Underdogs

Decent dog dingy décor.
Unilocal says that’s too short to post.
How about now?
Is that a haiku?

Will start by saying I’m a vegetarian and my vegetarian crack is veggie hot dogs. Just like you meat eaters I do not question the ingredients and sincerely hope and pray there is no meat involved. Well this place is the best! They make all the hot dogs with a veggie dog if you want! I always get take out and walk around and eat it because I can’t even wait to get home. Really great spot for something quick, yummy and not expensive. Always nice staff and quick service. I really like the chicago dog!

you’re either a hotdog person or not. i am definitely a hotdog person. i’ve been wanting to try this place since it made its way into my radar. i had to walk over this area for work anyways so decided today was the day to try it.
i first thought it was on 17^th and sansom and couldn’t find it. it’s actually on 17^th and moravian! next to luke’s lobsters downstairs.
i walked in and was greeted by a woman working behind the counter. she was by herself and looked busy but she still greeted me with a smile. also, there were 3 tables occupied and she was working on a bunch of to-​go orders. good sign.
i ordered the chicago dog combo with the georgia bbq side dipping sauce, to-​go. i have to say that i think i waited too long to eat it because my food wasn’t hot anymore. it was warm. i know that the food was freshly cooked though because i saw her prepare it. so i am blaming myself on this one.
next time i think i might just eat there. the service was great and the food’s good. i’d def go again!

I may have been here previously. today, I decided to try the vegan dog! You can still get anything or have one of their combos (also have gluten free roll)! I tried the Chicago style, since I am from Chicago and miss Chicago style. I thought it was very tasty. With combo you can have a sauce for fries I had to get the malt vinegar aoili. Yum. And they have pepsi products but also have fizzy water in machine. perfect. I was able to dine in and relax. They play good, old 80’s new wave music. PS Vegan dog is tofurky brand. Actually use their sausage. Underdogs has regular Italian sausage and brats on menu as well as all beef hotdogs. I shall return. prices are good! Lunch under $ 10.

The service was wonderful, I really liked the the gentleman who was helping me pick which hotdog to try, was funny happy and really good with customer communication. I give that aspect 5 stars.
I should point out that I rarely eat meat, so I was not that crazy about the hotdogs.
However, The décor, lighting, and aura of the restaurant was casual and laid back and customer service was great! It had a real relaxed environment, great for hanging with friends, take the family or a date.
If you love meat and grilled flavor, then this place is for you.

Such great expectations for this place, I was excited about the variety of dogs and innumerable choices. Sadly, my expectations were not met. The bun was the greatest disappointment– it was stale, hard, and flavorless. The concept has such great potential, but they just didn’t follow through. Prices were okay. I wish I could say I want to go back, but unfortunately that won’t be happening.

Yeah there’s not much to crave about this place. It’s O.K. Price is a bit much for what it is and ingredients could be fresher (my bun was super dry).
They could definitely do a little for a much better quality product. Not willing to go back though until someone else tells me they have stepped up their product.

I may have been drunk but the fries and the Chicago dog were awesome, in hindsight I should have had two.

Pretty standard Hotdogs. The type you order doesn’t really make a difference. They lack a certain flavor or flare. Its a hot dog fries and a drink for $ 10 which I think is overpriced. Nothing special but it wasn’t bad either. Everything there was edible. It is a viable option but its far from the best meal you can get from center city.

Underdog, underdog, not sure if you really deserve the four stars but you’re definitely better than a three star. I’ve been hearing about this place since I moved out here and I finally had the time to make out here.
It’s a cool lunch spot with a ton of varieties! I mean who would’ve thought that you can have 23 kinds of dogs all under one roof?! The quality of the hot dog is really good and the gentlemen behind the counter was awesome.
My issue is– I would rather a regular hot dog… Forget the fancy stuff and all the extra nonsense, I just want a plain dog. It’s a good spot and interesting twist on an American Classic. I just don’t see myself ever craving this.

Aside from all the delicious concoctions of fantastic Dogs freshly made to order in a super clean and cool setting. The owner, servers go above + beyond to make your experience fabulous! Having your name on the Wall of Fame is a way Cooler experience than your Face on the Wall at The Palm! A MUST EXPERIENCE when in downtown Philadelphia.
Move over Cheesestaks!!! A new Dawg is in town!!!

Incredibly underwhelming. Made a point to come here after a long night because of great reviews from friends. After I paid for food 7 parties were served before me. When I went up to check on food I received no food and only sass in return. Incredibly irritated by staff and poor service.

I’m not sure why there are all the bad reviews. Maybe people have been catching them on an off day or they didn’t like the combo they ordered. Not all of the combinations work for everyone or are equal, so your enjoyment will certainly vary every time you order a different sandwich. The ingredients they use all seem decent quality. Big plump hot dogs, big Cacia’s Bakery rolls, tasty toppings without artificial colorings like other places. Just look in the back. They chop a lot of the veggies themselves! The fries and drink make your sandwich a meal and getting the meal saves you a little money if you truly want the fries.
The Back in the Day is a solid sandwich. A hot dog and cod fishcake with mustard and onions… so yummy! The Michigan is also solid. I love it. The Chicago is also good, but I happen to love Chicago style hot dogs. The Georgia Bulldog is okay. I think they gave me coleslaw instead of pepper hash. Pero Caliente is okay, too. The idea of a hot dog in mole sauce is quite original. Big style points for that idea! The California Dreamin’ is quite tasty. The idea of avocado on a hot dog grossed out a friend of mine I told about, but don’t diss it until you’ve tried it. It’s good! The Adonis is okay. To me, it tasted like a Greek gyro. The Marrakesh is a spicier version of the Adonis. The 9^th Streeter is quite good. The onions and peppers are big diced cuts that are quite juicy. «The Pope Dog», a special of the day chorizo sausage with chimichurri and red onion salad (red onions and tomatoes) was absolutely divine! (5 stars for this one). The Chihuahua was a little underwhelming. Lots of onions. Maybe too many. I liked the queso sauce. I wasn’t a fan of Haute Dog Parm, either. Perhaps some mozzarella would’ve made it more complete for me. The Smoker is a nice spicy hot sausage sandwich with pepper hash, relish, and ketchup. The Tryp is awesome. It’s like a Thanksgiving meal in hot dog form. Warsaw Packed is real good, too. I like mine with a little ketchup. The Brats is also real good. Perhaps my favorite dogs are the My Thai and The Tryp. Underdogs uses local favorites Czerw’s (Andrew Zimmern-​endorsed) and Martin’s for their kielbasas and hot sausages.
I’ve eaten all 23 hot dogs and sausages for my very own fist on their Wall of Fame! I also get a membership card that gives me a discount on future hot dog combos. That’s really cool!

Second visit here within a couple of years.
First time was ok, this time ensures that I won’t go back.
Did take out to my hotel across the street and food was cold, hot dog buns seemed less than fresh. Received 2 orders of fries, which I neither asked for or even paid for,
Person working/​cooking there was too busy on a personal phone call to care. In fact a second person actually handed me my take away, said thanks and goodbye BEFORE I EVEN PAID for the order. Obviously no one cares what is going on here.
Maybe it was a Sunday staff but I won’t be returning.

Stopped by this place by chance after I tried Luke’s Lobster right next door and ordered the Back in the Day hotdog (your everyday hotdog + two pieces of fried cod fish and onions). It tasted exactly as you would think — nothing special but gets the job done! They have various types of hotdogs with both standard/​unique toppings added that makes this place different from your regular ketchup/​mustard/​relish hotdog you would get at a BBQ. In terms of pricing, I think all the hotdogs sold here are just slightly overpriced in my opinion.
I have heard from others this a pretty popular place to stop by after going out with friends for a late night snack. Self serve tables on either ends to accommodate medium sized groups!

Underdogs is one of those places that I’ve walked by a ton and always think that I should try it sometime. I finally got the chance to with a couple friends after a happy hour.
I had the pero caliente – a hot dog with pico de gallo, sour cream, and jalapenos. The dog itself is fine, but the majority of it was straight up sour cream. I don’t even remember tasting any pico de gallo on there. The bun was a little dry – I’m not sure if they steam or grill them, but it sure doesn’t seem like it. My two friends both got the Chicago style hot dog, which they both enjoyed but had similar complaints about a dry bun.
I’m definitely not dying to come back here, but at the same time wouldn’t mind it given a certain level of intoxication.

They are partially underground – down a half flight of stairs from the street level. A floor to ceiling window keeps the space from feeling cave-​like. I visited at local lunch time, and there was a brisk crowd of business types getting lunch. The service here is not fast-​food fast – this food is made to order with care. If you eat a lot of different dogs, you can get your name on the wall. A nice challenge for a local (and I’m glad it’s not alcohol-​themed, for once!). I tried the chicken sausage with mozzarella and tomato sauce on a gluten-​free bun. It was tasty and different. Next time I’m in Philly, I will check out another dog. Food and atmosphere are both fun and unique.

I tried the chihuahua hotdog, the pb&j, and the Maui… something. The chihuahua was ok but liked the other two better. The flavors were surprisingly good! I recommend being adventurous here because it’s a good bet you’ll be happily surprised. :)

I’m not quite sure how this establishment stays in business. Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s worse than «hit or miss.» I’ll start with the «pros»: it is occasionally open during the posted hours. End. The «cons:» I could probably stop counting the amount of times this joint has «run out of buns»… one time an employee told me she had literally «run out of EVERYTHING.» On another occasion I was served two hot dogs and/​or sausages when I clearly asked for and ordered two veggie dogs.
The presentation is sloppy. The dogs are overall pretty greasy and generally unappealing despite their fun sounding combination of flavors/​ingredients.
Tonight was the final straw. After making an effort to arrive here before they inevitably ran out of business-​defining ingredients, I was greeted by a handwritten sign indicating their closure, even complete with assignation of, «folks.» Look. I’m not a folk. I’m a member of the «fist club» which apparently means nothing more than the fact that you’ve either contributed some sort of monetary donation or you’ve faked your way through eating their entire disgusting menu. Or you had a friend who worked here who punched a bunch of holes in your menu to give you a head start.
For a place that touts itself as one of the «best late night eats» this is truly poor. Not open late, barely serves what it intends, and treats you worse than an uninvited guest at a funeral. Next.

–3.5 stars–
We stumbled into this joint a bit before 2am on a Saturday night because Monk’s Café’s kitchen had closed and this was on our way back to the hotel. We’re fans of Crif Dogs from NYC, and I’m an even bigger fan of Soul Dog in Poughkeepsie (a true underdog, given its location), so we were excited about the late night meal.
And it made for a pretty good late night meal. I threw some onions, sour cream, and cheese on a dog, and I also went for the special dog covered in broccoli and mac & cheese. Boyfriend also went for the broc & mac & cheese dog, as well as something covered in cheese and peppery spice. The fries were also good, though by the time we got to those, we realized that we definitely ordered too much food. Dip them in the garlic aioli or, even better, the Utah fry sauce. If anything, I wish I could have brought buckets of the Utah fry sauce back with me. It was incredible.
So, definitely check it out if you’re in the area. I’d bump it up to a 4 or maybe even a 5 if the hot dogs were a little better constructed… the toppings were kind of thrown onto the dogs, and that made eating them a little dicey. The could take some dog crafting clues from Crif Dogs or Soul Dog.