Ron Bechtol
A few well-dressed canine and corn in a cup from El Chunky make for a severe meal.
“Are you able to deal with 9 inches lengthy?” the tagline at San Antonio sizzling canine joint El Chunky reads.
Ought to this strike concern, let or not it’s identified that the snappy and juicy all-beef canine at El Chunky might begin out at 9 inches, however with the appliance of warmth, they shrink by roughly an inch, making them extra manageable. What you need to actually be involved about is the majority of equipment and garnishes that adorn what the South Presa Avenue eatery calls “one of the best Mexican sizzling canine.”
Open extensive.
Ron Bechtol
El Chunky’s promoting actually will get one’s consideration.
The Classics portion of El Chunky’s menu — canine all priced at $10 — consists of the almost-demure Chunky Avenue, dressed with smoked bacon, grilled onions, jalapeños, chopped tomatoes and extra, together with the really extreme Nachonky, which is wrapped in bacon within the fashion of the Arizona-favorite Sonoran sizzling canine.
Equipment for the Nachonky begin with inexperienced onion and jalapeños, to which you’ll be able to add a alternative from the unholy trinity of Cheese Ruffles, Doritos or Flamin’ Scorching Cheetos. I say pull out all of the stops and go Flamin’ Scorching. The creation is then completed with nacho cheese. Fortunately, the toasted bun is simply sturdy sufficient to include all of it to the final, crunchy chunk.
The extra deluxe Dogo specials weigh in at $11 and embrace the Fajita Chunky. At this level it’s essential know that one other enterprise — the equally cheeky El Taco Huevon — shares kitchen area with El Chunky, making accessible beef fajitas together with carne asada and al pastor.
Carne al pastor provides further heft to the Porky Chunky canine, which additionally encompasses a bacon-wrapped frank. My solely grievance is that the meat is chopped so finely that it loses a lot of its character. The pineapple, a traditional al pastor addition, is current principally in a evenly smoky pineapple-chipotle sauce. The onions are grilled, and cilantro provides a recent and grassy contact. You may even add beans or guacamole, amongst different choices, to take it really excessive.
However I feel I’ll stick with the Classics.
El Chunky’s area is vibrant and clear. The take-out service is also pleasant and really as quick because the promised 5 minutes. Nevertheless, street-facing eating counters and a small outside patio give the choice of having fun with your meal on-site.
Ron Bechtol
Though Barrio Dogg is headquartered in San Diego, it appears proper at dwelling within the Alamo Metropolis.
<subhead>The opposite South Presa large canine
Should you’re on the lookout for a canine with flash and aptitude, you might wish to head up South Presa to Barrio Dogg, a San Diego import that appears proper at dwelling within the Alamo Metropolis. Decor takes the highlight — virtually to the purpose of upstaging the pups, that are extra like six-and-a-half inches, in case you have been questioning.
Entrance and middle in Barrio Dogg is the entrance grill of a ’58 Chevy painted in a tangerine-flake colour. It emerges from the wall behind the inside counter and is surrounded by murals by native artists together with images of low-rider automobiles and tradition. An accordion sits to 1 aspect. Serape-like stripes additionally abound — on the restaurant’s inside and even within the to-go packaging.
Briefly, this can be a way more professionally produced operation than its neighbor down the road.
However the proof is within the product. There are fewer decisions at Barrio Dogg, however they make up for it in inventiveness.
El Xolito ($10) is alleged to be Tijuana Model, and I’ll must take the restaurant’s phrase for it. Assembled into one other, just-sturdy-enough toasted bun anointed with ketchup and mustard, the canine comes with grilled onion, cheddar, tomato, pink onion, chopped jalapeño, bitter cream and sriracha aioli. The addition of crunchy garlic is the creation’s Achilles heel. The crunch is sweet, however the taste is struck me as packaged. Even when I’m improper and it’s house-made, there’s an unpleasantly bitter edge which just about, however not fairly, will get misplaced within the flurry of in any other case stunning, layered flavors. Sure, this can be a sizzling canine we’re speaking about.
Ron Bechtol
What Barrio Dogg lacked in provocative signage, it made up for in colourful decor.
El Chunky has Barrio Dogg beat on girth in addition to size, however in any other case the primal part is equally interesting. Good as it’s, the pup is sort of an underdog beneath the abundance of banh mi-like toppings that attire El Samurai ($10). Hoisin sauce provides an unique smokiness that underpins shredded jicama and carrot, severe slices of uncooked jalapeño, slivers of pickled cucumber, sriracha, wasabi sesame seeds … and, sure, extra toasted garlic. It was all so good I can virtually forgive the garlic.
One other level of comparability between the South Presa neighbors: One can order a aspect of corn in a cup at each El Chunky and Barrio Dogg, and although they’re each completely different, they’re equally tasty. Barrio Dogg does have the benefit of an accessible calabacita aspect, nonetheless.
Frankly, between the 2 sizzling canine spots, it’s a tossup in all different methods however decor. Measurement or fashion, the one resolution is to strive each.
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El Chunky
2060 S. Presa St., (972) 646-0831, instagram.com/el.chunky.sa
Midday 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
Midday-9 p.m. Sunday, 4 p.m.-midnight Tuesday-Thursday, noon-midnight Friday-Saturday
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