If you’ve ever had a moment when you’re craving chicken tenders and a hot dog, the good news is that you no longer have to choose between the two. On April 28, Wienerschnitzel — the fast food hot dog chain that recently announced it’ll be opening new locations within Walmart stores across the country — launched a line of Southern Bird Dogs, which feature a marinated chicken breast tender coated in a signature crunchy breading inside a hot dog bun.
Wienerschnitzel customers can choose from three flavors: Bacon Ranch, Buffalo Ranch, and BBQ. The Bacon Ranch Bird Dog has notes of smokiness and features a fried chicken tender in a steamed bun topped with diced bacon, two slices of tomato, and ranch sauce. The Buffalo Bird Dog is nearly identical and pairs all of the toppings of the Ranch dog (sans bacon) with a drizzle of fiery buffalo sauce for a tangy, spicy twist. The BBQ Bird Dog goes in a different direction with grilled onions, pickle spear, and barbecue sauce (we imagine that the sweetness of the grilled onions and the zip of the pickle spear will pair perfectly with the fried chicken tender).
Each fully loaded Southern Bird Dog is $4.99. Customers can also order the chicken strips on the side – either as a combo with fries at $6.99 for a small and $12.99 for a large, or add additional chicken tenders to their meal for $2. It’s unclear whether the Southern Bird Dogs and chicken strips are limited edition items or here to stay, but for now, customers can order them from Wienerschnitzel’s permanent menu.
Other interesting items from Wienerschnitzel
South Carolina Bird Dogs inspire this new menu addition at Wienerschnitzel. This local dish is said to have originated at Daddy Rabbitt’s, a diner in Anderson, South Carolina, over 25 years ago. The South Carolina Bird Dog marries two iconic American comfort foods: hot dogs and fried chicken. A crispy chicken tender is nestled in a toasted bun, typically topped with bacon, cheese, and honey mustard.
In a press release, Doug Koegeboehn, Wienerschnitzel Chief Marketing Officer, said, “South Carolina is known for its Southern Bird Dogs. Since they are served in hot dog buns, we felt like this was the perfect way to introduce chicken at our restaurants. Once we tried them, we knew we had a winner.” While this is the chain’s first foray into chicken, Wienerschnitzel has a history of paying homage to local specialties. For example, the chain boasts both a Texas BBQ Dog and a Chicago Dog. The latter features all of the hallmark toppings of a Chicago Hot Dog: tomato, onions, a pickle spear, relish, sport peppers, mustard, and a sprinkle of celery salt.
It’s also not the first time that The World’s Biggest Hot Dog Chain has experimented with new spins on the hot dog. In 2016, the fast food chain launched the All-Beef Pastrami dog, which featured a beef hot dog in a bun topped with pastrami, Swiss cheese, mustard, and a pickle spear — hot dog toppings that scream main character energy.
If you’re not feeling particularly experimental, we suggest ordering your favorite Wienerschnitzel dish, like their classic chili dog, and trying some chicken strips with dipping sauces on the side. The best of both worlds, indeed.
