Founder of The Steamie Weenie in Henderson embraces new tricks

Hot dog destination The Steamie Weenie, where each bun is a “canvas,” and the toppings, art, celebrated its two-year anniversary this July.

Nestled in the Pebble Marketplace on North Green Valley Parkway, the restauarant bustled with customers during a recent lunch visit. Owner Bob Remington is used to the noon rush this time of year; July is National Hot Dog Month.

“I love hot dogs and started realizing there’s no place to get a hot dog,” Remington said of why he decided to open The Steamie Weenie in 2015. “There’s a million places to get a burger. There’s a million places to get a sandwich. But there’s no place to get a hot dog.”

Remington worked in the corporate restaurant business for more than 30 years before he and his wife, Jane, took a chance on their idea. With an intentional departure from New York-style hot dog stands and Chicago joints “with pictures of Mike Ditka everywhere,” Remington designed the restaurant and menu with a twist on all things “dog.”

All items are under $7. They’re categorized by Old Dogs, or the classic-style hot dogs, New Tricks, which are Remington’s inventions, and an option to create your own. Chili cheese fries and tater tots are among the traditional sides offered.

The most popular dog, the Chicago-style Windy City, was never intended to be on the menu.

“Those are everywhere, and I wanted to do my own thing,” Remington said. “But every single day, seven days a week during our construction, someone would ask me, ‘So, you’re going to have a Chicago dog, right?’”

The $5.50 best-seller has a premium Vienna Beef frankfurter with tomato, pickle, diced onions, neon relish, yellow mustard, celery salt and sport peppers.

The Mac & Cheese & Cheese, oven-baked macaroni with shredded cheddar cheese on a frank, is $6.25. The BLT is a bacon-wrapped Nathan’s frank with tomato, shredded lettuce and mayonnaise, for $5.75.

For dessert, The Steamie Weenie offers ice cream floats with a bottled soda for $3.95.

Run by the Remingtons and a handful of employees, the restaurant maintains steady business throughout fall and winter as well, when its two most popular specials occur, Remington said. A “Franksgiving Feast” on Thanksgiving weekend includes a turkey dog with stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce, along with sweet potato fries. A dollar from each Franksgiving Feast sold goes to Three Square food bank.

In December, Remington offers his fastest-selling North Pole dog, which is made from caribou meat he orders from Alaska.

Remington has encountered people who shy away from conspicous hot dog meat, but he makes a point to reassure them.

“Fifty years ago you might’ve been worried, but these days, everything is legit and clean,” Remington said. “If you eat a hamburger, it’s the same thing: ground meat.”

Contact Alex Meyer at ameyer@viewnews.com or 702-383-0496. Follow @alxmey on Twitter.