New 'craft casual' hot dog franchise opens in northern Westchester
The Dog Haus Biergarten, a new fast casual restaurant with a focus on gourmet hot dogs, sausages, Black Angus burgers and local craft beers, has opened in Mohegan Lake.
The franchise — the first in Westchester and number 50 for the company overall — is owned by longtime Westchester residents Andy Hamerling and Dave Orth, the former of whom owns Jersey Mike's Subs in Hartsdale.
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Hamerling said he was attracted to the California-based chain years ago while visiting a friend who owns one in upstate New York. "I was impressed with the food and the concept," he said.
So, he and Orth turned what had been a Payless Shoe Store into a 2,800-square-foot custom designed restaurant with 52 seats, a 24-seat bar, multiple HD TV's, two dart boards and a shuffleboard table. Eventually, there will be a 14-seat dog-friendly outdoor patio in the front.
The restaurant, which General Manger Steve LaBarbera calls "craft casual," meaning it features a more elevated experience than a typical fast casual eatery, offers 24 beers on tap, with an emphasis on local craft favorites as well as the brand’s signature Haus cocktails, handcrafted by Phil Wills, a mixologist seen on the reality TV Show, "Bar Rescue."
The menu features eight specialty hot dogs including "Sooo Cali," with wild arugula, avocado, tomato, crispy onions and spicy basil aioli; "Chili the Kid," white American cheese, Haus chili, crispy onions and chipotle aioli; and the "Downtown," which is a smoked bacon wrapped dog with caramelized onions, pickled peppers, mayo, mustard and ketchup. (You can also customize).
There are also eight sausages — the restaurant's motto refers to them as "the absolute würst" — such as "The Fonz," with has spicy Italian pastrami and mozzarella cheese; the "T-Mex," a beef chorizo and pepper jack sausage with avocado, chipotle aioli, Haus slaw, picked jalapeño and pickled peppers; and the SOOO veggie, which is a Beyond sausage, hot Italian, wild arugula, avocado, tomato, crispy onions and spicy basil aioli.
LaBarbera said a point of pride for the restaurant is that, along with its many meat options, there are also a host of plant-based offerings. That includes the aforementioned Beyond sausage würst along with an Impossible burger.
Plus, he added, all Dog Haus hot dogs, sausages and burgers are made with hormone- and antibiotic-free meat and served on grilled King’s Hawaiian rolls. All items, including its fried chicken, wings, fries, chili and tots, come with a calorie count. Hot dogs are $7.99, sausages are $8.99 and burgers are $10.99.
And then there's the beer, everything from lagers to sours from brands such as Blue Point, Sloop, and Left Hand.
Diners who sit at the bar are treated to full wait service; others order at the front register (as you would in a typical fast casual atmosphere), grab a seat, and have the food delivered to your table. The difference, stressed LaBarbera (and why the Dog Haus lingo is "craft casual"), is that if you want to order something else while you're seated, you can do so via a server who will take your payment seat-side.
There's also the added bonus of dessert.
Because Hammerling and Orth had extra footage when building the Dog Haus, they added a Häagen-Dazs next door, accessible via a back door (it also has a separate entrance).
"We thought it would be great for parents who may want to linger or have another drink in the restaurant while the kids get ice cream," said Hamerling.
Häagen-Dazs opened Nov. 20; The Dog Haus opened Dec. 8.
If you go
Address: 3171 E. Main St., Mohegan Lake (in the Cortlandt Town Center), 845-915-4287, moheganlake.doghaus.com
Hours: Hours are still being worked out but expect dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. on Dec. 8, 9 and 10 and to 11 p.m. Dec. 11. Lunch will start Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, to 11 p.m. Saturday.
Happy Hour: 3 to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday.
FYI: Starting in January, there will be specials that link their national charity partner No Kid Hungry, which works to end childhood hunger nationwide.
Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @lohud_food or via the lohudfood newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: New in Mohegan Lake: The Dog Haus features hot dogs, craft beers
