Wicked Good Franks Are, Well, Wicked Good

Wicked Good Franks is a reminder that hot dogs don’t have to be mysterious meats in a tube.

The franks here are 100% pure beef in a natural sheep skin casing with seasonings. They are flavorful with sweet suggestions and spicy aftertastes. And they can come loaded with unbelievable toppings.

Take, for example, the Santa Fe. A classic frank is topped with poblano and cubenelle peppers, avocado, manchego cheese, pickled red onions, and crushed corn chips. The frank itself is far superior to your average hot dog, but what exactly makes it better is hard to say.

Mainly, the hot dog is simply more flavorful, with a very slight sweetness mixed with the saltier and spicier flavors. The meat is juicy and tender, without being greasy at all.

Owner Bruno Iannotta, who grew up in Brooklyn, said that Wicked Good Franks is “something that I’ve been thinking about since I was a kid.”

Iannotta grew up in the world of meats, since his grandfather a co-founder of Pearl Meats in the Boston area. It’s all in the family, hence the Boston name, and also the reason why all the meat for Wicked Good Franks comes from Pearl Meats.

But Iannotta says that the “Brooklyn flare” is in the toppings. They invented 110 toppings and had friends and family taste test them all before they narrowed the list down to the perfect seven.

In addition to The Santa Fe, they have The Southern, a bacon wrapped frank with gorgonzola and coleslaw, The Texan, topped with home-made chili and cheese, The Buffalo, with buffalo sauce, carrots, celery, and home-made bue cheese dressing, and The Mac & Cheese, a frank topped with macaroni and cheese, just to name a few. Any of these toppings can be included on a frank, a veggie dog or another variety of sausages.

I opted for an Italian Sweet sausage with Italian toppings - sauteed peppers and onions. The fact that this is premium meat makes all the difference. Not only is it much tastier, but it is healthier, and more filling and satisfying as a meal.

Wicked Good Franks even uses peanut oil in their products, which is healthier and more flavorful than other vegetable and corn oils.

“Everything here is home-made,” Iannotta said. “Except for the Heinz ketchup, which you can’t really improve on.”

When it comes to franks and sausages, the quality of the ingredients is everything. And Iannotta knows that.

But there’s more than just franks and sausages on Wicked Good Franks’ menu. Sides include pierogies, cheeseburger spring rolls, Italian rice balls, and fired pickles, just to name a few. And for dessert, the deep fried PB&J (don’t be scared, it’s only fried in peanut oil!).

While I was tempted by the PB&J, I tried the fried pickles, and was happy with my decision. The sour, sharp flavor of the pickles goes surprisingly well with the crunch fried outside. They give you a saucy ranch dressing on the side-- exactly what the dish needs to cool the flavors down. A great treat!

Wicked Good Franks is located at 579 Myrtle Avenue. The official opening of Wicked Good Franks is in mid-August, with a frank-, sausage-, and sides-eating contest. Updates can be found on their website.