New Jersey Hot Dogs

quote:

Originally posted by John Fox

If your travels take you to Newark or close by, let me suggest that you stop by the Best factory on Avon Ave. and Jeliff St. and purchase some of Best's natural casing dogs. This is the only place you can get them other than Jerry's in Elizabeth and Jimmy Buffs in East Hanover. Nothing like a natural casing Best on the backyard grill.

I'll have to remember that Best Provisions location. I'm in Newark right now. Ironbound to be exact. I'm around the corner from my office. I'd go buy the hot dogs now except that i dont have enough time to get over there now being rush hour.

How are the natural casing Best's fried?

Best's dogs are great any way. Great grilled as Syd's used to do them after being heated in water first. Great in water like Jerry's does them. And great fried in oil like the Italian Hot Dog joints do them, only they use a skinless dog. Jimmy Buffs in East Hanover will serve the natural casing dog fried if you request. Or get the footlong fried then charcoal grilled.

John Fox, What do you think about the Thumans brand dogs. I'm not too familiar with them but have been noticing them more in the deli section of stores this spring. I ee two different packages. One being white with blue lettering and i forget what the other package looks like.


Thumanns makes 3 recipes. An all beef dog that you can get skinless or natural casing which is pretty good. A dog for deep frying that Rutts Hut and others use. This one is not sold in supermarkets. I've been able to get it from a pizzeria owner who uses Thumanns coldcuts for his sub sandwiches. He will order a package from the Thumanns distributor for me. And the beef/pork griller which is sold in the blue and white package. This is the dog that Thumanns sells the most of. You can get this dog in a skinless quarter pound size and also in the skinless 8 or 10 to a lb size. But you have to search for these.

The Thumanns griller in the blue and white package is a natural casing frank that comes 6 to a lb. In my opinion, it is the best German style beef and pork dog I've had. I've compared it to many others and it has a rich unique taste that's hard to describe. I know that the pork comes right off of their hams. They use quality cuts of beef and pork rather than trimmings. This dog is great on the backyard grill, but I prefer cooking it on a griddle. It has a tender casing and is loosely packed. A unique, delicious flavor. Wegmans sells them loose in the deli case.

Last week I received a gift of 5 lbs of Sahlens hot dogs and 3 lbs of Wardynski, both from Buffalo. Excellent quality dogs. Sahlens has some reputation in the Northeast. People from the area who move have these dogs shipped to them. Many will eat no other dog. Ted's restaurants use this dog. It is a quality beef and pork dog like Thumanns. It has a slight peppery flavor. One of the 5 best dogs I've had in this style. But I still prefer Thumanns. I had both of these dogs along with a Wardynski's that I cooked on the griddle. All 3 great. The Wardynski dog tasted almost exactly like Sahlens. Maybe a touch lighter in flavor. For dinner this evening, I had all 3 on the backyard grill. Again I preferred Thumanns, but the Sahlens is definitly better on the grill than it is on the griddle. My wife like the Sahlens better than Thumanns. I didn't like the flavor of the Wardynski dog. Last time I had it, it was identical to the Sahlens. This time it didn't taste as good. I don't think the difference in cooking methods was the reason. Either this dog was bad or my taste was off. I'll have to try them again side by side.

But by all means, try Thumanns in the blue and white package. And grill them. Either outside or on a griddle if you have one. Wegmans is a good place to buy these dogs. They are a dollar cheaper if you buy by the pound. I like buying them loose in the deli case. They are always fresh.

While at Wegmans, I noticed that they sell Hebrew National franks with a collagen casing. This too is convenient since the only other place I know of in Jersey that sells them is in Old Bridge. Wegmans sells a bigger 6 to a lb frank. I forgot about this dog being available here. I bought one last year. These are also sold loose behind the kosher deli counter.

John Fox, Thanks for all of that valuable info, The Thuman's beef & pork in natural casing are on my list.

I've seen somebody mention franks from the Union Pork store on Morris Ave in Union. Do you have any knowledge of these franks? What type they are ? How they are best cooked. I go to the liquor stare next to them every Thursday afternoon and was thinking about buying some franks there if they are good.

Cheers, jerzeydawg

quote:

Originally posted by jerzeydawg

quote:

Originally posted by John Fox

John Fox, What do you think about the Thumans brand dogs. I'm not too familiar with them but have been noticing them more in the deli section of stores this spring. I ee two different packages. One being white with blue lettering and i forget what the other package looks like.

Thumanns makes 3 recipes. An all beef dog that you can get skinless or natural casing which is pretty good. A dog for deep frying that Rutts Hut and others use. This one is not sold in supermarkets. I've been able to get it from a pizzeria owner who uses Thumanns coldcuts for his sub sandwiches. He will order a package from the Thumanns distributor for me. And the beef/pork griller which is sold in the blue and white package. This is the dog that Thumanns sells the most of. You can get this dog in a skinless quarter pound size and also in the skinless 8 or 10 to a lb size. But you have to search for these.

The Thumanns griller in the blue and white package is a natural casing frank that comes 6 to a lb. In my opinion, it is the best German style beef and pork dog I've had. I've compared it to many others and it has a rich unique taste that's hard to describe. I know that the pork comes right off of their hams. They use quality cuts of beef and pork rather than trimmings. This dog is great on the backyard grill, but I prefer cooking it on a griddle. It has a tender casing and is loosely packed. A unique, delicious flavor. Wegmans sells them loose in the deli case.



John Fox, Thanks for all of that valuable info, The Thuman's beef & pork in natural casing are on my list.

I've seen somebody mention franks from the Union Pork store on Morris Ave in Union. Do you have any knowledge of these franks? What type they are ? How they are best cooked. I go to the liquor stare next to them every Thursday afternoon and was thinking about buying some franks there if they are good.

Cheers, jerzeydawg


I've been to the Union Pork Store many times. The German style franks are made on the premises and are 50% beef and 50% pork. They come in different sizes and are excellent. When I buy a beef and pork frank rather than an all beef, over 90% of the time it's either a Thumanns or one from the Union Pork Store. You can't get fresher than these. Although I prefer Thummanns, these are in the same league. Better than most butcher shop dogs and as good as the best. Up there with Kochers in Ridgefield Park. New Jersey Monthly ran a piece on the Union Pork Store a few years ago where they described the franks as "pristine". Everything at this place is exceptional. I know of someone who travels from Pennsylvania just to buy the bratwurst. Most people I know in Union prefer this butcher shop to the others in Union. A neighbor of mine even likes their dogs better than Thumanns. Again, it's a matter of taste. Try the dogs; you can buy just one if you want. I would recommend grilling.

Ok, I'm posting the follow up on the dogs from the Union Pork Store.

They were very high quality meat only there was not enough flavor for me.

Tomorrow i will try the Texas wieners i bought there.

Ok, I'm reporting on the Texas Wieners i purchased at the Union Pork store. They were good. Had a nice spicy taste to them.

Anyone here have any recommendations for dogs in the Ocean City, NJ area?

Hey Everyone,
Has Anyone eaten at a place in Milford, NJ (Hunterdon County) called Vinnie's Hot Dogs? I think thats the name of the place. It's on Bridge St in the same spot that the Bridge Street Dog Pound used to be in.

DPuro329

No surprise that the Bridge Street Dog Pound is gone. Decent dogs but horrible service.

Jimmy Buffs, the originator and original Italian Hot Dog, will be celebrating their 75th Anniversary this summer. For the entire month of August, single Italian Hot Dogs will be sold for 75 cents. This is an unbelievable bargain. A regular single runs close to $4.00. Other places are close to $5.00 for a single. I know where I'll be eating in August!

is that all of the jimmy buffs or a specific one? i have been avoiding the italian variety of late but i may have to start again in August!

It's at the 2 locations owned by Jim Raccioppi, East Hanover and West Orange.

Yesterday I ate at the Homeplate Dairy on Route 57 in Stewartsville. Good dog, but their main toppings were yellow mustard (which I don't love), chopped onions, and pickles. I'm not sure whta type of dog they are using or how it was prepared.
Why do so many places in western Jersey feature this topping combination? Off the top of my head I can also think of Hot Dog Johnnies and Toby's Cup as places which promote this.

Western Jersey and nearby Pennsylvania serve dogs like this. It's just a regional style I guess. Add Jimmy's Hot Dogs in Easton (formerly of Philipsburg) and Charlies Pool Room, although Charlies specialty is the Hungarian onion sauce. If you don't eat onions, the dogs are served with yellow mustard and pickles. The recently departed Bridge Street Dog Pound served dogs like Toby's Cup. There are quite a few others. Out of the West Jesey joints, I like Toby's the best. I prefer Berks to Kunzler or Hatfield, and I think the peanut oil adds flavor. I also like Charlies Pool Room. The dogs are fried perfectly in a pan and stay hot a long time. The exterior also has a nice char.

Today I went to Papaya King in Clifton. It's been awhile since I've last been there and had a craving for their dogs. I brought my wife Pat along. I had mine with just mustard like I usually do for a quality beef dog. Pat had one dog with peppers and onions which she liked. Her other one was a new dog called a Marvelous. It has melted cheese and potato sticks. She loved it and wants to make one at home. I thought it was ok, but I prefer to have just mustard on mine. Those of you who like toppings might like this one.

I also wanted to sample the chili here so I got some on the side. It was very good chili, certainly better than what I expected. I say this because Papaya King is originally a New York hot dog joint and New York City places like Katz's and Nathans in my opinion do not have good chili. It was meaty and slightly spicy.

Papaya King is right up there as one of the best grilled dogs in the state. Jimmy Buffs East Hanover serves an excellent charbroiled dog that is fried in oil first although you don't have to get it fried if you don't want to. Papaya King serves an excellent 10 to a lb natural casing Sabrett that is prepared perfectly on a griddle. Matt the owner is always there (even today, a Sunday) and the quality is consistent. He monitors the temperature on the griddle and the time the dogs are heated. There is foil on the grill to prevent the casing from popping open. The dogs are well done, which I prefer, but still retain the flavorful juices.

Boulevard Drinks in Jersey City serves a top notch grilled dog as well. The same recipe Sabrett dog prepared on a griddle. These dogs are always hot fresh and tasty. But they are smaller (12 to a lb) than Papaya King's, which are themselves small. And the parking is non existent.

After eating at Papaya King, I dropped my wife off at home and headed over to Jerry's in Elizabeth for a couple more dogs. Here they are boiled and then left in a steel compartment (sort of like a griddle) for a little while for added crunch. One of my 3 favorite places to get an all beef dog. Jimmy Buffs and Papaya King are the other 2. Jerry's is a great dog usually, but they are not always consistent. A few months ago I compared their dogs to Boulevard Drinks (similar as I said to Papaya King) and preferred Jerry's. Even though they are not really grilled, I like the spicing better in their dog (from Best's). It's the best dirty water dog out there.

Today however, the dogs were not served hot enough and didn't have the usual great taste. They were slightly bland, which leads me to believe that they may have been in the water too long, or were just old. Papaya King was better today.

Saturday June 16th, I went first to Jerry's, loved the dog didn't like the chili, next was Tommy's, Chili was OK, dog wasn't must have been in the water to long. Next came Boulevard Drinks (My Favorite Hotdog Place) perfect as usual. Next a cart on Webster and Paterson Plank road in Jersey City, good dog, chili needed a little more flavor. Last but not least Manny's (the old Father and Son)The dog was OK, but the chili was dried out , must have been left out all day, I'll go back earlier in the day next time. Over all Boulevard Drinks is still my favorite. Can anyone recommend a place with really good Chili dog??? I'malway on the hunt. Next up is Bergen County.

quote:

Originally posted by Arutha5

Saturday June 16th, I went first to Jerry's, loved the dog didn't like the chili, next was Tommy's, Chili was OK, dog wasn't must have been in the water to long. Next came Boulevard Drinks (My Favorite Hotdog Place) perfect as usual. Next a cart on Webster and Paterson Plank road in Jersey City, good dog, chili needed a little more flavor. Last but not least Manny's (the old Father and Son)The dog was OK, but the chili was dried out , must have been left out all day, I'll go back earlier in the day next time. Over all Boulevard Drinks is still my favorite. Can anyone recommend a place with really good Chili dog??? I'malway on the hunt. Next up is Bergen County.

If you like Boulevard Drinks, you'll like Papaya King. Same recipe dog (although a little bigger)and much better parking. The chili is very good also.

Hot Dogs in Union County. Can ayone tell me why most of the hot dog places in Union County serve hot dogs with raw onions on them as opposed to hot dog style onions?

I lived most of my life in Hudson County and anytime you order a dog over there and ask for onions you get Hot Dog style onions in which are cooked and mixed with a ketchup mustard based sauce. Since experimenting with hot dog places in Union County i notice that almost every time i order hot dogs with onions the onions are raw. Then if i do ask for them cooked i usually end up getting a hot dog with just "Cooked onions"......no sauce

What is wrong with Union County?

Union County has more than just the boiled hot dogs that are prevalent in Hudson County. Hudson County has a lot of carts and trucks that serve dirty water Sabretts. Sabrett makes the onion sauce and provides it to these carts. One reason why it is so popular. I hate onions and never eat them, but I have noticed that raw onions are popular on Texas Weiners especially. And also on grilled dogs in the Union County area. There are exceptions, but it's mostly a regional thing. You can get the type of onions that you like as far away as Charlies Pool Room in Alpha. In Hudson County one of the finest hot dog stands in the state, Boulevard Drinks in Jersey City, does not serve the onion sauce.

quote:

Originally posted by John Fox

Union County has more than just the boiled hot dogs that are prevalent in Hudson County. Hudson County has a lot of carts and trucks that serve dirty water Sabretts. Sabrett makes the onion sauce and provides it to these carts. One reason why it is so popular. I hate onions and never eat them, but I have noticed that raw onions are popular on Texas Weiners especially. And also on grilled dogs in the Union County area. There are exceptions, but it's mostly a regional thing. You can get the type of onions that you like as far away as Charlies Pool Room in Alpha. In Hudson County one of the finest hot dog stands in the state, Boulevard Drinks in Jersey City, does not serve the onion sauce.

Funny, I never knew it was a regional thing. I assumed the whole country served these onions with the ketchup & mustard based sauce. Now that you mention it. Sabrett is originally from down town jersey city so maybe thats why everyone there used the pushcart style onions.

Fohnfox, have you ever tried the Black Bear Hot dogs from Shop Rite?

Also, have you ever tried the chili dogs at a place in Jersey City called "Gyro Stop" on rt. 44o near communipaw ave?

Sometimes i get Hot dogs off of Munce's hot dog truck in rahway on st. george ave near the park (close to Linden). There onions are really good, they are pushcart style but i think the puts a little cayenne pepper in there to spice it up.

Anyone remember the name of the italian hot dog place that was moving down to Seaside Hts. Anyone been there yet? Where is it on the boardwalk.
On another note, as I reported a while back, Joyces Place in Brick is out of business.

i think you are referring to J's Beef, formerly in Linden, and was looking to move to Pt Pleasant, Seaside, and/or Asbury Park. Not sure of the status of that though...

J's Beef will not be moving to Seaside as originally planned. He is looking in the Woodbridge area.

Thanks for the answer. Too bad for me.

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I would like to share a couple of promotional days I have added to the East Hanover location of Jimmy Buff's.

1- "Monday Madness" get an 8 to a lb natural casing pushcart style hotdog for 99 cents no limit and no extra charge for toppings.

2- "Fat Tuesdays" get any double italian style sandwich for the single price. We have been doing this promo for quite a while now with great success.

3-Our 75th Anniversary special will be a single hotdog for 75 cents with the purchase of another single at the regular price and again no limit. Our way of saying thanks to all our patrons for 75 great years.

Lastly thanks to all your positive posts on this and other forums, my family and myself say God bless and keep on eating!!!!!!!!

PS A special thanks to John Fox who knows more about hotdogs than any person I every talked to. He is like EF Hutton, when John talks we all listen. See you all on the 15th of September, looking forward to pleasing all of you.

Jimmy Buff

Jim,

Thanks for letting us know about the promotions. The natural casing pushcart dog (same one is used by Jerry's and Tommy's for their regular dogs) is the only one I have yet to eat at your East Hanover store. I know that it will be good as are all of your dogs. Especially with your excellent unique chili. I must say that although everything I've had at your restaurant is top of the line, it's awfully hard to not order the footlong, which is the single best hot dog I've ever eaten.

Jim, we're glad that you will be there on Sept 15th. I know that your son plays football, but I'm glad he has no game that day. We're also glad that you are a hands on owner who listens and appreciates his customers. I visited 87 places last summer and you are one of the few who not only takes pride in his business, but also cares deeply about his product and customers, and looks to add new things to the menu. We're looking forward to visiting Jimmy Buffs in Sept.

In Jersey City, but more on the Union City side, at corner of Webster Ave and Paterson Plank Rd, the Hot Dog vendor by Washington Park. In business over 40 years, The greatest boiled pushcart dogs and orangeade. Excellent thick homemade chili, not watery, regular sabrett onions, but puts the right amount on the dog, not too much, not too little. Has a very low license number... A Jersey/Union City Landmark. If you live/work there you know what I mean !

Also, yes in the 60's/ 70's Haydu dogs, originally made in Newark I believe were excellent

this year will be the 7th year for the HDT (my third year). we normally hit central jersey & PA and north jersey, but this year our Hot Dog Tour is heading into South Jersey and Delaware. anyone know much about any of these?
1. Cravings Stockton, NJ
2. Texas Wieners Philadelphia, PA
3. The Dog House New Castle, DE
4. Deerhead Wilmington, DE
5. John’s Doggie Stand Boothwyn, PA
6. The Last Stand Holmes, PA
7. Lenny’s Hot Dogs Philadelphia, PA
8. Coney Island Joe’s Morrisville, PA
9. River Hot Dog Man Frenchtown, NJ (on river)
10. Charlie’s Pool Room Alpha, NJ (we usually wrap the tour every year at Charlies)

when is this tour? ^^^^

quote:

Originally posted by foobuc

when is this tour? ^^^^

its this Saturday, pal