A Northeast Original: The Dago Sandwich at Dusty's Bar
Sunday, April 24, 2016 at 7:49AMStory and photos by Julie Craven
What is a Dago Sandwich? I had never tried this one of a kind, homemade Italian pork sausage patty burger, but when both Dave Tinjum and Michael Rainville rave about a food spot in the Northeast, it’s time to check it out. This week, it was time to check out Dusty’s Bar.
It’s the home of the Dago Sandwich - Dusty's claim to fame. So much flavor! A homemade Italian pork sausage patty burger with caramelized onions, mozzarella cheese and sweet peppers on a white bun. Now, if you want just a wee bit less of a flavor punch, there's the Half & Half burger, half Italian pork sausage and half ground beef with the same toppings, as well as a full line up of basket-ready burgers and sandwiches. The potato salad and the soups are homemade and on this Wednesday afternoon the soup options included Polish Cabbage and Roasted Tomato & Andouille.
The Dago Burger may be the star but my Tuna Melt Sandwich was perfection. I'm a little particular about some foods, specifically chocolate chip cookies and tuna salad. For cookies, it's all about the pecans and for tuna salad, it's the onions and celery and just the right amount of mayo.
Owner Pasquale “Pat” Stebe, had some time to talk with us about the 65-year old establishment named for and founded by his father. A transplant from the Iron Range, his Slovenian dad actually first started out with a place at 29th and Nicollet. The building at the current location at 13th and Marshall Street (where they have been since 1952), is itself over 100 years old.
Amidst the beer signs and the hospitality, the conversation moved from the neighborhood, to the menu, to the Wild’s prospects in the playoffs. Stebe commented about this evolving Northeast Neighborhood - “there are a lot of joints, all different.” He gives the new additions to the Northeast food scene, places such as Anchor Fish & Chips and Draft Horse, an enthusiastic thumbs up.
So what does Pat himself order at Dusty's? The Half & Half Dago burger, the Dago Egg and Cheese and the Corned Beef Reuben are on his list of favorites.
So come for the Dago Sandwich, and if it's a Thursday through Sunday night, stay for the live music. And don't forget a side of potato salad, it's homemade.
Location: 1319 Marshall Steet NE
Website: dustysbaranddagos.com
Julie Craven can be reached at julie@millcitymedia.org
