Run Amuk Hotdogs Unleashed, South Fremantle
Last weekend, we took Jac’s nephew and niece go karting followed by lunch at Run Amuk Hotdogs Unleashed in South Fremantle. Funny name, great hotdogs.
The joy of hotdog.
Almost-10-year-old Max loved the dancing hotdog on the wall. I liked the grinning sailor octopus. Seating is on round vinyl drummer stools or converted bus seats. If further distraction is needed, you may be lucky to score a table laminated with scenes from Where’s Wally? It’s like a bright, breezy lunch bar or friendly neighbourhood fish and chippie, quirky but without (thank goodness) the overflowing shelves and piles of mismatched clutter so many cafes mistake for ‘character’ these days.
Dancing hotdog and cheeky sailor octopus on the walls; big open windows let the sunshine in (there are ceiling fans overhead); my ginger lemonade; playing cards for table numbers (we got an UNO number 2; I spotted an Ace of Spades nearby).
Toy Matchbox cars are stuck to the opposite wall in the worst traffic jam ever. If you have any unwanted toy cars, Run Amuk will be thrilled to accept your kind donation. Their goal is to cover the whole wall with cars and they’ve got a long way to go.
Toy cars as 3D wallpaper. There’s a Spider-Man car. I guess this could end up Run Amuk’s version of cafe character clutter. At least it’s all in one spot.
The hotdogs are made to order with bratwursts made from meat sourced from WA farmers. The majority of hotdogs feature premium bratwursts that consist of 70% pork, 30% beef with a special blend of herbs and spices. They’re free of gluten, artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. No one would be silly enough to open a hot dog place in Freo without catering for vegetarians, and Run Amuk’s got locally handmade organic, gluten-free vegan sausages available for AU$1 extra. Gluten-free bread rolls are available for AU$1.50 extra. The staff are happy to discuss your vegetarian/vegan ordering options. Place your order at the counter and wait in greedy anticipation.
Savannah chose The Brat (AU$8.50), with a bratwurst, caramelised onions, tomato sauce and American-style mustard. She enjoyed it but prefers less mustard. The onions were too dark to be described as “lightly caramelised” (as per the menu) but they were beautifully brown, fragrant, soft and sweet – even better than lightly caramelised.
The Brat (AU$8.50)
Jac chose The Rascal (AU$10), with bratwurst, Run Amuk coleslaw, aged cheddar, wholegrain mustard and smokey BBQ sauce. It looked less eye-catching than the other hot dogs on our table but it was delicious, a sweeter tasting hotdog with the surprising juicy crunch of apples in the Run Amuk coleslaw (under all the cheese).
The Rascal (AU$10)
I was compelled to choose The Punk, with bratwurst, crispy bacon, lightly caramelised onions, aged cheddar and American-style mustard, tomato sauce and smokey BBQ sauce. Bright like a poison arrow frog, it screams danger to dieters and “EAT ME” to everyone. With every salty bite, I emerged with a saucy face. I thought the bratwurst was quite mild in flavour, overwhelmed by the other strong flavours stuffed into the bun; it was also visually lost under all the cheese, onions, bacon and lashings of sauce. But I’m not complaining.
The Punk (AU$12)
Max chose the Puppy Dog Meal, designed for possibly fussier young palates: a simple hot dog with a veal wiener and tomato sauce served with fries. Cheese is optional and $1 extra. Max prefers a soft sausage and said he found the sausage skin (in his own words) “too crispy”. But the fries and bread roll with tomato sauce went down a treat and his Auntie Jac ‘kindly’ helped eat some of the crispy sausage. The Puppy Dog Meal was served in a basket while our hotdogs were presented on pieces of gleaming corrugated steel.
Puppy Dog Meal (AU$7.50)
Cold drinks are available from the fridge, but for the old-fashioned touch, there are tall glasses of homemade ginger lemonade (AU$5) – more tart than sweet, bitey but refreshing – and milkshakes served in icy cold metal cups (AU$5 in vanilla malt, strawberry, chocolate, spearmint or banana).
Chocolate milkshake (AU$5)
Next time, I plan to finish my meal with Run Amuk’s Knickerbocker Glory (AU$7) – layers of vanilla ice cream, strawberry jelly, chocolate sauce, chopped nuts and fresh cream with mini M&Ms, Flake chocolate, all topped with a cherry. A worthy dangerous companion to The Punk. I’ll have to make sure I go with someone willing to share dessert with me.
Hotdogs this way
A drum on the footpath advertises Run Amuk’s milkshakes.
The hotdogs have been unleashed and there are some real beauties worth checking out. What’s in your ideal hotdog?
View from across South Terrace: Run Amuk – Hotdogs Unleashed, Fremantle.
Run Amuk’s 1st birthday Hawaiian beach party
We spotted the flyer on the tables featuring a smiling hula girl and Tom Selleck as 80s detective Magnum P.I. advertising Run Amuk’s upcoming 1st birthday Hawaiian beach party, on all day Sunday 27 January. There will be live ukelele performances, 50-cent lemonade, a hotdog eating competition and a new special hot dog called “Miss Honolulu”, featuring bratwurst, sweet chilli mayo, aged cheddar, crispy bacon and a pineapple, coriander and red chilli salsa.
Run Amuk’s 1st birthday party flyer
Run Amuk Hotdogs Unleashed
386a South Terrace
South Fremantle
WA 6162
Telephone: (08) 9335 1216
Open Tuesday to Sunday 11.30am to 9pm
Closed on Mondays
