Fat Franks is a local business that's apparently been around since the mid-90's. Their hot dog carts/kiosks are found at the various festivals in Edmonton, but they have several restaurant locations. I went to the one at Capilano, it's in the strip mall with Sally Beauty (not in Capilano mall itself). Fat Franks Dog House has a pretty extensive menu. You can get a basic hot dog (and they have tons of condiments at the condiment bar), but they also have smokies, turkey franks, even veggie dogs. They also have a several types of poutine from the classic to an eggs and bacon poutine. On my visit I really wanted a poutine, but decided to splurge on the fancy pants poutine. Mostly because this poutine already has a hot dog in it (chopped up), so it's like getting a hot dog and poutine in one. It also has grilled crumbled chorizo sausage, cheddar cheese, scallions, fresh curds, and vegetarian gravy. I got the regular size and it was really good. The few times I've grabbed a hot dog from Fat Franks at their carts it's been good, but I've never been able to have one of their poutines until now. The only thing I can say is that as someone who's lactose intolerant, I probably should have had a lactaid pill on me (I can give up a lot of dairy, but not cheese), but the poutine was delicious. Next time I'll come prepared, because that was on me. Still I'm looking forward to the next time I can visit a Fat Franks Dog House. read more

i ordered a popcorn chicken poutine for my kid and it was the size of a side salad you'd get from wendys before they changed the size options small container. They are over priced for what you get for portions definitely not going back. I was having a conversation with a friend of mine while waiting for the order and the person working at the time went from polite to rude when I decided to just order one thing instead of my meal as well while smelling burning oil from the deep fryers. read more

Food is great Menu on door mentions specials with fountain pop but they don't have fountain drinks Napkins weren't customer facing so weren't readily available until I turned the dispenser around Trays and garbage are placed at the back of store the farthest possible distance from the exit Poor advertising, poor selection of pop and poor design of store. read more

Hot dog. Tube steak. Street meat. This backyard barbecue staple has been around since 1880 and is one of the most synonymous foods with North America (especially the United States). Hot dog carts are an extremely typical thing to see on downtown streets in most major cities (hence the nickname "street meat"). In Edmonton, the top player in this game is Fat Franks. On the scene since 1995, they're the one with the carts in this city. You see them everywhere, especially in the summertime. My clearest memory of Fat Franks is the shack-like location that they used to have on Whyte Ave. No longer there, it was essentially a walk-up window that could put a dog in your hand for your stroll on the avenue. They've been named Best Hot Dog Restaurant 2021 by the Edmonton Journal and I was excited to discover what they've been up to these days. Turns out, it's a lot! Not only do they still manage tons of carts all over the city, plus you'll always find them at literally any major event, but Fat Franks has now opened their very own DOG HOUSE! It's an actual restaurant located in Ottewell in the same shopping complex area as Capilano Mall. Offering an extended menu, a liquor license, and a modern and hip "this ain't your dad's hot dog stand" vibe... This might just be the coolest place in town to grab a hot dog. I visited on a Sunday evening and as I was pulling up to the restaurant I was met with the unmistakable Fat Franks logo and font. If you've lived in Edmonton, you've seen it. The restaurant itself isn't huge and it's got a definite "fresh take on a diner" atmosphere to it. The colours; red, white and black, have that classic diner feeling to them, while the rest of the decor elements feel updated. I especially loved the mural of hot dogs peeking out from behind white exposed brick. The menu is actually very extensive, with a lot more than just hot dogs. They also do burgers, tons of different fries and poutines, and of course you can build your own epic hot dog right to your own specifications. I was really interested in trying some of their "classics," pre-designed hot dogs, so I picked a few of those that sounded interesting. I placed my order at the counter, grabbed a seat, and after a reasonable amount of time I arrived in hot dog heaven. Fat Franks prides themselves on their hot dogs. Obviously. Their dogs are 80% beef and 20% chicken. They're all natural. There are no byproducts, no allergens, no preservatives, and they are gluten free. I mean, it's still a hot dog but at least it's one that you can feel somewhat better about. They offer several meatless options as well. My first dog of choice was the Japanese Dog (Processed swiss cheese, wasabi mayo, pickled ginger, shredded seaweed, toasted sesame seeds - $8.99). These are a total thing. If you've ever been to Vancouver you've probably seen Japadog, an entire restaurant chain dedicated to making this style of hot dog. First I will discuss my thoughts on the basic Fat Franks products: the dogs and the buns. I like their hot dog a lot because it's juicy and flavourful. I think that the mix of beef and chicken adds an interesting element that changes the flavour profile just enough to make them unique. However, I would like it if the dogs were snappier. These hot dogs don't really have the snap that good quality hot dogs are supposed to have and that makes me just a little bit sad. The buns are very bready. There's a lot of bread. It's a nice bun, it's served warm, and it tastes fresh (I've heard that they're made locally) but I find that the bread ratio is quite high compared to the rest of the ingredients. As for the Japanese toppings, I liked this hot dog a lot and found it quite successful. The wasabi mayo was extra delicious and I loved the zingy kick from the pickled ginger. This dog brings the umami and you won't be disappointed with the flavours. Next I tried the Hawaiian Dog (Pineapple relish, chipotle mayo, crushed homemade chips, processed swiss cheese - $8.99). If you put chips on anything I'll probably order it. This one was my favourite! I loved this hot dog because the mix of ingredients were totally new to me and I'd never tried anything like it before. Everything worked incredibly well together! The pineapple relish was sweet and acidic, the chipotle mayo was spicy, and I loved that the crunchy chips are house made. (In fact, they sell them in bags.) This hot dog has kick, texture, and takes your taste buds on a flavour adventure. Lastly, I tried the Reuben Dog (Processed swiss cheese, warm caraway sauerkraut and chopped Montreal smoked meat - $9.49). Unfortunately, this was my least favourite of the three. I should have known (as someone who spent several years living in Montreal) that this hot dog simply couldn't live up to what I know smoked meat is supposed to be. There just wasn't enough happening on this hot dog. The sauerkraut was nice but the smoked meat was much, much too sparse. The thin little flecks of meat were almost unnotic read more

See all

More like a 3.5, but just because I think this a good place that could be better, it's not yet worthy of 4 stars. While it's nice to see the expansion of a great Edmonton business, especially into a niche market with little competition, in many ways my partner and I prefer the corner cart-style Fat Franks. The hot dogs are just better, they're crisp and perky on the outside with that nice juicy snap when you bite into them. Here at the restaurant the hot dogs are really missing that appeal. I also love that FF's hires people with disabilities and helps them gain work and service experience - I don't think that's the case here. It's also overpriced for what you get, compared to other places that offer 'gourmet' dogs (like It' Dog), $8 for a speciality dog on a very average quality bun with everyday toppings is unnecessarily expensive in my opinion. The upsale prices for brats and other dog options ($2 more) is too much (it's $1 at It' Dog) with toppings added it's easy to get to $10. The basic hot dogs are good, but not brilliant, and you'll pay more for additional hot dog toppings than you would to add extra toppings to a large pizza. This is strip mall Capilano, not premium real estate like Garneau, Whyte or downtown. Why so pricey? I also doubt the market for upsale weenies is that great in this neighbourhood versus a trendy one with a much younger base population. The sides we've tried were OK, but again overpriced. Poutine is average. I didn't care much for the corn dog bites although I like the idea. I like that there's a great selection of sauces, many locally made they say, the beer mustard is delicious. As I am all about the sauce, I also like that they offer beer, although it'd be nice if they didn't have western Canada's worst beer (Yellowhead) as their only tap selection. Are the guys at Alley Kat that hard to deal with or something? They've got a nice space and a cute diner set-up, clean and retro-modern like many of the upsale pizza, burger, chicken places which have been popping up around E-town in the last 2 years. I've been twice to this location, but I think I'll stick to the carts because the dogs are better and I like to support the hard-working little guys. Sorry Hot Dog House! read more

See all

Hot dogs and poutine were on our minds. I'd had a hotdog for the Fat Frank stalls before but wanted to checkout the establishment and I'm so glad we did. 1st off, the decor is cool. Subway tiles, giant hot dog poster (duh) and blackboard updates. Lot's of seating all around and they need it - at lunchtime this place is BUSY!! We ordered poutine and chili dogs, it definitely wasn't the wurst (soz). Next time I'll just get a regular cheese dog because the topping selection is massive. Self serve for toppings from sauerkraut to relish to be found next to the kitchen. The staff were lovely and really welcoming to our little pal. They brought out an actual treasure chest full of little toys from dollarama. Sure it's cheap but goes down a treat with little kids. Thanks Frank :) read more

See all

Took my daughter here for lunch and was seriously disappointed. The hotdogs were dry and honestly tasted as if they had been sitting out for quite some time. The buns were completely dried out. At the condiment counter we found mostly empty containers and when I asked the staff for more ketchup I was huffed at. read more

Awful. We had Snoop digs and mexifries. Doughy chewy bun, tough dog and the "Chilli ' was like tomato sauce. We had better off their carts outside Canadian Tire. read more

Lately, I've been on the search for the best gourmet hot dog. I'm still searching, but I can tell you that Fat Frank's is definitely a contestant! This is their newest location, but new doesn't mean bad. The staff knew what they were doing, and they did their jobs with a smile and friendly chatting. While we were there, the owner was there as well, and he was interacting with his customers constantly. He was busy handing out their little menu cards, chatting with customers about how they were enjoying it, and even clearing tables! It's nice to see when the owner is that involved. Now for the food: The hot dogs were pretty freakin' good! You can choose from any of their pre-made gourmet hot dogs or even create your own from a huge list of items available. The sky is the limit here! You can customize right down to the type of hot dog you get. Rather have a smokie? They've got you covered! Pair your hot dog with their house-made potato chips (the maple bacon were delish), fries, or even a gourmet poutine. You have so many choices and combinations, you want to keep coming back to try them all. So although Fat Frank's isn't the #1 (yet), it's definitely up there on the list! Check it out if you don't believe me... read more

See all

Quite honestly, I'm impressed. Prior to this recent visit, I had only ever had Fat Franks at hot dog carts which really only offer limited menu items. However, coupons in the mail encouraged us to check out this bricks and mortar location. We were not disappointed! The food was good (lots of potential toppings to add to your hot dog or burger for example), made fresh and the staff were friendly and helpful (especially when one of our party wanted beverage refills). It was not busy when we visited but I imagine that the homey feel and great service wouldn't change were I to visit at a busier time. read more

When faced with a decision on where to have lunch I turned to yelp and fat frank's was the best reviewed. It actually had more stars than the sawmill across the parking lot. I has a ruban dog and a poutine. Both were very good. I would have expected the ruban dog to come with mustard,but they had lots of different mustards on the condiment bar. The poutine was good with hot crisp fries. They sell beer here although i settled for a coke as it was not really beer time for me. And they sell the sausages and dogs packaged to take home. I left with a pack of chorizo smokies. The staff were freindly and seemed interested in doing a good job. Much better expeeice than I thought a hot dog place would be. read more

Friendly service, great vibe !! Excellent food !! The veggie dog is unreal. I go as often as possible. read more

Fat Franks Dog House - Vegetarian hot dog, vegetarian poutine - Hot Dogs Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

Always have been a fan, but only at the carts. First time in the sit down restaurant. Super busy this lunch hour and only one guy juggling the orders. Took awhile for food to come through. At the end of the day the dogs are always great! Nice location, clean, water available, and loads of condiments. read more

Fat Franks Dog House - Hot Dogs Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

I didn't know Fat Franks had a restaurant until I was in the Capilano area heading somewhere else and noticed the signage. I love Fat Franks dogs so stopped in and had my favourite jumbo dog to stay, with a premium topping of sauteed mushrooms (which were free because of the Thursday special of one free premium topping or sauce). I had a side of fresh-cut fries made to order. My friend had two specialty dogs that were loaded with toppings. The menu also has hamburgers and many different kinds of poutines. It's a small place with good service and reasonable prices. read more

Yummy yummy hot dogs! Now I'm not usually a big fan of hot dogs but the ones here are delicious! Yes, they cost more than the no name brand doggos you can find in grocery stores, but they are worth the price if you're looking to treat yourself! Staff is super friendly and helpful! The food comes out pretty quickly. Not the fastest of fast foods, so be prepared for a little bit of a wait compared to other places. One of the best things is all of the toppings available to put on your hot dog! There's the usual suspects (ketchup, relish, mustard) and also mayos, sriracha, sauerkraut, peppers, and more! All the customization you need to make the perfect lil meal. P.S. the poutine is also pretty good here too! read more

We would like to review it but we are now half an hour after the skip the dishes order was due to be delivered to our business - 14 people waiting - and they now say it will be another 40 minutes - spoiled firm luncheon - people have to go out to meetings, have other commitments etc. Message to management: don't sign up for skip the dishes unless you can actually deliver on time please. read more

I have only ever had one of their dogs at a fat franks stand i was so excited when i heard they opened an actual eat in place near my work. Finally decided to check it out. I was extremely impressed with the management here, the amount of options for food and toppings and the service! My first time coming here and it won't be my last. Definitely check it out, friendly staff and professionalism will keep you wanting to come back for more! Really, can you ever go wrong with a hot dog and poutine? Also - they serve beer! read more

I'm obsessed with this place, first off their food is DELICIOUS, who doesn't love a great hot dog? And their employees are fantastic, helpful and very friendly. I feel like if i show up any more often than I do I'm going to have to start mailing them Christmas Cards since I spend more time with them than I do with most of my family. I highly recommend this location. read more

I just wanted a quick bite for lunch. I ordered a jumbo dog because frankly, it was cheap. Is it just me or are the prices here kind of wild. $6.50 for a smoky. $3 for small fry and a drink... I dunno what the costs but I'm sure it's north of $2. So that's close to 12 bucks for a hot dog lunch. I dunno, maybe I'm cheap. The hotdog was good but the place lacks any charm and the counter staff are, well odd I guess would be the best description. They don't really interact with customers they just stand and watch. Anyways it's a hotdog not 5 star cuisine. I just think it should have hotdog prices...or vibe... or something. read more

As one reviewer noted this is Fat Franks. Hot dogs. Come here if you like hot dogs or suspect you are suffering from an h-dog withdrawal... their menu is inspiring and daring. If you are into hot dogs and combos. I ordered their Vienna (?) special and poutine. The wait is shorter than if you go to a lunch restaurant but longer than a regular fast food joint. The staff are friendly and seems to take joy in serving you. This is a place I would come back to, next time I am starving for hot dogs. It gets really busy around noon so if you are a wolf pack, you better come a bit early or later to get seats. read more

Awesome selection. Quick service. The wait for them to open has been worth it. This was better than the vendor carts we have become used to. read more

Fat Franks Dog House - Hot Dogs Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

I had a chance to go to Fat Franks Capilano yesterday with my boyfriend after participating in their Instagram post. Basically you tag 3 friends follow their page and BAM free frank. So we did! We've been here before but never met the owner. This man is passionate about local sustainability and it's good to know local businesses are supporting local farmers. We had a Fat Frank and a Corona and after wanted a little something for later. While waiting he made us a sample of mozzarella sausage and it was FABULOUS! Chris ordered a taco fries to go and i got the Japanese fries to go. Super delicious! I would also recommend their Greek fries to anyone who loves greek. So many different choices of food run by locals who really care. We will be back. Thanks for a great experience! read more

Fat Franks Dog House - Hot Dogs Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

See all

I highly recommend this place! It's gotta be the Best place to get a Hot Dog your way! Gone to this location a few times now and have been super impressed with the service every time! Everyone that works there greets you with a smile and makes you feel welcome and they want to know you are enjoying your meal. I was eating there the other day and 3 staff members asked me how my food was and made sure I had everything I needed. read more

I went to Fat Franks because I was looking forward to it. What I got was an overcooked hot dog and fries that were like potato twigs. They were so overcooked. I was sadly disappointed because whenever I have had something at the stands they are so good. read more

I went into fat franks today , there was a couple waiting for their food on a bench in the store and two people in line before me so I figured I would place an order instead of finding somewhere else to go. IT WAS A DISASTER IN THERE! The lady had multiple orders so I was expecting the wait to start but the employees were a mess the lady on the girl was panicking and the guy on the till just kept slamming her with more orders instead of washing up to help her prep or help keep things moving . The first couple came for the condiments and to pick up their order and she dropped the box topping going all over the container, they left after and it was ok till the lady on the grill proceeded to say we only have whole wheat our white buns have mould on them THEY WERE STILL ON THE COUNTER WITH THE FRESH FOOD ! They can not handle a rush here the lady and gentlemen that had orders before mine got their orders after me obviously upsetting them more, I got to my car with my to go order and inspected my bun because I wanted to be sure it was not covered in mould but no fork for my poutine . Honestly save your time and walk to five guys it's probably a better choice! read more

Well... I love hot dogs, so I really wanted to try this place. I was excited! The decor is quite nice, somewhat industrial but welcoming. And there are a TON of menu options. The friendly staff was eager to help me choose a meal. I had a smokey dog, with one "fancy" topping (at $1 extra...) And a poutine and a can of pop in a "combo". This came to nearly $15!!!! For a HOT DOG. This fact alone means I will never go back. The poutine was quite sub par. My fries were stale and the portion was small. The gravy was also overly salty and there was maybe 5 curds of cheese on it. The hot dog bun was not ideal for that type of sausage as it fell apart really quickly. (On it's own or with a regular hot dog it would be quite good however) So for the price and quality of food sadly it won't be getting any more of my business. It was worth a try, and the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. read more

Everything is good here. The dogs. The sausage, the fries, home made potatoes chips. The service is fast and friendly.

I had the Jr Frank and am fries. It was very tasty and hit the spot. I will come back again to try the poutine

The dogs you've come to love from every festival for the last 10 years and great sides. Of particular note: the poutine which was much better than expected. Fries were very crispy and the gravy was good. Very good selection of condiments. read more

I got 2 chili cheese dogs to go only to get home and realize there was no cheese on them. An extra $2 well spent apparently. Personally I find the chili cheese dogs at 7-11 to be of better quality and definitely a better price. At over $7 a dog I expected to be impressed instead I was left regretting not going to 7-11. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about at fat franks and now I'm left wondering still because I don't get it. The meat was bland and the buns were dry (I prefer them steamed and moist). The chili had no heat or flavor. As for the cheese well I never got any so I can't review it. I won't be going back that's for sure! read more

I used to frequent this establishment regularly, I liked their poutine. A while back the poutine became inconsistent so I didn't come around as often. Then I had an order lost and after waiting for quite a while the supervisor (I'm assuming the fellow was the supervisor) asked me what I was waiting for and I told him a poutine. He apologized, apparently gal on the line tossed the order ticket, and then made me my poutine and gave me a loyalty card fully stamped so that my next poutine was on Fat Franks. Today I went back to Fat Franks, ordered a poutine and handed the loyalty card to the young staff member for payment. He told me I couldn't pay for poutine with that, and I replied that it was for poutine and that is the only thing I ever get at Fat Franks. He said he would not accept the loyalty card. I pulled out a 10 dollar bill to pay and told him I would not be back, he told me to leave the establishment. I'm a professionally employed mid 50s man and to be addressed in this fashion by an insolent little pup not old enough shave is absolutely unacceptable. I will never visit another Fat Franks again, EVER. read more