Buldogies owners Jamie Mancil and his girlfriend, Breian Majko, opened Buldogies in July 2016 with the hope of satisfying an unrealized craving for hot dogs in the local restaurant scene.

Buldogies’ hot dogs are not basic frankfurters, as the eatery offers a collection of specialty hot dogs inspired by U.S. cities and classic sandwiches. Patrons can choose either a Nathan’s Famous hot dog or a Hebrew National hot dog, and pile it high with homemade toppings.

The restaurant also features other carnival-style cuisine, like deep-fried desserts, hand-spun cotton candy, and a chicken and funnel cake waffle.

“We wanted to bring something to the area that nobody had brought,” Mancil said. “Everybody had hamburgers, everybody had pizza, everybody had chicken-fried steak—so we wanted to do hot dogs.”

Mancil and Majko both grew up in the area, but they first met 13 years ago when they were managing a movie theater in The Woodlands. The longtime couple moved to Montgomery 10 years ago and worked in local restaurants in various positions before they decided to become business owners.

Now, Mancil and Majko are the primary operators and chefs of the Western-themed restaurant. Majko said the restaurant uses high-quality meats, cheeses and fresh ingredients to create the restaurant’s substantial menu items. 

“We have a lot of people come in here and say, ‘Wow, we would only get this food at the fair or rodeo,’ and they really look forward to it now,” she said.

Buldogies also offers off-menu hot dogs periodically called the Dog of the Week, Majko said. Some specialties include the Buldogie Blue made with blue cheese, chopped onions and candied bacon as well as the Chipotle Bacon Dog made with homemade chipotle mayonnaise and candied bacon.

In the near future, the couple said they intend to get a liquor license to serve draft beer to patrons.

Mancil said one of the most rewarding things about owning Buldogies is seeing the reaction of adults and children alike when they taste the creations.

“First impressions are everything, so I let the food do the talking, I watch their reactions, and you know they love it,” he said.