Recently, I’ve seen a small, bright red food truck popping up at food truck rallies and random parking
lots, so I had to stop and see what they were selling. They get credit for a memorable mascot – a
anthropomorphic hotdog decked out to play baseball. The aptly named PlayBall Dogos sells Sonoran hot
dogs, one of my favorite guilty pleasures.
The Sonoran hot dog originated in Mexico in Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora. Different accounts place
the time anywhere between the 1940s and the 1980s and claim that it was first sold at baseball games
in Sonora (hence the PlayBall Dogos mascot). I like to think that around the time the drug trade was at
its height, someone thought they could import another equally addictive, but vastly more legal, product.
With a large Mexican population, southern Arizona made sense as the hub of this culinary delight, and
there are now hundreds of restaurants, drive-thrus, and street vendors in the Phoenix and Tucson areas
serving their version of this popular porcine product. It only took one time, and I was hooked.
Sonoran hot dogs take the titular tube steak, wrap it in bacon, and grill it until crisp. It is housed in a just-
crusty-enough, Mexican split-top roll called a bolillo. Typically it is topped with pinto beans, tomatoes,
onions, mayo, mustard, and some sort of salsa, though numerous variations exist.
After having a couple of these artery clogging masterpieces in Arizona, I found myself back in Utah,
wishing they were more easily obtained here. Like a junkie looking for his next fix, every time I hear that
someone is dealing in these dark arts, I am compelled to track them down and give them a try.
So, the other night I gave my cash to PlayBall Dogos, ordering two of their varieties because I couldn’t
decide which type of food high my body most craved. I went with their Chile Dogo, which takes their
regular bacon wrapped dog, stuffs that inside an Anaheim pepper, which is then nestled inside the
bolillo bun – what I assumed would be a Russian nesting doll of gastronomic genius. This is all topped
with pinto beans, grilled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo. I also got their Quesi Dogo, which
replaces the Anaheim pepper with cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, and American cheese. My heart
had to work overtime to keep my cholesterol-thickened blood moving through my veins.
PlayBall Dogos also had a table set up beside their truck that contained numerous other toppings in case
the ones already on the dog didn’t suffice: queso, crushed Doritos, an avocado crema, cotija cheese,
salsa, ketchup, mustard, fry sauce, and something that looked like a corn and cucumber salad. I
appreciated the opportunity to customize, but they didn’t have little containers to fill, and it seemed like
many of these toppings would conflict with the flavors already being served up. I did put a few sauces
and some Doritos in the bottom of one of the cardboard serving containers, but I didn’t feel it greatly
enhanced the dogs, other than the salsa adding some heat.
I wanted to love PlayBall Dogos. When done right, Sonoran hot dogs can be gluttonously good, leaving
me jonesing for one more bite. Unfortunately, PlayBall Dogos missed the mark. They had all the
elements, but the flavor just wasn’t there. Maybe the hot dogs weren’t adequately spiced. The bacon,
dogs, and buns all seemed like they could spend a little more time being kissed by the grill. The two
most successful elements were the Anaheim pepper on the Chile Dogo which added some texture and flavor, and the cream cheese on the Quesi Dog because, well, cream cheese enhances everything. But
overall, the flavors and textures fell flat. The owners seemed friendly, and the menu had some great
ideas. I truly hope they can tweak those basic foundational elements because the truck has wonderful
potential. In the meantime, there are better places in the state to try this Mexican delight.
Know Before You Go: I give PlayBall Dogos three stars out of five – if you’ve never had a Sonoran hot
dog before, you’ll probably enjoy their interpretation. But, if you’ve had great Sonoran dogs, I don’t
believe PlayBall Dogos will scratch your itch. The pricing of PlayBall Dogos was a little surprising as well.
Two dogs came out to $21.63, which seems high for what you’re getting. They cater events and can be
reached at 801.500.1296. You can also see where they’re going to be on their Facebook page.
