Downtown HDCB

Delicious hot dogs (not normally my fallback food), humorous menu, and they keep the beer and food coming. Also, the wait staff is very patient with large groups. Definitely recommended. :)

I came here for lunch on a hot day before Christmas, and it was a welcome relief to step inside for a cool drink and the fans. It was pretty busy but we still managed to get a booth.
We ordered the chili fries on Chloe’s tip, and they were everything they promised (watch out the next morning though — zing!). There’s something magical in that meat sauce that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s just a shame they don’t have a vego version for my non-(red)meat eating friends to experience it as well. But maybe the meat is the magic ;)
The Barack Obama also gets a thumbs up from me. The bun was fresh and the toppings aplenty.
Service was fast and friendly. They also topped up our drinks when required.
I can see this being the perfect place for a Friday lunch or to kick off an evening out with dinner and drinks.

I am starting off by saying I don’t normally give bad reviews as I know any place can have a bad night and I like to look on the positive side! I’ll start off on a positive note, saying we had a poutine and it was totally awesome!
I came in with some friends on a Saturday night and service was awkward. We were greeted with a «hello» so we stopped, but she didn’t offer to seat us, we we walked on. Another person said hello and we stopped again. No one seated us so we awkwardly made our way to some tables. Within seconds of sitting we had already been asked what we wanted to drink. I always feel a little overwhelmed when I haven’t even grabbed a menu and I already have questions to answer. About a minute later, we were asked if we were ready to order, but we weren’t so the girl serving us said she would give us a few minutes.
Following this, we assumed she would come back in a few minutes. 20 minutes later, no one had come by our table, even though food had been brought to tables around us. So after waiting I decided to go order at the counter.
When we finally got our food, it looked really pretty but it was a huge disappointment. The biggest issue was that our buns were stale. They literally cracked when we bit in and were hard throughout. It wasn’t hard from toasting, just stale. The hotdogs themselves were dry. The toppings themselves were nice but without a good base it was just a bad hotdog. $ 1 IKEA dogs rate better. Seeing as these are $ 12-​$ 14 a hotdog, I am expecting something spectacular. If I can go get an amazing, top-​quality burger from Burger Theory for $ 9, a $ 14 hot dog should be of similar, or better quality.
When people came to our table to ask how it was going, and collect our plates, they didn’t even try to provide banter. We spoke back when asked how it was, and we were answered with one word replies.
The booths were also really uncomfortable, and the tables and benches are unfinished and raw, they should have at least sanded and polished the surface. I had a skirt on and it was rubbing against my legs the whole time. Due to this tables caught on our clothes. There was also a large splinter of wood coming off the booth, we were paranoid leaving that we might get a rip on our clothing, which had clearly happened to a previous customer as there was a bit of fabric stuck to the tables corner.
I feel really upset writing this, I was really excited for this joint to open, but I can’t find any good in my experience of HDCB :(
I don’t know if I will return, but I also don’t think people should avoid them altogether. Hopefully they see this criticism and up their game so that their service and hotdogs meet my original expectations!

Hooray! The classy all American dive bar has hit RAdelaide and has inconspicuously slotted itself into a little hole in the wall on Hindley St like many other patrons try to do in other establishments on Hindley St on a Saturday night.
I’ve only been here at nighttime but I think this is when Downtown would come alive. 90s R&B music booms through the speakers, B&W 80s and 90s rock bands cover the walls, goat hide bar stools and dull lighting set the scene.
The action is at the front bar at the moment as up in the booths would be too loud to think [insert some old «put some pants on» comment here]. The main bar service is super speedy and friendly. As soon as our drinks were empty we were offered top ups. Don’t be disheartened by the fact that they only serve cans of beer either — there is Brooklyn Beer and Moritz on the menu to maintain the class amongst the dive. I’m also waiting on the right occasion to shot a tequila from their tiki shot glasses…
And the food is go hard or go home kind of stuff. They have a token vego option on the menu but if I’m paying $ 12 for a hot dog I want some slow cooked meat. I have tried the Diego Dog with chorizo sausage and the Barack Obama porchetta party with pulled pork. All must be ordered with a side of chilli fries. Ok well not really, but you have to try the chilli fries with hot jalapenos and hungover/​drinking too much kinda good beef mince.
This place is still on the down low and dirty cool in a not too try hard kind of way. I’m currently petitioning for wings to be put on the menu and the downstairs to be opened up for R&B 90s DJ nights, but we’ll see if they get the memo.
Stay classy Adelaide.