Thanks for the responses. I'm leaning towards dowels. To explain the project
further, it's a fold over leg for a Murphy bed. As such, the leg itself (and
the joint) is situated in the middle of the second piece which negates the
possibility of using a scarf or half-lap joint. A stopped dado is a
possibility, as long as I increase that dimension of the foot to compensate
for the depth of the dado.

-Bill