Whether it’s in a discussion of what’s for dinner or hearing stories about the past weekend, The Family Dog has become a familiar name to many of us. Located right on Main Street in Orono where Lissus Pizza used to be, owners Bob Cutler and Keith Manaker have transformed the space into a hotdog and hamburger sensation.
“We are shooting for a gourmet hamburger, hotdog, chicken joint; a dive sort of deal… A place where it’s casual quick dining, where you can come with your friends, family, or co-workers for an inexpensive quality meal,” said Cutler.
The Family Dog is open from 10 a.m. until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, proving to be a popular hangout for college students after a night out on the town or just a fun place to get some great food and watch a game.
The menu consists of gourmet burgers and hotdogs with a variety of homemade toppings to choose from. The vegetarian options are all homemade, right on location. Homemade sundried tomatoes, roasted garlic, condiments and sauces are used with premium cheeses to create some unique spreads for the menu. Customers can expect homemade original red pepper mayonnaise, an avocado salsa spread, sundried tomato spread, and more to statisfy any tastebuds. The restaurant will be one of two places in Maine that will serve Vienna sausage hot dog meat imported from Chicago, and the only location to get it all year long.
The owners are hoping to utilize local products to create a specialty-limited-time-only local farm burger. Cutler and Manaker also plan to have a locally sourced premium ground beef that will be made in house as an option for customers.
Each menu item has a fun name after a breed of dog, and can be selected as a hotdog, hamburger, mushroom, chicken or vegetarian black bean and corn burger.
“For instance, the Akita is an Asian inspired meal, because an Akita is an Asian dog. Or you could get the Marley, which is a Jamaican inspired meal, and a goofy play on Reggae singer Bob Marley,” said Manaker.
The Family Dog has beer on tap for the of-age crowd, video games and an array of TVs for the customer’s entertainment. Both owners knew people are serious about the hotdog and hamburger genre, but The Family Dog has proven to satisfy all of Orono’s previously unsatisfied cravings.
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