Yellow Dog Eats: Celebrated 10 Years of Culinary Creativity

Jan 3, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Feb 12, 2025

Nestled in the historic district of New Smyrna Beach on Canal Street, Yellow Dog Eats is more than a restaurant - it’s a whole vibe. With a hip and laid-back atmosphere, this local gem takes everyday menu staples, like tacos and nachos, and elevates them to a level you’ve likely never experienced. These are no ordinary dishes, and once you try them, you’ll understand the hype.

Meet Fish Morgan

I’ve been a fan of Yellow Dog Eats for years - it’s where my husband and I had our first date. But this was my first time meeting Fish. His larger-than-life personality makes you feel like you’ve known him forever.

After greeting every patron and staff member like old friends, he joined me to showcase some of the restaurant’s signature dishes. We decided on the pulled pork nachos, the Hokey Poke Tacos, and their newly added Smashburger.

Yellow Dog Eats Signature Dishes

Pulled Pork Nachos

The pulled pork nachos are a masterpiece, both visually and in flavor. Tri colored tortilla chips are piled high with tender pulled pork, smoked on-site over apple and natural woods. They’re topped with black beans, queso, house-made salsa, sweet Thai chili sauce, cherry pepper rings, pickled onions and jalapeños, scallions, cilantro, sour cream, and a drizzle of Fish’s Signature Gold BBQ Sauce.

Fish’s Signature Gold BBQ Sauce

The flavors are all so bold, yet work perfectly together. As a self-proclaimed “Saucier,” I have to say the gold BBQ sauce steals the show. I dabble in grilling and barbecuing myself and was thrilled to find out you can actually purchase his sauces to take home! And let’s not forget the toppings - there’s nothing worse than bare nachos, and that’s a problem you’ll never encounter here. The portions are generous, making this dish perfect for sharing.

Smashburger

Next, we tried the Smashburger. To quote Fish in his best Austin Powers impression: “It’s smashing, baby!” This burger features two juicy 4-ounce patties, seared to perfection, with melted American cheese, chopped lettuce, spicy pickles, fresh tomato slices, tangy special sauce, and thinly sliced red onion. All of this goodness is nestled in a toasted potato bun. It’s simple, satisfying, and packed with flavor.

Their signature sandwiches and wraps come with kettle-cooked chips or house made slaw, but we opted for a premium side: the pesto, tomato, and mozzarella pearl salad. It was fresh, flavorful, and something I could happily eat every day.

Hokey Poke Tacos

The final dish, Hokey Poke Tacos, came with a personal recommendation from the kitchen manager. These tacos feature three 6-inch flour tortillas layered with guava cream cheese spread, sesame Napa cabbage bok choy slaw, pineapple cilantro salsa, sunflower sprouts, and poke tuna. The tacos are topped with Poke King sauce and cucumber-wasabi dressing and served with tri-colored tortilla chips and house-made salsa.

The sunflower sprouts come from a local supplier, Smyrna Greens Microgreens, delivered fresh three times a week. This local partnership adds a noticeable freshness to the dish. While I couldn’t eat another bite, I brought the tacos home to my husband, who raved about the fresh tuna and the perfect balance of textures and flavors.

Woman smiling with a beer in one hand, seated at an outdoor table with nachos, a burger, and tacos. Background includes plants and a sign. — Yellow Dog Eats recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2024 and I had the pleasure of sitting down with the owner, Fish Morgan, to explore the heart and soul behind this unique eatery.

LOOKING AHEAD

Fish collaborates with his culinary team to create new specials every month, keeping the menu fresh and exciting. This isn’t his first location. His journey started on Park Avenue in Winter Park in 1995. Then in 1997 he moved to downtown Gotha, located near Windermere, and that location is till serving customers today. The New Smyrna Beach location opened in July 2014.

When I asked Fish about future plans, he eagerly shared his vision. He plans to expand the front of the building to offer flex seating, and install an awning over the back patio for shade and fans to combat Florida’s unpredictable weather. He even mentioned wanting to add a mural to the back patio.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT

My visit to Yellow Dog Eats was about more than the food. It was a glimpse into the culture Fish has created. Everyone - from the staff to the patrons - exudes kindness and positivity. That is the type of tone that is set at the top and flows down from person to person and it’s exactly what we want in our community.

Congratulations to Yellow Dog Eats on 10 incredible years. Here’s to the next decade of bold flavors and good vibes!