There are A LOT of restaurants, eateries, pubs and cafes in Birmingham (and as it seems, even more are coming in 2017). What Birmingham, in my humble opinion, lacks though are places with a real unique flare - those that offer rare cuisines, cater for niches or serve food on slabs of wood instead of plates. A recently opened fast food restaurant Not Dogs is definitely one of the more unique, special eating places that have opened in our city in 2016.

🌭Not Dogs offer fun, quirky vegetarian 'meaty' hot dogs - without the meat!

I'm not a vegetarian (or vegan for that matter) however I can appreciate a meatless dinner from time to time. I'm what you would call an omnivorous eater but I completely agree with clean eating and foods included in plant-based diets. I've been following Not Dogs on their social channels for around a year now - and I've been waiting in anticipation to taste their cleverly designed alternative to my beloved fast food guilty pleasure (which always results in an incredibly short lived pleasure & some very deep long term guilt).

🌭 How have these meaty hot dogs without meat come to being?

The story behind Not Dogs is almost as exciting & heart-warming as the restaurant itself! Two friends - Katie & Jane - were looking for something to satisfy their Maccies cravings without all the unnecessary meat and unhealthy additives. So they took the staple of fast food & replaced the sausages with a quorn alternative. And the first Not Dog was born! After that Katie & Jane spent 2 years travelling in their little Not Dog truck selling their invention at festivals and markets across the UK. And because everyone absolutely loved their food they decided to open their very first restaurant in Birmingham!

🌭 And the taste test? 

By no means am I saying that I will stop having the (very!) occasional hot dog but I do have to admit that I have enjoyed the Not Dog's quorn alternative very much! The hot dogs are absolutely huge - they most definitely stuff even the hungriest belly! You can pick from so many mouth-watering toppings and the whole experience is very American diner with pops of bright decor and an actual ton of toppings on your hot dog. I've tried the Kickin' Katie Nacho Dog which was dead spicy but so delicious!

If there was one thing I'd change then I'd perhaps grill the quorn dog a little - the quorn dog is much paler than your average sausage so for some it might seem undercooked (which it most definitely wasn't but the paleness can easily fool you!).

Overall I'm so pleased that Not Dogs have finally opened their doors in Birmingham and looking forward to seeing them grow even more in 2017! You can find the restaurant in Link Street - between Bullring & Grand Central and all Not Dogs are around the £5 mark - check out the menu here.




Follow