Steve's Snappin' Dogs

I apologize for getting behind on my hot dog reviewing. We really have been to more hot dog joints than the blog has let on. I seem to find myself a little busy this summer. I blame this on U.S. foreign relations. See I am currently taking a class on the history of U.S. foreign policy and it is taking up more of my time than I wish to admit. So hot dog blogging has been put on the back burner. Since today I am procrastinating writing an essay on the evolution of foreign policy from Washington to Truman, I think now would be a great time to get you a little more informed about where to get your hot dogs around here.

Last weekend, Aaron and I were able to eat at Steve’s Snappin Dogs. Actually we ended up eating there on both Friday and Saturday nights! It was the combination of these two nights that has put Steve’s way into the lead. (I am tempted to give them five weenies, but that is reserved for the winner. So if Steve’s can’t be beat than I reserve the right to adjust their score once the summer is over.)

Before I get into the judging I have to let you in on a new fact. I have officially come to the conclusion that my love for hot dogs only exists if the hot dog is ALL BEEF! I am not sure why that was left undiscovered until this point in my life. Maybe because I had only ever had all beef dogs. I was finding myself a little disappointed in some of the hot dog establishments. I couldn’t put my finger on why until I realized I had been eating some half pork/half beef dogs. So in order for this girl to be satisfied I need beef. Just know that from this point on if I am judging a hot dog you can assume it is 100% beef. Otherwise you will definitely hear about it!

Judging time:

Value- Price was just right. I paid 11 and some change for two hot dogs, two chips, and two drinks. $11 seems to be the magic number for that combination of food. They are right on track with price. Not at all too expensive. My Chicago Dog cost $3.65. Aaron's Memphis Dog cost $3.65.

Preparation- These were grilled. You can see your dog being cooked right there in front of you.

Presentation- This was AMAZING! Check out the dogs below. I had the Chicago Dog. Aaron had the Memphis Dog. On night 2 I had the Jersey dog.

Chicago Dog- green relish, spicy mustard, red onions, celery salt, sliced tomato, dill pickle spear, and sport peppers.

Memphis Dog- BBQ sauce, grilled red onions, bacon, and coleslaw

Jersey Dog- green relish, spicy mustard, caraway sauerkraut, red onions and bacon. (Sorry no picture. Just imagine the Chicago dog minus the pickle but add tons of sauerkraut)

They looked delicious! The toppings were piled on. I am from Chicago and I grew up on hot dogs with endless toppings. This was ideal for me!

Ambiance- Near perfection! The only downfall might be that it is located on Colfax. Since we live so close we decided to walk on over there and in the three minutes that it took us to walk, we did get hit up for money by a homeless guy. But everything else about this place was great. This hot dog joint reminded me of a fun summer afternoon barbecue. That is the exact feeling I have been looking for. Steve's was set up with picnic tables and even though I am a strict believer that dogs and hot dogs should have nothing to do with each other they do offer convenient seating for your dog if you want to walk him or her on over to eat with you. Great atmosphere!

Taste- Again near perfection! This is where the combination of the two nights and my "all beef" rantings come in.

Night # 1. I got the Chicago dog. It was delicious. The combination of topping was delectable. The bun was nicely toasted. I actually enjoyed the bun and I am very picky about my hot dog buns. I was also introduced to my new favorite topping… Spicy Mustard! Everything tasted divine except for the dog itself. It definitely snapped in you mouth like they promised. It was flavorless and disappointing.

Night #2. I didn’t have a hard time deciding what to get because the night before I debated whether to get the Chicago or the Jersey. So Jersey it was. I just wasn’t looking forward to the actual dog itself. That is when I noticed that they offered hot dog options! I didn’t have to get their special Thumanns brand. I could get an all beef Kosher dog. So I did and I loved it! I didn’t love the combination of toppings of the jersey dog as much as I did the Chicago. There was a little too much sauerkraut and not enough spicy mustard for my liking. But when I go back to Steve’s I will get the Chicago dog with an all beef hot dog. It will be prefect!

Now to wash down your dog, they give you cans of pop. I really loved that it gave it more of the at home barbeque feel.

There you have it! Go to Steve’s. I promise you will love it even if you are not a hot dog lover. My sister-in-law was able to order a Philly cheese steak sandwich. I forgot to ask if she enjoyed it. It did look good. They also have some fun sides like fried green beans which thank to our friends we were able to sample, they were delicious. If you want to go all out you can even get you hot dog deep fried!

Overall rating: Steve’s Snappin Dogs receives 4 weenies.

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Regional Competition!

Aaron and I had seriously been contemplating heading to New York this summer for the 94th annual National Hot Dog Eating Competition. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the six-time champion Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi and defending champion Joey Chestnut, who tied last year with 59 hot dogs eaten in ten minutes. We figured it would be a great way to end our Summer of hot dogs. Lucky for us we got to save some money on airfare because one of the regional competitions took place right here in our own town. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to attend. So Saturday we headed to Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Regional Competition!

They held numerous competitions. The first few competitions were just for fun. They consisted of a few random audience members. The highest number of hot dogs eaten in ten minutes, by the average joe, without having any practice was 7 1/2! Which is decent seeing how I eat two in twenty minutes and feel nauseous.

For the final competition, for the real competition, for the competition that could win you a spot to the final in New York City, the number of hot dogs consumed was much higher! It was a tough race. The two top competitors were Pretty Boy Pete and Mongo Marquez. They seemed to have their technique down. Each were dipping their hot dogs in an unknown red substance, believed to be Gatorade, before devouring the dog sometimes whole. Pretty Boy Pete came in a close second with a total of 29 hot dogs eaten in ten minutes. It wasn't quite enough because Mongo Marquez won it with a whopping 30 hot dogs!

Now I know you all wish that you were there so I made sure to tape it for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Check out the awards ceremony! Mongo is the first Coloradan to ever make it to the finals!

This guy wins the award for coolest hat of the day!

Here is the aftermath. Can you believe that they were giving away the left over hot dogs! We chose to pass.

Hot Dog! The search for Denver's finest...

School is out! Summer has officially started! This summer Aaron and I have some pretty big plans. But before I divulge these plans to you, we have a slightly disgusting confession to make... We LOVE hot dogs! It has been a life long love for both of us.

Angela- "While in high school, my best friend's mother would always buy an extra pack of hot dogs to keep around her house just in case I stopped by for an afternoon snack."

Aaron- "I loved them so much as a child that I would eat them cold, straight out of the bag. Later on, my affinity for "the dog" was lost after a bad round of mac & weenies that was more weenies than mac. Since then I've regained my taste - there's nothing quite like a hot dog covered in mustard and onions at a ball game."

So this summer we have dedicated ourselves to finding the BEST that Denver has to offer.

Now what would the best hot dog look like to us?

Angela- A cold poppy seed bun, grilled dog with mustard, NO ketchup, with relish and sauerkraut.

Aaron- A steamed white bun, grilled dog with mustard, ketchup, chopped onions and occasionally sweet relish. All washed down with a cold root beer.


To help find the perfect hot dog, after long deliberation, we have come up with a special judging system. At each new hot dog establishment, we will evaluate the dogs on the following criteria:

• Value (Is the price of the dog worth what you get?)
• Presentation (Does it actually look like something I would want to eat?)
• Preparation (Grilled, boiled, microwaved, or other?)
• Ambiance (Am I afraid of walking out of this place with some type of disease?)
• Taste (Flavor heaven or could it replace soap as a punishment for swearing?)

Each dog will receive an overall score on a scale of 1 to 5 weenies. Besides a blog update, we'll keep track of where we have been on the side bar.

Here is a preliminary list of joints we have lined up:

• Steve's Snappin' Dogs
• Mustard's Last Stand
• Bernie's Hot Dog Company
• Coors Field
• Hot dog stand on the corner of... to be determined
• Meyers and Wolfe Fine Hot Dog and Hamburgers
• Chicago Style Beef and Dogs
• Hardware Store Challenge (Ace Hardware/Home Depot)

We are still looking for places to add to this list so if you have any suggestions please let us know!
And if you happen to "relish" the occasional hot dog, come join us on one of our weekly adventures!

So get excited for our summer of hot dogs! Look forward to our first review next week!