Pete’s Polar Parlor & Dog House

CLOSED!
Rating only because was required…

I think critical reviews of this small hot dog place are hilarious. The dogs are right around $ 3 each. I mean, what kind of expectations should a person have? That’s like walking into McD’s and rating it on a scale you should use at Flip Burger.
The place is clean, service was good and prices are reasonable. This would be an ideal spot for bringing a little league team in after the game. Or just grabbing a Hot dog & some ice cream when the craving hits you.

Hotdogs are delicious. Service and atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired, otherwise would have been a higher rating.

EDIT: Sadly I went by the other day eager for another BLT Dog and the place was closed up for good. :(
I have been to Pete’s 3 times now. The food is decent. It’s not the absolute best, but its good for what it is. I like some of the more unique items (like the BLT Hot Dog). You can get hot dogs pretty much any way you want them and you also get a choice of 3 sizes and 3 different ways you can have them cooked — steamed, grilled or fried. I love that no matter what style hotdog you order, you can choose how you want it cooked. My only complaint with the food is that I believe they steam the hoagie rolls and hotdog buns because if you don’t scarf it down immediately, by the time you get to the end of the dog, your bun has become very hard and almost uneatable. I understand that the warm, soft bun might be really nice at first, but for those of us who are slow eaters, it becomes quite the opposite when you steam them. I’m a huge fan of chili dogs, however, I would rank the chili dog at this place on the lower end of the scale. The issue is their chili. It’s just not that great. I’m sure it’s from a can and all, but there are better quality canned chilis out there and this place should consider an upgrade. My favorite on the menu is the fried «Hog Dog» and BLT — which are both just a bacon wrapped hot dog, with the BLT getting an extra topping of lettuce, Tomato and mayo. It sounds weird at first, but once you try it, you’ll love it.
The customer service is one of the best around the area. I only had one issue with them and it was quickly delta with. I once went in about 10 minutes before closing time (10pm) and the girl working the counter said «We were just about to stop serving hot food». My wife asked if it was alright to place an order and was given an unenthusiastic «yeah». Before our order was even ready to go, an older lady came out from the back (presumably she owns the place) and told us that she really appreciates our business and that they were definitely NOT about to stop serving and we are welcome in any time. It was clear to me that she takes pride in her business and understands the value of customer service. I’m sure the employee with the bad attitude was just a one-​off. We have always had excellent service every other time. In fact, the last time I went in and got a large to-​go order, not only was the young girl at the counter very pleasant, she also made the order very quickly and was nice enough to ask me if there was a particular way I wanted the order packaged (certain items in the same box and what-​not). Even though the food is mostly average, I will continue to support them as it is about the best customer service you can find around here these days. I truly appreciate them for that.

Pete’s Polar Parlor & Dog House opened about 2.5 years ago in the Shallowford Plaza Shopping Center (same shopping center as Publix). The concept is hot dogs and ice cream — two things everyone enjoys. Pete is the name of the store’s mascot, a polar bear.
The shopping center is relatively new and clean and so is Pete’s. The restaurant is brightly lit and colorful with a light blue and pink theme. Stuffed polar bears are everywhere including on top of the flatscreen TV menus. The restaurant looks more like an ice cream parlor than anything. They have a multitude of flavors on display. I counted over 30. Along with ice cream, you can get sundaes, banana splits, milkshakes, malts, smoothies, and even shaved ice.
Pete’s also offers about a dozen different kinds of hot dogs. You can get the hot dogs either steamed or deep-​fried. At first, I thought the deep-​fried dogs would have some kind of crispy batter on them, but they don’t. The cooks just drop the wieners into the deep fryer and the dogs come out with a slightly harder and crispier exterior. The dogs come in regular and «hefty» (jumbo ¼ pound) sizes.
Everything is reasonably priced. Ice cream runs anywhere from $ 1.99 to $ 4.79 depending on how many scoops you get. Hot dogs run from $ 2.99 to $ 4.99 each. If you’re not feeling ice cream or hot dogs, you can also get Polish, andouille, and bratwurst sausages, sandwiches, fries, onion rings, and fried pickles.
I’ve tried a variety of dogs here including:
Atlanta Dog — chili, cheese, & cole slaw
New York Street Dog sauerkraut, onion, spicy mustard, pickle spear
Hog Dog — deep-​fried, bacon-​wrapped dog
Colombian Dog (custom-​made) — cheese, mayo, crushed potato chips
The Atlanta Dog is delicious and probably my favorite, mainly because I love chili and slaw on my dogs. However, the big downside to ordering this style dog at Pete’s is the buns aren’t capable of handling the sausage and all the toppings. Prepared to get messy with the Atlanta Dog. The buns disappointingly get soggy and fall apart in no time.
The other dogs aren’t as bad in the mess department. Overall, these are standard hot dogs and taste pretty much just as the menu describes. I very much enjoy the NY Street Dog. The Colombian Dog isn’t on the menu and is a dog my friend Carlos had the employees custom-​make for him. A unique topping combination on this dog includes cheese, mayo, and crushed potato chips. It’s actually quite good.
Self-​serve fresh condiments are available for the hot dogs and include sweet relish, giardiniera (pickled vegetables — carrots, cauliflower, etc.), jalapenos, onions & sauce, chopped onion, and dill pickle chips. All silverware is the plastic disposable variety. Both fountain and bottled drinks are available.
Service is good. $ 5 credit card minimum. Overall, not a bad place to stop for a snack.

Meh. It was a regular hot dog. Nothing spectacular. I prefer Nathans. The girls who worked there were super sweet though. :)

Great place to get an outstanding Hot Dog. Wonderful service as they even serve you with a smile when is the last time that happen to you. Ice Cream is also very good.
The place is very clean and they make you feel at home.
You are in for a treat if you like onion rings as these are the real deal large cut onions and breaded just right.
I will visit again with some colleagues from work.

I was seduced by Scoutmob’s 100% off offer for Pete’s. I was able to use the scoutmob on a corndog instead of a hotdog. There is a minimim $ 5 credit card under charge for this place. Most of the items here are under $ 5. I’d probably frequent this place if I lived in the hood and felt a craving for fried festival foods. There are no funnel cakes, but you have a selection of hot dogs, sausages, fries, and ice cream to devour from. It’s kind of like a mom and pop DQ.
In addition to my corn dog, I also ordered the chili cheese fries. It was dope because it was freshly deep-​fried. Sometimes I wish everything was deep fried, jk. No, I am not. Anywhichway, the service was great. There was an older woman and a young lady working there during my visit. They were friendly and asked me how I enjoyed my lunch. They’ve been opened for about a year. Pete’s is a good addition to the shopping center.

Went here via the ScoutMobs and it was aaaight. The snocones were aaaight. The ice cream was OK. My beau got a hotdog with dressings. I dunno how it tasted bc I was mad at him and giving him the evil eye at the time.
It was OK. It wasn’t remarkable. The staff was cute and happy; that was a plus. Clean environment, nice location. good place for a cone, but nothing that draws you back in time and time again.

Went here with a ScoutMob deal.
The woman serving my girlfriend and I could not have been more pleasant. What should’ve been a simple, straightforward ice cream order was made so much happier with this customer experience.
The ice cream and snow cones were very good also (although, I’ll be honest and say they weren’t out-​of-​this-​world good). But I’d be happy to return just because their employees are leagues better to the impolite people at other places (who make you feel like you’re the rude one for have thing audacity to try to order something).
Keep it up guys!

Wait, an ice cream shop that serves pre-​made ice cream that’s been shipped-​in? What’s going on here? I think the owners may have envisioned a great idea, but what they don’t understand is that there are plenty of places where customers can get freshly-​made ice cream that tastes much better. Why would I buy ice cream here when I get get the same quality if not better next door at the Publix?
The only reason they get 2 stars is because they have a friendly and helpful staff.

Very casual place to get a hot dog, like it!
I had Atlanta and Chicago style hot dogs, also mozzarella sticks. They’re all good.
The workers are really friendly, just made me feel comfortable enjoy my meal.
Will I come back? I will.

We went to Pete’s as part of the Scoutmob deal and were pleasantly surprised with the hot dogs. The Chicago style dog was deliciously seasoned and hit the spot.
Pete’s also has a wide ice cream selection with some good flavors which caters to the place’s family and child-​friendly atmosphere. The raspberry cheesecake ice cream was delicate and tasty.
Unfortunately what loses Pete’s a star are the sides. They were over-​priced for the quality and quantity provided (an order of mozzarella sticks were more expensive than the hotdogs and were sparse in amount).
Ultimately, good hot dogs and ice cream in a family-​friendly setting.

Pete’s Polar Parlor & Dog House is dismal at best. The hot dogs are bland for the $ 3 – 4 price. A gas station hot dog would taste better.
The ice cream is nowhere near as tasty and fresh as Cold Stone Creamery, for the same price.
On the plus side they have ample parking and nice restrooms, but it is highly unlikely that I will be revisiting.

I have no reason to give this place less than 5 stars. It’s a convenient place to get some ice cream before a movie at the Regal Hollywood, which is exactly what we did. The selection is vast– lots of different ice cream, sherbet and even Hawaiian shaved ice. They also do hot dogs and other hot foods until around 8:45pm. The owners are really friendly and willing to let you sample any of the flavors. There is seating inside and two tables outside. The parking is easy, since its in this strip mall right down the road from the movie theater.

Great ice cream and friendly people you can’t beat that!

Excellent dogs and great service!