Red Top Hot Dogs Closing

Red Top Hot Dogs’ brick and mortar will close, but the food truck rolls onward. Courtesy of Red Top Hot Dogs

Red Top Hot Dogs announced on its Facebook page that it will close permanently — but that the food truck will continue on. The final day of business is today, Sept. 21, when the restaurant will open at 4:30 p.m. and close at 10.

Ryan Cohee launched his food truck in the mid-2010s, selling his unique hot dogs and sausages at events from an old-school, stainless steel cart. In 2018, he opened the brick and mortar store at 1127 Logan St., in the former Keswick Democratic Club. The menu was set up so that customers choose the style of sausage they prefer, from a basic all-beef hot dog to wild boar or wagyu, then determine the toppings style, with signatures such as Louisville (cheddar beer cheese, flint style coney sauce, organic yellow mustard); Germantown (gouda beer cheese, bourbon grilled onions, apple bacon sauerkraut, bourbon molasses), and Nirvana (roasted garlic cream cheese, jalapeños, french fried onions, jalapeño jam). Pretzel buns were a favorite.

The sausages typically were piled so high that it became prohibitive to eat them by hand — knives and forks were always available.

In subsequent years, the restaurant has offered a variety of specials, from $2 Tuesday to rotating specials like fried cod and wings, as well as live entertainment such as standup comedy and ping pong tournaments. Red Top promises that it will remain a familiar sight around town.

“As wonderful as this ride has been,” the Facebook announcement read, “it is time to shift our focus back to our true passion, the food truck. We have big plans ahead for our mobile unit. We will continue to be around Louisville slinging the best hot dogs in Kentucky. We love our customers. We have been honored to serve and look forward to the ways we will grow moving forward. Thank you for the years of support and good vibes.”