Whether you get a venison dog, a pheasant dog, a buffalo dog, an antelope dog, an elk dog or even just a plain old beef hot dog, all of the sausages here come wrapped in a soft Slow Dough pretzel bun with your choice of toppings: cilantro, sauerkraut, a tangy remoulade -- the choices are as numerous as the types of wild game dogs.
If you think the burgers at this friendly Brazilian joint look like bedlam on a bun, that's nothing compared to the hot dogs. The Brazilian-style dog here is strewn with tangy, warm marinara sauce and crunchy potato sticks, just as owner Ronaldo Gomes likes it. This is how he grew up eating the traditional fast-street food growing up in a small town in Brazil, and how he now serves them in his own restaurant here in Houston. You can also get them "Mexican" style, with guacamole and chopped onions , among many other toppings.
Max's is known for its signature hot dog -- the Texas Haute Dog -- an all-beef dog topped with onion strings, house-made jalapeños, cotija cheese and a special "Prairie Fire" venison chili. (We have the recipe, by the way.) When it first opened five years ago, the concept of gourmet comfort food in an upscale, wine-drenched setting was cutting-edge. The "wine dive" has since expanded to include locations in Austin and San Antonio. It's no longer the newest thing, but that doesn't mean the dogs aren't still as damn good as ever.
