If you go onto Yelp and look for the highest-rated restaurants in town, you’ll find Sweet Dogs at the top of that list. The unassuming hot dog shop, located in a strip mall on Calle Ocho, has been cooking up tasty, unique franks for over two years now.
With a consistent five-star Yelp rating, Sweet Dogs Owner Victor Ruiz must be doing something right. We spoke with Victor about the store’s humble beginnings and its transformation into one of the city’s best eateries.
Victor is a successful entrepreneur who owns a barbershop and a commercial car wash company. Prior to opening Sweet Dogs back in November 2012, he had never worked in the food industry. If you’ve spoken to him, though, you’d think he’s a food industry veteran: Victor is a natural behind the counter, chatting up customers left and right while making sure they’re well taken care of. His menu — a mix of hot dogs and other delectable American fare — is generously portioned, reasonably priced and insanely delicious. The 270+ reviews can attest to that.
The idea for Sweet Dogs started after Victor couldn’t find gourmet dogs anywhere in the city — just an abundance of hamburger joints. “There are New York dogs and Chicago dogs. I wanted to create Miami dogs,” he said. So he got to work.
Victor and a contact over at Bacardi (one of his car wash clients) started developing a variety of hot dog combinations, some of which would ultimately earn a spot on the menu. During that process, it was decided that all of the main hot dogs — named after local spots teams — would have six ingredients. “I wanted to make sure that each dog had a hot, cold and crunchy element. We wanted to hit all the different parts of the palette.”
The name Sweet Dogs is a continuation of a theme from Victor’s car wash; that company also has the word “sweet” in its name, and he hands out lollipops to his clients. At Sweet Dogs, the lollipops have been replaced by Snickers, Almond Joy and other candy bars.
The sweets, however, take a back seat to the hot dogs — which are big. The 1/4-pound franks with their myriad of toppings are filling, and the use of this particular size was intentional from the start. “I don’t want customers to have to order two or three hot dogs to get full. I want them to be satisfied with just one at a good price,” said Victor.
While the Home Team Dogs are the main stars on the menu, there’s a wealth of other options that are equally tasty. Italian sausages, Mac & cheese, BBQ beans, and a range of smoothies, shakes and desserts round out the offerings. Customers also have the choice of creating their own hot dog to fit their particular tastes; this customization is just one of the many ways that the shop puts customers first.
To Victor, quality customer service is just as important as quality food. He attributes a big part of the store’s 5-star rating to his stellar staff. “Miami isn’t known for its customer service,” he said. “I want to change that. I love what I do, and I want to spread that enjoyment to my customers.”
He’s certainly succeeding at this goal and was recently informed by Yelp that he ranked among the top 25 places to eat in the U.S. for 2015. With such great reviews and so much success, he continues to remain grounded. “Never forget your roots — stay humble. At the end of the day, you need to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and treat them like you’d like to be treated. I may have had a bad day, but I leave that stuff at the door.”
Victor has big plans for Sweet Dogs that he’s rolling out gradually. First up: late night service until 3 a.m. “We’ve had a lot of people ask about us staying open late,” he said. “They want something to eat after leaving the club or bar. We’re finally in a position to do that.” If all goes well, the extended hours will go into effect by summer. The other big move is opening a location down south in Kendall. “A lot of clients come from the Kendall and Pinecrest area,” he said, “so we’re looking into opening a place closer to them that’s more convenient.”
If you visit Sweet Dogs, we strongly recommend you try the Mac. This mouth-watering item comes topped with the store’s signature Mac & cheese blend, which consists of five different cheeses and can be topped with croutons. Another favorite of ours is the Dolphin, a mix of grilled ham, smoked bacon, mozzarella cheese, pineapple, home sauce (a special recipe of his) and papitas. The sweet, savory and salty combination attacks your taste buds with a flurry of flavors and a nice crunch that will make you a repeat customer — that’s what happened to us.
The sides are also notable. We mentioned the Mac & cheese already, and the BBQ beans are just as worthy of the spotlight. Regardless of what you get, save room for the Oreo milkshake. It’s heaven in a plastic cup. The cookie dough sweet swirl is also a home run.
MFP has been frequenting Sweet Dogs for more than two years now, and we can honestly say that the quality of care and food has remained consistent. We’re looking forward to the late night service and the addition of a few more items to the menu (of which we’re sworn to secrecy).
Come see for yourself why Sweet Dogs is getting so many great reviews … You’ll probably end up writing one yourself before you head out the door.
Sweet Dogs is located at 4749 SW 8 Street. Call 305-448-4900 or visit their website sweetdogs.net for hours of operation.