One of the hardest aspects of owning a mobile food service is keeping your menu fresh without sacrificing the old favorites. If you serve a platform menu item, like hot dogs, it’s easy to get creative within the confines of a mobile kitchen.
What is a platform menu item? A platform menu item is a simple assembly of classic favorites that can be easily changed with the addition of toppings or wrappings. Pizza, burgers and hot dogs are examples of platform menu items. Each of these foods can take on a completely different flavor profile depending on toppings and slight adjustments to the finished product. Platform items are perfect for food trucks because they are easily customizable crowd favorites that are simple to prepare and travel with minimal prep work.
Here we have a list of wonderfully creative hot dog creations that any food truck can serve for maximum WOW factor. Everybody loves a REALLY good hot dog! To take these ideas up a notch, get with your local butcher for a custom hot dog or sausage product that will set your menu apart from “regular” hot dog trucks. We won’t give preparation instructions for these ideas as they rely on a bit of creativity from the chef, so be prepared to play around with these ideas to craft something totally unique for your customers. We will give a good piece of advice for any hot dog vendor: a freshly baked bun goes a long way!
10 Creative Hot Dog Ideas for Food Trucks
Coney Island Fire Dog
Topped with smoked cherry pepper cole slaw and honey mustard
American Dream Dog
Wrapped in bacon and deep fried served inside a fresh doughnut finger with maple buttercream glaze
Street Corn Chili Dog
Topped with spicy green/red chili and street corn
Italian Stallion Dog
Topped with fresh garlic, roasted red pepper marinara, fresh basil leaves and melted fresh buffalo mozzarella
Samurai Legend Dog
Rolled in white rice, wrapped in seaweed leaves and topped with wasabi aioli and sweet and salty balsamic soy glaze
Cheesy Fire Dog
Topped with roasted chili queso sauce and pickled habanero/ghost pepper slaw
Disco Dynamite Dog
Topped with fresh cut fries, brown gravy, scallions and cheese curds
Mac Attack Dog
Topped with smoked bacon mac & cheese and hot sauce
Zeus Dog
Topped with grilled halloumi cheese, roasted zucchini/eggplant/potatoes and garlic pesto sauce
Authentic Philly Dog
Topped with paper thin grilled steak and melted Cheez Whiz™
“Wit”: add grilled onions/peppers
“Witout”: no grilled onions/peppers