The Dog Days of Summer

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Dogs-A-Foot offerings from Left to right - Chiang Mai Dog (new menu), Memphis Dog (the special), Mumbo Jumbo with "the works" (classics menu)  [/caption]

By Emily Henry

While there might be some debate on whether the hot dog can be classified as a sandwich, it is undoubtedly a ubiquitous symbol of summer. In a community that celebrates historical preservation and begrudgingly accepts modern improvements (ahem… the new roundabout), it seems fitting that the hot dog stand, Dogs-A-Foot, has been in business for the last four decades. There aren’t too many places left in this community where I can still eat the same thing I ordered at ages ten, fifteen, and twenty. A Mumbo Jumbo with “the works” is still on the menu and remains my go-to dog even now at age thirty-six. This classic, along with many new options, are available at the revered downtown institution.

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Cameron Roberts in his hot dog stand  [/caption]

John Sheehan and his wife Sy opened the hot dog stand in the mid-eighties and operated it for twenty-five years. They spent the spring and summer months slinging hot dogs during the height of Port Townsend’s tourist season. At the onset of fall, the two closed it down, hauled the trailer away as required by city ordinances, and traveled to Thailand to spend their winter months. Every year as April rolled around, the trailer would resume its place on the corner of Water and Madison streets, becoming a harbinger of spring for the community. Current owner Cameron Roberts said, “When we open in April, people associate us with the change of season, and you have all these people coming out of their winter funk. It’s a really fun thing to be a part of.”

Roberts and his wife, Plai Junpo, bought Dogs-A-Foot in 2019. With similar aspirations to those of the Sheehans, the two purchased the business with intentions to work all summer and travel to Thailand after the Kinetic Sculpture Festival in the fall. COVID threw a monkey wrench in those plans, and while the business was able to stay steady as a to-go only operation through the pandemic, it took a few more years until they were able to achieve their original winter travel plans. Those travel experiences are now reflected as new menu items at the hot dog stand, such as the Tokyo Dog, a Jumbo all-beef sausage with romaine, wasabi mayo, and seaweed sesame seed Furikake. “I love the idea of so many places having hot dogs in the world. I was in Japan last November, and I ate at like four different hot dog restaurants” Roberts explained.

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New menu sign  [/caption]

Along with “New Dogs Around the World,” bubble tea and french fries are among the recent menu additions. “The Special Dogs Menu” highlights a rotating option often inspired by customer suggestions. “I love when people tell me how they eat hot dogs in a certain place,” said Roberts. The Memphis Hot Dog, the special on the board while I was there, included a Jumbo all-beef with bacon, onion, BBQ sauce, and cheddar cheese, which I can attest was as decadent as it sounds. There is now a “Build Your Own Dog” option highlighting fourteen different sausages and twenty-five toppings. And for those with dietary restrictions or those looking to veer away from meat products, gluten-free buns and Beyond Meat vegan brats are on offer.

Creative and new cuisine is often exciting, but there is something special about a stayed and true classic. The “Classic Dogs” features options from Sheehan’s original menu. Roberts, a former Port Townsend High School graduate, said the Foot Loose was his favorite growing up, but he now oscillates between everything depending on his mood. He is in the process of looking through old cookbooks from the Jefferson County Historical Society, which he will use as his inspiration for a Port Townsend Dog, available the first week of August while supplies last.

Food can often evoke feelings of nostalgia. Hot dogs are no exception – a summer cookout, a baseball game, a campfire. It is special to have a place that bridges the gap between old and new, classic and creative. Dogs-A-Foot truly plays that role in our community.

All photos courtesy of Emily Henry