Hot Dog Tommy's, Cape May, NJ (pics)

On Monday, Aug 11th, I decided to take a drive for the afternoon down to Cape May, 45 minutes south of me.

CAPE MAY, NJ

HOT DOG TOMMY'S has an impressive line!

So this shows that PINK'S hot dogs in L.A. is not the only place they line up for a good dog!!!
Tommy's is a seasonal operation.
The beach is just behind that traffic light.
Here's HOT DOG TOMMY himself! He's known for wearing the funny hot dog hat!


HOT DOG TOMMY uses BERK'S hot dogs...(they are made in PA)
One can get the "bad dog" with all beef, or the smaller pork/beef one
I'm not sure why, but he's says on the menu "diced onions only".
He's not into grilled onions, I guess. (I love grilled onions)

Sorry, no pics of the hot dogs ! Lines were too long!
I was ready to have one, even though I was'nt really in the mood.

Another view of JACKSON ST,Cape May..Hot Dog Tommy's is on this street

So,Ellen...what was your review...is the line worth waiting on(in)??

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUxIxh94U14

www.hotdogtommys.com

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

So,Ellen...what was your review...is the line worth waiting on(in)??

She said she didn't eat one because the line was too long.

Sorry,I posted before the rest of the pictures and commentary was up!!!

I've had one a dog there a few years back, and it was good.
He's got almost every topping under the sun, but for some reason, no grilled onions.
He's known for wearing that unusual HOT DOG HAT..
there was a write up on him a few years back in the Star Ledger newspaper, munchmobile section.

Since there's often talk on this board about the huge line at PINK'S in L.A, I wanted to show that PINK'S is'nt the ONLY spot where they wait!
(however PINK'S is only real, real, late, and there's even lines at 3 am)
By nightfall, Hot Dog Tommy's is closed already.

Cape May is known for their haute cuisine, so it's nice to see some down to earth spots, as well..
Hot Dog Tommy's is just a STALL, no indoor or outdoor seating...
you pretty much have to eat your hot dog standing up, or sitting on a curb, or cross the street to those benches by the beach...

Use to go to Cape May in the early 70's, thanks for the return Ellen.

I was to Hot Dog Tommy's 2 summers ago. The dogs are ok, not a destination to go out of your way for. There is a Berks 5 to a lb beef dog that is short and fat rather than longer and thinner. It's a decent, solid, if unremarkable dog. Skinless. The other dog offerred is a Berks skinless beef and pork frank. The same one served at Toby's Cup. I like this particular dog and think that it's underrated. I've fried and grilled it at home and it is very good. Toby's does it perfectly; fried in peanut oil and topped with mustard, pickles, and onions (which I omit), then placed in a steamed bun.

At Tommy's the dogs are steamed, then heated on a roller grill. Not one of my favorite ways to prepare a dog. Despite the preparation and the fact that the dogs are skinless, they came out ok.

Recently N.J. Monthly came out with their best of issue regarding food. Readers vote for their favorites and the categories are north, central, and south, plus editors choice. For hot dogs, Rutt's was voted best for north, Max's for central, Tommy's for south, and Amazing Hot Dog was the editor's choice. Rutt's, Amazing, and Max's are standouts; Tommy's is not. I'm not familiar with many places in the southern part of the state, which doesn't have the number of hot dog joints as up north, but there has to be better than Tommy's. Maui's Dog House would have gotten my vote.

Oh,John...Max's is indeed something else...people who haven't travelled to Long Branch could do a fun taste test...go to Max's and then move down the street to The Windmill(the one that is a windmill!) and compare...I prefer Max's to even the newer dog The Windmill serves...isn't Max's using a Shickhaus??? I believe the Windmill...now a prospering franchise,changed either their company or the dogs formula? True?

John, I completely agree. Tommy's looks like a great Roadfood place, but it falters. The frozen drinks and the sides (potato tornados) are good---yet the hot dogs are, yes, "unremarkable". The dogs themselves just aren't that tasty.

George's (Greek) and the C-View (bar/pub food) are the best lunch spots that we've found in Cape May.

I've done the taste comparison many times in Long Branch. Max's uses Schickhaus. The Windmill did as well, then decided to switch to a Sabrett beef and pork dog. This same dog was used at Callahan's, but was deep fried. The Hot Grill uses a smaller version of the Sabrett dog and deep fries it as well.

Back from Cape May and I'm going to retract a bit of what I had written about Hot Dog Tommy's. 

Simply put, I love chili dogs.  Tommy's chili dog is disappointing.  I had it last summer and figured that if the chili dogs weren't good, why bother with anything else?  That was a bit ignorant on my part, but with time constraints and long lines, still logical.

This Tuesday, we walked up around 1:30pm and...NO LINE?  So, I ordered a Black Russian Dog (Black Pepper Rub/Russian Dressing/Pickle).  The toppings worked perfectly together...and instead of going with the Big Bad (all beef) Dog, I chose the Leaner Weiner (pork/beef mix) on a smaller hot dog bun.  These leaner weiners work better for Tommy's creative toppings.  The dog and bread don't overwhelm and you really get the full flavor.  There may have only been 5-6 bites in this dog, but it was delicious!  With no one still in line (???), I went for the Chippy Dog (pepper relish/onions/crushed potato chips)...AND...terrific again!   At $ 2 each, Tommy's IS a bargain.

We thought about going to Tommy's the next day (he's right off the beach), but the line was long.  Nice guy, creative toppings---but stick to those little dogs.

By the way, George's Place (just a couple of blocks South on Beach) was sensational for both dinner and lunch.  The Greek salads are magnificent (fresh tomatoes, tons of the best feta we've ever had) and prices are LOW!   It's Tripadvisor.com's # 1 pick for dining in Cape May---casual and small (only ten tables) and most recommended.

Another (very) casual lunch in CM is The Lemon Tree.  Hot Dogs and Burgers looked good, but we just went for a big cup of fries and some Orangeade and Lemonade.  The fries are in the Fresh Cut Boardwalk style and very good.  They are on the north end of the Washington Street Mall.