Kona Dog (formerly Hula Dog) is a new place that opened up recently on International Drive (Orlando’s tourist district) where business is booming. With quite a few places closing in the past few years on International Drive (an empty and and abandoned Bennigan’s restaurant sits just next door from Kona Dog), it is refreshing to see new restaurants opening up and becoming successful and flourishing because people love what they have to offer.
What Kona Dog has to offer is something new and unique to our area, and according to the Kona Dog manager, the first one of its kind to open in the continental United States. Kona Dog is a tiny shack that serves up big hot dogs made hawaiian style: they serve their Boar’s Head hot dogs with home made hawaiian bread and sweet and spicy sauces made right on the premises.
For $6.95, you can get a Kahuna combo which comes with hot dog, chips and a drink. First you pick a “dog” with choices ranging from the traditional all beef hot dog, a spicy sausage dog, or a veggie dog made with soy. Then you pick a “Hula Sauce” from the original “garlic lemon”, spicy jalapeno, or hot chili pepper to go with the dog. Then you pick a fruit sauce from coconut, pineapple, mango,and banana. And then finally a “mustard” from pineapple, mango, spicy brown, or yellow mustard.
I chose the spicy jalapeno all beef hot dog with pineapple fruit sauce and mango mustard. The hot dog actually was quite huge. I would say it was at least a foot long hawaiian roll that it was served in. The hawaiian roll was very unique, a sweet, fluffy and filling bread that they insert the dogs in. The hot dog and sauces, though subtle, provided quite a fun and sweet flavor. I would definitely come back and get some more dogs from this small and humble shack.
For more info, visit
http://thehuladog.com/
Address: 6312 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819
