About Us: Rock Stars Have the Best Stories.

It all began in 2008. Steve Ewing, frontman for the band The Urge, opened his first hot dog stand - a humble spot to satisfy concertgoers' late-night cravings. Steve's Hot Dogs quickly grew from a hot dog cart to a successful restaurant known for its creative collaborations and unforgettable flavor combinations. Steve's smoked all-beef Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs provided the basis around which a menu of culinary creativity was built. Toppings were then piled high on a fresh bun from a local bakery. Customers keep coming back for their favorite staples like the Gorilla Mac and Cheese Dog or the Chicago Dog - but also never miss the restaurant's creative limited-run collaborations with local restaurants and food brands like Strange Donuts, Dogtown Pizza, Gioia's, and Pretzel Boys.

In 2011, Steve opened his first brick-and-mortar location on the Hill. Steve's Hot Dogs is a restaurant built around COMMUNITY. The community helped Steve's launch, helped it expand, saved it from the brink in early 2020 - and they are the reason that Steve's is here today. In early 2020, Steve partnered with Danni and Marcus Eickenhorst. The pair were friends with Steve - and are also local leaders active in a number of businesses and civic initiatives throughout the St. Louis region. They also own Midtown restaurant The Fountain on Locust. In partnering, the hope was to look at how to sustain and grow Steve's Hot Dogs. Within weeks of their partnership, COVID struck and the restaurant went into survival mode.

In April of 2020, Steve, Danni and Marcus saw the need in their community as layoffs took their toll. The three worked together to launch a community giveback program called #FeedThePeople. Since its launch, the team at Steve's Hot Dogs has served thousands of community-donated meals to people in need and first responders in the St. Louis area. Customers have the option to give a one-time donation or to donate on a recurring basis. Those donations are placed into a fund. When need arises, the meals are distributed on a no-questions-asked basis, as long as there are meals in our fund. In early December of 2020, Marcus Lemonis of CNBC’s The Profit purchased 2,000 meals to support this program as part of his #PlatingChange initiative. The Steve's team is partnering with organizations such as Tent Mission, Zion Lutheran Food Pantry, St. Patrick Center, and others to ensure those meals go to the people who need them most.

Our journey on Delmar began with a deep-seated commitment to revitalize and support one of St. Louis's most historic corridors. Over our tenure, we spearheaded initiatives that raised over $100,000 in community support, directly impacting local families and business development. When crisis struck with the May 16th, 2025 tornado, our team stepped up to lead tornado recovery efforts, providing immediate aid and serving as a central hub for those displaced. More than 750 neighbors were fed, 300 bags of groceries and personal item distributed and more than $100,000 in funds were raised for local businesses impacted by the storm. Our co-owner Danni Eickenhorst’s personal dedication to this cause led to her appointment on the City of St. Louis Tornado Recovery commission, where she worked alongside city leaders to develop long-term resilience and recovery strategies for the neighborhood. While the closure of our physical storefront on Delmar was a difficult decision as the neighborhood struggled to recover from the tornado, it was not an end but a strategic pivot toward our vision for tomorrow. We are now focusing our resources on expanding our reach through high-impact catering, community partnerships, and a renewed focus on our core locations to better serve the entire St. Louis region.

We’re more than a restaurant — we’re a family of food lovers, community builders, and dreamers who believe that a great hot dog can bring people together. Every member of our team helps make Steve’s Hot Dogs the local legend it is today — one delicious dog at a time.