Crif Dogs is a pretty natural fit for Williamsburg. It’s cheap, it’s open late (until 4am on weekends) and its anything goes philosophy to cooking makes it a natural stop for hungry stoners. If you’ve eaten at the St. Mark’s location, then you already know the drill, although the Williamsburg location is planning to eventually serve beer on tap. I went there yesterday for a quick birthday lunch and ordered what I always order: the Spicy Redneck. That’s a bacon-wrapped hot dog topped with chili, cole slaw and jalapenos. Mmm… heartburn. My friends opted for the Jersey’s Finest (dog wrapped in Taylor ham and smothered in chili, mustard and onions) and the Tsunami (pictured above: bacon-wrapped dog topped with teriyaki sauce, green onions and pineapple); as you can see, the common attribute to all of these is that they feature one type of meat wrapped around another type of meat, a sure sign of culinary greatness.
The dogs were fantastic, of course, and the decor definitely has a lot going for it. For starters, Star Wars toys line the entire restaurant. As I dug into my dog, I had flashbacks of accidentally ripping the head off my brother’s Boba Fett action figure. There are plenty of other nostalgic touches too: old-school arcade games serving as tables, ’90s hip-hop playing on the stereo, a pin-up girl clutching a giant frankfurter. There was also a display of skateboards, those wheelie-me-doos that young people ride around these days, almost running me over as I exit the pharmacy with a fresh pair of Dr. Scholl’s. Anyway, it seems the new Crif Dogs is going to be a great addition to a neighborhood that could always use new cheap eats.
Crif Dogs, 555 Driggs Ave, Williamsburg, (718) 302-3200
