My first encounter with Trailer Trash Chili Dogz happened at the recent Soup Cookoff where they were handing out samples of their chili topped with hot dogs and Fritos. In a sea of soups where some folks were clearly trying a little too hard to impress the crowd, Trailer Trash Chili Dogz rolled in with chili, hot dogs, and crunchy Fritos and just let the flavor do the talking. The chili was fantastic and their whole vibe immediately won me over.
While I was there, I spotted a board listing their menu from the food truck -- 17 different chili dog variations. Seventeen. From one truck. I had a brief moment where I wondered if I had died and somehow ended up in chili dog heaven.
Naturally, I immediately suggested that they create a Chili Dog Passport so customers could work their way through all 17 varieties like a delicious scavenger hunt. (Spoiler alert: I continue to politely harass them about this idea whenever possible.) I fully intend for Chili Dog Passport completion to become a side quest for my Summer 2026 adventures. Honestly, tell me that doesn't sound epic!
I grabbed a business card at the Soup Cookoff and followed them on social media as soon as I got home. A few days later, while planning weekend adventures, I saw they were setting up in the Bass Pro parking lot on a chilly Saturday afternoon. Conveniently, that lined up perfectly with my lunch window while I was out and about. Fate.
About fifteen minutes after they opened, I rolled into the Bass Pro parking lot and joined a short line of fellow chili dog hunters who were apparently also willing to brave a cold, grey, wet March day in pursuit of hot dogs.
Choosing from 17 chili dogs was tough, but I decided to start with the basic chili dog ($6) -- plus diced onions -- because if a place can't nail the classic, nothing else matters. I added a Diet Pepsi ($2) and my total came to $9.75 with tip. And yes, part of that tip was absolutely intended as encouragement toward the future Chili Dog Passport program.
I grabbed my food and scampered back to my car like a raccoon protecting a prized snack. When I slowly opened the foil, I immediately started grinning. It was beautiful!
A big, fluffy but sturdy roll. Tons of chili and cheese. The onions were diced nice and fine (which I prefer over chunky ones). The chili itself was super flavorful and the hot dog had the perfect cook.
In short: this was a really, really good chili dog!
Trailer Trash Chili Dogz absolutely delivered, and I'm already looking forward to working my way through the rest of their menu. I'm not even a little ashamed to admit that I'll be following them around on social media and fangirling a bit all summer long.
Also worth noting: the folks running the truck were super friendly, which just made the whole experience even better.
Now if we can just get that Chili Dog Passport printed... read more