Eat. @ Snag Stand Vs Dognation

Snag Stand - Corner Latrobe and Swanston St, Melbourne CBD 3000 ph (03) 9639 6544

Dognation - Shop 2, The Causeway, Melbourne CBD ph 0423 083 287

So Hot Dogs are the new Black in Melbourne!  During the school holidays (can you belive that was 4 weeks ago!?), the kids and I spent a couple of days exploring the CBD and ended up doing a bit of a "dog-off" between 2 of the hot-dog eateries (hot-doggery?).   The results?  Woof!

First up the Snag Stand, situated on the corner of Swanston and Latrobe Streets, opposite the State Library.  Bright yellow is the signature colour here, with their menu of dogs proudly displayed up the front.  3 tall tables and metal stools give patrons a place to eat, and the kids thought it was a lot of fun sitting up high munching on their hot dogs, but Bubs was confined to the pram as it's a bit too high for toddlers.

We had 3 of their dogs.  My favourite was the Spicy Cheese Kransky ($8.9) and we've been back a few time since for this.  Cheesy, tasty gourmet sausage on a broioche bun (which is also the new black!) made for a delicious lunch.

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The kids' favourite was the Wagyu Beef ($9.9), which came with butter and garlic mash, herbed gravy and topped with sauteed onions, on a rustic baguette.   I personally don't like mash on my bread of any kind, but the kids absolutely loved it!

Rounding the meal off was the American Classic ($6.9), which we ordered as a "meal" ($10) with a drink and small serve of chips.  A simple hot dog made special by the brioche again.  

Their chips were awesome!  So much so we ordered another pack ($3.9).  You can also get a variety of dipping sauces ranging from sriracha mayo to truffle aioli for $1 extra.  To minimise mess with Bubs we opted to go without any dips on this occasion.

Next visit we tried out Dognation.  Literally a HOLE in the wall on The Causeway off Bourke St Wall, this little eatery measures a few meters in width and depth, and serves up dogs mostly for take-away.  There's one small table out front with 3 chairs, right under the window where you order, which is where the 2 kids and I ate while Bubs slept in the pram.  Very cute set up, and easily missed if you were just walking past.  It gives you the feeling that you're in on a delicious secret when you see the line of business lunchers grabbing their goodies here!

I tried the Tokyo Dog ($8.9), which was a pork and beef sausage wrapped in nori, miso infused mushrooms, wasabi japanese mayo, okonomiyaki sauce and nori flakes.  I have read lots of great reviews for this hot dog and it's almost a must-have if you visit.  Personally I wasn't a huge fan, even though I love Japanese food, I don't know if those flavours translated well into a hot dog.  The wasabi mayo was very punchy, but unfortunately made it even messier than usual to eat.

The kids shared a London Banger and Mash Dog ($8.9), which was a British beef and pork sausage, served with mashed potato, smashed peas and gravy.  No complaints and they gobbled it all down, even the peas!

The absolute winner of the day was the fantastic mash they serve as a side.  Creamy, buttery, smooth, everything you want in your mashed potato and a million times better than the KFC tubs I grew up with.  And obviously a somewhat healthier alternative to chips.   Mini Me has asked to come back even if it's just for the mash!

Aside from this Dognation also match their City-themed dogs to drinks from that country, so you will find ramune, Bionade, and Jarritos along side Thankyou Water to go with your lunch.  They have also opened in more locations - Freshwater Place and on Russell St.

So how did our "Dog Off" go?  We liked the dogs at Snag Stand probably a bit more than the ones at Dognation, but the side of mash found at Dognation was voted the best, even though it was up against some pretty yummy chips.  Have you been to either of these hot-doggeries (my new word!)  and which did you prefer?

No toilets or high chairs are available at either eateries as they major in take-away.