“I don’t like hot dogs….” 

But this place may have changed my mind! Stopped here for a bit to eat while walking through downtown Haleiwa and it was well worth it! Super cheap (about $7 a dog) and tons and tons of different combinations. First, pick your dog – either polish sausage or veggie. I had the veggie and you couldn’t tell the difference from a meat hot dog. The polish sausage got great review from others members of my family as well. Then pick your bun (all fresh baked and oh-so-soft!). Their specialty is the taro bacon bun, which got a disgusted face from the youngest at the table, but one bite and he was hooked. They toast the buns from the inside out which was a really nice touch – hot all the way through and crunchy where it was toasted. Then pick spiciness level a la roasted garlic lemon sauce and any of their fresh made salsas. The mango and pineapple salsas received great reviews from my family. Don’t forget a glass of their lemonade- you can watch them make it right in front of you, and on a hot day it is the perfect treat! Definitely stop by when you are near.
tripadvisor  review August 12, 2014

 

“Best dog ever”
5 of 5 stars

“Best hot dog ever” these words came out of my 18 year old teenagers mouth. Although I’m more of a mustard, ketchup, chili, slaw, and onions kind of guy, I did thoroughly enjoy my sausage dog with chili sauce, and pineapple relish. Good price too.   From New Bern, North Carolina

“Yummy hot dogs and refreshing drinks”

We stopped at Haleiwa and saw many food trucks, this one was selling hot dogs and some drinks. We ordered vegetarian hot dogs and it was awesome. We ordered more after having one. We also tried Lemonade with Lilikoi flavor and it was sooo refreshing. They have many options and flavors. Worth stopping and grabbing one.
They also have chips and stuff.  From Irvine, California

“yum”

What a hot dog… I know it;s just a dog…but it is the best dog ever…and the relishes..YUM…pineapple banana was my favorite. Don’t forget to have a strawberry lemonade as well. Lunch for a family of $30…not bad for paradise :   July 13, 2014   From  Bakersfield, California

FROM BIG ISLAND

As residents of Hawaii, we’ve been fans of Hula Dog since the early beginnings in Kauai with a lemonade stand. It’s a given that we stop by Hula Dog when in Honolulu, and we have referred many friends who visit to enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience throughout the years. Comments are all positive, and now their trips to Honolulu include a HULA Dog.
HULA DOG sauces are homemade, custom mustards dreamy, and the fresh buns and quality of meat outstanding. This isn’t a regular hot dog steamed with a store-bought bun, and their lunch special of a bag of chips, fresh squeezed lemonade, and a Hula Dog is one of the best lunch deals in Honolulu.
Idea: if your travel plans include a trip to Iolani Palace, finish your tour, then pop a few more quarters in the meter, and WALK 3 blocks to get to the downtown location. It’s easily accessible with pedestrian walkways, bustle of downtown business people, and wonderful staff that will greet you with a smile, and make your Hula Dog from scratch. YUM  Kat Wilson/ Kailua/Kona Hawaii

Awesome Hot Dog”
First off: You have to get the hot dog in the Taro Bacon Bun. It makes all the difference. They serve all natural polish sausage or veggie dog in your choice of bun – I say in because the bun completely surrounds the dog – with choice of traditional or tropical toppings (fillings in this case). Go for the tropical, you can have yellow mustard at home. I had mine with the mild garlic sauce, pineapple relish and lilikoi mustard. The bun has just a hint of sweetness and the crunch of the tiny bacon pieces scattered throughout the bun is wonderful. Covered outdoor seating is right there. Fresh squeezed lemonade as well. The owner (from Geneva, Switzerland of all places) came up and spoke with us and seemed genuinely interested to know what we thought. Fill up here and forget about the famous Matsumoto’s Shave Ice down the road which is a tourist trap of the highest order.  Erika A. Clovis/CA

 

 

“AMAZING”
We read about hula dogs in the north shore map and decided to swing by to try it. The woman working there was super nice and really friendly and helpful with our order. She walked us through all the flavors and told us we really couldn’t go wrong with any of the sauces. After we got our dogs she came over to check on us and chat more. It’s a really unique hot dog experience and the buns are amazing with a perfect hot dog hole in the middle. Definitely get the bacon taro bun – it’s really fun and super Hawaiian. We loved the flavored mustard as well! And the mango and pineapple relish were good too (they were the only two we tried). I’d definitely hit up this truck again!! The dogs go for about $7/each and are pretty large and gourmet.

 

“Wonderful Place”
We read the previous reviews and are always wanting to try something new. We stopped before they closed and we had the fortune to meet the owner. She introduced herself and sat with us and gave us more than just a hula dog, conversation. The hula dog was wonderful and the lemonade is fresh. Get the exotic relishes and Hawaiian mustards. They (along with the fresh bread) are what make it a hula dog. She’s not there all the time but when she is the stories are amazing and the food too.  Port Angeles, Washington

Never thought I’d like a hot dog this much!”
I’m pregnant and having the strangest pregnancy cravings, and while i never eat hot dogs, the Hula Dog truck was speaking to me while we were in Hale’iwa. It was so amazing. The bun wraps all the way around the hot dog, and the relishes and sauces that are available are so fresh and tasty. Would love to have something like this in DC!  Jessica, Alexandria, Virginia

 

CJ and AUD are foodies !
ms
Placed in a pretty busy area on Kuhio Avenue so if you’re walking around, it’s a great pit stop for a quick and yummy meal.First things first, this is a small little shop where outside the door it has a “how to order” menu because the hot dogs here are pretty unique (uniquely delicious).Warning: if you like hot dogs, it is pretty hard to come here only ONCE during a trip because you want to try different combinations of things! (Or if you’re like me, you WANT to try different combinations, but don’t because the one you had before was soo delicious you want to get it again!)Your choices:
DOG: polish or veggie (cool that they have a veggie option
SECRET SAUCE: just like hot sauce – mild, spicy, hot, hot-hot
TROPICAL RELISH: mango, coconut, pineapple, banana, papaya, star fruit
HAWAIIAN MUSTARD: lilikoi or guava (OBVIOUSLY you can still be a normal person and get ketchup, mustard, or pickle relish — but live on the edge for once and go BIG with a tropical relish!)The most important thing ever… The thing that pretty much MADE this place amazing to me: Taro bacon bread
Sorry, I don’t even know what other kind of bread they have because who needs to know if you can have taro bacon bread?!!! Plus, it isn’t like your normal hot dog bun, they stab the bread and shove the dog into it. It’s weird, but awesome at the same time.My combination: Taro bacon bread, polish dog, hot, mango relish with lilikoi mustard
CJ’s combination: Taro bacon bread, polish dog, hot, papaya relish with guava mustard

Another thing to mention, they have flavored fresh squeezed lemonade. I forgot all the flavors but I got Lilikoi lemonade (CJ got papaya) and we both LOVED our choices!

I can’t tell you enough how good this place is… Just go and try it for yourself. I will never love a regular “main-land” hot dog the same again because of Hula Dog!

    • Aaron A. Phoenix Arizona
    • front
  • I never thought I would give a hotdog stand 5 stars but this was amazing!!  I saw the hype on this place on Yelp and I’m so glad that we went to check it out. Both my wife and I had polish sausage on the taro bacon roll. We both bad hot sauce and I had the pineapple relish where she had the mango
    relish and a slightly hotter sauce than mine. After a few minuets my dog was ready and I started to eat it when I was called up the the stand to get my wife’s. they admitted they made a mistake and gave her the same relish and hot sauce than mine and were making another on. They also gave me the one they messed up k. Which was basically 2 of the one I ordered. Bonus! I too, the other mistaken dog and gave it to my wife which she ate half and waited for here. So basically we got lucky with 3 dogs because of a small mistake. Great customer service!! This is a true hidden gem but so worth to find. I thought my dog was great and I loved the roll. The roll was a little bigger thank I waged, but I just tore so, off and ate the rest. Not a big deal.
  • Alison H.   Stockton, CA

OMG I wish I lived in Hawaii so I could get a Hula Dog EVERYDAY OF MY LIFE. It was amazing! I tried a combo that was a little sweeter: Taro/Bacon bun, medium spicy sauce, pineapple relish, lilikoi mustard and a polish dog. Had a lemonade to wash it down (asked for a little less sugar since it was pretty sweet after tasting my friend’s). Absolutely delicious and I will be coming back and getting another.

  • Ursula G.  Orange County, CA

I cannot write enough good things about this place. I’ve been back from Hawaii for 3 weeks now and still crave and think about these hot dogs regularly!!!! One of the days we were there I think the owner was working, and he was so helpful with pairing your hot dog, and figuring out good flavors for their shaved ice. I’ve been searching on yelp for a place like this in Cali, and it doesn’t seem to exist. If you’ve never had it you MUST go here while in Waikiki…

Their bread is delicious, and unlike regular hot dogs, it is an uncut bun, which while toasting they make a hole for the hot dog. They have veggie hot dogs for those of you who don’t eat meat, and their bread selections are AMAZING… bacon taro bread, honey wheat!!!You pick one of their secret garlic lemon sauce, from mild all the way to super hot (habanero, or jalapeno etc)… you also pick a relish, out of a million delicious options such as pineapple or mango!!!! Lastly you pick another topping, like guava mustard or whatever. You won’t be spilling any of your topping because they are neatly inside the bread. You just gotta remember to push up the toppings when you  are in the middle of your hot dog, so they don’t all stay at the bottom for your last bites!Their shaved ice takes a while, because they shave the ice in a machine when ordered, making it super fluffy and delicious, not to mention GIANT…and all their ingredients are super fresh and healthy. LOVE this place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can’t leave Hawaii without having one!

Had my first one a few years back and have been waiting to return so I could have another. It took me two days to find it! I knew it was in the International Marketplace but had a terrible time finding it! The easiest way to get to it is to actually go on Kuhio behind the Marketplace. They have a street entrance from there. I had a Polish sausage on Honey Wheat bread Mild with Mango relish and Lilikoi mustard….ummmmm now I can go home satisfied! My only regret is that I won’t be able to come back before going home so I can have one with the papaya relish. Bummer. Well, it just gives me a reason to come back to Paradise!!!  Nassau, New York

Best Hot Dog!”

I had been here back when it was Hula Dog and I could not wait to get back here on our latest visit!
There are a few chairs inside and a few small tables and chairs outside the business. The hot dogs are a bit pricey but then again they aren’t your usual hot dog. The various options for the bread, hot dog meat, and sauces make for a delicious snack or meal. The longest we ever had to wait for service was for one person ahead of us. I usually got the Polish hot dog on white bread with the mango relish and lilikoi mustard. Sooo tasty!   Access is easy if coming from the Kuhio side but if you are trying from the front of the International Market it can be a bit tricky.  Can’t wait to come back again!    Skatchie,  Nanaimo

WOW, I don’t like hot dogs but I loved this place”
lemonade

We were recommended this place by a couple we met on a diving trip. While I’m not much of a hot dog person we checked it out anyway and was glad I did.
This place has simply the best dogs I’ve ever had. About 2 bites into mine I was thinking of going back for a second but was too full.
They have many unusual sauces to put on the dogs that are fantastic.
If you’re thirsty I recommend that you get their fresh made lemonade. I will definitely be eating here again on my next trip to the island.  Richie,  Austin, Texas

Shaka !!!

One word. Delicious!  
This place was my favorite in Waikiki and they have so many toppings to customize that the combos are endless.
They have great combos they recommend (Mango relish + liliquoi mustard or pineapple relish with guava mustard) and plenty of other choices I haven’t tried yet. They vary from delicious sounding (starfruit or coconut relish) to off the wall (banana).
Not many places make a great veggie dog but this place was fantastic for that as well. It was like a jumbo smart dog-good texture. You don’t notice a bunch of the flavor though because of all the sauces. Just let them know you’re getting veggie ahead of time so they can add it to the grill.
They also have tasty lemonade that you can add all sorts of flavors too. Guava was the bomb. Nima M,  Alhambra California

Aloha Hula Dog

Okay this place is SOOO neat!!!!

I love the concept of heating the bread on that stick so that the insides are super crispy. All of the sauces are pretty good and the workers were so nice about telling us about the different combinations for sauces.
We heard about this place because they gave us samples while we were walking on Kuhio and we HAD to come back for some!
3 kinds of breads: taro bacon, pumpkin wheat, and original. With either a hot dog or polish. And TONSSS of sauce varieties.
We got the taro bacon with polish sausage, the hot sauce, pineapple relish, and lilikoi mustard. $7 for everything. Worth it! Good snack to share before going to the beach :)  Jenny A. San Jose California

A Must do..
Great Food, Great people working there….. they made my wife and I feel like locals, which is great. Polish dog on a bacon/taro bread with banana and coconut relish, habanero sauce and guava…mmmmmmmmmmm.        We loved the place so much that we went back two more times.  December 2012 Hirethishero / Orlando Florida

 

Hello Hula Dog
This is a review for the shave ice only, as I haven’t had their famous hot dogs…  I
have been sampling shave ice all over the islands for years and I have to say that this
one is my favorite.  They make their own toppings and the taste is just so much better
than the institutional ones most shops use.  They pay attention to the consistency of
the ice too, which is really important to the flavor.  I didn’t want to admit that the best
was in the touristy International Marketplace in touristy Honolulu, but there you have
it…  Plus the employees are always super friendly.  December 2012  Matt D. Redwood City, Ca

Yummy Hula Dog

Yum.  A really cool Hawaiian spin on a hot dog.  (Anyone who just wants a traditional dog with ketchup/mustard can get that there as well).  Otherwise, you choose a Polish or veggie sausage, they have a few bun options (including pumpkin wheat and taro), and an amazing selection of cool relishes (including pineapple, coconut, mango, banana, etc.).  Then, based on what relish you choose, they recommend a mustard (I got a mix of pineapple & coconut and they recommended the guava mustard).  REALLY YUMMY.  It was a great blend of sweet and salty, and the size of the hot dog as a whole is pretty large.  Yes, it’s like a $6 dog but you get a lot for the money.  I enjoyed it and would definitely come back!  December 2012   Andi W. Los Angeles, CA

Aloha Hula Dog Hawaii.
Love love LOVE this place!
The first time I tried it I thought it was one of the best hot dogs I’ve ever had. I got the bacon taro bun with spicy polish dog (the 3rd level) with mango relish and Lilikoi mustard. The spicy dog was not at all spicy and you could barely taste the taro bacon bun but it was something nice and different. And I’m not usually one for mustard but this one was different like a sweet mayo-mustard type,
Sooo delish! I say try it with the habanero polish so the sweet and spicy can accommodate one another. Bottom line yes you get a lot of bun with extra sauce but it’s worth it. Do yourself a favor and try it at least once, you won’t regret it :) December 2012.  Julie L. San Jose California

Mahalo Hula Dog
One word. Delicious!  This place was my favorite in Waikiki and they have so many toppings to customize that the combos are endless.They have great combos they recommend (Mango relish + lilikoi mustard or pineapple relish with guava mustard) and plenty of other choices I haven’t tried yet. They vary from delicious sounding (star fruit or coconut relish) to off the wall (banana). Not many places make a great veggie dog but this place was fantastic for that as well. It was like a jumbo smart dog-good texture. You don’t notice a bunch of the flavor though because of all the sauces. Just let them know you’re getting veggie ahead of time so they can add it to the grill. They also have tasty lemonade that you can add all sorts of flavors too. Guava was the bomb.  December 2012, Nima M.  Alhambra, CA

Aloha Hula Dog
Food was 10 stars. This was seriously, without a doubt, hands down, the best dog I EVER had in my life! Ridiculously delicious! When ordering it I was leary of the weird combo of sauces & breads & stuff but it was heavenly! Only thing was, there was one guy training the other. Perhaps the trainer was the owner? But the trainer guy was being kind of harsh on the new guy. Now perhaps the new guy had been being a dipshit all day & the trainer was just at his wits end, or maybe the trainer was just a harsh type of person, but either way it made me uncomfortable as the customer to watch & hear the new guy get talked to like he was stupid. The new guy was very friendly to the customers but he was a little disorganized, as all new employees are. It made me so uncomfortable, actually, that I wanted to go back the next day, but when I saw it was the same two guys again, I skipped it.   December 2012   Ashley W.   Huntington Beach, CA

Hula Dog,
Let me just say, I had my first on a whim because I thought it’d be cool to have something Anthony Bourdain had. I was only on Oahu for a night…I ate two times! I had the first one right before you closed (then was sorry I waited so late) then had another first thing the next morning before I left! I was sorry when I came back through Waikiki that I had an airport transfer so I couldn’t go again before I flew home! I enjoy them so much it’s stupid! Thanks SO MUCH for helping make a total weirdo very happy!  Kelley McMillan – San Jose, CA

Aloha ,

A buddy of mine got me a Hula Dog t-shirt about 4 years ago when he and his wife were in Kauai and he told me it was the BEST EVER hot dog he had ever ate. My wife and I, along with our friends were just in Kauai this past week, August 11-17, and the very first place we went was to Hula Dog and OMG !!!! that was the best hot dog I could ever eat. We actually ate there several more times before we had to leave.Would you PLEASE !! hurry and open one up in Southern California. It would go over real big here, I’m sure.

How Much Do We Love your Hawaiian Dog ?
Left house at 4:30 AM
Boarded plane from Omaha to Denver
Then Denver to Phoenix
Then Phoenix to Lihue
Then Lihue to Honolulu
Then rented a car drove to hotel near the Marina.
Changed out of our wrinkled clothes.
Finally walked 1.4 miles to Hula Dog/ in Waikiki Town Center…
Got there just in time for dinner
If that not a fan we do not know what is. We will be back!
Tom and Marilyn Edwards Springfield NE
PS Maybe the best shave ice in Hawaii too – That coconut cream topping rocks!

Hello,
We travelled to Waikiki in the last part of April 2009. My niece had seen your Hula Dog  featured on the Food Network and had done some internet research it. She insisted that we try the Hula Dog . Am I glad she did! All of our party agreed that the Hula Dog  was a unique blend of island flavors and very tasty.
Robin Strickland

OMG….
I just looked at your web site and was very excited to see that you have a new store in Waikiki. I will be going to Oahu in July 2008 and was hoping you would have your sauces and relishes available for sale by then? How much would the 9 oz bottles be? I’m planning to buy tons of them so I can enjoy it throughout the year and to show all my friends and relatives how awesome your products are. I was hooked the first time I tasted your Hula Dog in 2006. A friend even bought a bunch to take with him while we were still traveling to 2 other islands (yes, he kept them in the fridge as we traveled!) Thanks and I look forward to munching on the best hotdogs in the world!
Pam

Thank you!
The second week of May 2008 we were staying in Waikiki. I was walking around the International Market by myself one day and came upon the Hula Dog shop. Oh my gosh!! I was so excited! I had seen the Travel Channel segment about Hula Dog in Kaiua and was disappointed that we would not be going to Kaiua. When I saw the shop I just HAD to have one. As I was waiting for my order a woman was talking about how the Hula Dog sign on the vent hood faced the wall instead of the street. She asked me which way it faced – the wall or the street. I agreed that it faced the wall. She said “thank you and enjoy your Hula Dog ”. I left and thoroughly enjoyed my Hula Dog !!!! Imagine, coming to this site and seeing that the woman I had talked to was in fact, Dominique! I wish I had known that. I would have thanked her so much for opening up a shop in Waikiki!!!Thank you and we will have Hula Dog s every time we return to Oahu!!! Carol

Aloha
I just looked at your web site and was very excited to see that you have a new store in Waikiki. I will be going to Oahu in July 2008 and was hoping you would have your sauces and relishes available for sale by then? How much would the 9 oz bottles be? I’m planning to buy tons of them so I can enjoy it throughout the year and to show all my friends and relatives how awesome your products are. I was hooked the first time I tasted your Hula Dog in 2006. A friend even bought a bunch to take with him while we were still traveling to 2 other islands (yes, he kept them in the fridge as we traveled!) Thanks and I look forward to munching on the best hotdogs in the world!
Pam from Lethbridge, Alberta , Canada send: May 2008

Aloha!
We were recently in Honolulu and were hoping to be able to find your Hula Dog location there after seeing you on the Travel Channel. The first thing we did after settling into our place was to hunt it down. Much to our delight, it was right across the street from our place. We took full advantage of its location eating there seven time in the eight nights we stayed there and the food was much better than we hoped it would be. Hawaii to us has so many wonderful things to remember but Hula Dog will always comes to mind when it comes to eating on our trip. Not only was the food great but JoAnn was the biggest delight to meet. I hope you know what a wonderful person you have running your store on Ohau. Even when we weren’t eating there, we could not walk by without saying hello and being greeted from her by name with her wonderful smile. The rest of her workers all hold the same wonderful service and attitude she does. Not a time goes by that someone asks us about Hawaii and we go on and on about Hula Dog . I love to travel and most of all I love to eat. Hula Dog was one of the best eating experiences I’ve ever had on a vacation because of your food and employees. THANK YOU!
Craig “Chicky” Labrec

 

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