SKOOKUM HOTDOG DINER — Restaurant in Tokyo

Don't be fooled by the name or the interior decorating, this is not an American style hot dog, but it is an incredible meal. It's messy, but worth it.

When I walked in they were playing American and British classic rock standards. Everything about this place seems to scream Western-style. But I've never had hot dogs like this before. It's not baseball stadium style, Chicago style, or cookout style. This is something unique.

I ordered the namesake Skookum dog, with avocado, homemade bacon, cheese, barbecue sauce, chopped onions, and diced tomatoes. Maybe there are other things on it, too. It's packed with flavors, piled one on top of the other.

The hot dog itself is not the emulsified scrap-meat sausage with the soft pink interior and the snappy skin that you expect when you hear the word "hot dog." Instead, it's a homemade smoked sausage that's made with real meat chunks and deep seasonings. It's got traditional hot dog flavor--onion, garlic, celery salt, paprika, maybe a little allspice--but a totally different texture.

The bun is as soft as an American hotdog bun, but tastes fresh, not chemically conditioned. Of course, the bun is so soft that it lacks the structural integrity to hold the mountain of things that are packed into it. But that's okay, it's delicious.

I grabbed mine with the wax paper folder they have on the tables precisely for that purpose. I ate as much as I could, in my hand, before I had to resort to a knife and fork for the last third. Big chunks of thick cut bacon--like the hot dog, it's not red/pink, but brown/gray, presumably because there's no nitrate preservatives--tumbled off the sandwich.

It's an explosion of flavor: sweet, salty, smokey, vinegar, garlic. It's a battle royale of textures: crunchy, smooth, springy, juicy, rich. All of it hosted atop a great piece of sausage.

I washed it down with an icey Dr. Pepper. Perfect.

You probably don't need any sides, the sandwich is more than enough. But I'm planning to go back another time just to try the...

I love hotdogs and hamburgers. Wherever I go, I make efforts to find restaurants where the chefs are passionate about their food and Skookum Hotdog Diner is definitely one of these places. The diner can comfortably seat about 20 people, I was lucky I had the diner all to myself when I arrived after they had opened to enjoy my hot dog. I love the decoration - and they even had a TV show on that had on some sort of food documentary about American fast food and candies. I learned a lot while waiting for my hot dog!!! 😊 The lunch set is great value - ordered their Skookum Hot dog (the housemade sausage is amazing. Smoky, juicy, meaty and really, really flavorsome. I wish they could sell their sausages retail. I'd take a train across Tokyo for them!!) with a side of sauerkraut which is homemade and definitely makes me feel less guilty after the calorie party I had with just the hot dog. The chef speaks excellent English, was very warm and friendly and that itself is very memorable. Highly recommended for lunch, snack, dinner whenever you're in Nakameguro and want good, honest food...

The staff is really friendly and this place has great vibes. The dogs are house made it seems, though they're more bratwurst than hot dog. They have a little bit of kick to them due to this, which is nice. The chilli dog is one of the best menu items to handle, everything else regulars knife and fork to not go everywhere. They know to give you lime with your corona(in the bottle, the way it should be). Overall, a great place chill with some drink and good food. It is a little on the pricier side for hot dogs, but the taste and...