Eat This Now: Jack Russell at Charlie Hooper’s

Photo by Zach Bauman

A well-made hotdog is an American delicacy. A heaping bowl of twisty noodles covered in smoky, creamy cheese is just about as Southern comforting as it gets. Combine the two and you have the American dream: Charlie Hooper’s Jack Russell ($12.60).

For nearly 50 years, Charlie Hooper’s Bar and Grille has been serving the Kansas City community. Nestled into the strip of Brookside Shops on Brookside Plaza, the neighborhood bar is exactly what you would expect: dimly lit, sports on every television, 30 different tap selections, and solid eats.

Alongside the typical bar food that you’ll find at most places around town sits Charlie Hooper’s Dawg Pound—a configurated list of 12 styles of hotdogs, each with their own quirky spinoff name of different dog breeds. When I am feeling up for the challenge, I choose the exquisitely spicy Woo Doggie—ghost pepper cheese melted onto a traditional hot dog topped with sauteed onions and peppers. However, on this go around, I opted for the Jack Russell.

This little terrier is simple: a traditional dog with smoked gouda bacon mac and cheese smothered right on top. You can imagine that this is a pretty messy one. Once served, I had built up the courage to try and take this dog on with my own bare hands, yet quickly realized that this was going to be a battle that I could never come out on top of.

Nevertheless, my fork and knife did the trick, able to slice through the smoked meat as the runny gouda seeped throughout. The meal is incredibly nostalgia-inducing as it is quite literally an enhanced childhood favorite of mine. We’ve come a long way from Kraft and Oscar Mayer. Paired alongside your favorite beer and some salty tater tots, it does not get much more American than Charlie Hooper’s Jack Russell

Charlie Hooper’s Brookside Bar & Grille is located at 12 W 63rd St., Kansas City, MO 64113

All photos by Zach Bauman: