An all-American basket of tastiness.

What: The Cat City dog

Where: Weenee Roadhouse, 35400 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City

How much: $9

Contact: 760-537-1130; weeneeroadhouse.com

Why: It was tasty—and pretty!

I love a good hot dog—and I can confirm that the hot dogs at Weenie Roadhouse are quite good.

The hubby and I stopped one recent sweltering afternoon. The smallish space—which previously housed the Southern Belle Café—has a handful of tables, and some seating at wooden bar/bureau area.

We went to the counter and ordered the Cat City dog for me; the bratwurst sausage ($10) for the hubby; and an order of fries ($4) to split. The menu also includes chili, corn bread muffins, a corn dog, slaw and a couple of flatbread pizzas.

The skin-on fries—which were piping hot, and obviously freshly made in-house—came out first, and were delicious. Then came the hot dogs; they were so beautiful thanks to all the colorful toppings that I almost didn’t want to eat them.

But eat them, we did, and they were both fantastic. Weenee uses quarter-pound, all-beef hot dogs. (Seeing as there was a Nathan’s banner on the wall, I’m guessing that was the brand.) The Cat City dog came with avocado, tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos and freshly prepared bacon bits, all on a delicious bun. I added a little spicy mustard, took a bite—and was in hot dog heaven. (My only quibble: The menu says the Cat City dog is wrapped in bacon, and that was not the case.) The bratwurst comes with the diner’s choice of three toppings, and the bite I took was yummy.

The proprietors are clearly working hard—hustling to clean tables, refill water cups and bring customers condiments—and they don’t do tips, which I thought was interesting.

The next time I am craving a hot dog, I’ll certainly head over to Weenee Roadhouse.

Jimmy Boegle is the founding editor and publisher of the Coachella Valley Independent. He is also the executive editor and publisher of the Reno News & Review in Reno, Nev., and a 2026 inductee into...