August 6, 2008

Campus Eats: Spike’s Junkyard Dogs

Allston spot offers up all-American junk food

By Barbara Varanka (CAS’08)

I’m a Midwestern girl, so charcoal-grilled Oscar Mayer wieners were as much a staple of my childhood summers as ice cream trucks and running through sprinklers. Since then, I’ve expanded my horizons to include street-vendor hot dogs in Manhattan, which I ritually eat walking through Central Park behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I consider myself, if not fluent, at least proficient in hot dog appreciation. So when I found out that the restaurant franchise Spike’s Junkyard Dogs was boasting of the “world’s best hot dog,” I knew I needed to judge that statement for myself.

With locations in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, Spike’s has won a cult-like following in the Northeast. I was first introduced to Spike’s by a native Rhode Islander who raved over the franchise’s creations and took me as a homesick freshman to Spike’s in Allston. Since then, I have occasionally frequented the Allston location and recently decided to check out its sister store at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Boylston Street.

The décor is strictly American dive: black-and-white checkerboard tile flooring, black-and-red Formica tables and booth benches, and the sort of old-fashioned tin signs that line the walls of Applebees across the nation. To be honest, it’s trying just a little too hard. The Allston restaurant is similarly decorated, but with less of a corporate feel. You can tell that the Boylston location is a franchise, while it’s is easy to imagine Allston as a stand-alone, mom-and-pop establishment.

Spike’s strength is its large and diverse menu, which can seem a bit overwhelming at first. It boasts of “100% beef” hot dogs served on freshly baked buns and prides itself on its original hot dog creations, which include such choices as the German Shepherd, a hot dog served with sauerkraut and mustard on top, the Samurai Dog, with teriyaki sauce and sautéed onions, the All American Dog, with mustard, baked beans, and cheddar, and the Mexicali Dog, with salsa, pepperoncini, and cheddar.

We decided to try one of Spike’s most popular dogs, the Texas Ranger — barbecue sauce, cheddar, and bacon — and the 57 T-Bird, with honey mustard and Swiss. They were only $3.45 apiece, so we also threw in a few classic chili and cheddar dogs. The dogs were hot, fresh, and very good and the buns obviously freshly baked, although a bit too thick to be easily eaten by hand.

The grilled chicken sandwich, billed as “the world’s best,” was a good grilled chicken parmesan, and the chicken tenders and the “poodle fries” made for great comfort food. We also experimented with the complimentary condiment bar; try the sweet chili relish dipping sauce for a creative alternative to ketchup.

Overall, Spike’s is dependably good, incredibly fast, and undeniably cheap: most of its signature hot dogs cost $3.45, grilled chicken sandwiches and burgers are around $4.50, chicken tenders $7, and fries start at $2. It’s the perfect place for your occasional indulgence in all-American junk food. (But I would suggest opting for the Allston location.)

Spike’s Junkyard Dogs are located at 1076 Boylston St., on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Boylston, in Boston; at 108 Brighton Ave. in Allston; and at 217 Elm St. in Somerville’s Davis Square. For more information, call 617-266-0909 (Boylston Street), 617-254-7700 (Allston), or 617-440-1010 (Somerville) or visit Spike’s online.

Famous for: The Texas Ranger — barbecue sauce, cheddar, and bacon — and 20-plus other varieties of dogs.

Ideal for: Curly “poodle fries.”

What you can get for around $25: Three small fountain sodas, one large order of fries, one half-pound order of chicken tenders, and four hot dogs (more if you opt for fewer toppings).