An idea in the making since the Original Hot Dog Shop closed in Oakland in April 2020, the Yinzer Dogs food truck is up and rolling. It’s easily spotted by the bright yellow bridge design with an image of a hot dog tucked inside a bun with squiggly lines of yellow mustard.

Parked near the One Oxford Centre garage in Downtown Pittsburgh on a recent Wednesday, customers lined up to try it.

“I was so excited when I saw the truck,” said Joe Kleppick of East McKeesport, who works nearby and ordered a hot dog and french fries. “The food was really good. I also bought two T-shirts, too. I feel like this is going to catch on.“

Other menu items include a kielbasa sandwich on grilled Cellone’s Italian bread, Yinzer Bites — mini-pierogies filled with mashed potatoes and cheese — and an ice cream “sammich.”

The mini-pierogies and fries are topped with Yinzer dust, a special secret-recipe seasoning blend.

The truck is under the umbrella of Yinzer Cards and Yinzer Bars, a collaboration among Pittsburgh radio personalities Jim Krenn and Larry Richert, cartoonist Rob Rogers and publicist Dick Roberts.

The food truck is owned by Krenn, Richert and Roberts. Rogers was hired to do the graphics and chef Doug Mariani created the menu.

One of the investors in the food truck is Richert’s brother-in-law, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino.

A brick-and-mortar location of Yinzer Dogs will open in the Strip District sometime in mid-summer. The owners are waiting on a permit approval by the city to begin a build-out, Roberts said.

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop |Tribune-Review A hot dog, kielbasa sandwich, mini-pierogies, French fries and a can of Yinzer pop from the Yinzer Dogs food truck.  

“When you think of hot dogs in Pittsburgh, you think of ‘The O,’ ” Roberts said. “If you like hot dogs, you will like these hot dogs.”

Angela Gillot, who is director of leasing for Downtown-based McKnight Realty Partners and represents the owners for their brick-and-mortar site, said the Yinzer Bites are her favorite.

“Everything is good here,” Gillot said. “The name represents Pittsburgh and the love of Pittsburgh foods. You’ve heard of walking tacos — these are walking dogs.”

When the truck arrives, team members set up tables and a tent if there is no shade or cover. They have a topping bar and cooler with cans of Yinzer Pop, which is in test phase with the hope to formally launch in bottles this summer, Roberts said. Flavors include Sahside Sangria, Monongahela Mud, River Water and Blawnox Boiler-Maker.

Find the truck’s latest schedule at yinzerdogs.com.

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop |Tribune-Review Natalea Limonciello-Merrison places a grilled piece of kielbasa on a slice of buttered toast inside the Yinzer Dogs food truck on May 8.  

When you approach the truck, Yinzer team member Dani Pagani takes your order. Nicole DiMaggio, Natalea Limonciello-Merrison and Alex Rodriguez prepare the order.

“We all really get along,” DiMaggio said.

“The customers have been great,” Rodriguez said.

This is not just a food truck, Mariani said. He wants it to be different.

“We want to create a different vibe that the party starts when Yinzer Dogs gets here,” Mariani said. “This is just our starting point. It is about the atmosphere. It goes way deeper because we are passionate about our product. We want to be the next well-known Pittsburgh brand like Primanti’s or Isaly’s or ‘The O.’ ”

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