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    El Capitan's

    4.6 (84 reviews)
    InexpensiveHot Dogs, Pretzels, American
    Closed 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    EL CAPITAN'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Contact free pickup window!
    Jennifer J.

    So the teenager and I were doing our usual thing. You know, sheltering in place with Netflix, and we were craving something hot, tasty, affordable, and NOT Top Ramen. I'd heard El Cap's had re-opened with a fancy new contact-free takeout window and was excited to check it out! I ordered online via their website - two loaded dogs and a side of fries - and within minutes I was standing outside their downtown Bham digs with food in hand. I rushed it home (only snuck a couple of fries on the way - really, I promise) and we dug in. My teen ordered the basic dog with a side of tasty sauerkraut (her only complaint was that she wished I'd gotten two sides of it - man I love that kid) and I got a chili dog loaded with cheese and onions. (Hey, it's the Apocalypse, ya gotta live a little!) It was SOOOOOO good. And very filling - in fact, I couldn't even finish it all. The best thing was the price. We've been doing a LOTTA takeout lately (um, hello, #supportlocal) and this was one of the most affordable meals we've found by far. Including tip we were in for under $25. We're definitely adding El Cap's to our lunchtime takeout rotation!

    Aliya T.

    I have come here twice and man do I love this place. The owner is so great and friendly to all his customers. I love coming here and getting to chat with him and his see his passion for his business. Keep in mind this is a small establishment, not a ton of space, and the owner is the one who cooks so it could take some time to get your food. It wouldn't take a super long time, but may not be a quick bite! That being said, the menu is awesome with a lot of variety and there are also amazing pretzels. You can get a unique hot dog, or you can get a regular hot dog and help yourself to the hot dog bar with has various toppings so you can customize your meal. Highly recommend this place for hot dogs and pretzels in town!

    Menu
    Trang W.

    So I finally got to try this place. Sausages were good but highly disappointed with the "largest" pretzel. It tastes like a frozen one you buy at the grocery store. Needless to say it was alright. The favorite part was the condiment bar.

    Mouth-watering X.O
    Rex D.

    Sometimes you are just in the mood for a hot dog. Looked up on Yelp, who might it be in Bellingham? Sure enough, a number of the yelpers are raving over this place, had to try it out to satisfy that yearning! It's a cute corner store with a roped-off area if you would like to sit outside. Inside, some tables, and bar-type seating. I came during the day, and can easily see why this would be a magnet a place for an after-hours munchy attack! On the recommendation of the person taking the order, she said to try the XO. This puppy came with pepper smoked sausage, bacon, grilled onions, specially made BBQ sauce, and cream cheese. They also offer a decent condiment selection to add to this dream on a bun! The first bite, you could feel the snap of the crispy dog as it released its flavor. Then the sauce and cream cheese infused in combing into this amazing, mouth-watering taste of something you missed out on before ever trying this "hot-dog" This satisfied the desire to have that hot dog and will return for some of the other items (long list!!!) they have on their menu. *!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!* Please let me know if you like the review and click "Useful" Let me know what else you would like to see by clicking the "Compliment" button, any thoughts you have are always appreciated. Thank you for reading the review. See you on Yelp!

    XO - their best seller
    Elena L.

    Adding to all the Yelp love on here. Great shop - cute, clean, and bright. Hot dogs were the bomb. We tried the Dog and XO. Slaw was delicious too. Service was friendly and kind. Highly recommend!

    Cleanest condiment bar ever!
    Kaitlyn S.

    This has very quickly become my new favorite place for lunch. I love the affordability of this spot, a Louisiana Hot Link and French Fries for only $8.50! You can't beat that. Perfect place to stop if you work downtown. They are extremely fast, and usually only have one person manning the register and cooking and they always have amazing customer service! They also have something for everyone (vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free etc.). But my favorite aspect is the cleanliness of this location. It's ultimately a glorified hot dog stand, which for a good dog I'm willing to walk the line as far as "health code standards," but this is by far cleanest establishment I have ever been for a dog. Ironically, as I sit here writing this post, the girl who helped me today is talking about how much she loves her job and the people she works for to another customer. How they are genuinely good people and that just speaks volumes to me. As a person who worked in customer service for 6 plus years, I can attest that is not often the case. Support local B'ham, that's what makes us all so great and unique!

    Vegan chipotle dog - The Lucy Dog
    Alyssa B.

    This spot is great! Super covid responsible, have some outdoor seats with heaters. We got into town on the late side and there they were with beers and hot dogs making our dreams come true. The dogs and fries hit the spot and small but good draft beer selection. The vegan option is delicious! Love that they have both vegan and meat options for a mixed bunch.

    Beer menu
    Coty F.

    5 stars for honestly the best service we could have asked for. The man taking our order was very helpful and kind. He checked on us multiple times even when he was really busy. You could tell they care about you enjoying your experience and food. We had to try a Seattle dog and it was very interesting coming from a very Chicago city girl. The cream cheese and onions were good, just different than what I'm used to!! Would definitely recommend the blackberry cider. Very quality meats, will be back when in Bellingham!

    Andrea H.

    If you are still looking for a late night hook-up after clubbing, getting a dog here is probably your last, best choice for satisfying your appetite that won't leave you with as much regret in the morning. It's not my favorite place for late night dining, but often it's the ONLY place. The clientele - mostly drunk college students, especially if you visit between midnight and 2 am on Friday and Saturday nights. Even if you haven't been drinking, the smell of alcohol permeates the air. The location - grungy, small, hole-in-the-wall. Standing room only. Not sure I would want to linger even if a chair was provided. At least there is a roof over your head to get you out of the rain and walls to block the wind. The owner has one space heater next to the cash register. The hours - late night dining from 9:30 pm until 2 am, but only on party nights, ie. hump day (Wednesday), pre-weekend (Thursday), Friday and Saturday nights. The food - The buns are fresh & fluffy and the dogs are meaty. I like the Louisiana hot link, but there are other choices if you can't take the heat, like bratwurst and even a veggie dog. You dress your dog yourself. A variety of free condiments are available including mustard, spicy mustard, ketchup, relish, saurkraut, etc. Pretzels are on the menu too if you can't scrape up $5 for a dog. This is the only place I have ever heard of that serves cream cheese with their dogs. It is an intriguing combo, but perhaps best enjoyed after buckets of brewskis. The parking - free and plentiful at this hour, but you may have to dodge blue and red flashing lights to get to and from here as they are out in force.

    Seattle-style!
    Steven G.

    My wife and I stopped in at El Capitán's on Cornwall after reading the great Yelp reviews and it does not disappoint. The place, while cozy, had a great pirate theme and the owner was a perfect host. I made my dog and beverage choice and saw that they had a porter made specifically for them by a local brewer. The owner, Marc, was kind enough to answer my questions as well as provide a taste. It was the perfect compliment to the dog. Still, it's all about the dog and I have to say this is one of the best garlic sausages I've ever had. Seattle style (cream cheese and grilled onions) rocks! Great atmosphere, wonderful host, excellent food, and all a block from the Upfront Theater. Found a new home!

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    3 months ago

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    24 days ago

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    1 year ago

    Toasted, pillowy buns. Self-serve condiments. The coldest and freshest beer.... so good. I wish they were open for breakfast.

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Amazing pretzel with cheese and open late, would come back here for some drunk munchies. Girls working were super nice. Wonderful ambiance.

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    10 years ago

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - El Capitan's

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    Roe

    Roe

    4.6
    (40 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    I came here with my mom to enjoy a nice dinner after a long week. We walked in around 4:45 and we…read morewere the only ones there, though it soon filled up while we were there. The dining room was elegant yet cozy, with great lighting. The staff was also very friendly and our waiter was very helpful in aiding our choice. We ordered the Focaccia bread, the salmon momtadito and the tonnarelli as our entree. The focaccia was the only dissapointing item as it was very basic in my opinion, which isn't bad but just nothing exciting to write about. The appetizer, the salmon montadito, was probably my favorite item of the night. It was served on focaccia bread and drizzled with a truffle honey butter and sat upon a mascarapone yogurt. It was elegant and it was incredibly flavorful. The sweetness of the truffle honey butter was a great contrast to the salmon itself, and all melted together to make an exceptional appetizer. The tonnarelli was a pasta dish we split and was also very tasty. The pasta itself was a thicker spaghetti like pasta served with plenty of crab. It was tasty and it satisfied and I'd likely order it again as I will be back when my sister's visit. All in all, a great restaurant to spend a nice night right in the heart of Bellingham!

    Superb food and service. Bread for a fee was made in house…read moreand pre seasoned ,oiled and grilled also excellent. Strawberries and crème fraiche mixture a great finale. Too expensive for me but it was all wonderful.. Street parking only was challenging. Go early if you can afford it.

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    Roe
    Roe
    Beautiful presentation but please go easy on the salt!

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    Beautiful presentation but please go easy on the salt!
    Northwater

    Northwater

    4.0
    (189 reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$

    In town for the night, we were looking for a place to watch the game and Northwater had solid…read morereviews, so we decided to give it a try. Our server was outstanding. They happily put the game on when we asked and were very attentive throughout our visit, which made a great first impression. I ordered the burger with bacon and blue cheese and requested no condiments. I think there may have been some confusion in the kitchen, as the garnishes were left off as well, but our server promptly brought them out when asked. Unfortunately, the burger itself was overcooked and lacked flavor. The ciabatta roll was only partially toasted, and overall the dish fell a bit flat. The fries, however, were excellent hot, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and absolutely delicious. I don't usually like coated fries, but these were a home run. My dining partner ordered the BLT and said the sandwich was great overall. We also shared the mozzarella sticks appetizer. They were a bit different from traditional mozzarella sticks, thicker cheese with a heavier breading. While they were good, I felt the order should have included six instead of four. Overall, even though we were one of only two tables in the restaurant, we had a great lunch, thanks largely to the excellent service.

    We stayed at the hotel and decided to have breakfast here since it was convenient. We chose the…read morebuffet, which was fine overall. The bacon was okay, the eggs tasted like they might have been reconstituted, the English muffin was tough, but the white toast was excellent, thickly cut and toasted just right. The fruit and coffee were both okay. Our waiter was friendly, attentive, and really tried hard to make sure we had what we needed. Service was definitely the highlight. The restaurant was clean and though there were lots of people there it wasn't too noisy. I was surprised to see how worn the booth seating was. It was convenient and quick, which fit our morning plans, but we decided to try other spots in town for the rest of our meals.

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    Classic MTV
    Classic MTV
    French Prime Rib Dip Sandwich
    French Prime Rib Dip Sandwich
    10" pizza

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    10" pizza

    El Capitan's - hotdog - Updated June 2026

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