This was a fun find 🌭🌭🌭 ... A new restaurant called Sonora's Famous Hot Dogs and Grill opened earlier this summer next to the Harkins Tucson Spectrum 18 on Irvington and the I-19. What is Sonora famous for? Insane hot dogs of course.
Sonora's Famous is next door to the Harkins, so go see a movie because we know you'll be incapacitated for awhile.
The restaurant kinda looks like a sushi place from the outside, but the interior reminded me more of a BK Carne Asada or a place you'd go to in Hermosillo. It's got two bars: the salsa bar and the regular bar with a line of boozy slushy machines. (The restaurant also took home an award for Best Michelada at the Michelada Fest this year.)
But we're here for the hot dogs, nine different kinds of them. Yes you can get the standard Sonoran dog wrapped in bacon and tucked into an eggy bun. But that's just the beginning. Here are a few of the dogs I sampled last week. Beware, they are massive and they'll mess you up for awhile!
Chipilon dogo, $3.95
A Chipilon is like a regular Sonoran dog but covered in gooey gooey cheese.
A Chipilon is basically a standard Sonoran hot dog, but is covered in melty cheese on top. Other ingredients include pinto beans, bacon, mayo, mustard and jalapeño sauce.
Pizza dogo, $4.95
Pizza dog. Maybe they'll deliver?
Exactly what it looks like. This is basically a pepperoni pizza melted on top of a hot dog: mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce and pepperoni. (I put salsa and pickled red onions on top, just to see what it would taste like.) I'm not exactly sure what compels people to make something like this, but here ya go! America ...
Choriqueso, $4.95
Choriqueso is kind of like a fondue with chorizo on top. But here's it's piled on a hot dog.
This was actually my favorite of the bunch. Meaty chorizo with grilled mushrooms and onions that give it a sweet caramelized flavor. Plus, a whole lotta melted cheese. Yum!
Hot Cheeto Dogo, $4.95
Cockwise from top left, Hot Cheeto, pizza, Hawaiian, Chipilon and Choriqueso.
They let me get the regular Sonoran dog with all the same ingredients, topped with Hot Cheetos. I'm not sure this really worked for me to be honest. There was just too much crunch on top. Hey whatever, don't shoot the messenger. Try it out for yourself!
Sonora's Famous Hot Dogs and Grill is at 5475 S. Calle Santa Cruz, Suite 101. 520-392-8503.
