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Phat Sammy’s
“We’re putting the band back together.” – The Blues Brothers
We’ve made a lot of friends this year traveling the country and eating amazing hot dogs, an occasional donut and a few slices of brisket. There are great people out here and they are producing some great food. Great, not good. They’re passionate about the plates they put out and at the end of the day I never thought my palette would be on the revieing end of some of these concoctions, created by mad scientists with an obsession for delivering unreal cuisine.
Albert Toh is the food truck driving and sushi hotdog slinging Chef from the first “Behind the Dish” episode in Huntsville, AL. We had a great time meeting Al, stretching our taste buds to the extreme and consuming things no one really believed existed in Alabama before we released that episode.
You never forget a guy like Al, and to be honest I didn’t know if he’d be back. We’re everywhere now a days and although we’ve visited some of the locations for a better episode or better understanding, how many amazing and obscure hot dogs could you really find in Alabama?
Boy, you were wrong.
Yes. Yes, I was. I also didn’t tell them yet so you’re kind of ruining the surprise.
More sushi hot dogs?
No. We did that. But if I told you I would once again be meeting Al and a local food blogger named “rickyHSV” as we searched for Chinese and Indian inspired hot dogs in a basement tiki bar in Alabama…..would you believe me?
Because we did. Phat Sammy’s is located on a dimly lit street in an area of downtown under heavy construction. I walked around the block twice last week on a cold, rainy night looking for a sign.
The Tiki Bar at Phat Sammy's
I wasn’t on a mission from God and “the sign” was a glowing pineapple, leading to a dark stairwell which opened into an amusement park quality tiki bar in the basement. I was blown away.
The artwork was unreal. Murals and wood carvings surrounding the dimly lit tiki bar were done by local artists and one of the chefs. I knew I had found what I didn’t even know I was looking for, until now. I came in search of a Chinese chili dog, topped with mapp dofu, pickled mustard greens and Szechuan peppercorns. What I left with is priceless.
Enough talk, let me get this show on the road. I met Ricky, Al and Chef Jeremy, an amazing human being who has surrounded himself with amazing people as he came out of the kitchen and shook my hand. We cracked a cheap beer, pulled up to a bar stool in the corner and shared some stories. He promised to show me an Indian style hot dog he was working on for a “ghost kitchen” pop up. The rest my baseball loving, hot dog chasing friends…is history.
Local art adorns the walls at Phat Sammy's
Phat Sammy’s: 104 Jefferson St. S Huntsville, AL 35801
Email: realphatsammys@gmail.com
Rating: Oscar Wiener (The Best, award winning)
Major League Teams: None.
Minor League Teams: The Rocket City Trash Pandas (LAA- AA Affiliate)
Other Baseball: Toyota Field Madison, AL Built to open 2020 – Now opening 2021 (God willing)
Shout Out: RickyHSV a local Huntsville food blogger who reached out on IG and helped set this whole episode up. Give him a follow-on IG: @rickyHSV
The goods.
How we rate our meat sticks
- Oscar Wiener (The Best, award winning)
- Best Supporting Meat (The Joe Pesci of hot dogs- never a star, but you need him)
- Nominated Dog (Hey- just getting your name called is a big deal)
- Honorable Mention (Average, Edible- No shame in the game- or bun)
- Drunk David Hasselhoff (You may be on the floor and incoherent after this one)
