Hot Dog: Hank & Hazel’s Really Good Sausages

BEST HOT DOG:

Hank & Hazel’s Really Good Sausages

Hank & Hazel’s Really Good Sausages is a fast-casual restaurant with outdoor seating in downtown Vacaville. They serve really good sausages, house-made sides, craft beer, local wine and some of the yummiest dessert options. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner; their fare is available for takeout, delivery, curbside and patio dining.

Hank & Hazel’s also has a mobile Sausage Cart that can be used for catering and special events. You’ll often see them at local breweries like True Symmetry Brewing or Solano Brewing Company, feeding their patrons.

The restaurant opened in 2018.

“We started this business because we’re passionate about the food we eat,” co-owner Sarah Harper says. “We really wanted to bring a new option to our community for really good food.”

“I learned a lot about what I know about business from my grandpa who used to operate a retail store in Kansas,” co-owner Andy Harper says. “He always told me the key to success was selling quality products at a fair price. We built that into the business model at Hank & Hazel’s. I know when I see a customer enjoying a meal there, they got the highest quality food at a fair price.”

The Harpers shared their philosophy: “We like to call ourselves a ‘Sausage and Beer’ restaurant. We usually have between 20 to 30 craft beer varieties available between draft and canned options. We love helping customers find the perfect beer and sausage to match it with. We find that many of our customers enjoy learning more about sausage – we change our menu every day, so there’s always something new to try and a new sausage variety to learn about,” they say. “We focus on sourcing only the best food – we’re incredibly proud of the quality of our sausages, the fresh-baked buns, the house-made condiments, and pickles. We put a lot of love into the food that we serve. Our other biggest focus is our customers. Our team just loves getting to know our regulars, and we see each new customer as someone who may become a regular so we love giving them memorable service.”

The Harpers say they think Daily Republic readers selected Hank & Hazel’s as the Best Hot Dog providers in the 2022 Readers’ Choice survey in part because they are a family owned small business – but also because of the food.

“Most of our customers know our story and have deep connections with our staff,” the Harpers say. “You buy from people not from brands, and I think people think about the people when they vote for a restaurant in a contest like this. And, of course, the food. That speaks for itself.”

In Vacaville: 501 Merchant St., Vacaville Hours: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday Phone: 707-514-7064 Email: info@hankandhazels.com Website: www.hankandhazels.com

Runners-up: Cafe Depot, Sac’s Tasty Dogs

707.640.1147