" There are certain toppings that mesh well with others, " says David Gettleman, owner of Spike’s Junkyard Dogs, a new eatery in Allston. " I wouldn’t put a hamburger on a hot dog. " Otherwise, he says, anything goes.

Though Spike’s serves plenty of conventional fast-food fare (subs, nachos, pizza), it’s the eccentrically assembled hot dogs that are really the stars of the show. Spike’s dogs take the idea of fusion cuisine and run, hop, skip, and jump with it. The 20-plus dogs on the menu include a Buffalo Dog, served with Buffalo sauce, blue cheese, and scallions; a Reuben Dog, with Russian dressing, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese; a Samurai Dog, with teriyaki sauce and sautéed mushrooms; and our personal favorite: the Pizza Dog, with pizza sauce, mozzarella, and Italian spices. If all this doesn’t sound adventurous enough for you, the Sinatra Dog allows you to mix and match toppings — pepperoni and baked beans, say.

Given the array of dogs on offer, it can be hard to decide what to order at Spike’s, but experimentation won’t break the bank. The hot dogs here are cheap: between $2.25 and $2.85. They are also — despite their status as a vehicle — very well put together: big and beefy, served on impressively substantial buns. The veggie dogs — offered in all the same varieties — aren’t quite as succulent as their meaty counterparts, but a few dollops of barbecue sauce and a slathering of cheddar cheese can do amazing things. And while the décor here follows a junkyard theme — car doors, hub caps, gas signs — it’s the cleanest, most pleasant junkyard you’ll ever visit.

The best thing about Spike’s, though — and possibly the most surprising thing — is that even the wildest and craziest of these wild and crazy dogs are so agreeable. Well, with the possible exception of the Freaking Hot, Hot Dog, which is served with hot sauce and hot peppers, and which evoked the following response from one of our intrepid testers: " For the love of God! I’m injured! "

Spike’s Junkyard Dogs, located at 108 Brighton Avenue, in Allston, is open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight. Call (617) 254-7700.