Nearly a year has passed since a small pub, dedicated to hot dogs and beer, took over the former premises of the Cross Creek Cafe — a longtime Redmond favorite whose owners had recently retired from business.

The Dawg House II has succeeded in taking a good cafe and making it even better. The new residents have expanded the space and the hours of operation, spruced up the atmosphere and added a full bar. They have maintained a high quality of casual food while adding to the menu some of the best hot dogs for hours in any direction.

Located two blocks west of the city’s principal southbound avenue, the Dawg House II is an offshoot of the original Dawg House in Prineville. The owners of that little cafe, Jim and Lynn Straughan, boosted their daughter and son-in-law, Angela and Steve Boothroyd, in adding the new property at Fifth and Antler streets in Redmond in 2012. Son Sumner Saulsbury came on board full-time with the move to Eighth and Evergreen streets in April 2014.

Sports bar ambiance

The atmosphere is that of an eclectic sports bar. At this time of year, the flat-screen televisions are tuned mainly to “March Madness” basketball games. On the walls are football and auto-racing memorabilia, but also bicycles, airplanes, a snowboard and a giant sailfish, perhaps a fishing trophy. And as befits a Dawg House, there are plenty of dogs portrayed as well.

The well-kept dining room seats about 60 at booths and tables, with room for perhaps 20 more at picnic tables on a street-side patio. Half a dozen couches facing two large TVs are a great place to watch big games. And food service is also available in the adjacent lounge, which handles another 40 patrons.

That service is excellent — at least in the dining room, where I took my meals. On each occasion, I was encouraged to find my own table, whereupon a menu and water were promptly delivered. Orders were taken and delivered quickly, accurately and with a smile.

Weekends often bring live music, open mics and comedy performances to the Dawg House. And the calendar is constantly evolving.

Dawg House ‘dawgs’

If there’s a signature dish at the Dawg House, it is, of course, the “dawg.” Six varieties of hot dogs, ranging in size from a quarter pound to a half pound, are offered on the menu as simply or as piled with condiments as one could want.

There are Cajun dogs, Polish kielbasas, German sausages and all-American hot dogs. They are available with ketchups, mustards, hot sauces; sauerkraut, peppers and other vegetables; even bacon or pineapple.

My dining companion ordered a half-pound hot dog described on the menu as “for the healthy appetite.” She paid a little extra to have it topped with chili, cheese and onions. I had a bite of what was now a chili dog, and I was instantly convinced that to drive from Bend to Redmond just for a Dawg would not be unreasonable.

I had one of the restaurant’s half-dozen burgers — the grilled onion-mushroom-Swiss burger — and I was not disappointed. Cooked medium but juicy, the one-third pound of beef was presented with lettuce, tomatoes and pickles on a delicious, lightly toasted bun spread with mayonnaise and ketchup.

Only the tater tots that we ordered as an accompaniment didn’t measure up. Smaller than usual, they were ultra-crispy on the outside but somehow greasy within.

Special items

On two other visits, we sampled several more dishes. A grilled steak wrap, rolled in a spinach tortilla with caramelized onions, lettuce and tomatoes, hit the spot, as did the house salad (with a generous serving of pepperoncinis) that came with it.

Five Hog Wild Wings, described as a “signature appetizer,” were not wings at all; instead, they were pork shanks on the bone. Tender and tasty, they were presented with two sauces: a mustardy barbecue sauce, which I preferred, and a chili sauce that was minimally spicy and too sweet for my taste.

And then there was breakfast. The Dawg House serves the morning meal only between 9 and 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, but it’s worth planning a visit at this time.

I was very impressed with “Mom’s secret recipe breakfast casserole,” served with hash-brown potatoes and sourdough toast. Presented as a thick cake of eggs with a variety of ingredients rolled into it — including bacon, onions, mushrooms, red peppers, tomatoes and cheddar cheese — it featured the unlikely ingredient of cottage cheese, which was beaten into the omelet to give it more depth. A side of “bacon jam” enhanced the flavor even more.

I requested a breakfast burrito for my companion as takeout. She heated it up for her brunch an hour later, and was satisfied the rest of the day. In addition to eggs and potatoes, it had three meats (bacon, sausage and ham) along with tomatoes and cheddar.

All in all, the Dawg House II is a solid choice for casual dining in Redmond.

— Reporter: janderson@bendbulletin.com