A new restaurant has taken flight at Bend Municipal Airport

Talebi founded Dogs and Fries in 2013 — a food cart with hot dogs and $1 hashbrowns.

Last month, he launched the restaurant’s first brick-and-mortar location at the Bend Municipal Airport, located on Powell Butte Highway east of Bend. It occupies the 2,200 square-foot space where the former diner CJ’s at the Airport was located.

The menu features 17 types of hot dogs — including a vegan hot dog — along with burgers, fries, a couple of salads and a breakfast menu referred to as “breakfast miracles.”

Hot dogs are listed across five price points, from the simple New York Dog with mustard and sauerkraut ($6) to the Bandari ($10), piled with so many toppings it’s served on a pub bun with diced hot dog, grilled onions, tomato, diced fries, jalapeno and pickles.

American fare, with a twist

Dogs and Fries is quintessential American food, likely to conjure up memories of baseball games, barbecues and the Fourth of July.

There’s also a twist on the traditional, with some hot dogs served with unusual ingredients such as horseradish, blue cheese, hummus and pineapple — not all on the same dog, of course. The buns are soft, and so are the dogs. It’s comfort food, served next to ketchup and mustard-colored chairs with a view of the planes passing by on the tarmac below.

The stuffed hashbrowns ($7), with a dollop of sour cream and a squiggle of chipotle mayonnaise on top, contain a layer of scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese between layers of thinly sliced potatoes. Grilled onions add flavor to the melted cheese and creamy condiments.

Driven by customer feedback

Since operating the food cart in Portland, Talebi has only raised the price of the golden hashbrowns by $1. And over seven years of serving the university community, Talebi actively listened to customer feedback, tweaking the menu to include scratch-made toppings, a breakfast menu and gluten-free and vegan options.

“We always used to have a line of 15 to 20 people standing outside waiting for our breakfast first thing in the morning,” he said.

An immigrant success story

Within the first three weeks of operation, Talebi said he has attracted regular customers. He was in the process of putting up additional signage for the business last week, which is located on the second floor of Building No. 3 at the airport.

Talebi, a Persian immigrant and Oregon resident since 1998, is married to a Bend native. The couple moved from Portland to Bend during the pandemic to live closer to his wife’s family.

Talebi was working in real estate when he discovered the airport and the available restaurant space.

He has since placed his full focus on the hot dog joint.

“The restaurant business — it’s two full-time jobs of its own,” Talebi said.

Customers are likely to meet Talebi himself when they stop in to the restaurant, as he is proudly taking orders, preparing and serving dogs and fries.

“He is smart and extremely hardworking,” said a friend, Lawnae Hunter. “This is another story of a smart immigrant coming here and doing well.”

Details

What: Dogs and Fries

Location: Bend Municipal Airport, 63136 Powell Butte Highway, Bend

Contact: 503-754-0190, facebook.com/dogsandfries, @dogsnfries on Instagram

Hours: 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Price: $2-$10