If you’ve been missing hot dogs and fries at “The O,” Yinzer Dogs will hit the spot.
The food truck that hit the streets of Pittsburgh last month offers hand-cut fries, locally made dogs, kielbasa and pierogies. And it’s owned by five Yinzers: radio personality Larry Richert, comedian Jim Krenn, former University of Pittsburgh and NFL quarterback Dan Marino, entrepreneur Doug Mariani and Dick Roberts, founder and owner of Roberts’ Communication.
The idea came about when Krenn, Roberts and Richert were talking about how hard it was to get a good hot dog since Essie’s Original Hot Dog Shop closed its doors in Oakland in 2020. They initially thought of a brick-and-mortar location — and they plan to open one in the Strip District later this year — when someone said, “What about a food truck?”
They decided a hot truck was the fastest way to get the business started.
Roberts, Krenn and Richert first collaborated in 2018 with former Post-Gazette editorial cartoonist Rob Rogers to launch a line of Yinzer greeting cards, followed by Pittsburgh Pot Hole Filler — freshly popped popcorn dunked in Sarris chocolate — and a line of Yinzer Pop (not soda).
Yinzer Dogs is a natural next step, Roberts said.
“Pittsburgh is the perfect place for Yinzer — the funny way people talk, funny words they use. They are not only proud of it, they can laugh about it.”
Krenn was born and raised in the Strip District and Richert in Millvale and McCandless. Roberts grew up down the road in Ligonier.
The group teamed up with Mariani, a Bloomfield native who worked for years at his family’s restaurant, Pleasure Bar, before launching a career in the food service business.
Marino, a Central Catholic High School and Pitt football star who went on to a Hall of Fame career as quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, is a “marquis Yinzer,” according to Richert.
“I remembered growing up in South Oakland and remember ‘The O’,” Marino said. “I thought it would be fun and a great opportunity to work with people I love and trust.”
Mariani handles the operations side of the business, which includes developing a menu, training the staff and ensuring that the food truck is stocked and ready to go.
“It’s all about speed and operations,” he said. “People want to get in and get out and get good food.”
The menu is “pure Pittsburgh,” with everything either made here or a special recipe designed by Mariani, his staff or suppliers.
The flagship item is the natural-casing, extra long hot dog with a proprietary blend of 70% pork and 30% beef made especially for Yinzer Dogs by Silver Star Meats in McKees Rocks. It is cooked slowly and served “bare” on a fresh bun so that customers can choose their own toppings from the DIY bar, including sliced American cheese.
Mariani is especially proud of the kielbasa: “First we use thick-cut Cellone’s Italian bread that we butter and grill. Then we butterfly and grill the kielbasa so that it has a crunchy bite to it. Top it with peppers and onions and provolone cheese and place it on the grilled bread. It’s designed to eat as is,” he said.
Side dishes include deep-fried, hand-cut and twice-cooked french fries and mini pierogies that are specially made for Yinzer Dogs by Gosia’s Pierogis. They’re deep-fried, stuffed with real mashed potatoes and cheese and topped with “Yinzer Dust,” a special blend of seasoning.
Dessert is an ice cream sandwich made from homemade cookies and high-end ice cream.
Prices range from $5 for fries to $6 for dogs and $7 for the Yinzer Bites and kielbasa.
The Yinzer Dogs food truck stops at One Oxford Center in Downtown on Wednesdays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and at 18th and East Carson streets on the South Side every Friday and Saturday from 3-9 p.m.
Yinzer Dogs will also be at the Millvale Music Festival May 17-18 and available for corporate and private events as well as catering. Check www.yinzerdogs.com for more information.
The owners plan to open their first shop, with an expanded menu, in the heart of the Strip District this summer. Krenn said the location is a “nice marriage between modern and soulful roots.... There’s a family vibe to what we do.”
“It’s really appropriate that it’s in the Strip because that’s where Jimmy grew up,” said Richert, who emphasized that Yinzer Dogs is a team effort.
“Seems like everyone had a place and role and we thought it would be fun to collectively use our resources,” he said.
Roberts handles the communications and scheduling, Krenn and Richert are the marketers and out in the community, Marino is a Pittsburgh icon and Mariani handles day-to-day operations.
“You get ’em to the door and I’ll get ’em back,” Mariani said.
Abby Kirkland (abbykirkland77@gmail.com) is a freelance writer living in Mt. Lebanon.
First Published: May 7, 2024, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: May 8, 2024, 4:57 p.m.
