Dad’s Dog House favorites revived at Hawgs ‘N’ Dawgs
May 12th, 2008, 11:00 am · 6 Comments · posted by Jess Harter
Dad’s Dog House, a ramshackle Tastee-Freez-turned-hot-dog-shack on University Drive, was a Mesa institution for decades, regularly drawing crowds than lined up out the door for an inexpensive meal.
When the venerable eatery burned down in November 2001, and its often-irascible owner, Paul Legac, passed away the following April, a piece of East Valley dining history was lost.
Now, though, Dad’s fans can get their Chicago-style hot dog fix again: Legac’s widow, Julia (pictured on left), is opening Hawgs ‘N’ Dawgs Flamin’ Grill in Gold Canyon on Tuesday.
The restaurant takes over a 990-square-foot space once occupied by Zonas Grill in the Bashas’ shopping center just off U.S. 60 on Superstition Mountain Drive.
“I’d been looking for a place to get a good Chicago dog,” says Legac, who’s worked in the restaurant industry for more than 40 years, the past six as a waitress. “I was at a place on Power Road and I just got this feeling: I want to do this again.”
The very next day, she was visiting her mother in Gold Canyon and noticed the empty restaurant for lease. After convincing her sister, Elva Ogus (pictured on right), to leave her job as a legal assistant, the two Mesa natives got to work.
“We were sitting around trying to decide what kind of motif we wanted,” Legac says. “We like to ride, so we thought a motorcycle theme would be good.”
So while Dad’s Dog House was cluttered with sports memorabilia — her husband was a huge fan of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders — Julia’s new place is decorated with Harley-Davidson posters and parts.
But the menu is identical to Dad’s — the same hot dogs, burgers and sandwiches — with one exception: “I added a mushrom burger,” Legac says, “because that’s my favorite thing.”
Each item now has a biker-themed name, such as the chopper cheese dog, Ironhead kraut dog or Sportster Polish sausage.
Hawgs ‘N’ Dawgs is a two-person operation for now, but Legac, who plans to do all the cooking, hopes it becomes successful enough to hire more staff.
“I think there’s a lot of interest out here because there are no other places like this,” she says. “Every day I have to wash the windows off because of all the nose prints.”
HAWGS ‘N’ DAWGS FLAMIN’ GRILL
Where: 5301 S. Superstition Mountain Drive, Gold Canyon (just north of U.S. 60)
Open: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Prices: Chicago dogs $2.67-$3.25, sandwiches $3.39-$6.50, burgers $2.85-$4.15
Info: (480) 671-6500
May 13th, 2008 at 7:19 am
This is an ad, pretending to be an actual story. Besides, Ted’s is WAY better.
May 13th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
You should watch what you say!! This is a true story and this loving woman is not trying to be any ad. I watched Dads dog house from the time I was a 3 years old grow to be loved by most of Mesa. Ted’s is a far cry from Dad’s and if she can still serve up the same tasty food Ted’s will be blown out of the water.
May 13th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
AuntFlo, you should do some research before you blindly make erroneous comments. Why are you so quick to announce that Ted’s is so much better when you clearly haven’t even been to the new Dad’s. If you had been there then you would know that this is indeed a true story. No matter, Ted’s and Dad’s food don’t even compare. The cooking methods, ingredients and cuisine do not even match; Ted’s doesn’t serve italian beef or even giardenera for that matter. Plus Ted’s is in Tempe and this new restaurant is in Gold Canyon…worlds apart. I am dumbfounded at your prompt dismissal and unneccessary and unprovoked attack towards this establishment.
May 13th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Hey AuntFlo,
How would you know who “is better” when their restaurant hadn’t even opened when you posted your babble? That’s what I thought… Anyway, enough time spent on idiots…
Good luck ladies, I know you’ll do well! And if the food is like Dad’s, I’m sure it’s awesome!!!
May 14th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Dear Aunt Flo: You are so mercifully free from the ravages of intelligence! How can you so foolishly make a public comparison between 2 food service establishments when even the most casual of observers can see that at the time of you reckless pontifications you and for that matter anyone else did not have the opportunity to make an actual comparison because one of the places had not yet served its first morsel of food to the public. I for one did takee the time and opportunity to try the cusine at Hawgs’N Dawgs at 2:15pm on 5/13/08 and found it to be superlative to anmything else
May 14th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Dear AuntFlo,
Go bite the big one! I know these woman personally. Shame on you for even saying that! You really are an under developed human. You probably work at Ted’s, and if you are representing Ted’s , you should be fired!