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 new food business 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 restaurant’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 restaurant, 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 — Italian Beef Sandwhich
- 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 ($4.75) 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 at $8.50, 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” ($2.50) 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 way, you definitely need to make Hank’s Haute Dogs a “must try.”
| Service: |   |
Above Average |
| Food: | |
Above Average |
| Atmosphere: | |
Above Average |
| Overall Value: | |
Above Average |
*Star ratings are based in comparison to similar establishments
Hank’s Haute Dogs
324 Coral St Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: 808.532.HANK (4265)
Monday - Thursday: 10AM-4PM
Friday: 10AM-9PM
Saturday: 11AM-9PM
Sunday: 11AM-5PM
Tags: Hawaii Food, Hawaii Food Review, Hank’s Haute Dogs, Hot Dog, Henry Adaniya
Other Popular Reviews:
I’ve heard brief mentions of this place but never any details. The hot dogs look great but maybe a bit expensive for the portion? But the chicago dog still sounds like its worth a try.
Very nice food review site. Great photos and excellent commentary.
I love Hank’s and Henry. What a great guy. I’m partial to their chili dog so haven’t ventured beyond that an an occassional Chicago dog. How special is that poppy seed bun that doesn’t fall apart after the first bite? The drinks are refreshing as well. Can’t say enough about the french fries which are twice cooked Belgian style. And the onion rings with real Maui onions are also top notch. Maybe a little pricey, but unless you only order off the dollar menu at Macdonalds, then hey, you’ll pay this much for lunch just about anywhere. Hank’s is HOT!
I LOVE Hank’s and the ohana of Hank’s! I agree, I am really partial to the chili dog but have become a big fan of the chicken with the mango relish. I cannot resist ordering both rings and fries when I am there. If you’re in there check out the interview I wrote with Dale Levitski of Top Chef, it’s on the wall facing the kitchen. The alligator was quite delicious as well, I had mine with the horseradish sauce on the side as it was spicy enough on it’s own. I need to get to town more often especially on Mondays for the Italian Beef. And you are correct the Kobe dog does not disappoint!
Great review with excellent commentary.
WOW! What a change from your normal H/D stand! The staff was beyound friendly, service, excellent…and the dog to die for
Hanks is the “stuff”. It’s been the savior for this native born Chicagoan. The hot dogs are like I grew up on, right on down to the poppy seed bun & celery salt. A “meal on a bun” for sure. But! The thing that gets me there for lunch every Monday is the Italian Beef sandwich, another Chicagoland staple. With sweet peppers and dunked in au juice…sooooo good.
Now if Hank could only whip up a genuine stuffed pizza…
I tried Hank’s recently for the first time, and was so impressed! The Chicago hot dog was literally the best hot dog I’ve ever had in my life. The Chicken hot dog was really good, too. I’m not a fan of relish, but I LOVED the “very green relish”! I’ll have to try the onion rings next time I go.