CORNDOG COMMANDER

Where: Corndog Commander, Provo/Orem food truck (that day, it was at Rock Canyon Park)

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen, and Aaron

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: One Polish Corndog 

What It Cost: $3.50

What We Thought: 

You know, sometimes, you go 17 years without eating a corn dog, and then all of a sudden it just hits you. And you want one. RIGHT NOW! 

Luckily, there is a food truck right there. With a giant corn dog on top of it. 

Okay, so it wasn't really immediate. In fact, the line was super long. It actually took like an hour (we were in a really popular place) because they hand dipped every single one and popped these babies out fresh and hot. Does that sound weird? I don't know. Whatever. This was easily the best corndog I've ever had, and I'm not even a hot dog person (at all). The exterior was crispy and the breading was amazingly good. I prefer mustard only on my corndog, and luckily they supplied plenty -- everything about this was perfection in our opinion. Oh, did I mention its a foot long? Yeah, definitely twice the size of a normal corndog.

What You Should Do: If the craving hits, go find this truck!! I think it is often across from Helaman Halls (or so I've heard), and they have a breakfast one that seemed like a sausage wrapped in a pancake and fried? Uhhhh yeah. Gotta try it. What is it about food from a mobile vehicle that makes it so fun!

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Cubby's Chicago Beef

Where: Cubby's Chicago Beef, 1258 N State Street, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Cockadoodledoo Chicken Sandwich, Tri-Tip Steak Sandwich Cali-Style, & Blue Cheese Buffalo Fries

What It Cost: $19.90

What We Thought:


Finally! A place so much more worthy than Little Caesar's, Carl's Jr, or Sonic to eat at that is within walking distance of our house! I've been really excited to try this restaurant ever since I saw the sign pop up around the corner, and am pleased to announce that it more than lived up to my hopes and dreams.

When we first entered Cubby's, Owen immediately loved the chic wood and chalkboard interior. When we asked Cubby what was "Chicago" about the beef, he explained that the meat is from local sources (making it extra fresh and delicious) but is prepared in traditional Chicago styles, like the steak sandwich and hot dogs.

I'm a huge buffalo sauce lover, so I knew we HAD to try the blue cheese buffalo fries. The blue cheese was milder than I had anticipated, so it really was a great balance for the spiciness of the buffalo sauce on the fries. I usually prefer thicker fries, but these ones were great with just the right amount of sauce and flavorings.

I never thought I would be so pumped about a chicken sandwich - usually chicken sandwiches are just the more boring and healthy alternative to burgers. Not this sandwich, my friends. First off, the chicken is cooked to perfection - flavorful and surprisingly moist. The Swiss cheese paired great with the meat, there was just the right amount of mixed greens, and the homemade avocado spread really brought it all together for me. We loved the whole wheat roll it was on, and were altogether impressed with how incredible this normally-boring option was!

I knew the tri-tip steak sandwich was going to be good, and it totally lived up to my expectations. I ordered it Cali-style, which added thick slices of avocado, melty cheddar cheese and crispy maple bacon, and opted to get spicy rather than sweet barbecue sauce. It probably would have still been delicious without the bacon, and I was glad that I chose the spicy BBQ sauce - it was a great combination with the creamy avocado. There was so much meat on the sandwich, all richly seasoned and tasty, and I also loved the grilled onions, which added a perfect savory sweetness to the sandwich. Someone asked me the other day what kind of bread it came on, and to be honest with you, I don't really remember much about the bread except that it wasn't horrible, it held the sandwich together, and I was way too distracted by the wonderful things that were going on inside the bread!

What You Should Do: Definitely check them out. Keep on walking past that cheap-o, horrible Little Caesar's and get yourself a real treat here at Cubby's. The sandwiches were unique and gratifying, and we will definitely be coming here again to try some of their other menu options!

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Stan's Drive-In

Man, sorry guys about being totally MIA yesterday -- it was Valentine's Day! I hope that you were all spoiled by your loved ones and that you at least got to have some good food!

Where: Stan's Drive-In, 525 N 900 E, Provo (across from Gold's Gym)

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: Single Cheeseburger with fries, Gyro, Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake

What It Cost: $14.30

What We Thought:

I've heard about this hole-in-the-wall place over and over again -- my old roommate who worked at the tanning place in Gold's Gym raved about their fries, and the guy who visits our research lab from across the country goes there at least once a day while he's here in Provo, and the owner knows him so well to know that he prefers ketchup with his burger instead of fry sauce.

And, according to some old articles posted on the wall in this burger joint, this restaurant was the source of the original fry sauce. A huge claim for the Utah area. I admit I had never heard of fry sauce until I came here until BYU, but it's a pretty big deal.

When we arrived there on a Saturday night at 6:45, we were the only people there. At least it made the service fast! I went with a classic cheeseburger, and Owen is obsessed with gyros, so he got one of those. The burger came with fries, and of course, fry sauce, but it was a little wimpy. I mean, look how tiny that patty is! At least it was served with dill pickles instead of horrible sweet ones, but the cheese tasted like plastic and the burger was not juicy at all. Sad. But the fries were just how I like them -- right cut/size, nice and crispy, and doused with seasoning salt. Mmmm....

I was glad that Owen got a gyro, because like lots of other small drive-in type places, they had a lot of weird things, including vegetable samosas, shrimp, turkey melts, any kind of fry you could ever want (including zucchini fries!), and lots of other things. The gyro was alright. Pros: lots of well-seasoned and cooked meat. Cons: not much else. We're a little partial to the gyros from Burger Supreme (SO GOOD!) but at least the pita was fresh and tasty too and it was quite filling. Would be nice with a little lettuce though, and the tzatziki sauce was only mediocre.

Now THIS was a good milkshake. We got strawberry cheesecake since the guy at the register recommended it, and it was so worth it! Nice and thick, rich and creamy -- it had the perfect consistency for a milkshake and the cheesecake bits in it were huge! If I ever went back here, it would definitely be for this shake!

What You Should Do:  Check it out maybe once, but there's got to be better burgers elsewhere. It was a pretty decent price, and the fries and shake were satisfying, but I was so disappointed in their classic cheeseburger. The service is fast, but probably because there is no one who is eating there. So if you're in the mood for a super speedy burger, then this may be your place. But if you're looking for a rich, juicy piece of meat, you'll have to head somewhere else. 

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J Dawgs

Let me just begin this post with a huge disclaimer: I HATE HOTDOGS. I always have, all growing up. The idea of them grosses me out, the flavor of them grosses me out, and I'll only eat the breading if you force me to eat a corn dog. So when my then boyfriend/fiancee raved on and on about this hotdog joint that was out of this world, I just smiled and nodded and thought to myself "No way am I ever going to spend a single cent on any kind of hot dog. Not going to happen." But then somehow, magically, the very first J Dawg came into my life.

Where: J Dawgs, 858 N 700 E, Provo (just on the SE corner of campus)

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen, Monica & Devynne

Number of Visits: Too many to remember

What We Ordered: Beef Hot Dog, Polish Hot Dog, all with a variety of toppings

What It Cost: $3.00/dog ($4.00 for dog + drink)

What We Thought: 

This is me, the very first time I ever ate a J Dawg. It was at the Stadium of Fire pre-party hosted by Qualtrics (where my husband works, aka the coolest company eva) and we had free J Dawgs. That kind of pure joy cannot be faked my friends. Shock and awe. Those two words can barely graze the surface of how I felt. This was a truly eye-opening culinary experience, and I have been a J Dawg die-hard fan ever since.

This is a place that is famous for a good reason. Their food rocks, is cheap, and it rocks. Simple as that. Where can I even begin?

There are three important characteristics of a hotdog.

1. The Bun - I would eat these buns plain all day long. Soft, so fresh, and a light buttery flavor -- these are the perfect compliment to this wonderful masterpiece. They fold around the hotdog and toppings just right, but aren't too soft that they get soggy with the Special Sauce.

2. The Toppings - Though this location does not come equipped with the complex varieties that other hotdog joints may boast (i.e. Hot Dog King), it doesn't matter at all. They supply you with the freshest and best options to compliment this flavor sensation. I've tried all of the different toppings with all different combinations, and have found my favorite mix: smattering of fresh onions, 3-4 banana peppers (no more, no less), plenty of Special Sauce (this is basically your typical BBQ sauce, times a million) squeezed in along the sides and in the scored dog itself, and a pickle on the side to cleanse my palate. Some people make the mistake of ordering ALL of the toppings on their dog, especially since it does not cost more to get more toppings, but I do not recommend this. The flavor will overpower the simple wonderfulness of the hotdog, and you will wonder what all of the excitement is. I recommend trying a few different combinations of 3-4 toppings and then picking your favorite. You may even like it best plain! (just FYI: Owen's favorite combo right now is sauerkraut, onions, pepperoncini, and Special Sauce)

3. The Dog (or should I say "Dawg") - This was the best surprise of all. I had no idea a hotdog could be so savory, spicy, meaty, flavorful, transcendental, and perfect. This is high quality meat my friends, and even your typical hotdog hater like myself will be blown away. There is nothing about this that tastes cheap or plastic-y or rubbery (my usual complaints about dogs), and it is grilled to juicy perfection. They score the dogs with a criss-cross pattern on top, which allows for the flavor of the sauce and any other condiments you desire to penetrate deep into the meat and take your mouth on a miraculous journey. Do not miss out on this. It is so worth the journey -- oh wait! It's five feet away from campus! And it's so worth the price -- oh wait! It's only $3! It really doesn't get better than this.

One of many wonderful J Dawg experiences, with many more to come. 

What You Should Do: Go right now! Do not delay this experience any longer. If you haven't eaten here, you haven't truly lived (the BYU life anyway). They've opened a new shop on University Avenue that is a little less shack-like, more store-like, so hopefully we will go there next!