Goodbye, Good Dog

Beloved Houston hot dog shop announces abrupt closure after 15 years

Good Dog owners Amalia Pferd and Danny Caballero.

Photo by Eric Sandler

One of Houston’s most revered casual restaurants will soon serve its final meal. Good Dog Houston will close after dinner service on Sunday, April 27.

In a lengthy message posted to Facebook on Thursday, April 24, Good Dog owners Amalia Pferd and Danny Caballero celebrated a 15-year run for their restaurant that began as a food truck, evolved into the current Heights location that opened in 2013, and included five years of a second location in Montrose.

Part of it reads as follows:

Through the highs and the lows, you stood by us. You showed up during storms—both literal and figurative. We weathered hurricanes and floods together. And when the world shut down during COVID, your support kept us afloat. You ordered takeout, bought gift cards, and cheered us on from a distance. We opened a makeshift Bodega and sold items to you all. That got us a little shout out in the New York Times! Through all that, you reminded us that this city is made of heart and grit, and we’ve never been more proud to be a part of the best and most diverse food scene in the country…Houston, TX.

In a city where residents typically prefer burger to hot dogs, Good Dog stood out. From the beginning of its time as a food truck, the restaurant quickly built a devoted following for hot dogs like the Ol' Zapata (bacon, Muenster, onions) and the Guac-A-Dog that featured a housemade garlic aioli, one of the many sauces and condiments that helped Good Dog’s hot dogs stand out. Non-hot dog options, including chicken wings and Gulf fish and chips, helped the restaurant reach a wider audience. Caballero shared his love for craft beer with a well-curated tap wall.

In response to CultureMap’s request for comment about why the married couple decided to close their restaurant, Caballero cited a number of factors. First, Pferd was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Although he emphasizes that she's still in relatively good health, it has been a challenge.

On the business side, the building’s new owner raised the restaurant’s rent to cover the rising costs of property taxes and insurance. The additional costs made it harder to operate the restaurant, but Caballero doesn’t bear his landlord any ill will.

“I have no bad blood with current landlord. He’s actually been super gracious and allowed us lots of leeway,” he writes in a message. “He finally found someone willing to pay more. Since we were on a month-to-month basis and rent was already hard to keep up with, it made sense to just shut it down. We’re so bummed out.”

While the closure is undeniably sad for the restaurant’s staff and fans, Caballero ends on optimistic note. “Right now it’s hard to think about what’s next but our entrepreneurial spirit lives on. Hopefully once we grieve, maybe we can get back in the mix,” he writes.

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One Day Only

Chef of Michelin-starred Texas BBQ joint pops up at Houston crawfish favorite

Photo by Quit Nguyen

Join Lucas McKinney for a crawfish pop-up this Sunday, May 17.

The pitmaster behind one of Texas’ Michelin-starred barbecue joints will be in Houston for a one-day-only crawfish boil. Evan LeRoy, chef and co-owner of Austin’s LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, will be at Josephine’s this Sunday, May 17 from 2-6 pm.

Part of the restaurant’s Backyard Boil pop-up series, LeRoy and Josephine’s executive chef Lucas McKinney have collaborated on a four dishes that will be served at the pop-up, which will take place on Josephine’s patio. They are:

Smoked Crawfish Boil Sausage on a Stick: andouille flavored pork sausage with crawfish, corn, and potatoes
Brisket and Cheddar Croquettes: Chopped brisket and cheddar cheese in a creamy bechamel. Scooped, breaded in panko, and fried til crispy
Oysters on the Half Shell: Pickled Onion Mignonette, Smoked Jalapeno Salsa, Kimchi Elote
Smoked Salsa Macha with Beef Tallow: Guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles, lime, soy, garlic, onion, pepitas, and pecans

The pop-up is part of LeRoy’s tour for his new book, New School Barbecue: Recipes for Next-Level Smoking and Grilling, which he co-wrote with Texas Monthly restaurant critic Paula Forbes. Released this week, the book contains almost 100 recipes for mains, sides, and desserts.

LeRoy & Lewis Evan Leroy ATX Evan LeRoy is coming to Houston this weekend. Photo by Briana Balducci

“Lucas asked me to participate in a crawfish boil this year, and it happened to line up with the release of the book, so I said yes,” LeRoy tells CultureMap. “The event format centers around a crawfish boil, along with some fried items and oysters, so it doesn't necessarily reflect the recipes in the book. Instead, we decided to bring a few dishes we’ve been working on over the past year or so, including the brisket and cheddar croquettes — which will definitely make it into my next cookbook.”

McKinney has already hosted pop-ups with the likes of ChòpnBlọk chef-owner Ope Amosu and Mike Pham of Trill Burgers.

“With these crawfish boils, I want each chef to bring their own perspective and let the menu reflect their personal style of cooking,” McKinney adds. “Events like this are really centered around community, collaboration, and introducing something fresh and exciting to Houston each time.”

LeRoy and Lewis has earned wide acclaim for its “new school” barbecue. In addition to being one of only four Texas barbecue joints to hold a Michelin star, it ranked No. 2 on Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s 50 best barbecue joints. McKinney began patronizing the restaurant when his friend, pitmaster Cole Parkman, worked there.

“It’s incredibly good,” McKinney says. “Eating there feels like they’re telling you, ‘I know you think you like brisket, but this is what you should really like.’ I really respect that they’ve planted their feet firmly in the ground and committed to doing things differently. It all makes so much sense — and it’s delicious.”

Reservations (free) are required to attend the Backyard Boil at Josephine’s; both 2 pm and 4 pm seatings are available. Attendees will purchase food and drinks a la carte. Josephine’s regular menu will not be available at the pop-up. Copies of New School Barbecue will also be available for purchase.

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