Counter Culture

All These Years Later, We're Still Happy With Angry Dog.

Angry Dog
2726 Commerce Street
Deep Ellum

Food: 3.5 dogs out of 4
Service: 3.5 dogs out of 4
Ambiance: 3.5 dogs out of 4

Angry Dog has been a staple in the Deep Ellum community for 20 years at this point, and little has changed over that time. They still serve the same food as they did when they opened, and that's because they do it right.

The formula indeed works: On a recent Friday night, the place was packed, as expected. But getting a seat here is no problem; the service is fast, and the tables are turned over quickly.

Visually, Angry Dog is exactly what you expect in a bar — lots of brick and lots of wood. But it's much more than that, too, thanks to a menu that dons award after award from local publications. Among the most-honored meals are their burger and their wings. But it's not just these items that score.

On this trip, I ordered the fried pickle chips ($7) for an appetizer and, for my main course, the “Angry Dog” hot dog with fries ($6.50). The proportions were large, although the entree was sufficiently larger than my appetizer given the price. The Angry Dog namesake isn't your typical hot dog; it's a knife-and-fork meal loaded with chili, cheese, cooked onions and mustard. As such, the bun can get a little soggy sometimes. But, overall, it hits the spot — especially with a beer from the bar's surprisingly wide selection on draft.

All these years later, it's still tough to beat this place.