Mini Hot Dog tour

My wife, my best friend and I are taking a "mini hot dog tour" tonight. NO! not a tour of mini hot dog establishments. We are going to visit two of New Jersey's famous eateries, Rutt's Hut and The Hot Grill. They are only a few miles apart so we are going to try to have a few Chili dogs at The Hot Grill and a few Rippers at Rutt's as a night cap. I do not know where to have my helping of fries so to help ROAD FOOD I will have one helping at each and report back which one was better. As far as the dogs go Mr Fox is the go to man on which brand of dog is served at each place. Which one is better? Its like comparing apples and oranges they are both deep fried but one is dressed with mustard, raw onions and chili sauce ( Hot Grill ) the other is dressed with Rutt's famous home made relish. Oh boy I can't wait!

Alesrus,
The Hot Grill serves a 50% beef 50% pork dog made by Sabrett. This dog is also used by Callahan's in Fort Lee, only in a bigger size. Rutt's Hut serves a special dog made for deep frying that is produced by Thumann's and also used by the Goffle Grill, Hiram's (right next to Callahan's) and Libby's. At Rutt's, you can get them cooked to varying degrees. In my opinion, the dog served at Rutt's Hutt is more flavorfull and better tasting than the dog served at the Hot Grill. As far as which place you prefer; that depends on whether you like the dog w/relish, or chili and onions. If both had only mustard, then Rutt's would be my choice.

I do prefer the Hot Grill to Libby's, even though Libby's uses the same dog as Rutt's, because the chili is better at the Hot Grill. Libby's is too thin. Also, I prefer the dog cooked more (like at Rutt's) than they do at Libby's. Let us know how the tasting goes!

Oh, and if it's not too late, the Hot Grill is known for their gravy fries. I don't really remember what Rutt's fries are like.

Another good idea for a mini hot dog tour would be Syd's and The Galloping Hill Inn in Union, also a few miles away from each other. Two of the best dogs in Jersey. The GHI is a tasty beef/pork dog cooked on a griddle. Made by Grote & Weigle of Conn., but different and better than the other dogs they make for many of the Jersey joints that use them. In fact, the Grote & Weigle distributor told me that this dog is only ordered and used by the Galloping Hill Inn. Syd's is an excellent 5 to a lb natural casing all beef dog made by Best Provisions. It is simmerred in hot water, than charbroiled. The best beef dog in Jersey in my opinion. Better even than Papaya King, Nathan's, and Katz's in New York City. I'd put Union right up there with Clifton as the biggest hot dog towns in Jersey.

Yet another idea for a mini tour would be Fort Lee, home to Callahan's and Hiram's; practically right next to each other! Hiram's uses the Thumann's deep fryer (like Rutt's and Libby's) while Callahan's uses the Sabrett beef and pork dog that The Hot Grill and The Windmill uses. Both dogs are deep fried and served with your choice of toppings.

hey john
what was the name of the joint in long Branch that had super dogs? I used to go there when I was stationed in Ft Monmouth.....just remembered,it was MAX'S.....is it still there?
best wishes

Gary,
Still there, but only opened from April or May till the end of summer. Right down the street is the Original Windmill. Both make quarter lb dogs. I prefer Max's.

The ambiance at Rutt's is true road food. The service fast and accurate.
The hot dogs awesome as usual. The price $1.74 not bad. The fries at Rutt's
were very good, crisp with a good potato flavor. We ordered fries with
gravy-
which was a nice brown gravy, not too spicy. Rutt's a true classic!


The Hot Grill:
The ambiance at the Hot Grill is like a diner. You walk up to the counter
and place your order and it is worth a listen to hear the counterman call
the order back to the cooks. The hot dogs awesome too but a bit spicier.
They are smaller then dogs at Rutts but not any less flavorful. The price
$1.85 for the Texas wiener (deep fried dog mustard raw onions and chili
sauce) very nice. We also ordered fries with gravy at the Hot Grill the
gravy is not what I expected. It was a tomato based gravy with an Italian
seasoning -not like spaghetti sauce but kinda like brown gravy with a ladle
or two of tomato sauce thrown in -unusual, but not bad. Our fries were not
as
crisp or as hot as we would have liked. but even with warm fries the Hot
Grill is a great place for Texas wieners.

Oh and I forgot to add Drinks:
Rutt's Hut has beer!! Molson, Becks, Michelob, Bud and coors

The Hot grill:
Along with a full line of soda ( pop) they serve delicious shakes made with
ice cream, Chocolate, Vanilla and strawberry.

We had a great night and we are looking forward to doing the Union mini hot
dog tour with an extra stop at the Union Pork store for some brats to
take home.

Speaking of New Jersey hot Dogs...

The Best Dog I ever had was at Duckey's on the Boardwalk in Asbury Park. I believe they used Shickhause (sp) brand dogs. Deep fried, then crisped on the grill.

Any of you Jersy natives know if Duckey's still exist?
I know about 80% of the Asbury Park boardwalk area does not.

Ale,
Enjoyed the review! Made me anxious to go back. It's been awhile since I've been to either place, and my wife is bugging me to get some of The Hot Grill's chili to take home. She likes their dogs, but hates Rutt's. Go figure. I'm glad you remembered about the Union Pork Store. Grab some of their franks while you're there too. If you really want to try a comparison, ask the guy at the Galloping Hill Inn to sell you a loose dog (not cooked) to take home. Then, on your way to the Union Pork Store, stop at Gaiser's (also on Morris Ave)where you can by a package or a single one of their dogs. They supplied the Galloping Hill Inn before it changed owners in 1988. There is fierce debate over whether the dogs served under the current owners are as good as the dogs served by the previous owners. Most people don't know the identity of either dog, as both owners jealously guarded their identity. Looking forward to hearing your opinions of the Union places.

John Fox, Just curious here. Do you retain all of the details about each hot dog in your head, or refer to notes? Impressive either way.

Edwaste Duckey's closed many years ago if my memory serves me correctly. Asbury's Boardwalk and surrounding areas were bought up by private developers after decades of city mismamgement and decay. A new Convention Center, Boardwalk, retailing and amusements is planned but the projects have been tied up in the courts. Lot's of great information on Asbury Park's can be found at http://asburypark.net The last remaining eatery on the Boardwalk which has since closed was Howard Johnson's which operated only on weekends.

Originally posted by signman

John Fox, Just curious here. Do you retain all of the details about each hot dog in your head, or refer to notes? Impressive either way.
[/I remember everything in my head. I eat hot dogs maybe twice a week. More often I cook them at home, but I go to the many great hot dog restaurants that are in my area (north-central Jersey). I've been to each of them more than once and keep going back, so it's easy for me to remember the details.quote]

We did a Jersey Dog run this past March---the wife was away and a fellow iron-stomached Roadfooder and I each ate six dogs in six hours. Now I know that six isn't THAT much, but when you add the Italian Dogs in, well---let's just say that that's even a little too much for Supertummy.

Quick recap:

First, Hot Dog Johnny's in Buttzville (good basic dog with mustard and pickle in a perfect mid-20th Century Roadside atmosphere). Pretty good birch beer too.

Second, Jimmy Buff's in North Arlington. A big old heavy Italian dog with the peppers, onions and potatoes also in the thick roll. I'm Italian and love Italian Sandwiches, but I just didn't get this---maybe it was all the oil that the dogs and potatoes soaked in?

Third, Dickie Dee's in Newark. Another Italian Dog---this one was even more oily. Pretty much the same reaction, though my friend found that one superior. Another heavy meal---maybe if we had double dogs as suggested by others, we would've enjoyed them more---but hey---there are still three more stops to go.

Fourth, Rutt's Hut in Clifton. A deep fried dog of the highest order. I've been there before...and I love this place more with every visit. I left upset that I could only eat one.

Fifth, The Hot Grill---also in Clifton. Texas Weiners, better than most back home in PA. Lots of kick, and lots of onions. Pretty good.

Sixth, Libby's Lunch in Paterson. Barely able to trick my mind into taking a bite (way too full at this point). Finally take a bite---I remark "Aww.$%$@"!!! This is the chili dog I've been dreaming of...and I'm too stuffed to eat it." Forced myself to---and we split an order of gravy fries---which were also delicious but went unfinished.

Moments later, we popped a couple of Pepcid and went home.

So...the winner was Rutt's by a bite over Libby's, but if we visited Paterson earlier (on a less overstuffed stomach) it could've gone the other way. Sounds like a good weekend trip!

I agree with you on the Italian dogs they are filling. I don't think I could have continued after two. I have to get up to Hot Dog Johnny's in Buttzville. My parents used to (still do )go there for hot dogs and buttermilk.

quote:

Originally posted by alesrus

My wife, my best friend and I are taking a "mini hot dog tour" tonight. NO! not a tour of mini hot dog establishments. We are going to visit two of New Jersey's famous eateries, Rutt's Hut and The Hot Grill. They are only a few miles apart so we are going to try to have a few Chili dogs at The Hot Grill and a few Rippers at Rutt's as a night cap. I do not know where to have my helping of fries so to help ROAD FOOD I will have one helping at each and report back which one was better. As far as the dogs go Mr Fox is the go to man on which brand of dog is served at each place. Which one is better? Its like comparing apples and oranges they are both deep fried but one is dressed with mustard, raw onions and chili sauce ( Hot Grill ) the other is dressed with Rutt's famous home made relish. Oh boy I can't wait!

alesrus:

Just curious, who drives the weiner-mobile, you or the missus?

When I go to Rutt's I order 3 "rippers" and a cup of their excellent chili and do up my own chili dogs....goes great with their relish... add a cold one and I'm all set

[img]http://www.geocities.com/wallacewebpages/page5.htm?1069357233820[/img]

I-95 - Does this answer your question?? (click above)

I drive there and enjoy a few dogs and a libation...and the wife drives the weiner mobile home!

quote:

Originally posted by alesrus

http://www.geocities.com/wallacewebpages/page5.html?1069357233820

I-95 - Does this answer your question?? (click above)

I drive there and enjoy a few dogs and a libation...and the wife drives the weiner mobile home!

It does, indeed. Great photo, alesrus! Just hope the vehicle passed its emissions test (for nitrates).

quote:

Originally posted by Craig328

Edwaste Duckey's closed many years ago if my memory serves me correctly. Asbury's Boardwalk and surrounding areas were bought up by private developers after decades of city mismamgement and decay. A new Convention Center, Boardwalk, retailing and amusements is planned but the projects have been tied up in the courts. Lot's of great information on Asbury Park's can be found at http://asburypark.net The last remaining eatery on the Boardwalk which has since closed was Howard Johnson's which operated only on weekends.

Thanks, for the info...Sad though, great Hot Dogs, and the crew at Duckey's were good Bocce players too.

You people have NO IDEA how much I envy you when you talk about taking your hot dog tours. Do you know, that other than Sonic Drive Ins, a few Der Wienerschnitzel's down Denver way, and your local 7-11, that they DON'T SELL HOT DOGS in Colorado. Nope.

You can only get them if you buy them at the store yourself. And then they just end up boiled.

Your descriptions and all of Michael and Jane's reviews make my mouth water.

I'm just jealous of the ease with which some can just pop over to Rutt's Hutt or Hotdog Johnny's or etc. Yes, I'm the one who moans about no good hotdog places in South Jersey. It's weird; I'm from Philly and we used to take institutions such as Levis and Lenny's for granted (I think there's a Lenny's in Feasterville, but haven't been bothered to go yet).

However! I had to drive Bill, my boyfriend, home this morning (his starter is out of whack..lol) at roughly 6:00 AM. We have some of our best conversations that time of the morning, and somehow the subject became hotdogs. I mentioned John Fox and how he really is the expert on Jersey hotdogs here on this great forum, and we discussed what I've read of Rutt's Hutt ("What's a Ripper?" "Ooh, that sounds good!") and some of the other places that I could remember written and pictorial details about. I've started sending hollyeats links to him as well. I'd love to plan a hotdog tour of North Jersey; the only problem is hotdogs alone won't get Bill up there, because Clifton is kinda far just for a hotdog (according to him). Is anything else happening up that way that we could tie that in with? Anything? We did the New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge this year, but I'm sure none of these places are near any lighthouses we've gone to. At least I don't think so.

John, any ideas? Bill's gotta have a reason to go up there! Just for geographic reference, I live near Cherry Hill (exit 4 on the NJT) and he lives 40 minutes south outside of Williamstown...he's also originally from Chicago, just loves hotdogs, and believes that the best ones come from there.

THANK YOU TO ALL THE WONDERFUL, INSPIRATIONAL POSTERS ON THIS SITE!!

...And I'll bet his car doesn''t run either. Right, Shayna's Mom?

Hey STANPNEPA, do you have directions to Rutt's in Clifton for a fellow nepa-vanian? I am heading down to Passaic in a week or so to Janek's Butcher shop and a stop next door at Polonia Bakery. Anybody in that area owes it to themselvelve to visit Janeks and the Polonia Bakery. Janeks makes possibly the best polish sausage I've ever had (and I'm from ne Penna where every corner shop makes their own) and his 'twice smoked bacon' is to die for. And the Polonia has Polish style pastries, homemade rye bread, and a poppy seed roll thats out of this world. Janeks is at 200 Monroe Ave in Passaic, open Tues-Sat 8am-5pm.
Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by bill voss

...And I'll bet his car doesn''t run either. Right, Shayna's Mom?

If his '86 Caddy could talk!

Shaynas Mom,
You are quite a ways down south! I used to go to school at Glassboro State College (now Rowan) and hated the ride every few weeks or so when I came home. And Jersey is a small state! Since I'm a nut when it comes to hot dogs, I make a trip every so often. I've been to Conn. and New York (Mamaronek to visit Walters) to sample hot dogs. But it is the trip down south that has been preventing me from making a cheesesteak excursion. It's only about an hour and a half away too.

I'd suggest either making a day out of it if you have nothing to do or just feel like hopping in the car and driving with no particular destination. If you really need a reason to be up this way, Giants Stadium and the Continental Airlines Arena is probably less than 5 minutes away from Rutt's Hut if you're ever up for a game or concert. My wife likes to go to the many craft fairs in nearby Edison at Raritan Center, but I'm sure your boyfriend wouldn't be lured up for that. There is a museum in Newark, and of course, we're about 15 to 20 minutes away from New York City where there are probably a million things to do.

For me, half of the fun in travelling to a hot dog restaurant is finally trying the product that I've heard or read a lot about and seeing how my opinion of it compares to others. There is such a wide range of opinions about hot dogs because of peoples tastes and the various types of hot dogs. I love Rutt's Hut, but my family can't stand their dogs. They are so different from most dogs. I have my favorites and those I don't care for. One is Hot Dog Johnny's which I think is bland. The dog is steamed or boiled which doesn't bring out the flavor in a pork based dog like grilling or deep frying. I had the toughest time finding out where they get their dogs. The owner wouldn't tell me. She is a character and I enjoy sparring with her. Same goes for Mrs. Max, owner of Max's. Both tough old ladies with a lot of attitude. The owner of Johnny's acted like I asked her weight when I inquired about the brand of dog she uses. I've always been able to find out the supplier. Many places like to keep it a secret; but one way or another I found out. Johnny's had me stumped. But in an amazing coincidence, I found out that someone on my mail route owns a meat company that supplies them their hot dogs. The brand is Schmalz's and is produced in Newark. It is actually a good dog if you grill or deep fry it. And if you really like Hot Dog Johnny's, you can boil or steam it like they do. You can get this frank at one of 2 places. Either at their factory in Newark (Schmalz's German Provisions) or at Federico Prime meats in Clark, N.J. right off the Garden State Parkway, exit 135. At Federico's you can buy a single dog if you like, or by the pound. They also steam them and serve them there if you like. And of course, since this is the way Johnny's cooks them, they taste identical. And available locally rather than having to travel to Buttzville if you happen to live near Clark. I work in Clark and sometimes buy these dogs to cook on my griddle at home.

By the way, mentioning Glassboro brought back memories of what we used to order from a local pizzeria in my college days. It was called a Panzarotti and was sort of like a calzone. Absolutely delicious. When I moved back to North Jersey and asked for them, people looked at me like I was crazy. Haven't had one since. I'm sure it is a South Jersey/Philly thing. But that's a whole other topic, I suppose.

Hey Acoustic Blues, here are the Mapquest directions...from I 80 E

Merge onto US-46 E via exit number 53 toward RT-3/ MEADOWLANDS SPORTS COMPLEX/ WAYNE/ CLIFTON/ LINCOLN TUNNEL. 4.11 miles

Stay straight to go onto NJ-3 E. 4.73 miles

Merge onto NJ-21 N toward PASSAIC. 0.69 miles

Take the RIVER RD SOUTH exit- exit number 10A- toward CLIFTON. 0.16 miles

turn LEFT onto PEEKAY DR. 0.06 miles

Turn RIGHT onto RIVER RD/ CR-624. 0.09 miles


Rutt's is almost under the highway, so when you make that final turn, it won't seem to make sense, but that's where it is!

Don't forget the relish, but you also may want to try 'em plain first just to appreciate how wonderful they are!

Have fun!

Thank you Stan! I'm going next Saturday.

quote:

Originally posted by John Fox


By the way, mentioning Glassboro brought back memories of what we used to order from a local pizzeria in my college days. It was called a Panzarotti and was sort of like a calzone. Absolutely delicious. When I moved back to North Jersey and asked for them, people looked at me like I was crazy. Haven't had one since. I'm sure it is a South Jersey/Philly thing. But that's a whole other topic, I suppose.

JF:

They've got all these pizza places around here claiming to have "The Original Panzarotti", but what's annoying are the places who misspell it and claim to have "The Original Panzerotti. The pizza place right next to my Allstate agent in Marlton has a beautiful cursively-written sign proclaiming that. Maybe that's why i won't go in, because I get crazy when things are misspelled, and so brazenly...oh, and my bf lives close to Glassboro.

But steering back to the hotdog tour, I think once we're in the car with map or maps and enough gas, coffee & Diet Pepsi, we'll travel. He's an early riser and I'm adaptable, so I think we're gonna do this. Bill would eat a hotdog at any time of day. Hotdog Johnny's seems maybe far to the west, but gotta look at the map. So, maybe we'll just go to Rutt's and one or two other places that aren't real far from there. Maybe the Hot Grill. Wish I knew the area, but we won't get lost. I also read with interest acoustic blues' post about the Polonia Bakery and Janek's. Although neither one of us is Polish, those places sound cool too! If there were a good concert up there that would give even more incentive (like something in a small place with, say, Dan Hicks!), but we'll go for the scenery (lol) and the adventure of the ride, and the food at the end. I know he'll like Rutts.

I printed out your response to me and he's going to read it tonight (his 57th birthday!) when he gets here. If that doesn't plant the seed a little more...("You're not getting any younger, hon, gotta get all the gusto/hotdogs while you can!")

There are three decent hot dog places in South Jersey that are not at the shore. The first one is Hudocks just outside of Salem on Rt. 49 in Quinton. They are seasonal - opened from April to October. They have a foot long dog with a roll to match and a thin Philly style sauce. It's not really a chili sauce but it is tasty with mustard and onions.

The second place is Jim's Lunch on Rt. 49 in Millville. Jim grills his dogs in the front window (in my opinion the sign of a true hot dog joint) and serves them with a somewhat sparse sauce that is more like a chili sauce. Jim closes his place for the summer. They are both opened at the same time only in the Spring and early Fall. Jim's dogs are standard size and served on a short hoagie type bun that is heated on the grill.

The third place is Gus's Pizza and Texas Weiners. It's been a few years but there are/were two locations. One in Woodstown at 14 S. Main and the other on Rt. 49 W. in Pennsville. Both places split the dogs and grill them in what I would call Philly style.

In my opinion Hudocks is the best with a close second going to Jim's and Gus is a distant third.

If you want a really good texas weiner go to J&G Texas Weiners at 238 North Ave. Dunellen. It's worth the trip.

quote:

Originally posted by shaynas_mom

I'm just jealous of the ease with which some can just pop over to Rutt's Hutt or Hotdog Johnny's or etc. Yes, I'm the one who moans about no good hotdog places in South Jersey. It's weird; I'm from Philly and we used to take institutions such as Levis and Lenny's for granted (I think there's a Lenny's in Feasterville, but haven't been bothered to go yet).

However! I had to drive Bill, my boyfriend, home this morning (his starter is out of whack..lol) at roughly 6:00 AM. We have some of our best conversations that time of the morning, and somehow the subject became hotdogs. I mentioned John Fox and how he really is the expert on Jersey hotdogs here on this great forum, and we discussed what I've read of Rutt's Hutt ("What's a Ripper?" "Ooh, that sounds good!") and some of the other places that I could remember written and pictorial details about. I've started sending hollyeats links to him as well. I'd love to plan a hotdog tour of North Jersey; the only problem is hotdogs alone won't get Bill up there, because Clifton is kinda far just for a hotdog (according to him). Is anything else happening up that way that we could tie that in with? Anything? We did the New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge this year, but I'm sure none of these places are near any lighthouses we've gone to. At least I don't think so.

John, any ideas? Bill's gotta have a reason to go up there! Just for geographic reference, I live near Cherry Hill (exit 4 on the NJT) and he lives 40 minutes south outside of Williamstown...he's also originally from Chicago, just loves hotdogs, and believes that the best ones come from there.

THANK YOU TO ALL THE WONDERFUL, INSPIRATIONAL POSTERS ON THIS SITE!!

Kapeso, I'm definitely going to tell Bill about the places you mentioned! He's working some nights in Vineland, which isn't far from Millvile - and he works with a few people from Salem and also may be working part-time at the branch of his employer in that town as well! So I'm printing your post out most def.

I see you live in Berlin; we just ate at Victory Lane for the first time two nights ago and liked it!

Thanks again for those locations!

Kapeso,
Do you know what brand of dogs are served at Hudocks and Jim's? I know that J&G uses the Grote & Weigel griddle frank that many of the Texas Weiner places such as Red Tower, Texas Weiner l & ll, and Manny's use. Also, J&G is more central Jersey than south.