"This is not your average hot-dog stand. You know what this is? This is Winky Dinky Dog! This line from the classic 1980s comedy Hollywood Shuffle has become reality in Oakland's Temescal neighborhood. On Jan. 24, Winky Dinky Dogs opened its long-awaited spot at Telegraph Avenue and 46th Street, turning a historic and curiously shaped building into a dispensary for hot dogs, fried ribs, gumbo and wangs."
"Allen is known in the community as being part of the legendary hip-hop group The Digital Underground. His second career as a restaurateur appears to be taking off. Aside from his Winkies, in late 2025 he also opened the Bread Winners sandwich shop in Oakland's Swan's Market. (He also owns the city's Lucky's Barber Shop.) For Allen, selling hot dogs is almost a muscle memory."
"The eatery has moved into a building that fittingly has a tubular past. Since the 1940s, it was home to Original Kasper's Hot Dogs, a local institution that moved out in 2003. The triangle-shaped structure, which viewed from above looks like a pizza slice, attracted graffiti and even an art show devoted to its ever-changing facade before Allen bought it in 2025."
Tyranny Allen opened Winky Dinky Dogs on Jan. 24, 2026 in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland at Telegraph Avenue and 46th Street. The restaurant occupies a historic triangle-shaped building that formerly housed Original Kasper's Hot Dogs since the 1940s. The menu features hot dogs, fried ribs, gumbo and wangs, and the location has sold about a thousand hot dogs per day. Allen previously performed with The Digital Underground and has expanded into hospitality with other businesses including Bread Winners sandwich shop and Lucky's Barber Shop. The building attracted graffiti and art shows before Allen purchased it in 2025.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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