Massive Wieners - Prahran

Note: If you came here just to see a picture of the author eating a massive wiener turn back because there isn't one!

When I heard this place had a Massive (aka 12" long) vegan hot dog, I knew I had to get down to Prahran and try it out! Last Saturday was a great opportunity. We were in the city anyway, checking out an exhibition at ACMI, and Prahran really is much closer than it sometimes feels to this Northsider.

Massive Wieners is really trying to perfect the old-school '50s American diner feel, with the added bonuses of cheeky branding and a no-frills menu. They're pretty spot-on when it comes to the Americana  look - glass bottled 7-Up and Dr Pepper in the fridge, old-school uniforms on the staff and simple ingredients on the menu. The aesthetic works well (even if the retro cash register didn't seem to be operational!), and is really quite cute. The shop is very small, with the only seats next to the window - more of a sitting area than an eating area. There is a small park nearby that is a perfect spot to eat your dogs.

On this trip I ordered the veggie dog which comes with ketchup, diced white onions, and American mustard. I got "pickles" for $1 extra (I think it was actually what would be called relish in the US.) The dog seemed to be a foot-long Redwood dog, possibly boiled but maybe we heard a microwave in the back? The bun is a pretty junky white-bread-type bun, just your average bun - slightly chewy, not much flavour.

The dog, in the end, was okay. It was nothing out of the ordinary. At $6 for the plain footlong, ($4 for an "Average Joe" and $3 for a "Little Pecker", heh heh) it is quite good value, but maybe if the dog was grilled and more interesting extras were offered, it might pack a little but more punch and appeal.

With such a simple and well-priced menu, I think Massive Wieners will be successful. They fit in well to their Greville St location, and their look is very smart, but as for my next veggie dog - I'll probably just grill it at  home with some onions and green pepper and maybe some dijon mustard.

http://www.massivewieners.com/