Buddha Dog Toronto
163 Roncesvalles Avenue
416-534-2007
Dinner for two (dogs and a salad) including taxes, tips and two lemonades: $23
I’d heard all about Picton’s award-winning hot dogs and sauces. Naturally, I was curious to try Buddha Dog Toronto’s new west-end location to savour what Toronto Life called “Genius” and Reader’s Digest dubbed “Best Hotdog in Canada.” Their snappy black and white menu introduces newbies like me to the concept announcing, “We were founded on a very simple philosophy - showcase the best regional flavours by bringing together exceptional local suppliers to hand make our dogs, buns, cheeses and ever-changing list of unique sauces.” OK, I thought - batter up.
I must confess however, I was a tad leery of the place after reading damning after damning condemnation on a few boards that shall remain nameless. “The wieners are too small” or “too expensive” or “too un-garlicky” or “too pretentious!” shouted the contributors on said unnamed boards. But given that I’m not a lemming and have confidence in my ability to discern hype from reality, I headed out with my husband for a round of dogs Buddha style.
The interior looks like an architect’s funky country cottage with a long, lacquered wooden bar sitting squarely in the centre of the Roncesvalles’ outpost. The idea is you order a dog, which I’m informed is made by Ted Aman from Wellington, Ontario who uses 100% “aged Prince Edward County beef and special spices,” and add the toppings of your choice. I realize that the dogs are only about 4 inches long. Why? Because that way “our youngest customers can be satisfied with one, and everyone else has the opportunity to experience two or more,” says the black and white menu. The buns are hand made by one Peter Grendel in Picton (and baked in-house) and the cheeses from Milford, Ontario’s own Black River Cheese. Local chefs make the sauces which range from a mild sweet red pepper jelly to spicy jerk.
My dinner partner is no small guy, so he goes for three dogs, I settle for two and we share some organic greens gussied up with red pepper slices, fresh blueberries and strawberry vinaigrette. Let me start out by stating that each little doggy is $2. You want a signature sauce on yours? That will cost you an extra $0.25, as will a thin slice of one of various cheese offerings. For $2.50, you get a bespoke hot dog. So I sample the dog of the day- a hot mozzarella cheese with a tomato pear chutney (crafted by the chefs of Picton’s Merrill Inn), as well as a dog dressed with smokey ketchup and old cheddar (my husband’s fave of the day).
The big guy goes for what turns out to be my favourite, the pepper jack cheese with the habanero aioli, a dog with hot mozzarella and a tomato basil balsamic (aka “the pizza dog” - any kid’s idea of gourmet) and finally a cherry ketchup and old cheddar version. We tuck into our mini-dog feast and decide that we like what we’re eating.
Unlike the unfortunate bloggers and contributors who had “rude” service, we were served by one of the founders (one of the Andrews - there’s a Hunter and a Mackenzie) who was efficient and helpful. My carnivorous partner loved the flavour of the all-beef dogs and the fact that the casing was firm. “There’s nothing worse than some limp, over-processed piece of crap sausage,” he declared. And he’s Eastern European - a champ eater of all things cased and cured so who the hell am I to argue? Fact is - he’s right. These weenies are as removed from the water-logged, pink-dyed mush log you can get. Instead, these are firm, beef-red dogs served on toasted buns with tasty sauces. I think we picked a few too many sweet varieties though - next time, I’ll be sure to try more savoury choices.
For us, this felt like a pretty light dinner. The man could have probably put away 2 more dogs easily and I could have had a third without trying too hard. We agreed that like the mums, dads and kiddies at the back of the room, this would be an ideal place to bring our two nieces. Like famed Chef Norman Van Aken said to me recently, “I think people genuinely delight in seeing and eating something they enjoyed eating as a child.” And if that’s a quality dog with some inventive toppings, I say go for it. Just don’t expect to walk away stuffed unless you order up one hell of a spread for you and yours!
Sounds yummy Mary...mmm hot dog. I'll definitely check this place out.
Great- and if you do check it out Suresh- let me know what you thought...
I completely agree with you Mary. We go there often, those dogs become addictive! Especially the sauces. I found that even their maple dijon salad vinaigrette, which sounds like a basic dressing, was really well done - it sits perfectly in the tangy/salty/zippy/sweet range. All in all, stopping in there for a 4pm snack, or lunch, is great.
just by the by - did you know that I and a couple other people had recently posted positive reviews on the 'unnamed board' and they were deleted from the discussion string! I was quite surprised and a little disturbed by the bias in their editing. I've put up positive reviews on other establishments in the west end neighbourhood, they've stayed up. For some reason, it was only my positive review of the Buddha Dog string that got deleted - mine and a couple other people that I know - who knows how many others were erased as well. Someone on the unnamed board team has got a hate-on.
Mary - was great to read this and hear of a positive experience. Gourmet, relatively healthy hot dogs - who knew? haha. I have been waiting to hear more reviews and based on yours, I am ready to check the place out! Great article!
Hi Ann and Cordelia:
Hmmm- had no idea they actually would delete strings on those boards- although I've harboured my suspicions for some time now. Interesting...Maybe they're trying to be "dramatic" like so much crappy TV that gets made and gets broadcast (you know the kind- fabricate the "drama" to keep the "dumb" viewers riveted. I work in the industry- that's my #1 pet peeve and why I've stopped working on shows with said mandate). It's a theory re: the boards any way.
Yep Cordeila, I agree- pretty good for you little snacks in 4" portions- not a bad way to indulge a habit (if you're into hot dogs)! Let me know how you liked them etc...
If you like this, I can't trust anything you say. I've never met anyone with anything nice to say about this gimmicky rip-off joint. I guess they got a lot of press due to the novelty factor but the gimmick is all they have going for them.
Sorry but I must disagree FULLY. Well not fully. You are right that it would take 4 or 5 hot dogs for my someone to feel full, but there is no way anyone would want to eat that many of them. They are too dry and the bun is too doughy. We each tried two dogs, my husband and I, and not only were they dry, but the sauce and cheese combo of the day was just plain bad. And if you did want to get full, it would come to 10 - 12 bucks for hot dogs on buns without a drink or fries!!!!
Anyway, we thought it was a bad choice for a meal on all levels. I don't think they will be open past Christmas to be honest. There are plenty of great sausages and meats along the street to boot. The place is kind of a joke really.
i am from picton and we have one right down town it does well in the summer during tourist season but i dont think the locals are to crazy about it ....i am not one to trash a place that i have never tried but all my friends say it isnt worth your money to go there that they r too little and the hot dag is almost like eating a pepperette stick ...sooo i am willing to try it but i think i will just buy one hotdog if i like buy another i guess ...
but i have heard of good things i know one girl form here that goes like every day but the girls are nice that work there ...they would come to the resteraunt i worked at for their lunch i wonder why they didnt grab a buddha dog???
I've been living in Prince Edward County for years......a Toronto expat ... the foodha at buddha is very goodha... often stop in just for a couple of dogs and a drink. I like the quirkiness of the joint....the blackboard with the map, the vintage kitchen tables and chairs......the goofy staff. All of their products are from the area.....all the cheeses, the sauces, the buns, the "dogs (no fat, chemicals or fillers added)"......all locally produced. Now that's just good sense!
I especially like the owners, the Andrews, - good to and for this smallish community.....their names often appear on the "thank you" lists published in local papers attached to many charity events.....
So, to anyone who isn't really happy with the buddha foodha experience - perhaps you should continue on you way past the Buddha Dog place near you and straight on into the "fast food" big box around the corner.......the price is probably lower; you may well get more per gram for your dollar - without having to anguish over a choice of freshly made sauces or locally produced cheeses on chewy-because-they're-fresh buns and there won't be a place to drop a couple of bucks to support the local skatepark or local Santa Claus parade or Christmas Angel Campain.......wash your mass produced but locally heated meal down with a bladder buster half and half (half a container of chemical cola and half a container of ice) then fill in the corners with a large fries slathered in mass produced ketchup or a "baked apple pie"mmmm, good!.......
Today, the Buddha Boys hosted a pumpkin carving contest - proceeds of the day will support the Downtown Picton Santa Claus Parade.......the pastry chef (Peter Grendel) across the street donated a huge platter of jack-o-lantern cookies ...... but, I digress.....
Tee, I'm not sure if your post is meant to be snarky-funny or just snarky-mean, but I don't really think it's appropriate to paint all Buddha-haters as environment-destroying fast-food guzzlers.
One thing you have to remember is that the location, smack in the middle of Roncesvalles where they not only like the sausage, they throw a festival for it every year, is not especially conducive to people wanting tiny little hot dogs. Doesn't matter how tasty, local, organic or whatever they might be. Dollar for dollar, they're not going to be the better deal, and based on the photos I've seen of the Buddha dogs, they're not going to be as appetizing. Seriously... I've yet to see a photo of the things that didn't make them look just completely unappealing. (Sorry MLM - it's the subject not your photo-taking skillz.)
I don't doubt the store has some diehard fans, but that doesn't make the non-fans some sort of evil entity.
Well said Sheryl. Tee was far too busy writing the most forcefully marketed message we've seen since Taco Bell, than to notice how over the top and bitter her words were becoming.
Not only does Tee point out what savage beasts we are, she goes on to portray us [buddha dog detractors] as people who require "Buddha" coaching in order to see the light.
I know it is just bad marketing so no offence taken. The problem is that this marketing choice demonstrates yet again just how manipulating this whole Buddha restaurant team is. The creators of this message are your average, serious profit-seekers. I have listened to and read everything published publicly about and by this shop and I tell you that their message has been altered dramatically from what it was at launch in Toronto. I repeat, this is all in the pursuit of profits and in my opinion there is nothing intrinsically wrong with that. It's a retail store afterall and the proprietors are hoping to get rich.
So it is too bad that this quirky looking store is so failing. Their newest message to support a store put together with a high percentage of reusables rather than newly manufactured, better looking products is laudable and increasingly important to many people. But Buddha Dog just won't survive because most people don't like their hot dogs and/or the prices. I should add that I am on the list with all others who do not like them. In fact, for so many reasons, I feel uncomfortable just ordering food there. This failure means that one of the most colourful "ambassadors" of the "Save the Chairs" movement is ruining its fleeting chance to build awareness and launch a serious movement with enough people during this 15 minutes of fame.
It is easy to predict though, that some group will get it right. Eventually our planet will embrace and enjoy a much more efficient cycle of it's properties and energies.
Hopefully that group will be 100% comprised of human beings just like us!
wow......I just wanted to read a review of BF instead all I'm reading is a rant by food pundits who have way too much time on their hands. Here's a tip to y'all, stop pontificating about BF and decide whether you would like to continue eating there or not. Find a hobby.
No mystery for me. Buddha Dog sux. I heard what I guess was an advertorial on the radio about Buddha Dog in Toronto. I was so disappointed after rushing out to try it. Sorry but there is absolutely nothing special about these hot dogs. The only thing unusual is how tiny they are for that crazy high price!
Do yourself a favour, should they actually remain in business. Keep driving!
2 thumbs down!
WOW! I had no idea my posting would have caused such a commotion. Opinions as we all know are like ears, everyone's got one (hopefully two).
I liked the bite-sized dogs and I did mention that they were pricey given the size and the amount it would take to fill up an average guy or gal. I find it amusing that some who never even tried a dog from BD ditched it because they heard it was bad, gimmicky or what have you. For those of you who tried it, didn't like it and felt it was offensive to pay their price- to you I say, Fair Enough. That's why on the Roncy strip, and beyond, you've got a whole whack of choice from mystery meats to great stuff made with integrity. Reviews are like snapshots amigos- and often, you may not agree with what you see in the photo....