Botsky’s

I ate the Alligator sausage dog on a white bun with Cajun sauerkraut and spicy mustard. It was very good, but not over the top in any way. For me it has to be over the top for a $ 15 hotdog meal. The others in my party all had the smoked sausage. They all seemed to enjoy it. A couple them were missing a ordered condiment, but once brought to the cooks attention it was quickly made right. This is a small downtown restaurant with modern décor. Overall good experience, but I personally feel it’s an overpriced meal.

Good hot dogs, good toppings… My husband ordered the Alligator sausage and said it was only «ok», kind of tough and without much flavor. Otherwise, everything was very good.

Wow what a gem!
I love spontaneous roadtrip adventures. I’m so glad I decided to check out Botsky’s when I stopped in Lake Charles for a quick lunch break on my last trip from Texas to Florida.
The restaurant is located in downtown Lake Charles. The ambiance is very industrial, modern, and hip. I certainly didn’t feel I was in a small southern town when I stepped foot in this eatery. Service was super friendly. I chatted with the owner who also made me my hotdog.
The ordering process is easy. You get to choose from six types of sausages, two types of buns, over twenty options for toppings, and ten different sauces. I settled on a duck sausage dog with apple brandy, teriyaki, Asian slaw, shrooms, and Sriracha. I have to say this duck sausage dog is one of the best I’ve ever had! The portion is huge. I was stuffed after finishing just one dog. I also really wanted to try the alligator sausage dog topped with a fried egg (hmmm!) but was too full. After this superb dining experience, I was recharged and ready to hit the road again.
I’m not sure when I’ll come back to Lake Charles, LA. If I ever do, Botsky’s will be my first stop. It doesn’t matter if you are a local or just a traveler passing through like myself, check out this cool spot and get yourself a hotdog! When they say premium sausage and gourmet hotdog, they aren’t joking! It’s the best indeed!
I’m a fan.

Try everything here, but especially the «specialty» dogs they rotate on the menu.

For high quality premium hot dogs, it doesn’t get any better than this…
Coming from a well traveled Hot Dog connoisseur

Nothing horrible to report but nothing great either. I ordered a beef hot dog with cheese, kraut and mustard. As well a side of fries with a glass of water. Cost $ 10.
Fries were pre-​frozen, not fresh cut. I ate a few fries to start, by the time I hit to the hot dog it was close to cold. Skin on hot dog was a bit tough.
Nothing gourmet about it but well above a convenience store dog..
Would I go there again? Yes.
Would I go out of me way, even more than a little. Not likely.

I have been to hot dog only restaurants before and this did not stand out as anything special.
The service was ok. The prices were a little too high though. Just not somewhere I’d drive to lake Charles for.

Been a awhile since I have stopped in Lake Charles and had found Botskys. We had ordered the Foie Gras Brats and Kobe beef dog. To die for. I love the buns that they have them in, sweet and soft. My husband thought it was ridiculous to pay over $ 35 for 2 dogs, 2 fries and drinks but after he tasted it, he said it was so worth it. Especially since they have a huge list of topping

Gotta rein in the hype. One, logistics: That piled high hot dog looks damn excellent until it rams itself into the too-​small hole that is your mouth, thereby sacrificing all the potential for amazing flavor combinations and instead being relegated to a hot dog with toppings salad on the side. Two, flavor: pork and alligator taste eerily similar when crammed into casing and rolled around on a grill.
It may sound like a good idea, but after spending eleven bucks (without a drink) only to realize that you’re still hungry after eating a single hot dog with some fries that wasn’t any more satisfying a hot dog than a gas station roller dog that can be had for less than 2 dollars… even your beard might be a little disappointed for the experience.

Beef frank, wheat bun, chili, cheddar cheese, sauerkraut and mustard… that’s how I roll. My husband’s choice is odd by my standards. He goes for a Kobe beef frank, ketchup, mustard, sweet relish, onion, and here’s where it gets weird, pineapple. I only like pineapple anchoring my upside-​down cake, thank you. I observed a kid chowing down on a dog loaded with Mac ‘n cheese that looked like comfort food on a bun. I might have to give that one a try next time! Oh the fries… how can I forget? The fries are crisply outstanding. Sweet potato fries are a great option.
I have never been disappointed in a dog from Botsky’s.

Came here with the wife and kiddo, great little place with a real chilled out feel. Great choices on everything from the meat to the bun to the toppings to the condiments. The fries were great too. Really enjoyed this place a lot, would definatly come back.

Yes, hot dogs have become horribly hipster as of late and where the beards and irony are thickest you are sure to find someone topping a mediocre dog with a whole range of toppings. Don’t get me wrong there’s nothing wrong with this trend particularly if you’re a fan of «meat in tube form». The problem is that most of these places are pretty underwhelming with toppings better than the hot dog.
The Grub: Botsky’s does not fall into this trap. These are some stellar dogs with options such as beef, alligator, turkey, smoked sausage and kobe beef, every one is absolutely delicious. They don’t skimp on the topping either. Everything about these dogs is quality delciousness. Bonus: they also have some pretty kick ass fries both regular and sweet potato. That in itself is pretty impressive considering most places only get one or the other right but not both. They also have some decent beers on tap, mostly Abita products when I visited.
The Little Things: The place is located in an old parking garage and has a fun, open, industrial vibe. The service was top notch with friendly staff willing to help you narrow your options. Also, be sure to enjoy the hot dog themed drawings on the napkin holders. Seriously, they’re pretty entertaining.
The Wrap: Casual dining in this neck of the woods is pretty thin on the ground, you’ve got chains and sub par cajun. This should be you go to place in Lake Charles/​Sulphur.

Who doesn’t love a hotdog? This place has a hotdog for all your cravings. They offer a variety of hot dog meats including alligator. Geaux Louisiana!!!
The food came out quick and hot and it really is a «craft» hotdog. They have an assortment of toppings and like the sign in the restaurant says, «If you love the topping choices in real life, you might like it in hotdog wonderland.» Go crazy with the toppings. Make the hotdog yours.
One last thing, craft beer at a reasonable price! Hurry. Go. If you’re in Lake Charles, this is the place you have to stop at.

Really great little place with a cool industrial vibe. Easy to get to off of 1 – 10 if you are passing through town as we were. It’s a make your own hot dog place with a variety of wieners (even an alligator dog!), toppings and sauces. They also have suggestions too. My fave was the international with Kobe frank, avocado, Asian slaw and chipotle mayo. Yummmmmm. The buns are better than normal – more hearty and a sweet taste. Also had the sweet potato fries – very good. A little pricey for hot dogs. For 5 hot dogs and one order of sweet potato fries was $ 44. But truthfully, it was really worth it!

We brought a group of friends here while visiting Lake Charles and looking for something different. We were not disappointed. The menu choices are fun and we decided on a beef hotdog topped with asian slaw, pineapple, and siracha (perfect flavor combo) and a turkey hotdog topped with chili, Mac and cheese, and chipotle mayo (fork needed). Both were awesome. The service was friendly as well.

Wow. Delicious hot dogs. We almost missed the storefront because we thought it was a garage entrance. Add ANYTHING you want to your dog, as no matter what you add, it will ALL taste good. Mac n cheese, BBQ sauce, pineapple, bacon,… yes theyALL work… my son tried them and LOVED them. What a great enterprise… don’t pass this one by!

Great Kobe beef hot dogs and friendly service with a smile. The chili is very good and so is the sauerkraut, both of which taste homemade. The toppings are creative and varied. A welcome addition to the Lake Charles restaurant scene. Expect to pay more but you’re getting a premium product, not a fast food assembly line one.

Been here a few times and it’s one of those places I really love…
Let me tell you something about myself:
I LOVE anywhere that gives me a million different ways to customize my food. Options make me tick like nothing else.
This place gives you the option of «dogs»
* Beef
* Turkey
* Alligator sausage
* Smoked sausage
* Kobe (sadly, the beef… And not the beef of the basketball player)
Then on top of that you can top it with:
Pineapple, fried egg, mac and cheese, chili, sauerkraut, bacon, bleu cheese, Cajun sauerkraut, chipotle mayo, Sriracha, grilled onions, onions… Basically, you name it. They even give you options on fries — regular or sweet potato.
I’ve been here numerous times and it never fails.
Honestly, I’m not someone who loves hot dogs… However, it’s great for when you want to do something different and you want to be impressed. Haven’t brought a friend yet that didn’t love it… I’m sure you will as well.

My husband and I wanted a unique place to try while we were in Lake Charles for the day before our movie, and the 5 star ratings on Unilocal of course caught my eye. My husband and I have always been hotdog fans (nothing gourmet really, embarrassed to admit that historically we were frequenters of movie hotdogs) but recently had a not so exciting try at «gourmet» hotdogs in Baton Rouge. The reviews for Botsky’s seemed to be very generous, so we decided to give it a try.
Even before we walked in, I was impressed. The outside was very clean and simple with the image of a Jackeloupe that read «Botsky’s Premium Hotdogs» and a few table options outside that were classic with handmade copper tops. I was even more intrigued when we entered, and I heard the modern day music and saw the open kitchen right there in front of you. It’s always nice when a kitchen has nothing to hide, so you know they are on their best game as far as cleanliness.
They did have some great options or suggestions you could say of hotdogs, but I was pleasantly surprised that their menu was really a create your own. Several meat options including regular beef, Kobe beef, veggie, alligator, and one or two more. We stuck with basic beef then chose wheat bread with the other options being white or cabbage for those avoiding carbs perhaps. I have said before that I love crunchy things, so I was pleasantly surprised that the bread was not only warm but toasted on all sides.
All toppings I had hoped would be crispy were… bacon and coleslaw were crunchy and just right. We each chose a variety of toppings with many being $ 0.10 including about 6 shredded cheese options, and bacon being of the more expensive at $ 1.00 for a full slice (not too shabby really). The topping options were very difficult to choose between as they were all really yummy options. They also had sauce options, such as chipotle mayo that sounded yummy, but I had to resist since I had already chosen chili.
We also chose my fave sweet potato fries and a couple of Abita beers on tap, which I was very impressed to see as I’ve grown to love local businesses that also support local businesses. Overall, the restaurant itself was very clean and quaint feeling somewhat like Raising Cane’s with all the nostalgic photos and original artwork on the walls.
We were also lucky to have met the owner while we were there and shared with him how impressed we were with the food and general set-​up of his restaurant. He was humbled and very polite, and we definitely meant what we said that we would love to have a Botsky’s open up in Baton Rouge and assured him the LSU area would be a perfect fit. We unfortunately don’t head to Lake Charles to dine very often, so if you’re someone who does, you have to check it out! Please have a delicious dog and Abita on tap for me when you do!

Ok.. so.. the kids asked why we drove all this way off the highway for a hotdog. Until they realized they could put mac and cheese on a beef frank. And my husband asked them to do a chefs choice.. they made him a fantastic dog with alligator, red beans with sausage and half a dozen other toppings. He loved it.
One of our party thought the Italian dog was a little dry. The cajun slaw was zippy and the set potato fries are awesome with the Steens.
Great small eatery vibe, great attitude. Clean and they didn’t care that we were showing up 30 minutes before they closed.
We’ll be back. :-)