The classic American hot dog hasn’t been just a dog with ketchup for a long time. We continuously tweak it – the dog itself, the bun, the fixin’s. But at its core, no matter how you dog, it’s part of our American culture. Even when the buns get potato-ey, the hot dog is vegan and the fixin’s are organic, pickled, or spicy, it’s still nostalgic.
Personally, I do not eat pork anymore – mostly because of one of favorite animal stars, Esther the Wonder Pig. Peace, Love, Esther… check her out.
But I missed that summer BBQ dog with sauerkraut, mustard and relish… a lot. Unable to bend ethically to my food desires, I was so excited the first time a Vegan Hot Dog was offered in the LAST PLACE I would expect: a bowling alley.
Let me start by saying that I know “hand foods” don’t seem to go hand in hand (see what I did there?) with a bowling alley. The idea of rolling these sweaty bowling balls around in your hands, putting your fingers in the same holes that several other people have and then using your hands to chow down on a hot dog is pretty skeevy. Hear me out though…
Gutter Bar LIC
In Long Island City – just one stop (7 train) from midtown Manhattan sits Gutter Ball, a lively bowling alley bar with a small, but on point, menu.
This isn’t the bright, smelly shoe bowling alley of your childhood. It’s a dimly lit bar where you can sip a martini that leads to an eight-lane bowling alley. It’s the perfect spot for a date night, a meetup with friends, or to grab some fun after a hard day’s work with coworkers.
After Gutter Bar’s success with their Brooklyn location, they opened this location in the up-and-coming Long Island City in 2017.
The place is 21+, which is a win for those who don’t want to watch their fowl language when you’ve thrown yet another GUTTER BALL.
During the week (Sunday – Thursday) they charge:
- $7 per person, per game or $25 per half hour
- $3 shoe rental
- $2 sock rental
Fridays and Saturday they only offer hourly rates, which is charge $25 per half hour. For more information (especially about their leagues!) check out Gutter Bar LIC.
Food (A.K.A Hot Dogs)
Alongside nachos and sliders, the real start of their menu are hot dogs in various styles. They proudly use Brooklyn Hot Dogs, sometimes even Nathans, and always offer to make any hot dog style with a veggie dog for an extra $1.
Some of the hot dog styles include:
- PABLO PIQUESO: cheese sauce, pickled jalapeno, crema and crushed tortilla chips
- GOLDIE: house sauce, lettuce, American cheese, pickle onion and sesame seeds
- BARBIE McCUE: honey chipotle BBQ sauce, fried onions, tomato and pickled jalapeno
- SPARROW: Texas Pete buffalo sauce, blue cheese and lime cilantro slaw
*Keep in mind, these styles might change!
If these toppings aren’t your thing, then stick with the PLAIN PETE and just add your old school ketchup or mustard. Ain’t no harm in that 🙂
Brad and I both ordered the Goldie (see ingredients above) and the Full Murray, an ode to Chicago, with yellow mustard, sweet relish, tomato, pickle, celery salt and poppy seeds. He kept his with classic hot dogs and I swapped in veggie dogs for mine. Excellent hot dogs and a pitcher of craft beer had me throwing strikes all night long (…kind of.)
I also played a few rounds of bowling and drank beer before eating, and I just scrubbed my hands with lots of soap under blazing hot water. Fresh hands for finger foods is a must!
Drinks
A full bar and an impressive rotating beer list draws everyone from martini sippers to beer guzzlers. Their beer list is New York/New England heavy and some of the best beers they offer come right out of the five boroughs.
Examples at Gutter Bar’s Rotating Tap:
- ALLAGASH White
- BRONX Sour
- SIERRA NEVADA Celebration
- FIRESTONE Easy Jack
- ROCKAWAY Nitro
- BELL’S Two Hearted Ale
- COLLECTIVE ARTS Life in the Clouds
- PEEKSKILL Simple Sour
- DOWNEAST Pineapple [Cider]
Before you go, see what their current beers on tap are.
If none of the beers tickle your fancy, bowl a few rounds then head next door to Fifth Hammer Brewing.
Check out more of my favorite spots in NYC.
Happy Bowling!