hot dogs by adding delicious toppings, such as fries or even pizza ingredients. A downside to Tubby Dog? Cash only.
Price- 9/10
Considering that regular hot dogs can cost about $2-3 and that the toppings can range anywhere from $4-6, the prices are fairly good. Any hot dog costs $7, GST included. Some of the specials they offer may be more or less, from $4 to as high as $10. And they do bake the buns and make their own toppings, so there’s more work going into the dogs than just simply placing a sausage on top of the bun.
Atmosphere- 7/10
Unlike most of the fast food restaurants on 17th, the atmosphere at Tubby Dog is different, both in good ways and bad ways. What was great was that it had the feel of an old- fashioned joint with a cartoon movie playing on the far end wall. But because of the movie playing, the lighting, of course, was a bit dim, which is alright but I’m personally not a big fan of dim lighting. Inside, there are a few arcade games that you could enjoy while you wait for your order or after you’ve eaten which would appeal to the younger customers, or young minded customers.
Also, Tubby Dog was quite crowded when Juliet and I went and we noticed that only two seats were available, and it was obvious why they weren’t taken– it was right on the same counter that was connected to the “kitchen” area of Tubby Dog, so we awkwardly ate in front of one of the workers cutting onions. The tables inside Tubby Dog aren’t quite spaced out, so people are having to sit next to one another closely.
Food- 8/10
While Juliet ordered one of the specials, the Goodall, I ordered the Tubby dog. The owner of the joint came up with all original recipes for the food on the main menu. There is another menu with three items on it, the specials menu, one of which was the Goodall. The Goodall is kind of like a banana split, except with bread instead of ice cream, and it has peanut butter and optional fruit loops cereal. This combination may sound strange what with the bread and all, but the bread is crispy and baked, and along with the crispy crunch of the fruit loops, it makes for a delicious snack.
The Tubby dog has homemade chilli, bacon, cheese, onions and mustard. The bacon was cut up into tiny pieces and spread all over the dog on top. The taste of it though was very subtle. The mustard, although I don’t mind it, was a bit stronger than I would’ve liked. Fortunately, the cheese wasn’t overloaded and spilling out on the sides. For me, the chilli was the best part. Overall, the Tubby dog was a decent balance between a regular hot dog with the chilli. It wasn’t as overly greasy or sickening after eating it halfway, unlike our last food review *ahem The Big Cheese ahem*. But it was somewhat difficult to eat because there isn’t anything holding the toppings down, so I somehow managed to spill almost half the chillli onto the plate when I tried to eat it. If you are trying a dog from Tubby Dog, I advise you eat it using a knife and fork, not using your hands and picking it up.
Enjoy some more photos!
Overall rating: 8/10
We (Juliet and I) hope that you’ve enjoyed our food blogs at the locally owned restaurants found on 17th! Unfortunately, this is the last of them but that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop finding new places. We encourage you to always try new things because you never know what you’re missing!