Lost Dog Cafe

Lost Dog Cafe: Taking a bite out of the Bow Wow.

Target: The Bow Wow Sandwich
Side: Dog Collars (Onion Rings)
Drink: Green Flash Soul IPA
Damage to Wallet: Affordable, around $15

Guest of Honor: Colleen

This write up was a long time coming. Both Colleen and I really enjoy eating at the Lost Dog Cafe, mainly because we have never had a bad meal there. The Lost Dog features an extensive menu, with over fifty types of specialty sandwiches and a diverse pizza and pasta menu.

Sometimes I find places with big menus difficult to order at, with the amount of options obscuring the correct choice. Seeing the metaphorical chip among the nachos, if you will. Lost Dog mitigates this anxiety quite a bit by simply having great food up and down the menu. I’ve enjoyed every type of sandwich I’ve ordered there, and I’m even confident that if I slipped on the sidewalk and mistakenly ordered a vegetarian sandwich in a concussion induced haze, it would be perfectly edible.*

The Lost Dog has a few locations, but the one I frequent the most is on Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA.

*I have turned soft. A Vegetable sandwich. A VEGETABLE SANDWICH!? That’s just a salad and breadsticks with an identity crisis.

Target: The Bow Wow

This particular sandwich wasn’t listed as a ‘Lost Dog Favorite’ the last time I stopped in, but it is one of mine. Garlic infused chicken, bacon and lettuce form the core. Parmesan, Fontina and Mozzarella cheeses are melted on top. A house made red pepper vinaigrette hints at heat while accenting the other flavors perfectly. Served Toasted.

A great sandwich is a lot like a championship sports team. They feature balance and discipline. Stressing any one flavor robs the rest of the spotlight. The chunks of chicken and strips of bacon highlight the cheeses and visa versa. I’m grateful for the light touch of the vinaigrette, as it doesn’t cover up its teammates. Quite simply, this sandwich is greater than the sum of its delicious parts.

Side: Dog Collars (Onion Rings)

Despite the least appetizing name for onion rings that I have ever encountered, these were good. The breading was light, some of the rings were very crisp, but some were a little soft. I preferred the crispier ones.

They came with two dipping sauces, horseradish and ranch. Both were excellent.

Drink: Green Flash Soul IPA

Oh my, I seemed to have drifted out of my comfort zone and ordered a beer that might require a description. I always am tempted by IPAs on menus. They have cool names and fancy write ups. Whoever does the copy for them has me wrapped around their pinky. The only problem is that generally I don’t like IPAs. Bother.

I liked this one much more than experience should have led me to expect. It was on the lighter side, and it had a vague citrus taste in there somewhere.

Damage to Wallet: Around $15

The Lost Dog is pretty cheap for the area and realm of gourmet sandwiches. Worth it.

Verdict: Awesome sandwiches and pizzas, huge beer list, ridiculous dog names, reasonable prices. This place is great, I definitely recommend it.

I’ll include a picture of Colleen’s white pizza for kicks.

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