The Ames Famous Superdog has been capturing hearts on Welch Ave since 2003. An all-beef hotdog on top of a hoagie roll, a piece of crispy bacon, a slice of cheese, slathered with 5 different sauces (pineapple sauce, ketchup, mustard, garlic cilantro sauce, and special sauce), and finished off with potato chips. It’s an unforgettable burst of flavor and texture.
Blame it on the college nostalgia, my husband had been talking about the Ames Superdog like it was the holy grail of all hotdogs since I met him. When I finally got to try one, I saw the appeal right away. He went to Iowa State University in Ames, IA in the late 2000’s to early 2010’s and after late nights of not studying, would hit up the famous food stand on Welch Ave on his way home.
The food stand continued to serve Superdogs for several years but then shutdown for 3 years according to the Iowa State Daily. Now under new ownership, the stand is back and serving Welch Ave again. I highly recommend trying the original for yourself sometime if you find yourself in Ames!
What’s in an Ames Famous Superdog?
All-beef hotdog. We like to buy the extra-large dogs.
Hoagie rolls. You’ll need the extra real-estate to keep all the toppings on. Trust me.
Pineapple Sauce. A simple combo of canned crushed pineapple, lemon juice, brown and white sugars, cornstarch, and salt is simmered until it thickens up.
Garlic Cilantro Sauce. Another easy to throw together sauce. Blend up some sour cream, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, and salt.
Bacon. Because it really does make everything better.
Ketchup, Mustard, Sliced Monterrey Jack (or Pepper Jack) Cheese, Ruffles. Party pantry staples!
Secret Sauce. I tend to skip this one because there is so much going on already!
Ames Famous Superdog (Copycat Recipe)
Ingredients
Pineapple Sauce
- 1 20oz can crushed pineapple
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 TBSP cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
Garlic Cilantro Sauce
- 8 oz sour cream
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- salt to taste
Superdogs
- 8 ¼ lb all-beef jumbo hotdogs, grilled
- 8 hoagie rolls (or extra-large hotdog buns)
- 8 slices Monterrey Jack or pepper Jack cheese, cut in half
- 8 slices thick bacon, cooked until crispy
- ketchup
- mustard
- 1 bag Ruffles potato chips
Instructions
Make the Pineapple Sauce
- In a medium sized saucepan, combine all the pineapple sauce ingredients and stir until mixed. Heat over medium low until simmering, continue to simmer 15-20 min or until the sauce has thickened. It should be about the consistency of a chunky salsa.
Make the Cilantro Garlic Sauce
- In a small food processor or blender, combine all the cilantro garlic sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth. It should be about the consistency of an aioli.
Superdog Assembly
- On an open bun, spread ketchup on one side of the open face and mustard on the other side. Line it with the cheese slice, add your all-beef hot dog.
- Place the slice on bacon on top of the dog, spoon the cilantro garlic sauce and pineapple sauce over the meat.
- Grab a handful of Ruffles, crumble them slightly in your hands before sprinkling them over top. Find some napkins, enjoy!
Anjouli is a Midwestern farmwife and mom to two little boys. By day she works within the Healthcare industry and by night she’s always trying something new in the kitchen. Follow along to see what she’s feeding her farmers!
