For the time being I have made a couple of revisits recently. About a week ago I had the opportunity to have lunch with a couple of friends at Johnny Rocket's. I remembered when Robert and I had eaten there early this year. I had been pleasantly surprised at how good the hot dogs and chili dogs were; so I knew what I would order as soon as I knew the destination. The other guys ordered burgers but I opted for a hot dog and a chili dog, both all the way.
The dogs at Johnny Rocket's are a little pricey but are good. They are carefully prepared and served hot. The hot dogs are also served with great attention to presentation; and are among the best looking dogs you will find. One my previous visit the dogs were grilled. This time they were also grilled, but had been split down the middle prior to being grilled. That's a nice touch, but takes a little more time. You can see in the picture that the chili dog was overflowing with chili and toppings making it preferable to eat with a fork. I'm not going to complain about getting an abundance.
They serve large hot dogs making two of them a very filling meal. I didn't eat any of the fries that were shared but still found myself stuffed at the end of the meal. It might make more sense to limit an order to just one dog and a side or desert. Regardless of how you put together your order you will most likely be pleased. I usually approach chain restaurants with lowered expectations due to the absence of an owner operator. But, Johnny Rocket's seems to have communicated high standards to their cooks.
The other revisit this week was to Klingler's in Vestavia.
Klingler's is a favorite for my wife and I; so yesterday we had Sunday lunch there. The hot dog tour first visited here over a year ago to have their wonderful sausage platters, what I called a "German hot dog" and a "gourmet hot dog". You can see on the menu several different options. I have tried them all but usually order the "Bohemian double smoked beef and pork" sausage. There is an option of getting two sausages if you are really hungry, but one is usually sufficient for me.
These platters come with a side of hot German potato salad, hot sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard as well as a generous sour dough roll lightly toasted. You can easily make this into a sandwich if you like.
Everything they have at Klingler's is good. If you like German food this is a "must visit" restaurant; but I think anyone who likes good food will like it. If you like deserts this is a place you should visit. They have outstanding baked treats of many varieties. The picture on the right shows just a few of the options. Take a look at their website and go to the bakery tab.
