Should this strike fear, let it be known that the snappy and juicy all-beef dogs at El Chunky may start out at nine inches, but with the application of heat, they shrink by roughly an inch, making them more manageable. What you should really be concerned about is the bulk of accessories and garnishes that adorn what the South Presa Street eatery calls “the best Mexican hot dogs.”
Open wide.
The Classics portion of El Chunky’s menu — dogs all priced at $10 — includes the almost-demure Chunky Street, dressed with smoked bacon, grilled onions, jalapeños, chopped tomatoes and more, along with the truly excessive Nachonky, which is wrapped in bacon in the style of the Arizona-favorite Sonoran hot dog.
Accessories for the Nachonky start with green onion and jalapeños, to which you can add a choice from the unholy trinity of Cheese Ruffles, Doritos or Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. I say pull out all the stops and go Flamin’ Hot. The creation is then finished with nacho cheese. Thankfully, the toasted bun is just sturdy enough to contain it all to the last, crunchy bite.
The more deluxe Dogo specials weigh in at $11 and include the Fajita Chunky. At this point you need to know that another enterprise — the equally cheeky El Taco Huevon — shares kitchen space with El Chunky, making available beef fajitas along with carne asada and al pastor.
Carne al pastor adds additional heft to the Porky Chunky dog, which also features a bacon-wrapped frank. My only complaint is that the meat is chopped so finely that it loses much of its character. The pineapple, a classic al pastor addition, is present mostly in a lightly smoky pineapple-chipotle sauce. The onions are grilled, and cilantro adds a fresh and grassy touch. You can even add beans or guacamole, among other options, to take it truly over the top.
But I think I’ll stay with the Classics.
El Chunky’s space is bright and clean. The take-out service also is friendly and truly as fast as the promised five minutes. However, street-facing dining counters and a small outdoor patio give the option of enjoying your meal on-site.
<subhead>The other South Presa big dog
If you’re looking for a dog with flash and flair, you may want to head up South Presa to Barrio Dogg, a San Diego import that seems right at home in the Alamo City. Decor takes the spotlight — almost to the point of upstaging the pups, which are more like six-and-a-half inches, in case you were wondering.
Front and center in Barrio Dogg is the front grill of a ’58 Chevy painted in a tangerine-flake color. It emerges from the wall behind the interior counter and is surrounded by murals by local artists along with photos of low-rider cars and culture. An accordion sits to one side. Serape-like stripes also abound — on the restaurant’s interior and even in the to-go packaging.
In short, this is a much more professionally produced operation than its neighbor down the street.
But the proof is in the product. There are fewer choices at Barrio Dogg, but they make up for it in inventiveness.
El Xolito ($10) is said to be Tijuana Style, and I’ll have to take the restaurant’s word for it. Assembled into another, just-sturdy-enough toasted bun anointed with ketchup and mustard, the dog comes with grilled onion, cheddar, tomato, red onion, chopped jalapeño, sour cream and sriracha aioli. The addition of crunchy garlic is the creation’s Achilles heel. The crunch is good, but the flavor is struck me as packaged. Even if I’m wrong and it’s house-made, there’s an unpleasantly bitter edge which almost, but not quite, gets lost in the flurry of otherwise beautiful, layered flavors. Yes, this is a hot dog we’re talking about.
El Chunky has Barrio Dogg beat on girth as well as length, but otherwise the primal component is equally appealing. Good as it is, the pup is almost an underdog beneath the abundance of banh mi-like toppings that dresses El Samurai ($10). Hoisin sauce adds an exotic smokiness that underpins shredded jicama and carrot, serious slices of raw jalapeño, slivers of pickled cucumber, sriracha, wasabi sesame seeds … and, yes, more toasted garlic. It was all so good I can almost forgive the garlic.
Another point of comparison between the South Presa neighbors: One can order a side of corn in a cup at both El Chunky and Barrio Dogg, and though they’re both different, they’re equally tasty. Barrio Dogg does have the advantage of an available calabacita side, however.
Frankly, between the two hot dog spots, it’s a tossup in all other ways but decor. Size or style, the only solution is to try both.
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El Chunky
2060 S. Presa St., (972) 646-0831, instagram.com/el.chunky.sa
Noon to midnight Sunday, 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday, 4 p.m.-midnight Thursday, 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday and noon-2 a.m. Saturday
Barrio Dogg
620 S. Presa St., (210) 236-9808, barriodoggsatx.com
Noon-9 p.m. Sunday, 4 p.m.-midnight Tuesday-Thursday, noon-midnight Friday-Saturday
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