Unfortunately for us in Hawaii the thought of “hot dogs” either turns our mental imagery to a barbecue, or to a hot dog and soft drink combination at Costco’s food court. Luckily for us islanders relief from the stereotypical hot dog experience has arrived, and it comes to us as Hank’s Haute Dogs. Tucked away on Coral Street near the UH School of Medicine is a venture that aims to defeat the stigma of fast food by “establish(ing) a reputation of food integrity.”

Hank’s Haute Dogs was inspired by the vision of Henry Adaniya, who is a prominent restaurateur, and one of the few people in North America to achieve a Mobil five-star rating. Many people will find themselves wondering about the spelling of “hot” in “Hank’s Haute Dogs.” The name is a play on words, replacing “hot” with “haute” (pronounced the same way). The word Haute means “fashionably elegant”, and is a perfect match to the eatery’s theme.

Inside Hank’s Haute Dogs

Inside the small location you’ll find the menu up above the ordering counter, with a simple food preparation area behind. The establishment offers counter seating inside, with a few tables outside to the side. Although this doesn’t sound like much, it is a perfect vehicle for this “fast food” location. The walls of Hank’s Haute Dogs are decorated with various newspaper articles about hot dogs. In addition you’ll find throwbacks to Chicago, the origin of Hank’s Chicago Dog. Despite the lack of fanciful decorations, Hank’s offers an atmosphere fitting for the kind of food it serves. Service is as good as you can hope for in a “fast food” joint, and the person taking your order will help familiarize you with the menu if you are a first timer.

Upon entering we glanced over the menu. Hank’s offers up a wide variety of hot dog choices including Portuguese, andouille, and even a “no dog” vegetarian option. The menu also offers the sides that you’d come to expect for hot dogs in Hawaii, featuring “awesome french fries” and a number of tropical slush drinks and cocktails.

The menu also features a daily special hot dog, which rotates on a set schedule throughout the week. Hank’s offers the following specials:

• Monday — Mystery special (first Monday of the month is Italian Beef, a MUST TRY)
• Tuesday — Alligator
• Wednesday — Rabbit
• Thursday — Buffalo
• Friday — Lobster
• Saturday — Duck & Foie Gras
• Sunday — Kobe Dog

After browsing the menu choices for a few minutes we finally came to a decision on what to try, which is hard given the selection! Here is what we decided to sample:

Chicago Dog “With everything on it”

Given that the Chicago Dog is the featured menu on the item, we couldn’t resist the urge to give it a try. You can pick and choose the toppings you want, but we elected to order it with everything. The Chicago Dog offers a Vienna all-beef hot dog that is famous for its “snap.” Fully loaded the Chicago Dog comes with yellow mustard, raw onion, very green relish, tomato, dill pickle, celery salt, and sport hot peppers.

The Chicago Dog lived up to its description, giving a delightful “snap” when you bite into it. The all-beef dog is very flavorful and juicy, complemented very well by the mixture of toppings and condiments. The hot peppers gave this hot dog a kick which I loved. I thoroughly enjoyed the Chicago Dog, and look forward to eating it again in the future.

Sunday’s Special — Kobe Dog

As the daily special the Kobe Dog was another easy choice for us to make. Although quite a bit pricier than the Chicago Dog, the Kobe Dog did not disappoint. The all-beef Wagyu hot dog was delicious, just as moist and flavorful as you’d expect from Kobe beef. The Kobe Dog was one of a kind in hot dog toppings, featuring hoison ginger sauce, pickled carrots and radish, Napa cabbage slaw, furikake, and Chinese parsley. The tangy flavors of the toppings made for a delicious medley, very different from any hot dog I’ve ever had before.

Hank’s “Awesome French Fries”

What hot dog order would be complete without french fries? Unlike the hot dogs, Hank’s “Awesome French Fries” were not out of the ordinary. The fries were warm and crisp with just enough salt for that dash of flavor. In all a good side dish to the hot dogs.

Final thoughts: Walking into a restaurant that offers hot dogs as its primary attraction might lead one to expect just another cheap fast food eatery. Hank’s Haute Dogs defies the stereotype of hot dogs everywhere by offering up unique hot dogs that will leave you wanting more. The fast service and friendly staff only help to magnify the already great eating experience. If you like hot dogs, and are interested in trying them in a new and exciting way, you definitely need to plan on trying Hank’s Haute Dogs.

Hank’s Haute Dogs
http://www.hankshautedogs.com/