DARTMOUTH — You've probably driven by it countless times, but did you know there's a hot dog stand on Hathaway Road?
If you've never noticed, you're not alone; but you are about 40 years late.
"People, when they come up, always say: I never even knew this was here, or they didn't know it was back" after a few years of closure following COVID, said Angie DeBortoli, who reopened Dukie's Doggz stand — located at the Country Club of New Bedford — during last year's golf season.
For anyone who'd noticed Dukie's but assumed it was for country club members only, DeBortoli says this is not the case. Hungry motorists are welcome to pull over to the side of Hathaway Road, near the Slocum Road intersection, where the stand resides, she said.
"We're across from Hope Evangelical Community Church ," she said as an easy way for motorists to know when they're approaching the right spot. For the hungry and/or thirsty golfers coming from the other side of the course's stone perimeter, they can walk or pull their carts up to the stand right by the 12th hole.
Dukie's put DeBortoli's catering skills to new use
When her longtime employer, Harriet's Catering in Marion, closed down, DeBortoli says she began looking for a way to continue putting her extensive food service background to use, which came thanks to her part-time job at the DeMello International Center in downtown New Bedford, and connection to its owner James "Jimmy" DeMello, who also owns Dukie's Doggz.
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"There was a food stand inside there (DeMello's International Center) that I was thinking about taking over but I chickened out and then regretted it," DeBortoli said. "Then I saw Jimmy one day and he said I have this other place you can run."
DeMello's one stipulation: "He said I had to keep the name 'Dukie's,' because that was his dog, a little Yorkie."
Inspired menu
Putting together Dukie's menu was been fun, DeBortoli' says, especially with such an obvious theming option.
"I came up with some cool names like the 'greenskeeper dog.' The greenskeepers here, they'd always order their hot dogs a certain way so I named that after them," she said. "That comes with mustard, chili ,relish, onion, sauerkraut, cheese, potato sticks and celery salt."
Other golf-themed dogs at Dukie's include "The Sandtrap," "Backswing Bacon," "Birdie BBQ," and the mindfully-crafted "Tee Time."
"Tee Time is the classic works, but everything is under the hot dog instead of on top, to help golfers not get anything on their shirt," she said.
And DeBortoli says she doesn't cut corners when it comes to finding just the right toppings for her steamed dogs.
"Chicago-style hot dogs are very popular, all the real hot dog people know about them," she said. "On ours, the relish and peppers come straight from Chicago.... It's a very bright green, sweet relish, and then the peppers are sport peppers."
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Non-hot dog menu items include Willow Tree chicken salad, tuna salad sandwiches, turkey sandwiches and cacoila from Al's Cafe in New Bedford .
"I know Al's is my favorite cacoila so I brought that here," DeBortoli said.
First full season in full swing
Due to the timing of town approval, DeBortoli says her debut season last year was an abbreviated one, starting in mid-June. So she's been excited to take on her first full season running Dukie's this year.
"Everybody was so happy to see it was back open, especially the golfers because there hadn't been anything here for years," she said, noting her lone co-worker at Dukie's is her 15-year-old son Kyle DeBortoli. "It's been fun to be here."
DeBortoli said Dukie's Doggz closes for the season Nov. 1. Dukie's schedule now through the end of season is Monday 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
For more information of to see Dukie's Doggz' full menu, visit dukies-doggz.square.site .
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: A hot dog stand at a Dartmouth country club? Dukie's Doggz isn't just members.
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