Bark Hot Dogs has been on my radar for a while now, and since moving to Brooklyn I have been inundated with friends suggesting I get to Bark as fast as possible to sample their delicious weiners. So when the time came to celebrating my friend Shannon’s birthday (I couldn’t make her party) I asked if she wanted to hit up Bark!
Shannon didn’t hesitate and was on board the minute the word hot dog came out of my mouth, so we spent the next two days contemplating our meal selections and hightailed it over to Park Slope to check out Bark after work!
Just a few steps off of the 2/3, Bark is extremely easy to get to from Manhattan (if you are on the last cars of the train from Manhattan the exit unfurls right onto Barks doorstep!). You don’t have to go all the way to Coney Island for a good dog, but prepare for a hot dog that’s more expensive than Nathan’s.
The prices are high because the product is superior. Bark is more than just food…these days a lot of restaurants deceptively promote green awareness, but Bark is right up in your face about their commitment and dedication to finding and using locally sourced products that promote sustainability. Just check out the list of their producers on your table and you can see where every product they use comes from! It’s amazing how they are able to source virtually every product from within 300 miles of Bark headquarters. The quality of goods is outstanding and it shows in not only the flavors of the items you are eating but also in the price (roughly 5.50 for a hot dog). While some may scoff, I have no problem paying a premium for better ingredients. 
To order you head up to the counter, place your order, give your name and sit down at one of the small or large communal tables provided for you. Even though we checked out the menu beforehand, it was quite a challenge selecting our individual options. In the end I went with the Bark Dog (sweet pepper relish, mustard and onion) and the Bacon Cheddar Dog (white cheddar, bacon and pickled onion), while Shannon chose the Bacon Cheddar Dog and the Market Dog (a veggie weiner with delicata squash and toasted pumpkin seeds). Two dogs each wasn’t going to be enough so we shared a side of small onion rings and disco fries (brown gravy and cheese slathered over french fries), and I went with a foxon soda and Shannon had a beer. Pretty great first order if I do say so myself!
After a quick wait we were served a half sheet tray full of deliciousness. Four piping hot weiners circled around small trays of fries and onion rings. It was beautiful and I couldn’t wait to devour my side of the tray, Shannon and I went at it almost immediately!
*Bark Bounty*
After the standard photos I always have to take (of restaurants I am reviewing), we each dug into our dogs. Both of mine were great, the Bark Dog had no ketchup on it (something I prefer not to put on my weiners) and had a snappy crisp when you bit into the dog. The buns were slightly toasted and warm…a refreshing delight as the thought of a warm dog on a cold bun makes me shutter. The Bacon Cheddar Dog was equally delicious- warm and gooey cheddar cheese melted over a crisp dog with flecks of bacon that gave me a tasty surprise when I bit in as there were sweet pickled onions flecked on top!
*Bark Dog*
*Bacon Cheddar Dog*
When Shannon first ordered the market dog I was a little skeptical, I am not the biggest fan of meaty food items that get turned into vegetarian options (veggie burgers, veggie dogs, vegan chicken, the list goes on) but when I took a sample bite of Shannon’s dog I was amazed at how fantastic it was! Bark hit a home run in making a tasty vegetarian option for those who do not eat meat! Both Shannon and I marveled at how squash on a hot dog seemed off but she and I are both fans of delicata squash and she made the right decision in going for it! A gourmet take on a simple veggie dog that made a convert of me! I would have no qualms in ordering this on my next visit!
*Market Dog*
The disco fries were nothing to write home about (St. Anselm does them better justice in Williamsburg) but the onion rings were fantastic! Skinny rings of raw onions surrounded by a dense crust, they were exactly what I wanted. Normally onion rings are these giant behemoths of onion power that fill you up after a few, but Bark’s are the perfect size and an outstanding accompaniment to your hot dogs.
While we only got hot dogs this time, the menu is full of other options! Bark offers sausages, sandwiches, burgers, side dishes, milkshakes and Foxon Park Sodas! The variety of different flavors Foxon Park offers are amazing…ones that you probably haven’t seen before (I went with the Ironbrew…a flavor reminiscent of dr pepper and cream soda that was refreshingly delicious and different!).
My first trip to Bark was a great experience and it certainly won’t be my last. I even signed up for a Bark Black Card; a member card that rewards you for multiple visits with free food! While it is unlikely that I will ever be in possession of the famed American Express Black Card, Bark has made me feel very special with this card now in my possession! Bark is a great joint experience for adults and kids to enjoy one of America’s favorite foods in a creative and different kind of way! Like the menu says….”no longer does fast food need to be cheap!”
Bark Hot Dogs
474 Bergen Street (at Atlantic Avenue)
718-789-1939
