EASY EATS: Dayton.com gets Bad Dog delivered

By: Vivienne Machi, Staff Writer

You should have been in the office the day that Bad Dog Nice Taco dropped the bomb that their gourmet dogs, tacos, and more would soon be available for delivery. The Dayton.com team went a little nuts.

Bad Dog Nice Taco, which launched as a small food cart in July selling natural all-beef hot dogs and chips with a variety of gourmet and homemade toppings and sides, has become a staple outside of Toxic Brew Company on weekend nights to provide the most guilt-free drink food you can find, while still eating, you know, hot dogs and mac ‘n’ cheese.

And since Sept. 28, the small team has begun delivering an expanded menu throughout the downtown Dayton area between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. with a $25 minimum order.

Bad Dog Nice Taco Nachos with chorizo and more deliciousness. Photo source: Facebook.

Needless to say, it was a struggle for us to wait to try out the new delivery system until there came a day where we were ALL in the office for lunch. But when that day came, boy, were we excited. To streamline your delivery process, here’s how it went down.
Screencap of our email order to Bad Dog Nice Taco. Yes, you can start drooling. VIVIENNE MACHI / STAFF

We may have spent a good part of the morning poring over the menu. Should we all get tots? What if I want hot dogs and tacos? Why is the Magic Mac the plain mac n’ cheese, while the Mac Mac is the crazy one with chorizo, feta, and chimichurri?

Once the orders were finally straight, it was time to call Bad Dog to put in our order. Here’s hoping our nine-person order wasn’t too complicated!

In the interest of clarity, Bad Dog co-founder Brian Johnson recommended we email our order to baddogdayton@gmail.com instead. Makes sense. We had a lot of dogs, tacos, tots and mac to keep straight.

Voila! Order sent, now to wait hungrily for the food to arrive. Our order did take a bit longer than the half hour we were told, but hey, it was two days into the new delivery service and our order was big. We didn’t worry about it.
Our order, all laid out, miraculously still to be devoured. ANDREW SMITH / STAFF

When it did arrive though, in over a dozen white food boxes stacked inside a cardboard carrier box with delectable scents you could smell from a mile away, it took all of our self restraint to wait and take photos before we dove in. You’re welcome.
Crazy Tater Tots. Seriously, they'll drive you crazy. ANDREW SMITH / STAFF

Easily the big winners of the Dayton.com lunch were the Crazy Tater Tots ($8). Not only are the tots tossed in bacon drippings to start, but then more bacon is added on top. How could anything be better? The Belle of Dayton-made mayo, Toxic Brew Company creamy mustard and scallions take the tots to the next level. Those of us who didn’t order them ourselves must apologize to our coworkers who did — we ended up stealing half their boxes.
The Veg Head Dog and the Slawtered Tacos from Bad Dog Nice Taco. ANDREW SMITH / STAFF

Really, any hot dog you get will be delicious, whether you go with a specialty dog or choose your own three gourmet toppings. We especially loved the Veg Head ($6), which tops the Keener Farms’ grass-fed all-beef dog with whipped feta — seriously could just eat that stuff with a spoon all day — smoked peach hot sauce, and chimichurri, a South American-based sauce made with parsley, cilantro, garlic and other herbs and spices. For the tacos, the Slawtered ($6) stood out: gotta love that chorizo with green Sriracha sauce, crispy red slaw and of course, that heavenly whipped feta.
The Mac Mac from Bad Dog Nice Taco, pictured with a Spice Addict Dog. VIVIENNE MACHI / STAFF

And then we had to admit, “plain” though it was, the Magic Mac ($6) made with bacon roux, cheddar and parmesan was actually pretty magical. But then how to describe the Mac Mac ($9)? Saintly? Breathtaking? We knew ahead of time that adding chorizo, feta, chimichurri and scallions would be delish, but this mac had us licking the container.

If you’re looking for a quick cheap treat, the Bad Nachos ($3) are crispy and come with your choice of three toppings. Not too shabby!

Full disclaimer: Consuming Bad Dog Nice Taco at work may cause you to want to nap the rest of the day away. But it’s worth it. Maybe next time, we won’t get a hot dog, nachos, and the Mac Mac, but for the sake of science and journalism, it’s a sacrifice well made.

So on those days where you don’t feel like making lunch, grab a friend or a coworker, snag the menu off of Facebook, and treat yourself to a super-quality, delicious meal delivered straight to your work’s door.
What are you waiting for? Get your lunch order now! Photo source: Facebook.

Find out how to order delish, quality, food coma-inducing fare for your lunch via Bad Dog Nice Taco’s Facebook.