What a gloomy day that wanted to be rainy but couldn't quite make the cut. What to do to bring…read morespirits up and sunshine (mental anyway) in? We decided on a trip to Local Dogs. I'm sort of embarrassed to admit we hadn't been. We watched Ashley and Michael Cordray transform a vintage filling station into a restaurant on Restoring Galveston and thought that they did an excellent job of it. But a hot dog, kid/family restaurant? Not really our vibe, or so I thought. Then I looked at the menu, read some reviews, and considered the importance of supporting local and trying something new. I mean, why not?
Azar (my niece), Dan (my partner in dine), and I agreed on a dog day afternoon. Overall, we all agreed it was a good call.
Azar: the Philly, fried okra, and a dirty Dr Pepper
Dan: the Chicago with a veggie dog, fries, and a cherry Pepsi
Yours truly: an NYC with a veggie dog, cheese curds, and Freakshow chardonnay in a very attractive can
The verdict?
Across the board, very positive. The only, and I mean the only, thing that was a bit of a miss was the veggie dog, and honestly I was not surprised. Veggie is not easy to pull off. Dan and I do not eat mammal so we were delighted that Local Dogs offered this option. We have had a lot of luck with Impossible meats. I don't know what this one was. It was okay, but texturally and flavor wise, it was a little off. Certainly edible, but not quite there.
Everything else hit the spot. High notes: the okra! After a very light dusting of salt, it became the star of the show. So good! The fries were everything fries should aspire to be. Not hard, not soggy, but just right. Azar's dirty Dr Pepper had her smiling.
The takeaway? We will definitely be back, rain or shine. The layout is inviting and comfortable, and the service was friendly. I think local, and visiting dogs, would really enjoy the patio area, too. Kudos to the Cordrays!