New food cart
serves up lunch
with a local theme
A neon sign shows late night
customers where to find
hot dogs at one of Astoria’s
newest food carts.
Photo by Peter Korchnak
Goon Dawgz serves hot dogs with the slogan ‘never say diet’
BY PETER KORCHNAK
“Goon Dawgz never say diet.”
That’s the slogan of Astoria’s newest hot
dog cart, now open on a vacant lot wedged
between Marine Drive and the Astoria Riv-
erwalk at 14th Street. Weather permitting,
the cart is open on Thursdays, Fridays and
Saturdays from 6:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. or
until sellout.
“We wanted a place where food would
be available for late night eating,” co-owner
Zachary Tuter said. “Almost everybody
loves hot dogs, and we wanted to offer a
big hot dog that people would remember,”
he added.
The stand’s 11-inch brats are made by
Zenner’s Sausage Co., a nearly 100 year
old family business based in Portland. Dan-
ielle Myer, stand co-owner and Tuter’s
wife, concocted a vegetarian friendly hot
dog using carrots and beets.
Even by the looks of it, Goon Dawgz hit
the spot in downtown Astoria. Launched
in February, the stand is already a popular
late night spot. “It doesn’t seem like I can
bring enough hot dogs,” Tuter said. “People
are really excited to try something new. We
haven’t had a single day where we didn’t
sell all the sausages we brought in.”
A culinary arts graduate and veteran of
the local hospitality industry, including at
The Chart Room, Fort George Brewery and
Inferno Lounge, Tuter enjoys creating
a fun atmosphere and talking to
customers. “This little hot dog
cart allows me to connect
with people more,” Tuter
said. Meyer can vouch for
his experience. ”Because
he worked in bars and
knew all the bar tenders
and patrons, it was a per-
fect situation for us to be
open late nights,” Meyer
said.
While Tuter expresses his
culinary creativity, Meyer tends
to business concerns. From choos-
ing the cart’s location and desig to sourc-
From left, Ben Wenzel, Zachary Tuter,
Danielle Myer and Kylie Tuter, the crew
of Goon Dawgz in Astoria.
Goon Dawgz
Between Marine Drive and the Astoria River-
walk on 14th Street.
Open 6:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. or until sellout
on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays
weather permitting.
Goon Dawgz,
a new food
cart serving
hot dogs on
late nights,
recently
opened in
Astoria.
facebook.com/goondawgz.astoria
ing local ingredients, the former veteri-
nary technician was the driving force
behind Goon Dawgz. “I’m of
German heritage and I really
love sausages,” Meyer said.
“As soon as we started
talking in the commu-
nity about our idea, peo-
ple sort of lost their
minds. Everyone has
been so supportive the
whole time.” The stand’s
four meals are all named
after the duo’s dogs, “Suki,”
“Primitive” and “Gertie” and
cat, “Randy,” who “has an atti-
tude only a mother could love,” Tuter
said. Diners can also customize their own
hot dog a la carte, including with Tuter’s
signature stone ground mustard and horse-
radish topping.
Veterans and first responders enjoy a dis-
count at Goon Dawgz, which will soon try
out daytime hours on Sundays. “We want to
give others in the community who aren’t up
late an option to try us as well,” Tuter said.
The couple also plan to switch to a more
durable cart that better withstands the ele-
ments and to hold hot dog eating contests.
“We’re going to set the bar for a hot dog
challenge. I want one to be remembered,”
Tuter said.
THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2022 // 9