South Philly Restaurant Saves Dollar Dog Nights After Phillies Cancel Promo
Here's where you can get $1 hot dogs when the Phillies are playing at home.
It’s the end of an era as the Phillies end Dollar Dog Night. / Photograph by Gavin Baker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
A loud chorus of boos was released in the universe this week when the Phillies announced the end of the longstanding Dollar Dog Night tradition. It was reminiscent of the reaction to killing off SEPTA tokens. And eliminating the split-flap departures board at 30th Street Station in favor of some newfangled digital thing. Some changes are good. Other changes? Not so much.
The Phillies decided to switch the popular promotion from $1 hot dogs to buy-one-get-one-free hot dogs. That means that instead of spending $1 on a not-particularly-good hot dog this season, you’ll be spending $5 on two not-particularly-good hot dogs. The BOGO hot dog nights are on April 2nd, when we play the Cincinnati Reds, and April 16th, when the Colorado Rockies come to town.
For some reason, anemic Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey decided to weigh in on the change. He tweeted that the BOGO hot dog deal “sounds like a great way to fuel up for #RedOctober,” throwing in a couple of hot dog emojis for the kids. Other than Casey, it was hard to find a defender of the decision. This tweet pretty much sums up the rest of the rhetoric: “BOGO? Y’all are some BOZOS.”
But one Philadelphia chef decided to seize the moment and turn the negativity into a win for everybody.
Chef Jennifer Zavala is the Best of Philly-winning owner of South Philly’s Juana Tamale, one of Philly Mag’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2024. She’s recently been exploring the hot dog culture in Philadelphia. And when she heard about the end of Dollar Dog Night, she knew she had to act.
Jennifer Zavala selling tamales out of her truck in South Philly before she had Juana Tamale (photo by Mike Whiter)
And so, whenever there is a Phillies home game that coincides with the hours of Juana Tamale (it’s open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), the restaurant will offer dollar dogs. Nothing fancy schmancy here. All-beef hot dogs with classic toppings like ketchup, mustard, onions and relish. For $1. There will be special add-ons available for an up-charge, and she’s still sorting out those details.
“Everyone knows I’m a huge Philly sports fan,” Zavala tells Foobooz. “My first year in South Philly, the Phillies won the World Series. I’d never in my life experienced anything remotely even like that. Plus, as a parent, the Dollar Dog night was a silly thing that made me feel like ‘one was catching a break.'”
The first Dollar Dog Night at Juana Tamale will take place on Thursday, March 28th. That’s our home opener, where we’ll hopefully vanquish the Atlanta Braves. And remember: You can bring outside food into Citizens Bank Park. Get some Juana Tamale dollar dogs packed to go — get some tamales while you’re at it — and you’re all set.
Go Phils!
