Dog Haus, with two locations in Pasadena, has long been one of our favorite hot dog hangs. But this is Cheeseburger Week. We get that.
Imagine our glee when we find that Dog Haus actually features five burgers, each unique, and at least two of them pretty doggone (sorry) yummy.
We visited the Hill Street location this past week, though we usually find ourselves at the Green Street Biergarten location.
In any case, Wurstmacher (not a title recognized in any known country or principality) Adam Gertler was only too happy to show off at least two of their burgers, and he probably would’ve shown us more had we asked him, but one can only consume so many great burgers in one afternoon.
For the record, Dog Haus is a craft-casual concept founded by longtime friends Hagop Giragossian, Quasim Riaz and André Vener.
The first Dog Haus opened in Pasadena in 2010, with 100% Black Angus beef burgers, along with its signature hot dogs and a fried chicken sandwich – all of which are made with hormone- and antibiotic-free meat and served on grilled King’s Hawaiian rolls. Gertler, a long time familiar face on The Food Network, fell in love with the Dog Haus food and brand, and eventually opened his own location in Hollywood, though he lives in nearby Highland Park.
But back to the burgers.
Here’s the roll call: The Ringer features cheddar cheese, smoked bacon, onion rings, and barbecue sauce, while the traditional cheeseburger features white American cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a “secret“ sauce. The Little Mule has white American cheese, avocado, pickled jalapeños, Cotija cheese, a fried egg, and chipotle aïoli.
Speaking of which, the Holy Aïoli features white American cheese, smoked bacon, caramelized onions, and garlic aïoli. The hangover is white American cheese, smoked bacon, haus chili, a fried egg, and mayonnaise. One can also add to every burger an Impossible patty, or add a second patty with cheese to any burger, or add pastrami to a burger.
The calamity is all yours.
We opted for the Ringer, and the Hangover, each of which is served with a foursquare of King’s Hawaiian bread buns. Since eggs are gross, I had mine on the side and donated them to my dining partner, who scarfed them down, as if they were, well, eggs.
Nonetheless, both burgers were delicious, and The Hangover with the Haus chili, was particularly scrumptious. Biting through the soft bun and finding a pile of chili on top of your burger is really just a little bit of heaven on Hill Street.
While Gertler actually grew up in Long Island, he developed a taste for barbecue in Texas, and many of his creations have that certain BBQ twang.
The Ringer, with its bacon and onion rings and barbecue sauce, packed a lot of sweet and salty goodness into the mix, while the onion rings bring that tender crunch and flavor to the proceedings.
And then there’s Tater Tots. Do we even have to explain those? It’s Tater Tots, man.
The Dog Haus has made its name with hot dogs, and for a good reason, but if you have a hankering for a cheeseburger, like, today, the Dog Haus just might be your spot.
Cheeseburger Week runs through Saturday, January 28, folks. Get with it.
The Dog Haus is at 105 N. Hill Ave., (626) 577–4287, and 93 Green Street, Pasadena, CA. (626) 683-0808. www.doghaus.com
