We recently celebrated the annual anniversary of Kenny’s 29th birthday. Few things say “man-grub” like hot dogs, so I thought lunch at Frank Hot Dogs and Cold Beer in downtown Austin might be a fun excursion.

Well, the food was an adventure…

After all, in what alternate universe would you expect Hill Country gourmet to shack up with Windy City street fare on a single menu? However, Frank makes it work.

Snooty artisan sausages made in-house and 100% Vienna beef hot dogs shipped in from Chicago are paired with creative and traditional toppings to deliver big tastes.

A nice selection of Texas grown-up brews, and my personal favorite – the sweet sudsy local Maine Root Beer- are all on draft to wash down every bite.

And I’m not even gonna talk about the whoopie pie…

Who am I kidding? Of course I’m going to mention the whoopie pie – rounds of chocolate cake sandwiching the richest cream in the world – whoooooopie!

If the food warmed my stomach at Frank Hot Dogs and Cold Beer, the people won my heart.

The owner made time stand still during the busy lunch rush. It’s as though he blacked out the rest of the room and shone the spotlight of his attention on Kenny and me. He easily chatted with us while we waited for a table.

Why? Because he heard we were first-time guests.

A few weeks later we planned to introduce our friends to Frank.

“It’s closed for Sunday dinner!” we realized as we stood disappointed at the door peering in to the dark restaurant.  The two remaining employees saw us, opened the door and invited us in.

“Cathy! Look at all this gorgeous salvaged wood!” Our friend Bill, a fine craftsman, exclaimed about the interior of Frank.

And that was just enough to get the employees talking. They poured a round of Maine Root Beer on the house, hung out with us for about 25 minutes and showed us all the behind-the-scenes care that went into Frank’s interior design and menu. Then they sent us off with a list of their other favorite restaurants in town to try instead.

Wow! We came hungry and left as friends.

So while the humble hot dog may be out-of-this-world at Frank Hot Dogs and Cold Beer, the people are sure to make you feel right at home.

Important Info:

Location: Corner of 4th and Colorado, Austin, TX

Website: http://www.hotdogscoldbeer.com/ The photo above is just a teaser of the many enticing pics on the Frank Hot Dogs and Cold Beer website.

Note: Closed for Sunday dinner. Vegetarian options available.