Review: Dogs 'N Frys in Florissant

They do it their way
Dogs ’n Frys refuses to do anything by the book. Its all-beef dogs are boiled and then flash-fried to lock in flavor – which arguably diminished their “snap” upon biting into them, even if it improved the taste. The restaurant’s logo is branded onto the side of the bun as a whimsical extra. Beef bacon, which makes an appearance on many menu items, made for an interesting change-up, though it didn’t taste quite as good as the oinky kind.

Aggressive dogs
You’ll find a classic Chicago dog and a chili dog on the menu here, but cast an eye to the more bizarre fare. If you’re among those who think everything tastes better with a fried egg on top, the Early Bird should get you out of bed in a flash. Adorned with egg, bacon and breakfast potatoes, and maple syrup drizzled over the top, it’s like a horizontal breakfast sandwich. The Peanut Butter Jelly Bacon dog features sweet, caramelized onions suspended in a surprisingly savory – and tasty – PB&J sauce. (Peanut butter and onions may ring a bell if you’ve ever tried African peanut stew.) The Sweet and Spicy dog, however, is a shotgun wedding of house-made raspberry sauce, barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese and jalapenos; it felt like a forced combination, resulting in oversaturated flavors. The mac-n-cheese, spooned over its namesake hot dog, was neither creamy nor sharp enough, and the unremarkable chili made a disappointingly bland garnish to the chili dog.

I believe I can fry
Why doesn’t every restaurant leave the fries in the fryer as long as Dogs ’n Frys does? These hand-cut french fries are served well-done and crisp. With ketchup, they soared to new heights of awesome. Still, if you want fries laid over with a mound of toppings, the kitchen offers options like the Philly Fry (beef bacon, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and sauteed green peppers); the Slaughter Stack (beef bacon, cole slaw and barbecue sauce); and the ever-popular cheese fries.

For dessert, you can order fries dipped in ice cream, a dessert inspired, according to one of the owners, by dunking fries in soft-serve at fast-food joints as a kid. It sounded dubious, but the cool-and-sweet, hot-and-salty tastes mingled handsomely.

No-nonsense noshing
Service was reliably speedy, and the counter person may well ask if it’s your first time here. If so, he or she will take pains to acculturate you to this strange new world of Hot ’n Spicy Dogs topped with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and other colorful choices. It’s appreciated. With its gray, muted tones, the restaurant’s small interior is not festive, just a place to stuff your face with unpretentious hot dogs and french fries.

The takeaway
Dogs ’n Frys is located at a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it strip mall next to Florissant’s St. Ferdinand Catholic Church, home to a popular Friday fish fry. But don’t neglect this new joint on the block which, like its neighbor, benefits from divine inspiration. Putting peanut butter and jelly on a hot dog surely qualifies as some kind of epiphany.

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503 Paul Ave., Florissant, 314.274.2000, Facebook: Dogs ’n Frys