This Florida Spot Serves Hot Dogs With Colombian Flair

People in the United States love hot dogs so much that every 4th of July there's a competition to see who can eat the most. There are also regional hot dog styles featuring unique toppings, like fish cakes in Philly or cream cheese in Seattle. Of course, other parts of the world get creative with Frank's, too. Latin American culture and hot dogs have always been closely intertwined, and in Florida, there's one spot that's serving hot dogs Colombian style.

El Chuzo BBQ, located in Tampa, is serving up what it calls the perro — or dog, in English — which is a hot dog topped with bacon, cheese, french fries, 2 kinds of salsa (rosada and de ajo), ketchup, mustard, and pina (a kind of Colombian pineapple sauce). The perra version has extra of each of these toppings. Diners at El Chuzo can get their hot dog fix in other ways as well. The eatery offers a dish called salchipapa, which are fries covered with sliced hot dogs, cheese, salsa rosada (pink sauce), salsa de ajo, and ketchup — think nachos, but with fries instead of chips.

Hot dogs are actually super popular in Colombia and are sold by street vendors. Instead of grilling their franks, they boil them. Then, toppings are piled high on the dog and bun. While El Chuzo's Perro doesn't feature them, some Colombian hot dogs are made with quail eggs, coleslaw, and potato chips.

Patrons have raved about El Chuzo's hot dogs on Yelp. One person said of their perro, "I don't know if it's the combination of sauces or what, it was so good." Another glowing review stated, "The sauce mix they got going on as their toppings is so fire I was truly lost in the sauce." A different customer tried a chorizo-based take on the perro but thought it lacked spice. However, they felt overall that the restaurant was "a good place to go if you want a grease bomb at pretty much any hour."

If you're looking for a grease bomb that doesn't involve sausages, El Chuzo is famous for the Extravaganza Burger (which the restaurant claims is Florida's largest burger). It purportedly weighs a whopping 6 pounds. The beef patty sits on lettuce and tomatoes and is topped with cheese, onion rings, ketchup, chimichurri sauce, bacon, and salsa roja. El Chuzo tops the whole thing with more melty cheese and gives customers gloves so their hands don't get too messy. The menu item is so intense that you have to order it in advance. The eatery also has an extensive list of other items, including arepas, empanadas, plantains, and tostones.