Garage Dogs

Too bad that this place is CLOSED!
Two nice people Ron and Jennifer gave it their all!

RIP to the Ripper! We heard the place closed so we stopped by to check it out and sure enough, the sign on the front was removed. There was no signage from the owners on the doors or windows. Sad to see it go away.
Loved their Chicago Dog. Anyone who is a dog fan could order a MRO with cheese (mustard, relish, onion) or CCO (chili, cheese, onion). Always great food.

Came by for some lunch. This place has a theme of an automotive repair shop, with terms like «lubricants» instead of «drinks.»
Ordered the Garage Dog Foot Long and Tater Tots. The Garage Dog was okay. I’ve had better, as far as gourmet hot dog goes. The tater tots were decent. I also had the opportunity to try the Chilli Cheese Fries and the Garlic Fries. The chilli cheese fries had way too much cheese. The garlic fries were tasty though!

Good dog, good crunch on the casing, fresh toppings, and enjoyable sweet potato fries. Noted many hamburger orders being prepared. Clean place, nice helpful counter helper, indoor and outdoor (front and back) eating.

I was prompted to try this place due to the 50% of the second dog advertised on Unilocal.So, my GF got a hamburger instead and asked if they could still give us a little discount. The owner/​manager was within ear shot, but the girl went to ask him. It’s really OK that they didn’t honor that, it WAS for the 2^nd dog, not a burger.
The fact that the owner didn’t take three steps over to handle it himself, a bit off-​putting. I’d never run a business that way, knowing full well customer service means everything!!!
I would not go back because of the poor service by the owner, however my GF likes the food so we shall return.

On a brief visit to SD, we spontaneously Unilocal’ed a lunch spot and Garage Dogs popped up. We decided to try Garage Dogs because it had 4.5 stars and it was a mile & a half away from our hotel. I’m not really a hot dog fan so I opted for the Veggie Dog ($ 3.95) and my brother’s girlfriend got the Camaro ($ 4.95) (
) with garlic ranch fries ($ 2.50). My brother and his friend ordered the Garage Dog & the GTO. We all pretty much thought our hot dogs were OK, nothing spectacular, and not something we can’t get anywhere in NorCal. Sadly, the ranch fries were the tastiest of the bunch.
For the amount of time we had to wait to get our food (about 10 minutes), I would’ve thought that our hotdog buns would at least be toasted (but it wasn’t). The hotdog itself was room temperature and it didn’t really taste like it was freshly cooked. I’ve had my fair share of veggie hotdogs and veggie patties and Garage Dog’s taste was mediocre.
Price-​wise it was reasonable because we got the BOGO ½ off Unilocal Deal for checking in but if we had to pay regular price for the hotdogs, I don’t think it would have been worth it. I really didn’t think the hot dogs were anything special and I would even go so far to say that I’d rather have a $ 1.50 Costco hotdog.
Customer service was so-​so. The guy behind the counter didn’t seem like he knew his stuff either; he didn’t know the toppings they offered completely and we ended up having to list exactly what toppings we wanted on our hotdogs (instead of what we didn’t want which was just onions and mustard…)

Oh yeah… good food makes a home. Dipped into Garage Dogs during a walk around town, and it was worth a trip. The place is tiny and that’s fine. I like to see my dollars going towards ingredients and happy staff than real estate.
The gourmet dogs are named after classic cars and I got the Cobra; a bacon-​wrapped beauty framed in a toasty bun and topped with cheese and grilled onions. I don’t know if it’s intentional, but they slather on a runny black BBQ sauce that resembles sweet motor oil. Fries were crispy and well seasoned. Not so thick that you get tired of starch. Just right.
Great dogs, friendly staff, and a great price. I just moved here and Garage Dogs is like a warm welcome: «Welcome to Thousand Oaks, we’ll keep you fed.»
Now when people come visit, I can act like a cool local and introduce them to GD.

We came here today to check out this happenin’ place — we’ve been hearing rumblings about how this place serves really delicious hot dogs, so wanted to give it a try. It didn’t disappoint!
My husband and I ordered the following:
Garage dog (foot long) — bacon wrapped all beef hot dog, mustard, mayo, ketchup, jalapeños grilled peppers & onions. It’s unusual to have a hot dog wrapped in bacon, so that was a novelty. I would have preferred no mayo, but my husband loves all the toppings.
Gran Torino dog (foot long) — all beef dog w/​neon relish, onions, mustard, tomato, sport peppers, pickle spear, celery salt on a poppy seed bun. I learned that neon relish is basically relish, but with a super neon green color. The combination of toppings made it taste fresh and appetizing. If the dog didn’t have toppings, it’d probably just taste like any ordinary hot dogt? :)
Sweet potato fries — soft, sweet and good. Was expecting it to be a bit crispy/​stiff in texture, but since we ordered to-​go, by the time we brought it home, it was a lil’ soggier than usual.
Overall, very friendly service, nice people, and good hot dogs! Glad to know it’s part of the Thousand Oaks neighborhood. :)

Some friends took me here for dinner for a belated birthday gift. As I looked up at their board, I was fascinated. The place does Burgers and Dogs. They’ve got several burger options, and an even bigger hot dog menu. Apparently their «thing» is their gourmet hot dogs. Their theme is cars, and all their hot dogs are named after various models & makes of classic American muscle cars. So they had a big list of cars with descriptions next to them. I must admit, I loved the theme.
My friends ordered hot dogs & fries, and they both showed me a bingo card that they were trying to complete. (Apparently Bingo = a free T-​shirt.) Unfortunately, the hot dog I ordered did not mark off any boxes they hadn’t already marked off. I figured I’d start by ordering the hot dog with my own vehicle’s name, the Camaro. I opted for the foot-​long version. After we ordered, we sat and waited for a bit. Their inside seating area is a bit cramped. The dogs came out on a tray, and we moved outside to their tables.
My Camaro was gargantuan. The sausage-​sized foot long hot dog was buried under the condiments that had been put on it. Shredded cheddar cheese blanketed the whole thing. As I bit into it, I discovered chili, onions & mustard in there also. It was quite good, and I was glad we ate outside, as the ground beneath me got a healthy share of the cheese as it fell off while I ate it.
My friends offered me a taste of their onion rings & garlic fries. Both were quite good. The onion didn’t come out of the ring on the first bite, and the garlic fries were seasoned and quite garlic tasting. My compliments to the chef. I left that place full after one hot dog.
All in all, I was glad I came here. My knowledge of Thousand Oaks eateries are very limited, and I’m happy I’ve got people who can show me around. I’ll try to get back here.

My weekend whip, the Gran Torino!- all beef steamed dog, comes with a blend of neon relish, onions, mustard, tomato, sport peppers, pickle spear, celery salt on a poppy seed bun. No single ingredient ever overpowered the others and my consumption was rapid! The garlic ranch fries are flavorful, not heavy at all, the empty tray had very little trace of oil.
This place gets busy, idle time is minimal at the register, staff is efficient and very friendly –they get those dogs out of the garage HOT!, food is made to order.

This is a review of lunch at Garage Dogs with a friend.
I was in Thousand Oaks for the annual family holiday gathering. A friend, who I had not seen in years, was coming up for lunch. Being the suburb that it is, TO is a bastion of national chains. I didn’t want to hit one of those. So, off to Unilocal I went. I was thoroughly happy when I spotted Garage Dogs.
The staff was very friendly. Upon taking our order, she was very upbeat and helpful.
The restaurant is clean. It is small with just a few tables and has a car based theme. But it is pretty basic.
Our order was quickly taken. We grabbed a seat. Not much long after, our big tray of food was ready for consumption.
I ordered the Camaro dog, the Western burger, and the tots. My friend ordered the Mustang. It looked good but not as good as my Camaro. That makes sense though. A Mustang has never looked as good as a Camaro.
Camaro (dog, chii, cheese) — This is a real hot dog. I went for the foot-​long. It was a dog with snap, a nice chili, and lots of real cheese. I added some red and yellow to it and it was a big go. I loved it. I can’t say it was the absolute best dog I’ve ever devoured but I certainly have zero complaints.
Western Burger (bacon, cheddar cheese, onion rings & BBQ sauce) — This was a decent burger. But there was a hitch or two. It was cooked beyond the requested medium rare. It was pretty much medium well. Plus, I simply didn’t like the BBQ sauce. It is one of the risks of previously adding a custom sauce. I ate the burger. But I can’t say I enjoyed it that much.
Tater tots — Tots rock the house and their tots were just right. Crispy crunchy nuggets of potato goodness.
Mustang Dog — This was some sort of dog with what looked to be grilled onions.
Overall — Even though the burger missed the mark by a bit; the dog, tots, concept, and friendly staff made up for it. This was a 3.5 but I spotted them the extra half a star. If I lived there, I would go quite often. I am sure I would be holding rallies though protesting the fact they close at 7 pm.

another great addition to the conejo area. Garage Dogs has an extensive menu that will surely satisfy everyone. Even better, you can opt to have a foot long version of any of their signature dogs if you’re really hungry!
Since I work in Westlake, this is a much shorter drive than all the way to the valley. Garage Dogs eases my hunger pains for Fab’s. i still like Fab’s better due to their increased variety and «snappier”/saltier dog, but Garage Dogs does it right! Looking forward to see if they will experiment and expand the menu!

Excellent. Great variety of dogs and burgers. Fast friendly service.
I had the Camaro, an all beef dog with chili, shredded cheddar, onions and mustard. It was large, with great ingredients, and was very tasty.
Seating is minimal, but adequate if you avoid prime meal times.

Let me just say that I am not a hot dog consumer. This was the first time in literally years since I had eaten a hot dog, and I was impressed!
I had a mustang dog, which was a little spicy and a little sweet at the same time — very good combo. I felt the regular size dog was just enough for me.
Do not miss the garlic ranch fries! They are very crispy with just the right amount of garlic, delicious when paired with the ranch dipping sauce.
Service is pleasant and quick. Will definitely come back and will try the burgers next time.
Note: There is a parking lot in the back!

Chili Cheese Dog
Played it too safe… Ordered the «Camaro», which is beef dog with chili, cheddar, onions and mustard. Cost $ 4.95 + tax.
Best comparison would be der wienerschnitzel’s (DW) chili cheese dog:
GD ½″ inch diameter — DW ¾″ inch diameter
GD Snaps when you bit it — DW doesn’t
GD cheddar unmelted — DW melted
GD onions — couldn’t taste or see — DW on top
GD 1 @ $ 5 — DW 2 @ $ 5
Side by side, I would prefer the der wienerschnitzel dog, both because of price and melted cheese.
Enjoyed the atmosphere & how popular the place is, but I really wish I would have tried a fancier dog. Perhaps next time…

I went back to Garage Dogs and decided to have the Camaro (chili dog) but substituted the coney dog with the deep fried dog. This time around I also tried the sweet potato fries and those too were perfectly cooked! Excellent choice if I do say myself! Again, fresh ingredients, lots of flavor, and a really friendly owner made for another excellent experience at Garage Dogs.

Garage Dogs is a solid, gourmet hot dog restaurant in Thousand Oaks, across the street from 24 Hour Fitness. Any business with the balls to open a restaurant «outside the box» in the sterile Conejo Valley, I’ll give thumbs up to. That being said, the food is solid, but slightly missed the mark of some of the competition in Los Angeles. The hot dog itself was excellent. Not salty, well cooked, with a nice snap to it. My Chicago Dog had authentic ingredients, from the correct relish and peppers to the poppyseed bun. My only complaint is the bread to meat/​topping ratio. Garage Dogs uses a smaller size dog, which, in my humble opinion, can be overshadowed by the bun and topping. At $ 4.50, it may be a consideration, but won’t stop me from returning.

I heard about this place from one of my buddies at the gym. Finding a good hot dog place is always a challenge. Well, Thousand Oaks now has a world class hot dog shop.
I had the Grand Torino Chicago Dog. Absolutely the best! Nuff said, check it out for yourself!

Hands down the BEST hot dogs I’ve ever eaten in California. Their Chicago style dog is made exactly how it should be — FINALLY! I created my own hot dog the other day with green chilis, pinto beans, shredded cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and onions. DEE-​LISH!!!
The onion rings, garlic fries, and sweet potato fries are also super good. I will visit this place again and again and again. ..

Huge Sausage! Spicy… with a nice snap with my first bite. I got a Spicy Polish Sausage done «Cobra Style” — BBQ sauce and grilled onions, cheese… this thing had my mouth on fire and the BBQ sauce was a nice touch to cool it down. I really wish the meat was juicy inside it was the only thing lacking in this great dog. I love my wieners juicy. ;) I will be back to try out an all beef chili cheese dog.
It’s great to see Thousand Oaks opening up a good non-​chain hot dog place. Since I’m a hot dog fiend, I’m always looking for a great dog and with Carneys, The Slaw Dogs and Uncle Ced’s as my favorite go– to places out in the Valley. I think this place was much needed out in TO.
Parking is easy on the street, it’s located directly across the street from 24 hour fitness. Small inside with a few tables and two tables on the outside.