For the last 54 years, The Happy Hound in Los Gatos has served a menu of classic American diner fare: assorted hamburgers, hot dogs and milkshakes, with fries and onion rings as sides.
It’s a formula that works, as attested by the loyalty of longtime customers such as Gary Snyder, who said he only needs to wave his hand to workers at the counter to place his regular order of two mustard dogs.
“I’ve been coming here for over 40 years,” he told San José Spotlight. “I like everything about the place. The food has always been great, but the employees are what keeps me coming back — there are some wonderful people here.”
Not much has changed at the 23-seat diner since it first opened. The Happy Hound is still family owned. The burgers are still a third of a pound, and the hot dogs are still all-beef and eight inches long. Derek Quinet, co-owner and grandson of founder Hugh Dresslar, intends to keep it that way.
“We’ve added things here and there to accommodate vegetarians,” Quinet told San José Spotlight. “But we haven’t changed where we get our food, how we prep it or how we serve it. The flavors and portions never change. We want people to leave happy.”
The diner has its roots in the successful Hound Dog Restaurant in Danville, founded in 1968 by Dorothy Dresslar. She had no experience in the restaurant business and financed it by borrowing against her car. In 1972, following a friendly divorce, banker and now-ex-husband Hugh Dresslar glanced through her books and spotted potential.
“He had business acumen,” Quinet said. “To him, it looked like a money-making operation. So he took from what she was doing and opened this place, where there used to be an Orange Julius.”
Hugh’s son, Dan Dresslar, took it over in 1987 and gave nephew Quinet a job when he had personal difficulties. At first, he was put to work sweeping floors, but he absorbed everything he could from his uncle.
“He was the most kind-hearted person I’ve ever met,” Quinet said. “I learned the business from Dan, and I care for employees the same way. Many have been here up to 20 years, and few quick-serve restaurants can say that about their people.”
Of course, the menu’s lead-off is different takes on all-beef hot dogs, which are steamed but can be grilled on request. Snyder’s favorite, the Happy Hound with mustard, relish, onions and tomato, is also there. As is Quinet’s — the Cheese Hound, piled high with shredded cheddar cheese.
Other variations include hot dogs with chili or sauerkraut, corn dogs (with a vegetarian version available), Polish sausage and the Hell Hound, with cheese, tomatoes, grilled onions, chopped bacon, jalapeños and Angry Sauce — a kicked-up must-try version of Thousand Island dressing that can be substituted on request with any item or ordered separately.
The Mexi-Hound is the sleeper on the menu: a hot dog, chili, onions, tomato and cheese wrapped in a tortilla. It’s sloppy but flavorful, and the meat and bean chili carries just enough heat to register without being overbearing. There’s a burger equivalent, the Mexi-Burger, which also comes in a tortilla.
Despite the name, Quinet said the diner’s mainstay is its burgers, which account for about 60% of the sales. Cheryl Snyder, Gary’s wife, said she appreciates the burgers as much as she does the “family-oriented vibe.”
“They are terrific,” she told San José Spotlight. “They are cooked perfectly, very juicy and the bun is really good. And I love the look of the place, the atmosphere. We are always happy to be here.”
Quinet works closely with vendors to ensure the meat is delivered frequently, guaranteeing freshness, and that all produce is locally sourced. He periodically has his employees and regular customers do taste tests to ensure everyone is happy with the food.
“I think we’re one of the few places still offering that kind of quality,” he said. “It’s a big portion-size burger at about the same price as what our competitors are getting for a fast-food burger. If you want a good burger, you can come here.”
The burgers, which can be ordered as singles or doubles, come with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and the ubiquitous Happy Sauce. Extras include cheese, bacon, chili and grilled mushrooms, with grilled onions, jalapeños or lettuce wrap on request.
A tortilla-wrapped Mexi-Burger matches the Mexi-Hound in style and ingredients, and turkey and chicken burgers are also available. A BLT with six slices of bacon on a French roll is available, and a vegan burger, made with soy, is the go-to for 16-year veteran employee Sarai Mejia.
Side orders include beautifully prepared beer-battered onion rings, golden-brown tater tots and shoestring fries that beat any that a famous chain makes. Chili, cheese and Parmesan cheese are available as add-ons. Milkshakes include all the standards and offer specialties like blackberry, banana, pineapple, Oreo, coffee and Butterfinger.
The Happy Hound is as old-fashioned as you can get, but that’s how the customers like it, and Quinet is determined to please them every way he can with the diner’s food and service.
“People know us,” he said. “You see the same faces a couple of times a week or with their parents on weekends. We greet them with a smile and bring their food out instead of calling their number. That’s the personal experience I would want when I go out to eat.”
Contact Robert Eliason at [email protected].
Editor’s Note: The Biz Beat is a series highlighting local small businesses and restaurants in Silicon Valley. Know a business you’d like to see featured? Let us know at [email protected].
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