Hot Dogs- flat top or roller?

I'm getting ready to open a burger joint and plan on serving hot dogs as well. I had planned on grilling them as ordered on my flat top. I've been thinking lately about getting a roller grill but that always reminds me of 7-11 dogs and thats the last thing I want to serve my customers. If you use a quality dog will it cook as well on a roller as it would on the flat top?

Thanks in advance,
Will

The roller grill is a dedicated grill for hot dogs. A flat top grill is of course a general grill to cook what you want. There are different message threads already on here about cooking styles, ie. steam, hot water, grilled that you can use the search on. That is a cooking preference. The roller grill will hold a temp to cook hot dogs and many here seem to like hot water cooking. You want to decide on the style of cooking for your hot dog, if you feel the roller grill is giving a feeling of a cheap hot dog, that will be your choice for your place. Remember the restaurant business has general and special equipment to cook in various style and you will have x amount to invest in your equipment. Look closely at what you want to serve, the style you want to cook, and the menu you are serving. Then look at the equipment that will work for you. RJF

I like gettign a flat top dog. I can see the griddle marks. In my mind they add to the flavor. No marks with rollers.

Richard,
Thank you for your response. I understand that the roller grill is used only for hot dogs,that flat top vs. roller is a "preference", that the restaurant business has general and special equipment for various styles of cooking, and that I have x amount to invest in said equipment. My question was for those who may have experience with cooking hot dogs on both flat top griddles and on roller grills and whether or not they thought that the dogs cooked on the roller grills differed from those cooked on a flat top and if so, in a good or bad way. I also know that I can do a search but I was hoping to get a few fresh opinions on this specific question before I decide to invest the money in a roller grill or not.

I look forward to further opinions.

Thanks,
Will

Deep fry 'em. Yum!

Some of the best dogs I ever had as a kid, (8-10 yrs old) were split and cooked on a flat top by an old Greek guy, Gus. I'm 67 yrs old and I still remember those dogs. I can't remember what I had for breakfast, but I remember those dogs with very finely chopped onions and a very fine grain chili sauce on a steamed bun. Use the flat top and a GOOD QUALITY DOG. Just don't get it too hot and burn the dogs.

I don't cook 'em, but when I eat 'em I prefer grilled and griddled as my preferences.

Grill...no rollers.!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Foodbme

Some of the best dogs I ever had as a kid, (8-10 yrs old) were split and cooked on a flat top by an old Greek guy, Gus. I'm 67 yrs old and I still remember those dogs. I can't remember what I had for breakfast, but I remember those dogs with very finely chopped onions and a very fine grain chili sauce on a steamed bun. Use the flat top and a GOOD QUALITY DOG. Just don't get it too hot and burn the dogs.

After thinking about it a little more, Gus would keep the dogs over on the side of the flat top under minimum heat and when someone ordered, he would split them without cutting all the way thru and grill them under slightly higher heat. How's that for a Cracker Jack Memory!

Foodbme, I've gotta tell ya...your description of the Greek guy's hot dogs brought me back to a little joint in Manchester, CT where the guy there--he may have been Greek--did EXACTLY what you described in your note. Not only can I still taste them, I can smell 'em. Wow.

quote:

Originally posted by Ciaoman

Foodbme, I've gotta tell ya...your description of the Greek guy's hot dogs brought me back to a little joint in Manchester, CT where the guy there--he may have been Greek--did EXACTLY what you described in your note. Not only can I still taste them, I can smell 'em. Wow.

As Bob Hope used to sing, "Thanks for the Memories" Wouldn't it be WONDERFUL to go back to those simpler times before all this crap in our world today?

That's the way I grew up eating them. They'd keep them on a warm section of the griddle and split and grill them when ordered. Always served on a toasted New England-style bun. The condiments, that you put on yourself, included mustard, a mustard-relish combination, sweet pickle relish, hot relish, copped onions and hot sauerkraut.

Heaven on a bun!

Chubby B
You might want to consider calling the place, "Chubby's Old Fashioned Burgers & Dogs" if this thread makes sense to you.

The guy who runs the great Boardwalk Hot Dogs here in Brick grills his Schikhaus hotdogs the same way,still. Hot dogs all in a row on one side of the grill,obviously just warm...and as you order moves them across to the hot end of the grill. He makes a perfect dog. They do it the same way at most New Jersey boardwalk locations also. Something about those rollers says "cheap dog" to me...that is how dogs are "rolled" in Targets and movie theatres and such!

The flat-top method is what I use; I don't split my dogs though. The thing with doing it like this is that you have to have somebody who knows how to work that griddle.

With a roller grill, any untrained seventeen-year-old can put hot dogs on there and then let them sit all day long, to be placed on a cold bun.

I would not waste the capitol on an added unitasker, you all ready have the flat top for the burgers.

Use that and save the $$$ for something else you may need

Thank you all for your responses. I have decided against the roller and will be using the flat top.

Thanks again,
Will

Best of luck, ChubbyBurger. I think you made the right choice, at least from a hot dog lovers stand point.

quote:

Originally posted by leethebard

Best of luck, ChubbyBurger. I think you made the right choice, at least from a hot dog lovers stand point.

I agree with the wise OLD leethebard!

Flat top and I hope you have a lot of grilled onions and peppers sitting next to those dogs on the side... ready for dogs and burgers.

Oh come on,I'll give you wise, but I'm not that OLD...I'm not even collecting social security yet...soon, but not yet!!!!

Originally posted by leethebard

Oh come on,I'll give you wise, but I'm not that OLD...I'm not even collecting social security yet...soon, but not yet!!!![/quote

'Wise OLD is a figure of speech and a term of endearment. As in Old Coot, Old F__rt, Old Geezer, Old Timer, Old F__rt, etc!!

Roller grills are for movie theatres, ballparks, 7-11, and places that are not considered true "hot dog joints". And they are usually associated with cheap generic hot dogs. A flat top grill or gas or charcoal grill is much better. Use a real (not roller) grill and use a natural casing dog. The roller grill is not made for dogs with skin.

The fresher, the better. My vote is for grilled.

I really don't mind buying a roller dog, but if it's starting to wrinkle due to length of time on the heat, I walk away (hear that, Target and 7-11?).

Eye-appeal is so doggone important.

Sorry for the pun.

Steam them weiners!!! It is the ONLY way I would eat them.

I had both a roller and a grill. The best way by far was to grill dem puppies. Here's is how to make it work. Mine was a three burner grill. Turn the right burner on high and the left one on low. I used to keep the middle on off. I grilled on Right and stored the fresh ones on Left Front. In Left rear I kept cooked Onions, The middle was also heated by other burners. This system worked very well for me. All I can say is to try it. Also if you don't have a warming table. You can put sauce in a SS pot in middle or left or Right. My Grill was 36" Hope this helps CBB in PA

Rollers look cheesey, makes me think that the owner really doesn't know anything about hot dogs. Get the griddle - plus it's a multitasker.

I would hav't to say grill...I hate seeing those hot dogs on the roller at 7-11 thats one of the reasons I won't eat one cooked like that...who knows how long its been rolling on that cooking. Just my 2 cents though.

quote:

Originally posted by PapaDog

I would hav't to say grill...I hate seeing those hot dogs on the roller at 7-11 thats one of the reasons I won't eat one cooked like that...who knows how long its been rolling on that cooking. Just my 2 cents though.

I did some research and learned that 7-11 sold over 100 Million Hot Dogs last year! Someone is eating them!!

I still say steam them wieners!