Ordered: The Signature, buffalo wings, Hot wings challenge
Red Dog was something of a great point of interest in Year of the Burger. When word got out of the project this was one of the first names that came up and due to such popular demand the visit to the Red Dog Saloon was pushed all the way back to September to accommodate all of those that vocally wanted to attend. What resulted from the months of hype was something of a surprise.
The Red Dog Saloon is a landmark of the Hoxton Square area, sticking out amongst the bars and making a name for itself before the big burger boom of recent years. With their American style and soul food eats they great so much that a sister eatery, Red Dog Sandwiches, opened up and became a top place to order lunch time tasties for the office if you happened to be near enough
Inside are all the great hallmarks you would expect, faux-MERICA aesthetic is large supply, decorated everywhere and the walls of fame/shame that remind you of the infamous Man Vs Food style challenges on offer inside.
One of our friends dared such a feat: the Hot Wings challenge. A small bucket of their buffalo wings that are coated in an extra chilli sauce so hot that the challenger is given a pair of rubber gloves to use. Handle the hazardous chemicals, swallow the fire and endure the burn for a minute to enter Foodhalla… fail and enter the danger zone.
For me, I already had my own mission. Tastebuds were required to remain intact and the time was now for them to go to work. The original Buffalo Wings are spiced BBQ’d chicken wings with a much less spicy sauce coating and a cooling blue cheese dip to accompany them. They aren’t a touch on the boat load of meatilicious wings from MEATmarket nor the saucy goodness of Honest Burgers but a least they weren’t the ninth circle of hell being experienced opposite me.
My burger choice was also less adventurous. On offer is the Devastator: 6oz of beef patty (either 2x3oz or one 6oz), 18oz of chuck steak, 200g pulled pork, 6 rashers of Applewood smoked bacon and 6 slices of American cheese between some form of bun bookending. That costs £22.75, the Devastator Challenge is less than £5 more. “In for a penny…” I say!
I am but a mere mortal, one who needed to get home in one piece if this last will a tastement was to get written. I chose to opt for The SIgnature: 3x3oz of beef patty, the same Applewood smoked bacon and American cheese. Most burgers on the menu let you choose how to have your 6oz of patty, one great lump or 2 smaller 3oz affairs. The big difference if really a matter of whether your like well done or slightly pink burgers in these places.
The smaller option with give you both patties cooked through but that also leads to more oil being released by them. 3 layers of those well done layers combined with a matching layer of cheese result was a little too oily for my tastes. Maybe things would be different if I had a phat patty with some slow cooked meat like in The Punisher.
Long story short, I didn’t rank my burger here at this old institution up there with the new kids on the block but I do still maintain a love for their sandwiches.
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