FORK IN THE ROAD: Restaurant offers different takes on hot dogs for heroes and more

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - A restaurant with an atmosphere dedicated to the bravery and hard work of firefighters features different variations of hot dog specialties.

Johnny Jackson, Fire Station Doghouse’s chief chef, has been a chef for many years and sees the restaurant’s “designer dogs” as the most popular items sold to customers. Each one is inspired by Kansas teams, each featuring unique flavors.

“Our designer dogs: the chief dog, the royal dog, the sporting dog, the crusher dog,” said Jackson. “They are pretty much all named after teams, and we have the Top City dog. Which is led by blues, bite, bourbon, beer, babe dog. And you start with bacon on the bottom of the bun, and you put your dog in, and you use what’s called a jammer sauce. That’s our Monterey jack, yellow aged cheddar mixed together and spun with Rotel, and then we put salsa on top of that. Sautee red, yellow, and orange sweet peppers, and then we top it off with onion, tomato, and jalapeños.”

Jackson said he considers himself a food artist. He said he enjoys creating food for his customers, but he especially enjoys treating our first responders and firefighters to a satisfying meal.

“The first responders, especially firemen, do not get enough praise for what they do,” said Jackson. “You know, they are out there saving lives every day, and we like to make sure we support them in every way we can. We like to think of everyone as family, including our employees, and we want to make them feel at home. We want to make sure they are comfortable in our setting, and we want them to enjoy their meal and go away like happy campers should.”

They are usually open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, while on Sundays, they are open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Fire Station Doghouse can be found at 821 SW 21st St. in Topeka.

Copyright 2023 WIBW. All rights reserved.