Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on April 26, 2022.
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Franktuary closed the Lawrenceville location at the end of 2021. They still operate their food truck and can be found at area breweries and events.
My cravings for hot dogs are often few and far between, but when they come I often want a crazy combination of toppings that goes well beyond the simple hot dog, ketchup, and mustard I grew up on.
Enter Franktuary in Lawrenceville, the kind of restaurant to visit if you are in the mood for some rather unusual hot dog options!
Unique Hot Dog and Side Combinations at Franktuary
As far as hot dogs are concerned at Franktuary, you can either select from the chef created hot dogs or build-your-own with an impressive number of toppings (and a 10 topping maximum).
As the pre-made hot dogs run about $5-$6 with premium ingredients, and the build-your-own run $4-$5 with only a few toppings running an extra fee, you can probably come up with some rather unique creations on your own and save a few quarters in the long run. That being said, I did not have the patience to come up with a self-made option and went with two of the fully decked out menu items.
The first was the Johnny in Denver, a hot dog covered in red onion, green chilis, deep-fried jalapeno poppers, and sour cream. This is one of those kinds of hot dogs where the toppings vastly overshadow the frankfurter, and, to be honest, the hot dog was actually the perfect vehicle to tie it all together (even if it was overshadowed by the jalapeno poppers)!
My second was the Oahu, a Hawaii-themed hot dog topped with a more modest amount of pineapple, teriyaki, bacon, and scallions. For those who want to get the taste out of the hot dog itself, this is the kind of creation to go for. The toppings on this one added a bit more subtle nuance to the overall flavor profile as opposed to the very out-there creation of the Johnny in Denver.
As a pair, I can't say anything wrong with the order!
The Starters Are a Nice Accompaniment
The starter menu at Franktuary is an interesting one as most of the items range in price from $4 to $7- something we can appreciate as the items are portioned like you would expect a conventional side to be rather than the bountiful (and caloric) appetizers you find at other restaurants.
Naturally, I had to order two in order to try more.
The first was a small order of Poutine Quebecoise which was fairly standard poutine with gravy and an ample amount of cheese curds that is worth it for the cheese addition alone. The portion size is decent for a small and perfect for those who just want a bit of poutine to share around the table or a decent amount for one person.
The second was the Teetering Tot Tower which consisted of three rather large tater tots that were stuffed with ingredients like you would find on a Reuben, buffalo cheese, and cheddar with bacon. I'd say these were a miss overall, if only because I really couldn't tell much of a difference in the flavor between the buffalo and cheddar options (so much so that they may have been identical and simply a mistake- I really can't say). But at just $4 for the order, it was something fun to try all the same.
Overall, Franktuary offers some pretty unique hot dog creations and sides, plus build-your-own options for those who want to be a bit more traditional. During my 2019 visit almost everything ran $4-$6 per item, which may be higher than most are used to for hot dogs, but balances out with the reasonably priced starters.
$12-$15 will certainly get a feast here!
Franktuary was located at 3810 Butler Street in Lawrenceville and closed in 2021.