Johnnies Dog House and Chicken Shack Menu – Wilmington, DE

Type : Family restaurant

Location : Wilmington, DE

Fast-food joint with a retro vibe & an all-American menu of hot dogs, burgers, fries & milkshakes. Based on 790 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.3 stars. Price $

✔️ Dine-in ✔️ Takeout ✔️ No-contact delivery

Johnnies Dog House and Chicken Shack 19803

Address:
3401 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803

Phone: (302) 477-1440

Website:

Social Profile:

Hours

Saturday 11 AM–8:30 PM
Sunday 11 AM–7 PM
Monday

(Labor Day)
 11 AM–8 PM

Hours might differ
Tuesday 11 AM–8:30 PM
Wednesday 11 AM–8:30 PM
Thursday 11 AM–8:30 PM
Friday 11 AM–8:30 PM

Menu

Menu
Plain Ol’Dog
Plain & Simple		 $3.35
Texas Tommy
Hot Dog wrapped in Bacon, Deep Fried & Topped with Cheese		 $4.50
Texas Ranger
Bacon, BBQ Sauce & Grilled Onions		 $4.50
Baltimore’s Best
Coleslaw & Bacon		 $4.50
South Philly Dog
Grilled Onions & Cheese		 $4.50
Southern Comfort Dog
Chili & Coleslaw		 $4.50
New Jersey Style Dog
Grilled Potatoes, Peppers & Onions		 $4.50
Hawaiian Dog
Crushed Potatoe Chips & Pineapple		 $4.50
Tijuana Dog
Jalapeno Peppers, Sport Peppers, Chopped Onions with Mouth Burning HOT Sauces		 $4.50
State Fair Corn Dog
Coated in Corn Batter & Deep Fried		 $4.25
Wisconsin Dog
American & Cheddar Cheese		 $4.50
New York Style Classic
Spicy Brown Mustard & Sauerkraut or Red Spicy Onion Sauce		 $4.50
Michigan Style Chili Dog
Yellow Mustard, Chili & Chopped Onions		 $4.50
The Delaware Destroyer
2 Hot Dogs Served on a 6″ Hoagie Roll, Topped with Mac & Cheese, Chili , Grilled Onions & Hot Sauce		 $6.99
Boston Dog
Baked Beans & Chopped Onions		 $4.50
Seattle Dog
Cream Cheese & Grilled Onions		 $4.50
Chili Cheese Dog
Famous Homemade Chili & Melted Cheddar Cheese		 $4.50
California Dog
Mayo, Lettuce, Tomatoe, Bacon & Avocado		 $4.75
Texas Dog
Chili, Jalapeno, Bacon & Onions		 $4.75
Chicago Style Dog
Yellow Mustard, Relish, Chopped Onions, Tomatoes, Sport Peppers, Dill Pickle & a Shake of Celery Salt		 $4.75
Reuben Dog
Swiss Cheese, 1000 Island Dressing, Kraut or Coleslaw		 $4.75
Kennett Square Dog
Grilled Mushrooms & Onions, Swiss Cheese & Steak Sauce		 $4.75
All America Dog
Pulled Pork, BBQ Sauce & Coleslaw		 $4.75
Monkey Hill Dog
Grilled Banas, Crunchy Peanut Butter, Chopped Bacon & Honey		 $4.75
Kobe Beef Dogs
The Filet Mignon of Hot Dogs		 $5.99
Wing $1.45
Leg / Drumstick $1.99
Thigh $2.25
Breast $3.50
Roll $0.30
Corn Bread $0.75
2 Pc. Special
Thigh, Wing & Fries		 $5.75
Breast Special
Breast, Wing & Fries		 $6.50
3 Wing & Fry Special $5.99
3 Pc. Dinner Box
Leg, Thigh, Wing & Fries		 $6.99
Breast Dinner Box $7.99
2 Pc. Dark
Thigh & Leg		 $7.99
2 Pc. White
Breast & Wing		 $8.99
3 Pc. Dark Meat
Thigh & 2 Legs		 $8.99
3 Pc. White
Breast & 2 Wings		 $9.99
4 Pc. Meal
Breast, Thigh, Wing & Leg		 $10.99
6 Pc. Box
Thigh, Breast, 2 Legs & 2 Wings		 $10.99
10 Pc. Box
2 Breast, 2 Thighs, 3 Legs & 3 Wings		 $18.99
10 Pc. All Dark
5 Thighs & 5 Legs		 $17.25
10 Pc. All White
5 Breasts & 5 Wings		 $22.99
16 Pc. Bucket
4 Breasts, 4 Thighs, 4 Wings, 4 Legs		 $28.99
25 Pc. Bucket
5 Breasts, 6 Thighs, 7 Wings & 7 Legs		 $42.99
Make It A Meal!
add 2 large sides		 $7.99
Grilled White Meat Chicken Breast
Sandwich, served with Lettuce and Tomato		 $5.99
Monterey Chicken
Sandwich, served with Lettuce, Tomato, Avacado, Bacon, and Chipotle Mayo		 $6.99
Kennett Square Chicken
Sandwich, served with Mushrooms, Fried Onions, and Melted Swiss Cheese		 $6.99
Junkyard Double-Burger
Topped with Melted Cheese, Grilled Onions, Bacon, Chili Tomatoes & Fries		 $8.99
Single Burger
Topped with Lettuce & Tomato		 $4.50
Plain Ol’Double-Burger
Topped with Lettuce & Tomato		 $6.99
Sweet Italian Or Smoke Sausage
Your choice of Sweet Italian Sausage or Hot Sausage served with pep and onions		 $6.75
Southern Style Pulled Pork
Served with BBQ Sauce & Cole Slaw		 $6.75
Kielbasa With Sauerkraut $6.75
Philly Steak Sandwich
Served “wit” or “wit-out”		 $6.75
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Everyone Loves		 $3.99
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
with Tomato and Bacon		 $4.99
Grilled Cheese Destroyer
Grilled Cheese with Mac & Cheese, Pulled Pork or Chopped Hamburger, and Bacon		 $5.99
Veggie Sweet Sausage
Served with Peppers & Onions		 $6.99
Veggie Burger
Topped with Lettuce & Tomato. “The Best You Will Ever Have!”		 $6.99
Artisan Chipotle Veggie Sausage $6.99
2 Pc. Dark Combo
Leg, Thigh & 1/2 Waffle		 $5.99
2 Pc. White Combo
Breast, Wing & 1/2 Waffle		 $6.99
3 Wing Combo
3 Wings & 1/2 Waffle		 $6.99
Waffle Only $1.99
Chicken Wings
Mild, Hot (Traditional Buffalo Style), Buffalo Garlic, Hot Honey, Mango Habanero		 $6.50
Ice Cream Floats
Hanks Soda		 $4.99
Soft Served Ice Cream
Cup or Cone | Vanilla, Chocolate, or Swirl		 $2.75
Fried Oreo (5) $4.50
Fried Brownie $4.50
Funnel Cake Fries $4.50
Bean Pie $3.50
French Fries $2.85
Onion Rings $2.99
Tater Tots $2.50
Sweet Potato Fries $3.50
Sweet Potato Tater Tots $3.99
Homemade Potato Chips $4.99
Rice And Beans $1.99
Baked Beans $2.99
Baked Beans $2.99
Cole Slaw $2.50
Potato Salad $2.75
Mac & Cheese $2.99
Dipping Sauces $1.25
2 Wing Meal $5.99
2 Leg Meal $6.99
2 Tenders & Waffle Meal
Choice of either waffle or one small side		 $6.99
Fountain Drinks $1.75
Fresh Squeezed Lemonade $2.75
Milk Shakes
Thick and Cream | 20 Gourmet Flavors		 $4.75
Arnold Palmer
Half Lemonade / Half Iced Tea		 $4.49
About Us
Johnnie’s Dog House Owner Mark Raphaelson Says He’s Bringing Back A Taste From His Childhood
a tasty, lightly-battered fried chicken that holds a special place in Delaware’s culinary history
Raphaelson Was A Huge Fan Of The Original Walt’s Flavor Crisp
an iconic take-out chicken shop in the 500 block of Vandever Ave. in Wilmington’s Northeast neighborhood. It closed a few years after the 2011 death of longtime owner Harry W. Sheppard
Raphaelson Used To Visit The Successful Shop With His Father
who ran a scrapyard in the city’s Southbridge section. Earlier this year, he decided to add fried chicken to his own business Johnnie’s Dog House at 3401 Concord Pike near Talleyville, which he has rebranded as Johnnie’s Dog House and Chicken Shack
At Johnnie’s, Robert Lively, A Former Cook At The Flagship Walt’s Flavor Crisp
has recreated the fried chicken that Delawareans have loved since the early 1970s, Raphaelson says
Raphaelson, Who Has Been Hunting Down How To Make Walt’s Fried Chicken For Two Years
is convinced it is the same flavor
I’ve Been Eating Walt’s Chicken Since I Was A Kid
Basically, I looked from New York to North Carolina. I’ve tried fried chicken everywhere. The best fried chicken is from Walt’s on Vandever Avenue
Johnnie’s Customer Vic Rash Believes Raphaelson Has Gotten The Recipe Right
“The chicken is really good. I eat chicken all the time. Good job”, he says as he stands in the Concord Pike eatery’s dining room and pats Raphaelson on the back
But, The Late Harry W. Sheppard’s Wife And Business Partner Symanthia Lynch-Sheppard
who has not tasted Johnnie’s chicken but says she has heard from customers who have purchased it, is adamant this is not the original recipe
“It’s Not Walt’s”, She Says
Lynch-Sheppard Says Anyone Who Wants Walt’s Chicken Should Visit Walt’s Flavor Crisp Chicken Express At 103 N. Lincoln St
a 13-year-old take-out business near Little Italy that had been blessed by Sheppard. Or they should call her operation, Walt’s Flavor Crisp Chicken Catering, on Wilmington’s Lancaster Avenue. These are the only places, she says, that offer the original Walt’s chicken
After Trying Chicken From Both Johnnie’s Dog House And Chicken Shack And Walt’s Flavor Crisp Chicken Express
to me, the taste, crispy brown look and seasonings seem very similar. Flecks of black pepper can be seen in both versions. However, the skin of the chicken from Walt’s Flavor Crisp Chicken Express seemed slightly more crisp than Johnnie’s, while the chicken meat from Johnnie’s was a little more juicy
Still, Taste Is Subjective, So You Be The Judge
For About 40 Years, Walt’s Flavor Crisp At The Corner Of Vandever Avenue And Pine Street Thrived In An Area Of Wilmington That Is Known More For Its Drug Problems Than For Its Trendy Cuisine
City residents and suburbanites alike lined up for boxes of fried chicken. The number of customers visiting daily proved that great cooking can sometimes triumph over location, location, location
It’s A Perception More Than The Reality
owner Harry Sheppard told The News Journal in 2008, when asked about the neighborhood’s unsavory reputation. “I tell everybody as long as you don’t pat nobody on the butt and you mind your own business, people are people.”
Since 1973, Walt’s Has Been Run By Sheppard
family members and other longtime employees. The business moved across from its original corner store site to its Vandever Avenue location in 1978. The name Walt’s comes from Sheppard’s former partner, Walter Samuels. But, after the men parted ways, Sheppard never felt the need to change the name. Customers often called him “Mr. Walt.”
Walt’s Buzzed At Lunchtime And, Especially, During The Summer Months
Customers often lined up outside patiently waiting their turn to order. Word-of-mouth about the uncommonly good flavor was always the shop’s best advertising
Over The Years, Numerous News Journal Restaurant Critics Chose Walt’s As The Best Fried Chicken In Northern Delaware
The chicken, known for its moist meatiness, had thin and crispy skin and traces of spice and black pepper
Sheppard Once Told The News Journal He Came Up With The Chicken Recipe By Adapting His Grandmother Anna Brown’s Technique For Cooking Rabbit
Yet, when pushed for more details, Sheppard turned coy
“The Chicken Is Marinated Before It Is Cooked”, He Said
The types of spices used were a well-kept Walt’s secret
“Yeah, We Add A Little Bit”, Is All Sheppard Would Say
Sheppard, 84, Died Aug. 24, 2011, At St. Francis Hospital
In 2015, his Vandever Avenue shop was demolished to make way for four Wilmington Housing Partnership townhouses. On Wednesday at 10 a.m., a ground-breaking is taking place for construction of the townhomes to be known as “Walt’s Way.” His wife and business partner Lynch-Sheppard says the street in the front of the townhouses is being renamed for Sheppard
Sheppard Didn’t Die With His Recipe
He shared it at least eight years before his death. Since 2003, Larry Fletcher has owned and operated Walt’s Flavor Crisp Chicken Express at 103 N. Lincoln St. in Wilmington. Fletcher, a former general manager at Walt’s Flavor Crisp, considered Sheppard his mentor. Sheppard gave Fletcher and his wife, Beverly, his blessing to open Walt’s Flavor Chicken Express. They offer the same kind of fried chicken as the original Walt’s along with many of the side dishes
After Her Husband’s Death, Lynch-Sheppard Also Vowed To Continue Making The Much-Lauded Fried Chicken
In 2014, she decided to move the business from its Vandever Avenue location because the neighborhood where the shop was located had continued to decline
It Has Been A Real Struggle
We really did not have the walk-in traffic anymore, she told The News Journal in 2014. “We had to make a change.” Lynch-Sheppard now runs the Walt’s Flavor Crisp chicken catering operation in the Westside Plaza strip shopping center at 2800 Lancaster Ave
Lynch-Sheppard Says “Numerous Others” Have Tried To Recreate Her Husband’s Fried Chicken
While she acknowledges one of the former Walt’s cooks does work at Johnnie’s, she doesn’t believe they’re using the same recipe that Sheppard used
“My Husband Knew That You Don’t Share Your Recipe”, She Says
Earlier This Year, Restaurant Consultants Baum + Whiteman Predicted That An Obsession Over Fried Chicken Would Become Even More Intense In 2016
And that does indeed seem to be true in Delaware. One of the best places to find it in the state is at Lettie’s Kitchen in Hockessin, where it’s known as broaster chicken. Other new eateries, such as Oldbanks Craft Bistro in Wilmington’s Trolley Square and the new Jimmy’s Grille in Rehoboth Beach, are serving fried chicken
At Johnnie’s Dog House And Chicken Shack
chicken is available by the piece, dinner box or by the bucket. The shack also has collard greens, rice and beans, mac and cheese and baked beans
Raphaelson Says Making Fried Chicken Like Walt’s On Vandever Avenue Is A Process
“The marinade is super potent and the breading is potent. The timing of everything has to be exact. It’s so sensitive”, he says of the recipe he uses
While He Does Not Call His Fried Chicken Walt’s In Any Advertising Or On Restaurant Signs Or Menus
he says he has gotten “tremendous response” on the taste
It’s Distinctive. People Know It
Around here, word travels fast. Friends have commented, ‘It tastes like Walt’s
Contact Patricia Talorico At (302) 324-2861
or [email protected] and on Twitter @pattytalorico

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Menu Photos

Photo Gallery

Reviews

Shanequa Williams
I ordered on DoorDash, it came hot and quick. The California Dog is the stand out. , The Texas Ranger dog would make Walker proud to be a ranger, The Jersey Dog was underwhelming compared to the others but still good(you should eat this if your not big on flavor or spice). The Kennet Square only got a bite from me because I was full and I needed to taste it to review. I am now highly irritated that I wasted stomach space on the Jersey when I could have had this Lil charmer. The chicken was done right in terms of moisture and texture/coating. There might be some copyright infringement issues because it seems like the chef may have worked in Walt’s kitchen learned the receipe and techniques but forgot the salt and pepper. It has all the same flavor notes just no salt and not enough pepper. I also now wished I had tried the Delaware instead of the Jersey, but I was afraid I was going yo waste money because I don’t really like hot dogs unless there burnt and black all over, but I am now confident that won’t be an issue (I am scared tough that they might use craft and stoufers mac and cheese and then I will have to trash it, somebody’s grandma needs to make that mac and cheese for it to be worth my time). The chilli they use to top of the dogs, they could sell it in a bowl, but it might taste different w/o the other hot dog toppins so well table that for now. I need yall to go to walks get their chicken but make sure the cook is over the age of 45 and figure out the missing ingredient it might be more than salt because that chicken is wants doppelganger right down to the color and flecks of black pepper. You get that right we will extend the scale to a 5 just for yall.

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Krysta Housley
I ordered the dark meat platter. The chicken was overcooked and wasn’t seasoned. The coleslaw was heavily flavored and wasn’t the refreshing veggie side I hope for after having deep fried food. The customer service was great though and there was a really nice atmosphere.

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Krista Bracy
I got the 7 layer hot mess, which was good but smaller than I expected for $10.99. also mine looked smaller than other pictures on Google. It was tasty all the same.

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Jonathan Kim
Update. Visited again and this time I had the chicken. It took a while since they were frying it as soon as they took my order but it was hot and fresh. Had a breast and the wing and breast was juice and not dry. It was good. We will be back again, next time I want to dry the other types of hot dog and topping.

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Adam Boal
alright, so this 5 stars needs context. You don’t go here to have a fine dining experience and eating in isn’t much. They have a fun menu and the hot dogs are both creative and good. They also have, solid crispy fried chicken. It could use a little spice but it’s otherwise well executed. The staff is maybe not as polished as some places, but they are very friendly. They also cook the food when you order, so it’s not that fast, but it’s fresh and good.

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David DiSabatino
Update: went back for friends chicken & fries, and I am so glad I did. Crunchy, juicy, perfectly cooked, and good-sized portions. My ratings so far: Wings: 3/10, they should fry them WITHOUT BATTER & they’d be much better. As it is, the coat gets gloopy & falls off when they put sauce on them. Fries: 7/10, not the very best, not the worse, I’d describe them as smaller cut steak fries. Fried chicken: 12/10, the best, you may wish they spiced the batter a little more but you will eat every single bite, guaranteed. Original review:

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Rhys Newcombe
If you want wings, this is the spot. The flats they serve here put to shame most drumsticks I’ve had in my life. They do serve hot dogs and other stuff you should really only be eating at a baseball game, so go for the wings and I promise they are top 3 in Delaware.

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Kyra Lawrence
Best place for dogs! 23 dogs on menu and custom made to your choice. Warm, slightly toasted buns. Chilli is true chilli- no beans! Delicious.

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Renee Paxton
See menu picture. Excellent experience with a large variety of choices. I got the chicken and waffles. The waffle was the dense thick kind not light and fluffy and it was very good, like how pancakes are dense and thick. We got fried Oreos I think it came with six for $4 and change. Very reasonably priced and very good food. The hot dogs themselves had depth of flavor this was a nice little food stop.

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Frank Punturieri
We had a big lunch and were in the mood for a hot dog. We found Johnnie’s not far from our hotel that we were staying at. Boy were we surprised with all the options to load up your dog. I got the NY Classic, with brown mustard and sauerkraut. Great hot dog and we got fries which were real good crispy and hot. Places to sit and eat or take it to go. Clean place and pleasant staff.

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