[Update: Spotted again at the corner of Ft. Lowell and Campbell. I'm guessing this is just their new spot, so don't try going to the old location by mistake!]
Given all the Sonoran and Sinoloan hot dog stand options in Tucson, it has become pretty difficult to impress me these days. Pretty much two things can get me excited:
1) You can follow the Sinoloans' lead and toast the bun, and you can actually toast it all the way to the point where it's nice and brown and toasty.
2) You can do something that isn't the same as what all the other stands do, by varying the ingredients or adding some frill to make the experience somewhat special.
I'm happy to say that El Rey does both. My hot dog bun was nice and toasty, which immediately earned some points in my eyes. And instead of the standard grilled yellow chili that you normally get with your hot dog, the guy gave me a grilled yellow chili STUFFED WITH CHEESE AND BACON. Yeah, seriously.
So basically, if you're going to get a Sonoran dog, you might as well get it on a nice toasted bun, and you might as well get to eat a cheesy, bacony chili along with it. And that means you might as well get it from this guy if you're in the area.
Now, I'm noticing that the address attached to this stand on Yelp is nowhere near where I was when I came across it on the side of the road. But to be totally honest, I don't actually remember where exactly it was -- maybe around Ft. Lowell and Campbell? Anyway, it's at least worth noting that this stand may not have a fixed location, or it may have moved. If I get any more information, I'll update this review accordingly. read more