BBQ on a hot dog? That’s on the menu at a new food cart-turned-restaurant in Durham
A family-owned side gig will soon become the newest hot dog stand in Durham.
The pandemic-born food truck QueDogs will launch its first brick-and-mortar this spring, taking over a longtime hot dog shack in the Lakewood Shopping Center.
Best known for pairing North Carolina favorites — pork barbecue and wieners — on a single hot dog bun, QueDogs is owned by sister and brother Kathryn Johnson Thompson and Patrick Johnson, and their father, Harold Johnson. Kathryn and Patrick continue to work full-time jobs, while Harold Johnson has retired.
“This has grown beyond our wildest dreams,” Thompson said. “We have a spirit of gratefulness; people seem excited about us getting a place of our own.”
The brand was a back-burner dream for the family until the pandemic hit in 2020. Spare time turned into a side gig, with QueDogs setting up outside popular Triangle breweries and office complexes, slinging satisfying hot dog combinations, with pork barbecue and a complex chili as favorites.
The barbecue side of QueDogs is the work of Harold Johnson, who uses a family recipe passed down by a great-aunt, Thompson said.
“It’s a secret recipe for the barbecue we use; no one in the family knows why (my maternal great aunt) gave it to my father, but she did,” Thompson said. “That’s been the house secret for several years.”
The other secret is QueDogs’ chili, which Thompson said is often the subject of inquiry.
“People can’t figure it out,” Thompson said. “Of course we can’t tell you (what’s in it).... We’re successful because the product is extraordinary.”
The shack in the Lakewood Shopping Center has been a hot dog destination for years, most recently as Citi Dogs and The Dog House before that. But it’s been vacant for at least three years, Thompson said, and will take a few months to revive.
QueDogs anticipates a spring 2024 opening, possibly as early as mid-April. The new hot dog spot joins other recent additions to Lakewood’s restaurant options, including Lakewood Social and Lula & Sadie’s, which debuted last year.
Thompson said QueDogs will remain walk-up only and likely won’t have outdoor seating, but does plan to host live music in the future.
This story was originally published January 5, 2024 at 2:51 PM.
