By Nick Martin
Bad Dawgs, a hot dog franchise offering a lounge area and free Wi-Fi to its visitors, may offer something different to students who are looking for a new place to grab a bite around campus.
Brothers and co-owners of the Boston restaurant, James and Erik Kirste, opened Bad Dawgs at the corner of Huntington and Massachusetts avenues in August. The pair previously opened a Bad Dawgs in Lowell.
Bad Dawgs, although it sells popular items like fries and wings, also offers a menu filled with hot dogs that can be topped with any of its 35 condiments, ranging from the average ketchup, mustard and relish to more exotic toppings like pizza sauce, pineapples and blue cheese crumbles.
“Bad Dawgs has an ever-changing menu,” said James Kirste, who said the restaurant will soon be adding burgers, hot sandwiches and nachos to the menu to appeal to a wider range of tastes.
He also said the Boston Bad Dawgs will soon receive a liquor license so that it can serve beer like its Lowell counterpart.
According to the menu, any of the hot dogs with toppings can be purchased for $3.49. Guests may add french fries or a baked potato and a soda for $6.99. For the more health-conscious eaters or vegetarians, Bad Dawgs offers turkey and veggie dogs in addition to their 100 percent all beef and quarter pound extra large hot dogs.
Since its opening, Bad Dawgs seems to be getting noticed by students. And soon Northeastern customers will be able to pay for meals with their Husky Cards, the Kirstes said.
“It’s a whole different world in there,” said Javier Roman, a sophomore business major. “I never expected them to have so many options for a hot dog place. It’s also priced well.”
Sophomore mathematics major Justin Greenberg said he agreed that there were a lot of options, especially when it comes to toppings.
“My friend told me about it [so] we went the other day,” Greenberg said. “I was very overwhelmed by the menu.”
A competing hot dog restaurant available to students is Spike’s Junkyard Dogs, located at 1076 Boylston St., on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue. Spike’s menu is similar to Bad Dawgs’ but offers pizza, chicken sandwiches and a few additional side dishes, including onion rings and baked beans. A hot dog with toppings may cost up to $2.87 and the price for a hotdog, soda and french fries is $5.09.
Despite the competition, James Kirste said business has been picking up during the last few weeks as more students have been able to notice the restaurant. He also said the restaurant’s busiest time tends to be late nights from Thursday to Saturday, when they sometimes stay open until 3 a.m. depending on how many customers are coming in.
Bad Dawgs is located at 334 Massachusetts Ave. and is open 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Wednesday; 11 a.m. until early morning (typically 3 a.m.) Thursday through Saturday; and 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Sundays.
