Cathy Phillips

Joe Kahn is at it again--and that's a good thing. With Barrio taquería locations up and running in Tremont and Lakewood, the Cleveland-area restaurateur has turned his sights to his newest venture: an eatery featuring gourmet hot dogs, whiskey, and craft beer.

A joint venture with business partner Joe Longo, Whiskey Dogg opened just last month in North Olmsted where The 2nd Floor Lounge operated previously. The space has been revamped and outfitted with the sort of high-energy, eclectic artwork that characterizes both Barrio restaurants—this time courtesy of local artists Lindsey Pilko and Pat Finegan.

Chef Jessie Parker heads up the kitchen, turning out scratch-made condiments and sauces such as house ketchup and beer-infused cheddar cheese sauce. He also developed the menu of gourmet dogs, which includes a dog of the month plus fourteen house specials. "I have to give him credit—he came up with some pretty good ones," says Kahn. This month's dog special is topped with a tasty combination of house-made ketchup, cottage cheese, and crispy fried onions.

Whiskey Dogg's gourmet creations start with out-sized wieners from Cleveland's Five Star Meats. "They're a lot bigger than your normal dog," says Kahn. The restaurant heats them and then flash-fries them to give them a nice touch of crispness—a wonderful contrast to the juicy interior. And if meat's not your thing, a vegan-friendly dog can be substituted.

Wonderful challah buns from the West Side Market are pillowy soft yet substantial enough to coddle a hot dog loaded with toppings. Fresh-cut sea salt and black pepper fries ($2; $3 with chili), coleslaw, and house-made sauces round out the accompaniments.

The well-stocked bar features five craft brews on tap as well as another three dozen in bottles and cans, but the house specialty is whiskey: over three dozen choices ($3-$11) hailing from Ireland, Scotland, and the good old U.S. of A., including nineteen barrel-aged bourbons. Can't decide? Try a three-shot "flight" of Old Overholt, Old Crow, and Old Grand-Dad ($6).

Hand-crafted whiskey cocktails include the "Simon Pure," with Jim Beam, ginger beer, and freshly-muddled basil and blueberries ($6); the "Doc Holiday," with American rye whiskey, cherry bitters, citrus soda, and a sugar cube ($5); and the dessert-like "Tombstone," whiskey-fortified root beer (or is it root beer-fortified whiskey?) with a splash of vanilla ($6).

Look for special deals during the weekday happy hour.

Nearly all of the house dogs clock in at $4—a real bargain considering their size. Finishing more than one can be a real challenge, as we discovered on our recent lunch visit. We gamely sampled our way through a Slaw Dogg, with house coleslaw and beer-cheddar sauce, pickled jalapeños, and onions; the Cincinnati Skyline with chile, beer-cheddar sauce, and bacon; and a Windy City with onions, peppers, tomatoes, celery salt, poppy seeds, and a pickle spear.

All were delicious, but our favorite might have been the "Cosby," ($7) a puff-pastry wrapped behemoth that starts with a hot dog on a stick that's been encased in hamburger meat and chopped bacon. It's crispy, juicy, savory, and fabulous dipped in the house curry mayo.

Whiskey Dogg is located at 24532 Lorain Road in North Olmsted. Business hours are 11a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday, 3 p.m.-midnight Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Call 440-716-0825. Find on Facebook.