ANNOUNCER: Feeling like a little funky adventure, Dutch and Jackie head south to Olympia Hotdog Company. They could have made it real interesting and opted for a night of dancing or enjoying a drag show at the hotdog joint's homebase venue, Jakes on 4th. But instead, chose to enjoy this unique gem the old-fashioned way, street-side via the walk-up window.
DUTCH: I love the walk-up window; it embraces the eclectic casual community spirit of downtown Olympia.
JACKIE: While I've always enjoyed the compelling, free-spirited, bohemian vibe of Oly, this was my first visit to the Olympia Hotdog Co. Be warned, have dollars in hand, debit cards are not accepted, but if you forget, there is an ATM for your convenience. Though, it feels foolish to pay the $3 service charge because that could damn near buy you a second dog! 
DUTCH: This is not my first visit, I guess I should have offered you a heads up. The friendly and welcoming service makes it easy to forget about this minor oddity. Either that or the aroma of the sausages, onions and peppers overwhelms me and the fee seems irrelevant. Either way, I was excited to get at the dogs!
JACKIE: The sign stated "Try Our Burgers," but their bread and butter is their hotdogs, so the sign couldn't sway me. I tried the Polish, and just for fun, their vegan Italian sausage. For herbivores, there are also several other options including beer brats, kielbasa and a veggie burger. As a carnivore, I sometimes find myself disappointed by the vegan options, but these guys did not disappoint. Both dogs were loaded with flavor and you could adorn your bun with a plethora of condiment options including cheese, olives, relish and banana peppers. Plus, there is a mini fridge loaded with specialty mustards, mayo and other saucy options.
DUTCH: I steered clear of the vegan options and dove into the Louisiana Redhot, and then kicked it up a notch and made it a chili cheese dog for just $1 more. The spicy sausage was a great addition to the more mellow chili and nacho cheese sauce. Add some onions and a little mustard, and it may be the best deal in Olympia.
JACKIE: A regular in line just ahead of us sang Olympia Hotdog Company's praises recommending the "best fries," but those tots were calling my name. Little did I know a $4 basket of tots was plentiful. Tater tots need not be gourmet to be damn good, and these crispy little guys were golden brown to perfection. I could have just ordered them and been satisfied. You can add chili, cheese and other fixin's, but I'm a bit of a tot purist. There's no need.
DUTCH: I went with the fries myself, which were also golden and crunchy, even after I upgraded to the chili cheese fries, because obviously just smothering my dog wasn't enough. You missed out Jackie!
Olympia Hotdog Company, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday-Sunday, 311 4th Ave. E., Olympia, 360.956.3247
