Across the street from the Granada Theatre and nestled next door to a tattoo parlor, Big D’s Dogs adds its own character to lower Greenville Avenue.

Inside, it feels like an old ’50s malt shop with funky bar stools and old-time straw dispensers. Pictures of hot dog stands and eating contests hang above a large mirror that surrounds the restaurant, adding depth to the shop.

As I was trying to decide on a dog, I got a sense of the laid-back, personable atmosphere. The owner was in the process of making his homemade chili as he started a friendly conversation with me about how he got his start in the business.

You wouldn’t expect a five-star chef from one of the top restaurants in Dallas to switch gears and open up a hot dog joint, but that’s exactly what Don Breitkreutz did.

He recommended the local favorite, the Greenville Avenue Dog with Big D’s homemade chili, queso, ranch, green onion, tomatoes, fresh jalapenos, ranch dressing, and bacon bits, as well as his personal favorite, the Thai Chili Lime Dog with crisp lettuce, cilantro, green onions, jalapenos, shredded carrots, and Thai chili lime sauce.

I came with friends, so we decided to try a little sampling. We tried the Greenville Avenue and the Texas Frito Dog, both of which were amazing and very filling.

It is not a modest meal. I tried to eat it with my hands, but had to give in and grab a fork. We ordered a basket of the original fries, which are hand-cut and made right when you order them. They add a very crisp and tasteful side to any of the dogs.

If you can’t handle it though, there are salads, vegetarian chili and make-your-own dogs so you can create exactly the dog of your choice. My advice, though: go all out!

All of the dogs are a quarter pound cooked in a two-step process. First, they’re put in a tomato broth, and then they’re grilled. The restaurant gets its potato buns from a local bakery, and all of the toppings are fresh and made in-house.

With the open kitchen, you can see them adding all the finest and freshest of ingredients, giving the dogs their unbelievable taste.

The great flavor doesn’t stop there. There are Italian sodas, bottles of Coke, Dr. Pepper, Orange Crush and five-star quality milkshakes. Don brought out one of his favorite milkshakes free of charge to everyone in the restaurant. The homemade chocolate sauce, made from shreds of Ghirardelli chocolate combined with fresh Bluebell vanilla ice cream, made this classic chocolate milk shake worth the whole trip.

Big D’s doesn’t miss a beat, holding drawings for tickets to the Granada Theatre and promoting local music with posters up just inside the door. Next to the posters, there’s a hand-written and colorful menu featuring all of their eccentric items.

Open till 3a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, Big D’s is part of the experience that is Dallas night life.

Kick back and chill to the hip music or let them deliver their gourmet hot dogs, either way this local hot spot is a must try. As one customer put it just as she was leaving, “That was a great hot dog!”