First Bite: Hot Dogs at Manayunk’s Lucky’s Last Chance

Speaking of hot dogs, Manayunk’s ever-under-the-radar beer and burger bar Lucky’s Last Chance quietly debuted their new hot dog menu at the beginning of April, and I finally made my way over there to sample the goods. Says owner Chris Barnes, a New Englander whose main reason for putting them on the menu was to quell homesickness, “We wanted them on the menu when we opened, but we had trouble sourcing the links. Nine months later, we finally settled for a natural casing Dietz & Watson, and we stay true to New England by using Freihofer’s rolls.” For those who don’t summer on Cape Cod, they’re the ones that look like a piece of Wonder bread folded in half. Toasted and buttered, its structural integrity is a starchy shelter to an assortment of toppings that include jalapeno-studded macaroni and cheese, barbecue chicken, and homemade chili among their ranks. I tried three (pictured left to right: Scorpion, Voodoo, Last Chance Coney), and they all had the recurring theme of heat, my favorite ingredient after bacon and mayonnaise. There’s also a “build your own” option, but if hot dogs don’t happen to be your thing (these ones should), Lucky’s has plenty of burger options and the best beer program in the ‘Yunk.

Lucky’s Last Chance [Official Site]