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
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This is an ad, pretending to be an actual story. Besides, Ted’s is WAY better.
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.
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.
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!!!
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
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!
It was a sat morning I called up dads for my usual beef xtra hot & large frys then Paul told me he ran out of bread all he had was a half of piece of bread left he said he did not want to sell me just a half sandwich. So I said ok I will see you next week. Well that next Wed I got the news it was closed and they will have to rebuild before they can reopen. I checked back when I seen workers there to find out it will be a Mexican restaurant. It was like the last chapter of a book missing this left a hole in our heart. Now I got this news Julia we will see you before the end of this week. Thank You. We are sorry to hear about Paul this is the first thing I seen after Dads closed.
Well I took a road trip on my zx11 27 miles the food was just like it was from dads. it was worth the drive. Next sat I will bring Patty & Joe they love the food as much as I do. Hawgs ‘N’ Dawgs Thank You.
You guys rock! I just wish you were a little closer to Tempe so that I could have gotten some beefs while I’m in college haha. I love you guys!
And as for that auntflo person, they should watch what they say about deceased grandparents. It’s bound to get on some peoples nerves.