If the already stacked menu of kick ass hotdogs hasn’t gotten you excited (there’s a reason why they call them ‘hotdogs unleashed‘, then the knowledge that every month there’s a new and unique limited run hotdog that’ll excite your tastebuds. So, with all of these words of adoration spilled via digital ink, I’ll run down my ten favourite limited edition dogs. (A small note about these dogs: for the fifth anniversary of Run Amuk, the menu went through a minor change, so while some of these dogs were limited run dogs, they have now become permanent menu items, and some of the old menu items have had a minor revival as limited edition dog.)
10. Breakfast Dog
There are two versions of the Breakfast Dog that I’m including in this spot – one with mushrooms, and the more recent one without mushrooms. Way back in 2016, the early morning Breakfast Dog came into existence, appearing to exist as a way of satiating those who wake up in the morning and their first thought is about hotdogs (please tell me that’s not just me who does that). A glorious blend of bacon, bratwurst, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, baked beans, hollandaise sauce, a few chives and some tomato sauce, caused much celebration. When paired with some fresh hash browns and a grand orange and ginger juice, well, for a short time, there was simply no better way to wake up in the morning than by filling your gut with a Breakfast Dog. The 2019 version dropped the mushrooms in place of cheddar cheese, and hit the same spot as the 2016 run.
9. Spud
Way back in May 2014, one of the most adored dogs made its presence known to the world – the Spud. It’s an idea that seems so obvious once you think about it. Bratwurst, Run Amuk Potato Salad, bacon, dijonnaise, and fried shallots. Simple, yet oh so gloriously delicious. Everyone loves and lives for potato salad, and it’s obvious that in the Venn Diagram of food groups, the circles of potato salad and hotdogs are almost a complete overlap, so blending the two into one makes perfect sense. Frequently requested, the Spud made a reappearance in 2015 before eventually making its way onto the permanent menu.
8. Mac Daddy
Just like the Breakfast Dog and the Spud, the Mac Daddy takes the painfully obvious concept of mixing two grand food groups together and showing that they complement each other perfectly. (This is a trend you’ll notice, and really, it’s more of a sign of how versatile the concept of a hotdog really is.) Homemade macaroni cheese, parmesan, bacon, some smokey BBQ sauce, and a dash of parsley alongside the obligatory bratwurst worked together perfectly in harmony. Now, I know some people might raise an eyebrow over the notion of mixing BBQ sauce with macaroni cheese, but I tell you, don’t knock it til you try it.
7. Pretzel Dog
While the core menu has a bunch of spins on the traditional hotdog recipes (personal recommendations include The Scoundrel and The Punk), it’s the Oktoberfest dogs that Run Amuk do every year that really make your head spin a little. In 2017 they elevated the notion of the hotdog a little more, adding that extra chefs kiss to the proceedings by changing the bun from a regular bun to a salted pretzel bun. Baked by South Freo’s Wild Bakery, these devilishly delicious buns were just the right texture to go with the seriously good veal wiener, currywurst sauce (as good as you think it is), sauerkraut, and spicy mustard. If you’re around and about Fremantle in October, you’re bound to get a grand surprise by visiting Run Amuk and filling yourself with their Oktoberfest dog. Lederhosen optional.
6. Chili Dog
It’d be remiss of me to do a top ten Run Amuk dogs list and not include their trademark Chili Dog. For seven years, every July, Run Amuk have celebrated America by doing it the only way they know how – with a food eating contest and a mother flipping great Chili Dog. Your premium bratwurst is the foundation of star striped glory, with it placed comfortably in a bed of guacamole, and a few tortilla chips by its side to keep it comfortable. Wrapped in a blanket of delicious house made chilli con carne with a drizzling of sour cream and a smattering of cheddar cheese, this Chili Dog hits you in the right spot. Every year there is a food eating contest where your hotdog eating skills are put to the test. It’s a tight contest that always makes for entertaining viewing. So, not only do Run Amuk put on great food, but they make one heck of a great show doing it too.
5. Cheesy Pleasy
We’ve hit the point where the next four dogs could really be in any position in the top five – only the number one is cemented in stone. When the Cheesy Pleasy was announced, I knew that it was going to be the present my stomach needed to celebrate my birthday. As an August kid, there was no better present to myself than a hotdog covered in multiple different types of cheese (feta, melted mozzarella, and most importantly, melted brie), with a helping of baby spinach, caramelised onions, and some beetroot relish to give that sweetness, and a dash of thyme to bring the herby goodness the dog needs to elevate it to the next level. I can’t recall how many Cheesy Pleasy hotdogs I ate during the month of August in 2017, but I can recall that every time I did I thought to myself – this food is heavenly stuff.
4. Sushi Dog
Whenever I mention to people that the Sushi Dog is my ‘go to’ dog when I visit Run Amuk, they give a furrowed brow look like ‘who on earth would put sushi on a hotdog. Retch.’ Well, Run Amuk did. This dog was so well received that it eventually became a staple menu item, and deservedly so. Now, I’ll give a rundown of my ordering process for when I visit Run Amuk before I go into the ingredients. I’m a two hotdog man – meaning, I’ll pick up the limited dog alongside a regular faithful dog. I know that the limited dog is going to be good, but as a rule of thumb, you always need a backup dog in case that limited edition dog is a dud (again, it won’t be, but you never know). This is a basic food eating rule that applies to any place that has a limited edition item. That feeling of being stuck at home with just the dud limited food item that you bought and no back up is a really crummy feeling. So, when the Sushi Dog was launched, and the then menu item High Jinks was still available, I was in a world of heaven. It was a combination of brilliance that was only matched when my number one dog came out. The Sushi Dog’s blend of bratwurst, guacamole, steamed rice, teriyaki sauce, pineapple relish, pickled ginger, Japanese mayo, and furikake sprinkles, is honestly one of the finest combinations of food items I’ve ever witnessed. A truly easy dog to consume, and one that I’ll gladly down two or three in a row of. I’m grateful this has become a permanent menu item, because gosh, it’s glorious.
3. High Jinks
Once my go to dog, and now just a glorious memory that I fondly look back on, the High Jinks was an original menu item that just made sense. I liked to cheat myself into thinking that this was a healthy option, but this was mostly so I could down two in one sitting and feel good about myself. See, the mix of bratwurst, mango chutney, baby spinach, diced cucumber, and mint & lime yogurt sauce, was a genuinely refreshing and light blend of ingredients. That mint & lime yogurt really tied the dog together, complementing the fruity mango chutney perfectly, and in turn, both accentuated everything good about cucumber wonderfully. This hotdog truly sings, and while it’s gone for now, I yearn for a day when the High Jinks will return. For now, you live on in my memories.
2. Xmas Dog
When the Xmas Dog was teased, I made the firm statement that I’d get a hotdog tattooed on me if the suggestion that a cranberry and brie cheese dog was coming. And sure enough, in December 2018, such a dog came into existence. If there’s one thing I love almost (but not quite) as much as hotdogs, it’s the mix of turkey, cranberry sauce, and brie cheese. When the cooking gods were deciding what ingredients work best with each other, they hit a divine nerve when they blended these three items together. It took the geniuses at Run Amuk to recognise that holy trinity and elevate it to another level by slapping it into a hotdog. The Xmas Dog had a turkey bratwurst, with cranberry relish, baby spinach, caramelised onions, melted mozzarella and brie cheese, some feta, and thyme. It was like the Cheesy Pleasy ate a Christmas dinner and this is what came out of that mix. I’m still going to get that hotdog tattoo, and I’ll definitely be thinking about this dog when I get it.
1. Elvis
Look, I’m going to tell you the ingredients first of all and then advise you that your first thought is wrong. The Elvis was the limited dog for August 2018, and it was made up of a premium bratwurst, peanut butter, a rasher of bacon, some banana and crème fraiche, some maple syrup, chili flakes, and chives. Yeah, your second thought is wrong too. This hotdog is – and unless something grander comes around, will always be – the greatest hotdog that ever lived. I hope after this long piece about the brilliance of hotdogs, you at least can see that I consider myself some kind of authority about hotdogs, so I don’t say something like that lightly, but I darn well mean it. The Elvis is everything that is good in this world rolled into a harmonious blend of beauty and brilliance. When I first ate an Elvis, I realised that everything was going to be ok. When I had my fifth Elvis, I realised that there actually may be a God and that if so, then they had made sure to put me in front of this hotdog and realise its brilliance. Upon my tenth Elvis, I was seeing with my third eye and witnessing a world where Elvis didn’t have to hide in the realm of death and was able to make all the movies and music he wanted to make. Look, words do not do this hotdog justice. Just like The King himself, there will never be a better hotdog than the Elvis.
So that, my dear internet companions, is why Run Amuk is not only the finest hotdog place on Earth, but it’s the guiding force for why you should visit Perth. I do love this city, and I really love Fremantle a heck of a lot, and it’s thanks to places like Run Amuk, and people like Jodey and Emily for bringing such a venue to life (and maintaining such a harmonious community of hotdog lovers for so long), that my love for the city of Fremantle burns bright and strong.
