New Jersey Hot Dogs

They moved to the Seaside Heights Boardwalk for the summer.

The Sterns did an article for Parade Magazine about hot dogs. Included is Jimmy Buff's and the Newark style Italian Hot Dog.

http://www.parade.com/food/slideshows/best-hot-dogs-in-america.html?index=4

Dog Boss


we got a new place to report........................... DAVES HOT DOG'S  Sayrevlle (morgan) ..      i lost the finer details......... i'll fill in the blanks in a day or two, Sorry





doing dirty water sabrett's ..........he's been around for awhile........... brick and mortar  ........ had truck's in the past.......... simple menu, and doing well !!! 

 



323 south pine ave south amboy , nj  ( sayreville )   phone  1-732-316-9600  

http://www.mycentraljerse...-service-veteran 

I was walking on the Seaside Hgts boardwalk last weekend and noticed 3 or 4 hot dog stands that I don't remember seeing last summer. I think one of them was Bubba's but I didn't put 2 and 2 together. I'll have to take a ride down there soon and try em all. I did notice that one of them listed "Rippers" on the menu. I apologize for the lack of information, I was walking with a group of people at the time and just noticed them out of the corner of my eye.

Dave

It was probably Bubba's. They are at Seaside this summer and do offer "rippers".

I found a place I didn't know about. Captain Paul's Firehouse Dogs. It's in Lawrenceville, NJ.

I normally drive down to Halo Farms to get milk it's only $1.14 per half gallon and the drinks like iced tea, lemonade, fruit punch, grape aid, orange aid, and grape aid are .79 cents half gallon or 3 or $1.99. The ice cream is 3 pints for $4 I believe. They make it all fresh.

Anyway, back to the dogs.. I was looking for some alternate routes to get there and avoid route 1 traffic and came across Paul's.

The building is very nice.. has a few tables outside, which I loved on the nice summer day, and a few stools inside. The inside is tiny.

He serves up ice cream, dogs, drinks, funnel cake sticks, and some other stuff.

The dogs themselves are nothing special.. seems like a regular boiled dog.. not as long as a Sabratt's. The chili was good, though. They have two kinds of chili which I was unaware of. Regular chili and Italian Chili. The Italian has a little zing to it and has potatoes and onions and peppers in it I believe.

Neither chili is as good as a "Texas Weiner", but they were both decent. The Italian Chili wins out of the two due to it's uniqueness and the zing.

They serve the dogs with your choice of three mustards.. [class="size10 helvetica10"]Boar's Head, Gulden's or Honey Mustard.. oh and yellow.. four. The Boar's Head is the spicy one.

The owner is very friendly. He's been open over a year now.

My only suggestion would be to either fry or grill the dogs so they get that "snap".

Here's his website:

http://captainpaulsdogs.com/index.html

If you're reading the menu, I've had The Chief and Third Alarm before. My Girlfriend The General. Somehow she was expecting to get a hot dog.. I laughed. It clearly states buffalo chicken. She enjoyed it a lot.

<<I normally drive down to Halo Farms to get milk it's only $1.14 per half gallon and the drinks like iced tea, lemonade, fruit punch, grape aid, orange aid, and grape aid are .79 cents half gallon or 3 or $1.99. The ice cream is 3 pints for $4 I believe. They make it all fresh. >>

Nothing to do with Hot Dogs, as you said, but Halo Farms is a totally unique NJ Roadfood destination. Thier Ice Cream is superb, and the prices seem 30 years out of date for the quality. It's so low-profile that they don't even seem ot have a website. The Trenton Farmers Market (accessible from the same parking lot) makes it even better.  

Yes, I forgot to mention the farmers market.. there have some great prices on plants (flower and herb/veggie). There's a polish booth in there with cheeses and stuff.

I can say this, though. A lot of the Halo cashiers are rude. Also, a lot of the times however they seal the cartons they leak. I've gotten home a few times with a spilled milk in the bag, or an opened juice. Good thing the bags are heavy duty. It's like a 20 minute drive for me, but I make it a once a week routine since Aldi is close by and sooo cheap. I've been keeping a list of things I like and don't from Aldi like on my blog.

By the way, the owner of Paul's told me Trenton used to have a "Texas Weiner" and it was always packed. Wish it was still around.

<<A lot of the Halo cashiers are rude>>

Yeah, that's the worst part of going to Halo, the checkout lines are slow and the help is surly.

PS: There's an ALDI in South Plainfield on Park ave which is probably closer to you.
And, they currently have the Roseland Bratwurst in thier freezer section. These are made by Klement's in Wisconsin, a highly rated sausage maker. I actually find them to be a little too greasy, but others rave about them.

I had a quick question.  I live in Jersey City and wanted to take my dad out for hot dogs this weekend.  What are the best places in Jersey City or Hoboken to take him?  Do the places have seating or are they just mainly takeout places?  Thanks for the help in advance.

Definitely take him to Boulevard Drinks in Journal Square. It's a small place with only a few stools. Parking is tough but there is a garage right there. Great griddled natural casing Sabrett's just like Papaya King.

I think Hoboken has a Windmill restaurant.

John Fox


Definitely take him to Boulevard Drinks in Journal Square. It's a small place with only a few stools. Parking is tough but there is a garage right there. Great griddled natural casing Sabrett's just like Papaya King.

I think Hoboken has a Windmill restaurant.

Thanks John.  I live in Jersey City so I can just take the path over there to get some dogs :-)

ok......... i don't know what, i just cooked......... in a frying pan with a coating of peanut oil......... i just pan fried some dog's , i bought at WEGMAN'S  . found them to be on line with a thumans/ shickhuas  , found them   to be my  liking , i panned them until the skins ripped, had three, 1 plain 1 with ketchup and relish and the last one, with a hot spicy mustard , with relish.............  all three were well liked...............

now,  i bought these from the deli counter.......... they were loose and bought 1.75 ibs  @ $6.86 and 10 dog count .............. HOFFMANS RED HOT'S  , i thought they had a nice mild flavor, a touch of smokiness , has some snap.........  i'm going to try next time  to  simmer then the grill , and save and test one as a dirty water dog !!!


they deli master told me,  i can buy them in a 5lb bag, going for just under $20.00 buck's ..........

I buy the Hofmann's occasionally when I go to the Woodbridge Wegmans. I like that they are sold loose. As you said, they have a nice mild flavor. I'll buy a Thumann's loose and one of these. I prefer Thumann's but one of the guys working behind the counter told me that Hofmann's outsells Thumann's by about 3 to 1. Zweigle's, Sahlen's, and Hartmann's are sold at the Woodbridge location, but not always in stock. Bridgewater seems to always have them.

I once prepared a Hofmann's dirty water style. I didn't like it this way. Much too mild. In fact I would consider it bland. I simmer in water and either fry in the skillet or cook it on my griddle.

Although they won't admit it, Maui's in Wildwood serves Hofmann's Red Hots. They prepare them well on a griddle. I was there recently and had one with homeade sauerkraut which was good and one with a Texas Weiner chili which was very good. And very spicy.

Boulevard Drinks is very good definitley try their chili/onions, you can also try Nathan's Famous in the food court at Newport Center in JC,  not that far away in Fort Lee is Hiram's, voted best chili dog by the Munchmobile,they serve a Thumann's deep fried dog that is one of NJ's best.

John, My Wegman's has a Zweigle's combo pack.  Half red and half white.  I love these dogs.


And the Price Chopper in my area just started carrying Kayem's all beef, another favorite.

Hi All,

This is my first post so "Hello"  I am a Jersey born DogChaser.  My dad even ran a truck for a while (which I haven't ruled out myself, actually).

I wanted to mention that you can get some great butcher dogs from Lutz's Pork Store in Union NJ.  Not overspiced, but a nice flavor with a great natural casing and griddle/grill friendly.  Even made good rippers.

Thanks for all the nostalgia and education here!

Peace
Ken

Hi Ken and welcome aboard .

We went to Lutz on the 6th Annual Jersey Hot Dog Tour last yr and it was a big hit .
Pat and his staff do a great job

Benzee

My Girlfriend got the idea to make Rutt's Hutt relish at home. It's about an hour drive to get to Rutt's for us, one way.

So, she finds this video on YouTube.. warning it has foul language.. his has a mango or papaya or something in it..  this guy is an idiot.. he basically made made smashed mango with some onions and a little pepper or something.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5jEyh8gCZU

How stupid. I think he landed his cigarette butt in there.

Dog Boss


ok......... i don't know what, i just cooked......... in a frying pan with a coating of peanut oil......... i just pan fried some dog's , i bought at WEGMAN'S  . found them to be on line with a thumans/ shickhuas  , found them   to be my  liking , i panned them until the skins ripped, had three, 1 plain 1 with ketchup and relish and the last one, with a hot spicy mustard , with relish.............  all three were well liked...............

now,  i bought these from the deli counter.......... they were loose and bought 1.75 ibs  @ $6.86 and 10 dog count .............. HOFFMANS RED HOT'S  , i thought they had a nice mild flavor, a touch of smokiness , has some snap.........  i'm going to try next time  to  simmer then the grill , and save and test one as a dirty water dog !!!


they deli master told me,  i can buy them in a 5lb bag, going for just under $20.00 buck's .......... 

had a few more tonight !!!!!! even better , oh my !!

A new hot dog restaurant called Hot Diggities has opened on Bloomfield Ave. in Montclair. They serve a 1/4 lb natural casing beef dog from Best Provisions. This is the "Don's" dog. Here it is boiled, deep fried, or grilled; your choice. I spoke with a woman on the phone who was extremely hard to understand. Grilled means on a gas grill, not griddled. With tax the dog is $4.55 Kind of expensive. Amazing Hot Dog charged $3.25. But Hot Diggities has a list of 26 toppings, which are free. This may appeal to some, but I like a quality dog like this with mustard only. The combo is $6.25 which includes a drink and a side. Sides include fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings or tater tots.

More info here: http://www.baristanet.com/food/2010/06/hot_diggities_d.php

Rutt's Hut is the best.
 
Hot Grill for Texas weiners
 
but........the best Italian hot dog imo  is Dicky D's in Newark.

ok.................... went to Super Duper Weenie 306 Black Rock Turnpike Fairfield, CT 06825........................... took a nice easy ride.............. there dog's were good and fresh............ we enjoyed  our quick stop up in Connecticut ............ place was clean and active. 


dog's of the day:


1. slaw and chili ,spicy brown mustard 
2.nyc style onion's ,home made spicy red relish and spicy brown mustard.
3. chili , kraut and ketchup
4. mustard and relish 
to travel dog's 
1. chi-town 
2.mustard and kraut 


: chi-town had a rough trip, lol   didn't hold up to well .........it was ok after the ride, sure it was better hot and fresh .

Yesterday a friend and I went to Hot Diggities and Tony's; both on Bloomfield Ave. Hot Diggities has been open for 3 weeks and serves the 1/4 lb (Don's) natural casing Best's dog. While it is tasty, I prefer a 1/4 pounder to be longer and thinner rather than shorter and thicker. Nevertheless it tasted great and was prepared correctly. You have a choice of boiled, grilled (on a gas grill) or deep fried. We both chose grilled. The dogs were hot, juicy, and fresh. I got mine with mustard and a little kraut, my friend had sweet works which is mustard, kraut, and sweet relish. You have a choice of a potato or poppy seed bun. I had a potato bun. The kraut was good; better than average. I did find it a bit overpriced. Dogs alone are $4.25 plus tax. You can get this dog cheaper elsewhere. The combo is $6.25 and includes a small drink and side. Tater tots, fries, or sweet potato fries. We got regular fries which were your standard frozen fries. And not a lot of them.

The place has a nice atmosphere and is decorated with framed descriptions of the dogs they offer. I forgot to mention that all toppings are included or "free". To me this is deceiving. They charge more, but include toppings. Like Harold's charges a lot for a sandwich. But they force you to buy a large. In my opinion a very good dog; not a great value unless you like to load up on toppings.

Afterwards we went to Tony's. As mentioned by a poster on another forum, the truck was sold and the recipe for their famous hot onions changed. I asked the women working there about this and they denied it at first. I told them about the post here and they first said that the same recipe prepared by different people may taste different. Then they admitted tweaking it. I don't eat onions, but my friend said they definitely changed and aren't as hot or as good. I can tell you that they still use the same Golden D frank, but the chili, which they claimed was the same, wasn't. It was one of my favorites. It went from very good to just good. Bottom line: In the past I would go out of my way to get a few dogs from Tony's. Now I would only stop if I was in the area.

Same old story John, whether it's Hot Dogs or Horse Shoes. Any time a successful business changes hands, it's never the same.

I just thought I'd mention that was back at Captain Paul's today, which I did a review of earlier.

I mentioned the website and that I gave his chili a thumbs up.. I said the only thing I'd change is to grill or fry the dogs and to my surprise he said he's always done that if you ask. Since the conversation all happened so quick, I am not totally clear if he'll deep fry, but he definitely does grill dogs.

Thumbs up for a really nice family owning the place and for grilling the dogs.. I go there once every two weeks, sometimes less, but I think I'll be back more often now that I know he grills.

Wow - I see some of you North Jersey guys come down here to go to Halo farm and the farmers market? No wonder the place is always jammin'! I guess I'm spoiled since it is just a few minute drive for me. (I used to live within walking distance a few years back)

While you are in the area, stop by Casino Tony's in Trenton

http://www.casinotonygoes.com/html/home.html

Another "original home of the Italian Hot Dog". lol But the dogs ARE very good.

Hey Trenton Dog, where have you been? Casino Tony's has been gone from Trenton for more than a year! The restaurant was bought by someone else and has a different name. I think I heard that they still keep the dog on the menu that Casino's served.

They used to call themselves "The Original Italian Hot Dog"  knowing full well that Jimmy Buff's was around before them. Tony's daughter admitted as much to me. In a lawsuit they were allowed to call themselves "Original", but not "Originator". To me this is sematic mumbo jumbo. Jimmy Buff's was first and is the prototype. No way Casino's should have been allowed to call themselves "Original." Casino's is a bastardized version. They served their product on a sub roll instead of pizza bread, used french fries instead of sliced potatoes (like home fries), and worst of all used a pork based mild dog instead of a spicy all beef dog. And the ingredients are grilled rather than deep fried. Hey, some may like what they serve, but don't call it an Italian Hot Dog because it is not!

It's my opinion, but I've been to Casino Tony Goes and it cannot compare to an authentic Newark style Italian Hot Dog. It's all wrong. The flavors do not blend together, the ingredients are all wrong, and the product does not even look good on their website. The peppers aren't sliced; it's just one big piece. The potatoes are horrible. The only positive I can offer is that the actual frank, which is/was a Dietz and Watson beef/pork was tasty and would have been good alone griddled, served hot on a decent bun. But not as an Italian Hot Dog.

John Fox


Hey Trenton Dog, where have you been? Casino Tony's has been gone from Trenton for more than a year! The restaurant was bought by someone else and has a different name. I think I heard that they still keep the dog on the menu that Casino's served.

They used to call themselves "The Original Italian Hot Dog"  knowing full well that Jimmy Buff's was around before them. Tony's daughter admitted as much to me. In a lawsuit they were allowed to call themselves "Original", but not "Originator". To me this is sematic mumbo jumbo. Jimmy Buff's was first and is the prototype. No way Casino's should have been allowed to call themselves "Original." Casino's is a bastardized version. They served their product on a sub roll instead of pizza bread, used french fries instead of sliced potatoes (like home fries), and worst of all used a pork based mild dog instead of a spicy all beef dog. And the ingredients are grilled rather than deep fried. Hey, some may like what they serve, but don't call it an Italian Hot Dog because it is not!

It's my opinion, but I've been to Casino Tony Goes and it cannot compare to an authentic Newark style Italian Hot Dog. It's all wrong. The flavors do not blend together, the ingredients are all wrong, and the product does not even look good on their website. The peppers aren't sliced; it's just one big piece. The potatoes are horrible. The only positive I can offer is that the actual frank, which is/was a Dietz and Watson beef/pork was tasty and would have been good alone griddled, served hot on a decent bun. But not as an Italian Hot Dog.

Wow - that's sad. Last time I had a dog there was sometime last year. Been busy with my own hot dog cart since then, so I don't need to go out and buy one. :) If the one in Morrisville, PA is still open, it is only a 10 minute ride over the bridge.
 
The dog's I remember from Tony's were served on roll from the Italian People's Bakery in Trenton, and used home fried potatoes (not french fries). The dog did seem to be a natural casing german style beef/pork frank and not a spicier all beef dog, but personally, I like the beef/pork with toppings and the "all beef" ones with just mustard or a little kraut.
 
I've seen several hot dog joints throughout the state postings signs that they are home of the "original Italian hot dog".  Regardless, it is great to live in a state that takes their hot dogs seriously! Thumann's, Best, Sabrett, Shickhaus - I love 'em all as long as they have a natural casing.

As far as I know Casino's second location in PA is still open. I could be wrong; I'll have to check. I'm surprised that the Trenton place was sold or went out of business. Although I didn't like their product, many did and it was their only exposure to something resembling an Italian Hot Dog. You're right about the potatoes; they were home fries, not french fries.

Some years back when the Morrisville restaurant opened in a strip mall, a pizzeria in the same mall began advertising their own "New Jersey Italian Hot Dog." Can you believe the owners of Casino Tony Goes actually threatened legal action over the name? This while they were still falsely claiming to be the Original Italian Hot Dog. The pizzeria owner then started calling his sandwich a Pennsylvania Italian Hot Dog or something similar. I've posted about this in the past and even have a link to an article somewhere. I'll look for it.