Food writer, Tessa Wright, samples Cardiff’s latest fast food alternative.
Other than a late night snack at the union, inspired by a regrettable amount of double vodkas, I would never opt for a hotdog. Usually plastic in flavour and rubbery, they don’t particularly whet the appetite, however, I will always give food a second chance so HogWurst really was the ideal place to challenge my pessimism.
HogWurst, new to Cardiff, has replaced The College House on North Road, a much loved coffee shop by students and locals alike, but thankfully they’ve adopted its unique and quirky atmosphere. The small space adds to the eateries character: a relaxed, witty and personalised blend of hotdogs and coffee. Yes it may sound odd but it does work!
As you can tell by its name HogWurst isn’t afraid a pun which is made quite evident when looking at their menu. From the ÔÇÿSlum Dog’ to ÔÇÿThe Hogamama’ they’ve made sure their food isn’t the only thing that’s spiced up. All jokes aside the menu has a great selection of dogs and toppings that you can wolf down and don’t worry veggies, they haven’t forgotten about you. The ÔÇÿGlam Dog’, a homemade Glamorgan sausage really does look more appetising than quorn. Also, if you don’t like hotdog buns, like me, they offer ÔÇÿFun Without the Bun’ with the same topping options as the standard hotdogs but slathered on a pile of fries instead. They continue to impress with not just one but six different varieties of fries ranging from your classic potato to truffle or Cajun spiced. Although be aware, the chips are sold separately to the hotdogs.
Once you’ve decided what you actually want to eat the service is impressively quick with a charming touch to their presentation. Chips are served in golden syrup tins, ÔÇÿFun Without Bun’ in camping dishes and the hotdogs are placed on wooden boards with a side of slaw. The hotdogs themselves are what you would expect from a frankfurter, however the toppings livened things up. ÔÇÿThe Chilli Dog’ works really well and went down a treat, although I couldn’t taste all the ingredients described on the menu. The slaw’s great, adding a refreshing contrast to the warmth and smokiness of the dog, the only down side is there’s not enough! There’s little touches to be enjoyed throughout the meal: we enjoyed little jam jar of cider to complement our meal.
The prices are a little high for a hotdog alone, ranging from ┬ú4.50 to ┬ú8.00 without the additional price of the chips, however it’s definitely worth popping down. It’s a great place to go for a treat once in a while and if that isn’t motivation enough they’re still whipping up their amazing coffees and hot chocolates. So next time you’re leaving the union with a hankering for a hotdog, wait until the next day and give Hogwurst a try.
