The Barking Dog

I’m in the area for a convention, so naturally, I’m looking for new restaurants near the Hampton Roads Convention Center to try. I found out about this place rather indirectly. There’s a puzzle geocache in which the solution leads to this restaurant. After finding the geocache, I went inside to try the food since I’m not one to dismiss a good lunch recommendation from people who apparently know the area.
This is one of those places that feels like a local hidden gem. There is a wide-​variety of hot dogs on the menu and strangely, they also have crab cakes. So of course, I tried the crab cake sandwich. I had no expectation that a hot dog place would make a decent crab cake sandwich but to my surprise, it was quite good. Also, their fries are seasoned with Old Bay, which is another good surprise. On a day with good weather, the ambiance is rather nice since you’re dining right next to the marina /​inlet. And finally, the service was beyond comparison. Even though it was my first time there, the restaurant owner took interest in my reason for visiting the area and made sure everything was perfect.
Only caveat is watch out the uneven surface in the parking lot, especially the part that slopes sharply towards the water.

I had the crab cake and it was awesome! The staff was very friendly and offered great suggestions for me.

In retrospect my experience at The Barking Dog, was a pretty good one. I ordered a burger with onions and cheddar cheese, and I got that exactly. My food was very good, from the burger to the fries. But as my food was well prepared and to my liking, a friend I was lunching with ordered a burger with only cheese. When her burger arrived it had ketchup on it, not being one to complain she ate the burger anyway. Also use caution when entering the parking lot, as you pull into a parking place the cement has a giant drop that could cause serious damage to your car, or person. Aside from that I had a very nice visit, and overall pleasant experience.

A little local place right on the water. Hot dogs, burgers and even fresh Tuna sandwich. Want Beer, they have over 20 types. Everything to drink comes in either bottle or can. We had a couple of burgers and fries. Lots of different types of hot dogs. Seating is outside, but under a covered area. Check out the boats in the marina.
Looking for some good simple food, stop by, you won’t regret it.

I went here with a friend after finding it on Unilocal. Wow what a great decision. It’s a beautiful view with hot fresh food!

Good food, great view, fast courteous service. A must try & I will definitly be back periodically sample the whole menu.

I got the crab cake. It was AMAZING! It was all meat, no filler. It almost defeated me, but in the end I prevailed. Not too many options for non alcoholic drinkers. Drink safe tap water, cans of a few coke products, tea, etc. However many beer options. About 30 + different beers. Including local beer options. However not my thing. Water for me please.
My bodies were here once before and they told me the clam strips were huge, and they weren’t kidding.
Friendly waitress, quick service, food came promptly. Definitely a good place to eat.

I had a hankering for a hot dog (yes…that’s a thing). So I looked up gourmet dogs on Unilocal,and we found our way to The Barking Dog. It’s a very small place, right on the edge of a boat storage facility. It’s definitely not much to look at from the outside. However, the porch seating is quite comfortable, even in the cold and rain of November.
The staff is very friendly, and helpful in explaining the menu. They have a startling large variety of beer on hand. I tried the Kolsch, and it was delicious. I had the El Diablo Dog, with the ¼ lb dog. Just the right level of spicy and not too messy. My friend had the Heartbreaker (?)…a burger with a pan fried slice of ham on it. Not exactly what he was expecting (we both were thinking pulled pork), but he said it was still very good and hit the spot.
So why not 5 stars? Well, I am a West Coast girl, so maybe I don’t get it, but they served butter with my hush puppies. Odd… but my fault for not asking, I suppose. But more it was that my friend ordered chili fries with his meal. The fries are possibly of the frozen variety, and the chili served on the side. Nothing particularly remarkable.
I’m still very glad we found this place on it travels in VA, and if I was in the area longer, I would want to go back again and again.

Quite the hidden gem! Doesn’t have much curbside appeal, but you’ll be glad that you stop by! Located right on the water, with only dockside seating, it’s a quick in-​and-​out place to grab a bite. The menu pricing is very reasonable… And has good variety for a lunchtime setting. Menu items vary from different types of hot dogs, burgers, and seafood.

Ordered the Seattle Kosher dog with their seasoned fries. I love caramelized onions, cream cheese & hot dogs– perfect combo. I was warned that the Kamikaze was as big as the Seattle so I only ordered one instead of both. I wish I had ordered the Kamikaze which is offered for a limited time. Needless to say, I will be back SOON!

One Barking Dog with mustard chili and onions and a Seattle Dog with cream cheese and Carmelized onions, sounded good on the menu and it was.
In the end the Seattle dog was excellent and while good the barking dog was not spectacular.
Pleasant staff nice outdoor seating.
Reasonable pricing.
An excellent unique quick lunch.

Hmm, unique location, next to a dry storage boat dock. Enclosed patio seating with communal patio tables. We waited and enjoyed watching the fork lift drivers place the boats in the water.
Good service, great beer choices, fabulous casual fresh tasty food. We all enjoyed the food and our water view. Definitely a fun stop.

Delicious dogs! Various toppings, snap or kosher weiners to suit your tastes. Relaxing atmosphere on the water. Service is a little slow, but not bad. Go eat here!

I took a business colleague here. It’s a different kind of place. We eat on a porch on a dock in Hampton. It’s great for something different but would be way too hot in a hot summer day.
They have hot dogs done better here. Every which way you can think of and several other creative ways.
The other food items admittedly is frozen and fried. And not my style. But then again, it is a hot dog stand glorified.
My friends love it and for an eccentric business friend, was perfect and different. To each their own.

This is a fantastic spot. The Barking Dog is what would happen if someone took Dog –n– Burger in Ghent and gave it full creative freedom. That’s not to downplay the awesomeness of DnB — I love that place. But at The Barking Dog I can get a hot dog topped with wasabi mayo and nori. That is something worth crossing the HRBT for.
I came in around 8:30. They were closing at 9. I expected them to be a little perturbed that I’d dine in so late, but they reacted opposite of that. My server was friendly, hospitable and willing to explain the menu to me. The cooks were pre-​closing but they were all smiles and didn’t hesitate to greet me while I waited. I ordered a special — the Kamikaze Dog. It was a ¼ lb wiener (I believe it was kosher, too) and was topped with wasabi mayo, grilled onions, teriyaki and nori. It was tasty, had a nice kick to it and I nearly ordered another one (I opted against it because of my lateness). I also ordered a side of fries, which were fine, but they were the basic frozen kind. They were still good, though, haha. Barking Dog stands out from DnB because they serve beer and wine (their beer and wine menu is impressive) but they serve sodas in cans (that may be a drawback if you have to pay for another, as opposed to free refills with a fountain machine).
The Barking Dog is an excellent place to dine if you’re looking for interesting takes on standard foods. I want to return soon and try a burger just to see what concepts they have executed from that respect. The waterside view is a plus, so please give it a try if/​when you have a chance. JV

Loved this place! Found it on Unilocal and it didn’t disappoint. We headed over on a Friday night and the weather was great, so of course the deck was packed; however, we only had to wait for a few minutes before squeezing in at a picnic table. Our waitress was over almost immediately, taking our beer orders and then giving us a few seconds to check out the menu.
They have a ton of «dogs» plus other sandwiches and daily additions. Great beer selection, including a lot of craft beer (all in cans). They also bring you a koozie so you can enjoy without your beer getting too hot. Brilliant!
I ordered the Carolina Drive In kosher dog, which had BBQ, slaw, and red pepper mayonnaise. I chose potato salad as my side, which was mustard-​based and actually really good. The dog was delicious, and I think just the right size for me. My guy ordered the Nacho Libre dog with fries and another Barking Dog dog. Both were really excellent, but the bacon on the Nacho Libre stole the show (so crispy!). The fries were good but not great; I’d probably ask them to cook them well done so that they are crispier next time.
All in all, great dinner and super reasonable price. Great waitress, too! We will be making it a staple of ours in the Hampton area.

Good food, chill vibes, and a great atmosphere = The Barking Dog.
I’ve been here a couple of times and haven’t had a bad experience yet. It’s a small place with outdoor seating by «the water». It’s a bit of a wait if you go during prime dining time and on a day with great weather. But they have a great little deck to wander around, and you can grab a drink first while waiting. When I went yesterday, my two friends and I only waited about 15 minutes before we got a table. I’m guessing during the summer, the wait time’s a bit more.
They have a regular menu as well as a specials menu on the wall. They have wine and beer (which they serve with koozies!). Our waitress was super cool and just a friendly lady in general, giving us suggestions and tips. They have a lot of different gourmet hot dogs and sausages/​bratwursts, along with fish tacos, hamburgers, and different seafoods. I went with the kamakazi dog, a ¼ lb kosher dog with wasabi mayo, nori, teriyaki sauce, and grilled onions. I also got a side of potato salad for $ 1 more.
We waited a little bit for our food, and I couldn’t help but notice how chill and relaxing it was here. Maybe it was being by the water, sitting at unpretentious picnic tables, or friendly smiles from families and the wait staff, but it put me in a good mood. I never once felt rushed there even with other people waiting.
The kamakazi dog was delicious. I’ve never had a gourmet hot dog with that kind of combination but it worked well. The potato salad was standard, but good. Can’t really mess that one up. One friend got the swordfish tacos, and my other friend got the north carolina bbq hot dog with grilled onions. Their food looked fantastic. I had the bbq hot dog that last time I was there, and I can tell you, it’s super well done. They put so much stuff on the hot dogs. It’s messy, but it’s well worth your money.
The price is great and a good value. I paid less than $ 10 bucks including tip and tax. If $ 10 bucks includes a great hot dog and a good mood, I’ll definetly be back.

A reason to go across the hrbt. We started off with an appetizer order of fried clams. They were delicious and large as usually fried cons are little slivers. The tartar and cocktail sauce that came with it were both good.
I had the Carolina BBQ kosher dog which was delicious. I am not usually a big fan of Carolina BBQ but mixed with the coleslaw and red pepper mayo it was super yummy. Tangy with a hint of heat perfect combo. Hot dog was fresh and so was the soft bun.
The shrimp po boy was good but the shrimp were more popcorn in size making it a bit of a challenge to eat. The sauce was delicious and it was a big serving of shrimp.
The meal was finished off with the home made banana pudding. It was creamy and not overly sweet. A delicious end to a more than fulfilling meal. Add in a tall boy for a drink and the total was only $ 25 can’t go wrong on the prices.

What can I say about this place? I cozy little mom and pops, riverside shop that kicks out some AWESOME food! We arrived and only waited less than a minute. After being seated we were greeted by our waitress with menus. She also showed us the specialty board which I always order from. I had the Kamikaze Dog with potato salad and my wife had some other dog that I forgot the name. But it looked good. It had beans on it and I believe nachos. She sure did enjoy it.
My dog was a nice size kosher dog — you have the choice between kosher or regular dogs; I recommend the kosher The toppings are unique and they have a wide variety.
One unique thing about this place is you can help yourself to the sodas that are in the «soda room» bring it back to your table and it will be added to your bill. Also they have riverside parking so you can drive your small boat right up to the place.
This is really one of the places that make Hampton such a special place to live.

Let me just say that I love! Love! Love! The Barking Dog. This little road house is down by the creek as they put it, and it serves up some of the most deliciously inventive hotdogs I have had in a long time… So good they they make you want howl at the moon with yummy delight.
I had two of their signature dogs, which I strongly suggest you do too, for by doing so, you really get the full Barking Dog experience. I started off with a Diablo Dog, a spicy masterpiece filled with cream cream, hot sauce, and jalapeños. Flamethrower love, foodies, this one is hot!!! I finished up with a Carolina Drive-​in beauty, a hotdog smothered in BBQ pulled pork and coleslaw. This last dog really did let you sample the best of both worlds.
Finally, the. Barking Dog has some very cute outdoor seating. Nothing better than sitting outside in a semi-​enclosed veranda and munching on a few tasty hotdogs while you checkout the water and a few boats. The service here is also excellent, as everyone was super friendly and went above the call of hotdog duty by helping me charge my phone and pick out a Barking Dog T-​Shirt. Their stock was a bit depleted, but the manager offered to send me the right size and style when they received their next shipment. To that and everything else about the Barking Dog, I say hotdog!!!