Brewpub Grub: Sonoran Hot Dog, Barrio Brewing, Tucson AZ

Ever since I was temptingly introduced to the idea of the Sonoran Hotdog by some Arizona friends, I had to make the pilgrimage to Tucson to add to my hot dog resumé: If you haven't yet chowed down on one of these puppies, then you haven't experienced one of America's best culinary treats. And here is what I found about the ubiquitous dog.

Barrio's version is a hot dog wrapped in bacon and then grilled. Topped with pinto beans, melted cheese, grilled onions, diced tomatoes and a dab of mustard and chipotle mayo, you get a memorable Tucson classic. Barrio will even throw in a couple of roasted hot yellow peppers to round out your Sonoran Hot Dog experience.

Sonoran Hot Dog

The dog arrived nestled in a drive-in paper basket along with two hot yellow peppers and a side of fries. This is a drippy sandwich. You'll want to get out your fork, spoon and napkins before biting into the Sonoran. Once started, you get a tasty mouthful of true hot dog goodness. The crispy bacon crunches along happily with the juicy dog. The gooey cheese, pinto beans and chipotle mayo adds great texture and spice to the sandwich. And taking a nip of the yellow peppers, you whisper a wa-hoo! whoop: it's time to add a sip of brew to quench this Sonoran heat.

For my beer, I chose Barrio's Hefeweisen. Served with the requisite lemon wedge, this unfiltered wheat beer arrived with typical Hef cloudiness. Dropping the squeezed lemon wedge into the pint glass, the beer drank down with a pleasant crisp citrus taste. Refreshing and clean, Barrio's Hefeweisen is an easy brew to go along with the spicy Sonoran Dog and hot peppers.

Barrio Brewing is located in a charming old warehouse in an industrial area in the east part of town. Inside, the local Tucson patrons provide a relaxing and mellow mood to the brewpub.

800 East 16th St