Fab Hot Dogs

Fab Hot Dogs
Address: 6747 Tampa Avenue, Reseda, CA‎ 91335
Phone: (818) 344-4336‎
Website: www.fabhotdogs.com
Known For: Ripper Hot Dog
What I had: Ripper with Bald Eagle Relish, Onions & Ketchup
Price: $3.35
Rating: 8 out of 10

This is a small little shop but it’s on a pretty busy thoroughfare. Owner Joe Fabrocini is originally from New Jersey so he knows what he’s doing when it comes to hot dogs.They’re known most for their “Ripper” dog, so named because it splits open from being deep-fried for 8 minutes. Joe claims that they are the only ones on the west coast doing them, not sure how accurate that is but I’ll take his word for it. They use an all-beef natural casing dog of course and that’s always a good sign. Update: Joe contacted me and told me that they use a beef/pork dog made especially for deep-frying with their “Ripper” dogs, my mistake.

I asked the lady what I should get and she said that one of her favorites was the Bald Eagle which is a Ripper with their signature relish which contains a little sweet and a little spicy (it’s composed of Düsseldorf mustard, sweet relish, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, diced onions, garlic, Mexican oregano, chili powder, cider vinager, & celery seeds) . I loved it, the deep-fried dog had a nice bite to it, and the bun was fresh and soft. The Bald Eagle relish was tangy and spicy but neither aspect overpowering the other. I added ketchup, which I know can be a sin, and a little chopped onions which upped it even a little more for me.

They have many many more varieties of dogs to choose from (Coney Island – loaded with chili, cheddar cheese, diced onions & mustard or Mexicali Dog – grilled dog topped with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, guacamole, sour cream & grilled onions to name a couple) and I’d probably need a good week or two to sample them all. They also offer them served wrapped up in a tortilla, those looked extremely delicious.

There is not much seating and it gets packed quickly. They do put a few tables out front on the sidewalk during lunch but I would opt to get yours to go. The staff is super friendly and it’s fun to watch them make your dogs if you can squeeze in there. These pups are definitely worth a try and I recommend making it a stop on your list when in LA.

Classic Ripper

Ripper with Bald Eagle Relish, Onions & Ketchup

Here’s their spot on Diner’s Drive-ins & Dives

Further reading:
www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/6701/fab-hot-dogs
www.yelp.com/biz/fab-hot-dogs-reseda-2
www.facebook.com/pages/Reseda-CA/Fab-Hot-Dogs/46886359853

Aug 25, 2009 @ 11:16