The frankfurter-shaped Lucky Dogs hot dog stand, a New Orleans staple traditionally available on late nights in the French Quarter, has made its way up the Mississippi River to downtown Baton Rouge.
The stand, located in front of Downtown Grocery at the corner of Third and Florida streets, opened the evening of Friday, Feb. 11, just in time for the Mardi Gras season.
The famous hot dogs came to the 225 courtesy of Mutaz Abusada, owner of Downtown Grocery. For Abusada, the Lucky Dogs are more than just your average street hot dogs.
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“I’ve always had a love for Lucky Dogs,” he says. “I even had them at my wedding.”
Abusada is aware of the cultural significance a “great, iconic brand” like Lucky Dogs wields.
It’s not exactly elegant, but the brand is known and loved for its traditional franks with classic toppings, like ketchup, mustard, relish chili, cheese and onions. And that’s exactly what the Baton Rouge cart is serving up.
“We don’t want to mess with what they’ve built. It’s the exact same thing,” Abusada says. “Everyone who’s tried it so far agrees that it tastes exactly like New Orleans.”
It’s this simple and familiar pleasure that Abusada is hoping attracts downtown foodies to the stand in front of his grocery store.
Technically, there is one other Lucky Dogs cart in Baton Rouge: located just a few blocks from the new location in the New Orleans section of the Louisiana State Museum—a testament to the stand’s notoriety. But it’s just for show. Still, the city is already well acquainted with the Lucky Dogs brand.
“Baton Rouge is very familiar with our product,” says Kirk Talbot, one of Lucky Dogs’ owners. “Obviously a lot of people from Baton Rouge come down to New Orleans, so we have that brand recognition.”
Talbot, a Louisiana state senator representing District 10, and his family have owned the Lucky Dogs brand since his father, Doug, bought the pushcart service more than 50 years ago.
Since 1970, the business has expanded to include locations across the French Quarter, Bourbon Street, multiple locations in the New Orleans International Airport, Caesar’s Casino in New Orleans and the L’Auberge Casino in Lake Charles before opening their newest location in Baton Rouge.
“We once had one in (Tampa’s) zoo for years in the ’90s. But this is the first time we have leased a street cart out in a while,” Talbot says. “We really don’t know what the plans are to keep expanding. But the sky’s kind of the limit right now. This (cart) in Baton Rouge is really the forefront of it all.”
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Still, Lucky Dogs’ introduction to Baton Rouge is part of something more than just an expansion for the brand. The opening also holds significance for Baton Rouge, Abusada says.
“I love bringing new things to downtown and making an impact,” Abusada says.
The Lucky Dogs hot dog stand is at 263 Third St., operating from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays.