Papoo's Hot Dog Show: Where The Dogs Are The Headliners

PAPOO'S HOT DOG SHOW
4300 Riverside Dr, Toluca Lake
818.846.1511
Click for a Map to Papoo's Hot Dog Show

PARTICULARS:
Standard Hot Dog, Mild or Hot Polish
Sausage, 1/4 Pound All Beef Dog,
Chili, Baked Beans, Avocado & Bacon,
Saurkraut, Ham, Pastrami, Burgers, Fries,
Onion Rings, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw,
Malts, Shakes, Floats, Sundaes,
Sandwiches, Breakfasts and Salads
Home Turf: Jon the Food Slob
Health Department Rating: A

DISTINCTIONS:
Wonderful, cozy 50s style interior, charcoal
broiled dogs, large menu of diner delicacies,
jukebox and pinball machine.

Jon the Food Slob is a regular customer of Papoo's Hot Dog Show in Toluca Lake. He recently invited Steve Doggie-Dogg along to dine as his guest, introducing him to the "magical land of Papoo". Toluca Lake is a veritable museum of coffee shop architecture, with the landmark googie-style Bob's Big Boy sitting kitty-corner to Papoo's, an authentic 1950s hot dog stand. You might say the intersection of Rose and Riverside celebrates the yin and yang of American dining... the hamburger (Bob's) and the hot dog (Papoo's). Judging by the historical photos of Papoo's which adorn the walls, the building has been remodeled and expanded several times. But they haven't remodeled away the old-fashioned charm and cozy comfort of the place. Film fans will want to dig out their copy of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" before visiting... Papoo's makes a cameo as a favorite lunch spot of the cops in the movie!



The menu at Papoo's Hot Dog Show is fantastic, with all kinds of things you'd expect at a roadside grill... hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, sandwiches of all kinds... pastrami, ham & cheese, club, BLT, egg salad, BBQ beef, etc. Hamburger lovers will find lots to love here, with all of the varieties available in either 1/4 pound single or 1/2 pound double versions. While most joints peak out with a "Super Burger", Papoo's goes it one further with a "Colossal Burger" topped with hot pastrami. For early risers, Papoo's is a great place for breakfast, with bacon & eggs, omelettes, hotcakes, and breakfast burritos before 11am on weekdays, and before noon on weekends. Now to the nitty gritty... Papoo's has four kinds of dogs... Standard, 1/4 Pound All Beef and Mild or Hot Polish. Toppings include all of the regulars along with kraut, baked beans, ham, chili / cheese, BBQ sauce and even the California duo- avocado and bacon.



It was hard to choose what to order, but Jon finally decided to go out on a limb and order a Standard Bean Dog (Baked Beans & BBQ Sauce) and a Standard Ham Dog (Ham & Melted Cheese). Steve Doggie-Dogg ordered his regular, a Mild Polish with brown mustard, onions, tomatoes and cheese, a Standard Chili Parmesan Dog and a 1/4 Pound All Beef Avocado Dog (Split & Grilled on a Roll with Avocado, Bacon & Melted Cheese). To wash it all down, we chose Diet Coke (...even though Papoo's does have a liquor license for wine and beer.) Here's what the lovely waitress brought us... ain't it a pretty sight?



Oh, man! Even though Papoo's serves Hoffy "Package Dogs" (without natural casing) we weren't disappointed at all with the meal. The baked beans on Jon the Food Slob's Bean Dog were terrific... almost as good as his dear Mama's own beans. The chili on Steve Doggie-Dogg's Parmesan Dog was quite respectable on its own, and even better with the parmesan and onion topping. Papoo's scored extra points by getting Steve's regular right... a feat that no other doggery yet reviewed has been able to pull off. The Mild Polish was good quality meat, perfectly spiced. Jon's Ham Dog was a strange affair, with sliced ham topped with melted American Cheese. Even though the ham was a nice complement to the dog, Jon admitted that the quality of the ham wasn't much better than your typical ziplock packet ham in the supermarket. The real standout however, was the 1/4 Pound Avocado Dog. It was a massive fistful of good eatin'... with piles of crispy bacon and picture-perfect slices of avocado on a great big french roll. The dog itself was a masterpiece... split and charcoal grilled to perfection. Whatever you order here, make sure to specify that it be charcoal grilled. That's the secret that sets Papoo's Hot Dog Show apart from the rest of the pack. We devoured the luscious logs of meaty deliciousness with gusto, and didn't even stop to talk until the last one was gone.



As we finished our diet Cokes (refills were free!), Steve wondered aloud why it was called the Hot Dog SHOW... after all, we didn't see any singing and dancing going on. Jon shrugged his shoulders and said that must be one of those unanswerable philosophical questions. With full bellies and satisfied smiles, we bade a sad farewell to the friendly waitress and headed out the door. It was just getting dark, and as we exited, the outdoor lighting popped on. The buzz of neon drew our eyes up to the sign above the front door. Our gaze was met with a beautiful sight... A jolly proscenium ringed with zebra striped curtains revealed "The Show" we had been looking for. In a wonderous vision worthy of Magritte, a glowing, angelic canine flew through a cloud filled sky above us, encased in a heavenly bun inscribed with the magical words, "charcoal broiled". "There's the show." Jon said, pointing up at it. Steve nodded in awe and wonderment...



It was a wonderful show too. We'll be back for an encore very soon.