Botsford Drive-In

282 S. Main St., Newtown, CT - (203) 426-4279

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Posted By Michael Stern on 1/13/2002 3:27:00 AM

As professional travelers, we sometimes ask ourselves why we settled down in Connecticut. One answer is pizza: the best is here. Another good answer is hot dogs. We'd venture to say that there are more good hot dog joints per capita in Connecticut than in any other location, except perhaps the city of Chicago.

The Botsford Drive-In is one of the good ones. It's inconspicuous, that's for sure. A tiny rectangular building by the side of Route 25, it has no indoor seating whatsoever; and even the picnic-table accommodations are fairly sparse. There is a walk-up window and there is a drive-up window. On a couple of occasions we have availed ourselves of the drive-up window on horseback (Newtown's bridal trails are just behind Route 25 at this point.) Many customers dine in their cars in the parking lot.

As we said, hot dogs are the specialty of the house. They are long, chewy ones that extend far beyond the soft, split New England-style buns in which they're nestled. Available configurations include a "Works" dog with mustard, relish, and sauerkraut, a "Texas" dog with hot chili, a "Messy" with the Works plus onions and chili, and a "King," which is Works, onion, bacon, cheese, and chili. The Botsford offers a special deal on a "family pack" of five hot dogs topped with mustard relish and ketchup plus a large bag of French fries, all for $7.95.

Beyond hot dogs, there are burgers (topped with the full panoply of condiments), fried clams (strips or whole-belly), and grinders. Plus breakfast is served every morning from six (seven in the winter): egg sandwiches, mostly, suitable for eating in the car on your way to work.

Scorecard

Overall: Legendary - Worth driving from anyplace

Hot Dog With Onion Sauce	Chili Dog

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Reviewers Photos [Upload Your Photos]

"This "Works" dog is resting on its wrapper on a car seat ... the location where most Botsford drive-in hot dogs are consumed."
Michael Stern

"There's a broad parking lot all around, but barely room to stand inside at the order windows."
Michael Stern

"This picture shows not only the sweet, garlicky onion sauce, but also the generous length of the hot dog -- base price, $1.25! -- as well as the classic split-top Yankee bun."
Michael Stern

"A close-up of Botsford chili. At $2, a chili dog is twice the price of a standard long dog, but there's a lot of extra meat here."
Michael Stern

"We do love plump hot dogs, but there is something extremely appealing about these tube steaks that shrivel a bit when they fry, and snap when bitten."
Michael Stern