First Look: Doggie Mac's in Carondelet

Bryan Scott - also known as Chef B - only went live with his food truck in late 2018, but this weekend, he’ll see it into its next phase as he opens a brick-and-mortar Doggie Mac’s at 5624 S. Grand Blvd. “It was always the plan,” he said. “I didn’t know how or when.” But when the pandemic arrived and he wasn’t able to hit his normal food truck circuit this summer, he realized he needed to come up with a new plan. 

Doggie Mac’s menu is the natural evolution of the food from Scott’s food truck, a Southern comfort-food-influenced mix of everything from burgers and wings to hot dogs and jumbo fried shrimp. The hot dog menu’s signature dish, the Doggie Mac, comes with mac and cheese and smoked bacon; the Jerk Dog features Scott’s house-made Jamaican barbecue sauce, Caribbean slaw and fried plantain. 

An assortment of mac and cheese options – Jerk pork, Buffalo chicken, lobster, et cetera – are based around one special recipe: Scott’s grandmother’s mac and cheese. “It’s the best mac and cheese ever, so I stole it,” he said, laughing. Shortly after, he added, “With her permission, of course.” 

New menu options include the quarter-pound Dang! Burger, chicken fingers and chicken on a stick, which sees a skewer of chicken breast, potato, pickle and onion deep fried and served with a house-made sauce. Chicken on a stick is a dish Scott discovered during his travels in the South, and it immediately made an impression on him. “It’s an incredible display of human ingenuity,” he said.  

Doggie Mac’s is officially open this Saturday, Aug. 29. For the foreseeable future, Scott won’t offer dine-in, but will allow walk-ins for carryout. There will be an online ordering system set up as well. The restaurant will be closed Sunday and Wednesday, and will be otherwise open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Check out the slideshow below for more information about Doggie Mac’s.