Kings Court Frankfurter Express [CLOSED]

A business breathing life back into the St. Mary’s Strip is Kings Court Frankfurter Express.  A restaurant that serves inventive hotdogs, brats, and sausages in a funky atmosphere makes for a great dining experience.

Founded about a year and a half ago, Kings Court is a father and son operation.  I was able to meet Damien, the son, when I ate there recently.  He is very nice and engages customers as they walk into the restaurant, cracking jokes, and telling about all the different types of hotdogs they serve.  Don’t look to Damien, however, to give you a suggestion on what to order; he believes that choosing your dog is a very personal experience and a choice that you alone should make.

The inside is brightly painted with tons of original art and makes you feel more like you are in a restaurant on South Congress instead of one in San Antonio.  There is a patio where they will show a family friendly/artistic/concert movie once a week.  Patrons are encouraged to BYOB (they even have a little fridge where you can keep a few cold) so that that they can knock back some beers, socialize, relax, and eat good food.

In addition to be able to order hot dog staples such as The Chicago Dog, The New Yorker, and The Brat, Kings Court offers crazy combinations from its tinkering chef James.  There are many varieties of dogs including My Cousin Vinnie (Italian sausage, pepperoni, onions, marinara, and jack cheese), Heaven (white Bratwurst, guacamole, grilled onions, and mayo), and even a dog especially for the 210, The Alamo (frankfurter, enchilada sauce(!), onions, cheddar cheese, and chili powder).

I loved eating at this place so much that I visited it twice before writing this article.  On my second visit, James was toying with ingredients and had a test run of a dog he called El Rancho.  It consists of a frankfurter, ranch style beans, cheese, and some fry sauce (a special blend of spices only known to James).  He made it for Damien to try (I got to sample it as well), and I look forward to it being on their eclectic menu soon.

It was difficult to decide on what to order because so many things looked enticing (along with the fact that Damien wouldn’t tell me what to get!).  After much deliberation, I ended up going with My Cousin Vinnie with onion rings.

I really enjoyed the onion rings as they were hot and fresh. The Italian sausage was great and the marinara had a very nice flavor as well.  The bun was toasted and what really brought everything together were the sautéed onions.  Finally, be sure to order a bottle of Mexican Coke, the type of soda made with real sugar instead of corn syrup.

Kings Court Frankfurter Express is contributing to the rejuvenation of the St. Mary’s Strip with its own funky vibe and good food.  The friendly owners and crazy concoctions make this restaurant one of the top dogs in town.

Value: 8/10 (you’re looking at roughly $5 for a dog and will want to add on onion rings/fries and a drink so you will be around $10)
Atmosphere: 10/10 (way cool atmosphere in the heart of the funky St. Mary’s Strip; you can BYOB and they even have a fridge for you to keep a couple of your brews cold; there is even a movie night on the patio during the week)
Service: 10/10 (super friendly service with an engaging owner that likes to crack a bunch of jokes)
Taste: 9.5/10 (very tasty food; I had to go to it twice before writing this article)
Website: http://frankfurterexpress.com/
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