We decided to get together for lunch so we ordered online and picked up our meal from Steve's Hot Dogs near Tower Grove Park. They have received a lot of good reviews so we were eager to try them. When we arrived our order was already waiting for us, the hot items in one bag and the cold ones in the other. That seemed like a nice item at the time.
However, when we got everything home and opened up the bags, we noticed that the order was wrong. We were missing one hot dog and a bag of chips, and instead they gave us a second serving of chili. Luckily one of our group could not make it, so we still had some extra food, and the four of us were able to try out the food.
Upon opening the foil wrapped hot dogs, they did not look as impressive as online. I first tried the Bacon Bacon Jamaican (pictured) which does have a great rhyming name. The toppings and seasoning were quite flavorful and tasty, with good crunchy bacon and juicy, zesty peppers. Unfortunately the bun was too chewy and hard to bite through (felt like it may have been microwaved). And the sausage itself had a good smokey flavor, but it had a thick, chewy casing and was not as meaty and substantial as I was expecting for a "premium" hot dog. It may have been fine for a backyard barbecue hot dog, but I was expecting a lot more after the hype.
I secondly tried the Chicago Fire hot dog. It was hot alright with some very hot peppers and a spicy sauce, but the bun was again chewy and tough, and the sausage tasted okay but was tough as well. These did not seem like premium, gourmet hot dogs.
The potato salad was quite good and I will try out the spare chili sometime soon. I was hoping for a great hot dog experience and I know Steve's is known for their generosity to first responders and people in need. However, from the botched order to the unimpressive dogs, I find it difficult to recommend Steve's Hot Dogs.
Order accuracy, hot dogs
On Sept. 12 (about 2 weeks after our first and only visit when they shorted us), Steve's Hot Dogs sent me what looked like a canned apology plus a separate email with a $10 coupon which expired the same day that it was sent. No response at all might have been less insulting than this response.
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